civic road noise/engine noise

[californiabass]

Hello everyone, this is my first post and i might be getting a civic coupe 06 this week, i wanted to ask you guys how is the suspension on this car? i currently drive a 94 lexus es 300 and the ride is smooth, road noise is minimal, engine noise is minimal, and over all the car is very smooth. My girlfriend drives a toyota echo 2000 and when you get on the freeway of step on the gas you can hear tons of noise from the engine and from the road, the car is kinda stiff and is just unplesent to drive. So my question is how does the civic coupe handle? i will prably get a ex or lx if it matters.

[Tate]

engine noise is very low. Unless you floor it, you can barely hear it. Road noise is a bit high, I blame it on the tires. Suspension and chassis are solid and there is no noise from there

[sonitex]

Huge difference in the EX 2 dr vs SI. EX is smooth as silk and very quiet. SI is stiffer, and growls (just the way I like it)

[cojaro]

It rides pretty well. Although I don't like how it handles the faster I go. 90mph isn't too fun, and neither is 75mph ( at least to me).

*sigh* if only I could afford an airbag suspension to I could lower it an inch or so when I'm getting to highway speeds (65+)

[Retread]

I drive an EX coupe with Auto. The road noise is not bad unless you are on rough or coarse pavement. It is mainly the POS Turanza's that come on many of the Civics that is the cause. Ride........... well if your coming from a Lexus, you can compare the ride of the coupe to a covered wagon. It is very stiff and bouncy, not to the point of it be annoying, but absolutely nothing like the car you have been driving. It handles well at most speeds, as has been said the stability goes south with speed. You WILL feel every bump,piece of tar or playing card that you run over. Lets keep this in perspective, it is a Civic, and can't be expected to ride like a luxury sport sedan. It is overall, fun to drive, great on gas and efficient.

[californiabass]

thank you guys, the last post especially put it together nice. So you guys are saying the changing the tires might help? i wanted to put new rims and tires in the car anyways , so is there a special type of time i should shoot for?

[06blaksi]

Originally Posted by californiabass

Hello everyone, this is my first post and i might be getting a civic coupe 06 this week, i wanted to ask you guys how is the suspension on this car? i currently drive a 94 lexus es 300 and the ride is smooth, road noise is minimal, engine noise is minimal, and over all the car is very smooth. My girlfriend drives a toyota echo 2000 and when you get on the freeway of step on the gas you can hear tons of noise from the engine and from the road, the car is kinda stiff and is just unplesent to drive. So my question is how does the civic coupe handle? i will prably get a ex or lx if it matters.

Sounds to me like you want to drive an Accord

[tomasro]

would it make more sense to dynamat the entire car or to replace the tires with better quality ones?

[smiley]

I have only had my SI for a month or so, and the biggest adjustment I had to make was the stiffer ride. Coming from a Lexus, you are in for a suprise. If performance is more important, you can live with the ride. If NOT, then like the other fellow said-- get the accord (manual with the 6cyl- still fun)

[moxom]

Originally Posted by tomasro

would it make more sense to dynamat the entire car or to replace the tires with better quality ones?

You might have to do both if you want a very quiet car.
I have an LX sedan which is pretty noisy on some roads. I don't blame the excessive noise on the wheels only, because all or most of the stock tires that are found on the 06 sedan and coupe are well regarded for the low noise output. Check out Tirerack.com to read the user reviews.
I dampened my LX's cabin, doors, trunk, and rear quarter panels and the improvement is very noticeable. I can now hear rear passengers at normal conversation levels while cruising on the expressway. Before I dampened the car, it was not uncommon for everyone in the car to have to raise their voice and repeat sentences in order to hold an intelligible conversation. Although it's still too noisy for my taste, the perceived ride quality has taken a step in the right direction.

[tomasro]

Originally Posted by moxom

You might have to do both if you want a very quiet car.
I have an LX sedan which is pretty noisy on some roads. I don't blame the excessive noise on the wheels only, because all or most of the stock tires that are found on the 06 sedan and coupe are well regarded for the low noise output. Check out Tirerack.com to read the user reviews.
I dampened my LX's cabin, doors, trunk, and rear quarter panels and the improvement is very noticeable. I can now hear rear passengers at normal conversation levels while cruising on the expressway. Before I dampened the car, it was not uncommon for everyone in the car to have to raise their voice and repeat sentences in order to hold an intelligible conversation. Although it's still too noisy for my taste, the perceived ride quality has taken a step in the right direction.

Where did you dampen, how much did you dampen, and with what material did you dampen with? Brand and model would be great (like Dynamat original vs extreme)

[moxom]

Originally Posted by tomasro

Where did you dampen, how much did you dampen, and with what material did you dampen with? Brand and model would be great (like Dynamat original vs extreme)

I dampened the door skin, inner door and some parts of the door panel.
I also dampened the trunk and the upper rear 1/4 panel. Finally I dampened the floor of the vehicle.
I used a single layer to all surfaces.
I used Scosche Hyperflex. The stuff was extremely easy to work with and the material size makes it really easy to apply with very little trimming.
This stuff is the equivalent to Dynamat Extreme.
BTW, do not buy the Dynamat roller. Instead go to Home Depot and pick up the laminate roller. It's the one that's used to lay down formica. The handle is longer, making it easier to use in those hard to reach places and it's built for two-handed use. This allows you to apply greater pressure for better adhesion. And it's built to last. MAke sure you wear gloves to prevent cuts from the door openings.
This is what it looks like: