[CraigB]

Holly cow,Batman,in our money thats Nigh on $170,screw that,I'd be putting up with the noise  ,got a full set of Maxxis for just under $400 and they are very quiet,sorry no good looking for them over there.

Well tyre prices might be different over there and it was only placed as an example but you are trying to compare a top level tyre to a budget brand.

I haven't checked out the price of Continentals here yet but for a high quality tyre that are high speed rated, top level wet and dry traction, silica compound long life ( 60/ 80,000km ) and superior low noise rated $170 is pretty good, the tyres I used on my Clubby were just over $400 each

[Surferdude]

Holly cow,Batman,in our money thats Nigh on $170,screw that,I'd be putting up with the noise  ,got a full set of Maxxis for just under $400 and they are very quiet,sorry no good looking for them over there.

Well tyre prices might be different over there and it was only placed as an example but you are trying to compare a top level tyre to a budget brand.

I haven't checked out the price of Continentals here yet but for a high quality tyre that are high speed rated, top level wet and dry traction, silica compound long life ( 60/ 80,000km ) and superior low noise rated $170 is pretty good, the tyres I used on my Clubby were just over $400 each

IIRC, tyre prices in the UK are generally cheaper than here.
MAXXIS should be available over there too.

[Doggie 1]

I find my car's tyres are at their quietest when the car is in my garage.
I'm beginning to wonder if the garage has insulated walls.   

[Dazzler]

I find my car's tyres are at their quietest when the car is in my garage.
I'm beginning to wonder if the garage has insulated walls.   

and the tyre wear seems better in there too.. must be the concrete floor! 

[eye30]

My tyres are so so noiseless

I have some sort of Eco type tyre with a floral design on the sidewall.

Been out and got details from the tyre

Hankook
Kontrol technology
Kinergy Eco
Made in Hungary
195/65R15  91H

[AlanHo]

My tyres are so so noiseless

I have some sort of Eco type tyre with a floral design on the sidewall.

Been out and got details from the tyre

Hankook
Kontrol technology
Kinergy Eco
Made in Hungary
195/65R15  91H

Those were the tyres I had on my 2013 I30 Tourer. I found them very noisy compared with the continentals on my previous i30.

[Berber]

I have the same problem. I suspect that if Hyundai had put another half inch of soundproofing nuder the carpets, it would have made a lot of difference.

[Doggie 1]

I agree.
The carpet is cheap quality and always has been and some soundproofing would help.

[Surferdude]

Put some roof racks on and the tyre noise won't worry you. 

[eye30]

I have the same problem.

 soundproofing nuder

[Berber]

I have the same problem.

 soundproofing nuder

Ummmm errrrr....... Finger trouble!

[PhireSideZA]

I have noticed my tyres/tires are relatively quiet up to highway speeds here (120km/h up to 140km/h), but this is all relative as I received the car with them. I know it isn't very scientific but ZA has very rough roads and I can hear the radio crisp and clear on volume level 7 with the SDVC on.

I will post the details anyways if it might help!

Continental ContiPremiumContact 2 205/55R16

I read on one site they are meant to be used in summer, and Continental does not recommend that people use it where there may be ice or snow. Luckily ZA isn't too cold and the coldest we get here is maybe 4 or 5 degrees Celsius.

The Continental ContiPremiumContact 2 is a tire designed for a superior appearance. The ContiPremiumContact 2 comes as original equipment on luxurious sedans and similar vehicles. This is a summer tire and though it handles well in wet and dry conditions, it is not made for driving in icy or snowy environments.

[Doggie 1]

This backs up everything we're hearing about Continentals.

[Dazzler]

This backs up everything we're hearing about Continentals.

Some people don't give a "continental" about tyre noise, but I do (I might even get some next time!)

[Andyp25]

Thats the big thing I noticed was road noise,  even a bloke at work with the diesel said to me have i noticed the road noise? I have been looking at Auto Express magazine which did a review on eco tyres and the ones that caught my eye was Dunlop sport Blu Response,  quite, their good in wet and fuel saving best bit £65 so that's what I ll be trying out soon.

[Berber]

Thats the big thing I noticed was road noise,  even a bloke at work with the diesel said to me have i noticed the road noise? I have been looking at Auto Express magazine which did a review on eco tyres and the ones that caught my eye was Dunlop sport Blu Response,  quite, their good in wet and fuel saving best bit £65 so that's what I ll be trying out soon.

Let us all know how you get on please.

[AlanHo]

Thats the big thing I noticed was road noise,  even a bloke at work with the diesel said to me have i noticed the road noise? I have been looking at Auto Express magazine which did a review on eco tyres and the ones that caught my eye was Dunlop sport Blu Response,  quite, their good in wet and fuel saving best bit £65 so that's what I ll be trying out soon.

I changed the Hankook tyres on my 2013 i30 tourer for Dunlop Sport BluResponse and by using a professional decibel meter I established that the cabin noise was reduced by an average of 2 dB on rough tarmac which was disappointing. On my previous i30 hatch I changed to Continental Premium Contact 2 tyres and the noise reduction averaged 3 to 4 dB.  Neither of these improvements would really be noticed by people with normal hearing - but I suffer from hearing loss and every little helps.

If your hearing is OK and you can hold a conversation with passengers in the car - it is not worth spending on new tyres until such time as the present ones are worn out.  My wife has good hearing and never really noticed the difference that my tyre changes made.

[AlanHo]

Thats the big thing I noticed was road noise,  even a bloke at work with the diesel said to me have i noticed the road noise? I have been looking at Auto Express magazine which did a review on eco tyres and the ones that caught my eye was Dunlop sport Blu Response,  quite, their good in wet and fuel saving best bit £65 so that's what I ll be trying out soon.

I changed the Hankook tyres on my 2013 i30 tourer for Dunlop Sport BluResponse and by using a professional decibel meter I established that the cabin noise was reduced by an average of 2 dB on rough tarmac which was disappointing. On my previous i30 hatch I changed to Continental Premium Contact 2 tyres and the noise reduction averaged 3 to 4 dB.  Neither of these improvements would really be noticed by people with normal hearing - but I suffer from hearing loss and every little helps.

Last year whilst on holiday in Portugal I hired a Citroen C4 Picasso and was impressed with how quiet it was - it was shod with Michelin tyres.

Recently one of my friends gave me a lift in his C4 Picasso, also shod with Michelin tyres and cabin noise on the M6 motorway was dreadful - much worse than my Venga and my previous i30'son Continental tyres.

I have concluded that most of the main roads and motorways in Portugal have been resurfaced (using generous E.U grants) with the low noise tarmac now being used on our motorways - and that was why the C4 in Portugal seemed quiet.

If your hearing is OK and you can hold a conversation with passengers in the car - it is not worth spending on new tyres until such time as the present ones are worn out.  My wife has good hearing and never really noticed the difference that my tyre changes made.

[Paulq]

I have now had the car 2 weeks and, to be honest, I utterly hate it and principally because of this issue but also niggly things like a ridiculous steering pull that needs a proper alignment - at my cost of course.  I had 2 more people in it for the first time on Saturday and, even at normal speeds on Motorways, we simply could not hold a conversation.  My other half has flatly refused to go on holiday in it in September.

So.  It's going.  I should have trusted my guy instinct in the first place that 'if it's cheap, it's cheap for a reason'.  The car has come a long way but it's areas like this where brands like Hyundai and Kia (there will be others) save money.

Lesson learned - if I want the creature comforts I will have to pay for them.  Back to VW or Volvo for me.

Thanks to all for the replies.

[AlanHo]

Before you dash off and buy a Golf - if you search this forum you will find a thread where I checked the cabin noise in various 2012 model cars (using a decibel meter) on the same roads and speeds - which I compared with the new 2012 i30.

The Golf was slightly better on some surfaces but worse on others.  Overall it was a draw.

If cabin noise is a major concern - road test various models and check the cabin noise scientifically

If you have a smartphone you can download a Noise Meter app.  There is no need to calibrate it against a proper decibel meter because it will be accurate and consistent enough for comparing one car with another.  I took my wife with me when we went road testing cars - she sat in the front passenger seat with the decibel meter and noted down noise readings whilst a gobsmacked salesman sat in the back muttering he had never ever had a customer do this before.  It is important to take each car over the same route for consistency.

[Paulq]

Thanks Alan.  However I would disagree.  My Mrs has a 13 plate Golf 1.6 TDi SE so I can test that as much as I want and I can tell you, regardless of whatever decibel meters you choose to use, the Golf is in a different league.  Quiet as a mouse and I drive it regularly. My Passat was even better.

Since this problem arose I have 'test driven' 3 more i30's as you have suggested - all the same.  The issue is with the design and the soundproofing.  A quick Google search will tell you I am not alone....

[Doggie 1]

I have now had the car 2 weeks and, to be honest, I utterly hate it and principally because of this issue but also niggly things like a ridiculous steering pull that needs a proper alignment - at my cost of course.  I had 2 more people in it for the first time on Saturday and, even at normal speeds on Motorways, we simply could not hold a conversation.  My other half has flatly refused to go on holiday in it in September.

So.  It's going.  I should have trusted my guy instinct in the first place that 'if it's cheap, it's cheap for a reason'.  The car has come a long way but it's areas like this where brands like Hyundai and Kia (there will be others) save money.

Lesson learned - if I want the creature comforts I will have to pay for them.  Back to VW or Volvo for me.

Thanks to all for the replies.

Refreshh my memory.
Which i30 do you have?
Road noise is one issue.
The steering "pull" you speak of sounds like it could be the known EPS issue.
If it is, it's a warranty item.
Don't be too hasty because the vast majority of i30 owners can't be wrong.

[Paulq]

I have the 2013 1.6 CRDi Style (128 BHP).

It's a shame, otherwise the car is good but it's simply a ball ache to drive it at anything above 40 on anything other than glass smooth tarmac and we ain't got much of that in these parts 

[Doggie 1]

Same model as mine then.
Those two issues are my only gripes, but they're pretty minor.
The EPS will be fixed under warranty and the road noise can be reduced by careful choice of tyres.
I think it is something Hyundai will address in future models because I'm sure they monitor these forums.
Other than that, I'm very happy with mine - just had its 75,000 km service today and still nice to drive. 

[musicrab]

(In UK) Just bought a 6 month old  I30 (1.4 petrol active) and also have very bad tyre noise (Hancook tyres).
For some reason the noise didn't show up on the test drive but 2 minutes down the road after purchase it was very bad.  Almost turned round and took it back.  But am now getting used to it.

Have just done an 800mile trip and when on newly tarmacked black/smooth roads (mainly motorways) its fine.  But anything else and the noise is really bad.  My test drive must have been on smooth tarmac.

Why's it this bad?  I can only imagine that Hyundai testing with Hancook's must have been on nice new smooth black tarmac.

Apart from that, car seems fine.  (Bought because feels bigger than a Ford Focus; I don't know how Ford made the back seats and boot feel so small in the new Focus).

[Doggie 1]

  musicrab.

Tyre noise is an issue for some, but choice of tyres seems to be critical.
Many forum members swear by Continentals.

[Dazzler]

musicrab.

Tyre noise is an issue for some, but choice of tyres seems to be critical.
Many forum members swear by Continentals.

 

and then, their swearing is louder than their tyres! 

[musicrab]

Tyre noise is an issue for some, but choice of tyres seems to be critical.

In that case Hyundai made a big mistake putting Hancooks on.  I cannot believe they test drove the I30 with this tyre on VARIOUS road surfaces.

[Paulq]

musicrab.

Tyre noise is an issue for some, but choice of tyres seems to be critical.

In that case Hyundai made a big mistake putting Hancooks on.  I cannot believe they test drove the I30 with this tyre on VARIOUS road surfaces.

They did.  I have now arranged to sell my i30.  I did a 250 mile trip in it at the weekend and on surfaces other than smooth tarmac the car was shockingly noisy.  The difference between it and the new car I am getting is night and day.  Why would you manufacture a car that (a) is so clearly noisy and (b) to stand any chance of reducing the noise the owner has to fork out c.£400 to experiment with different tyres?

[Doggie 1]

That's a drastic step.