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Honda CR-V Road Noise

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    snukesnuke Member Posts: 81
    mac134...Did the mechanic explain how a bearing could need replacing on such a new vehicle with such low mileage?
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    mac134mac134 Member Posts: 9
    I didn't get to talk to the mechanic. The service manager just said they had a few failures. I asked, could I expect the other side to fail and she said probably not, but if you hear a different noise, bring it in. Its kind of funny. In 1990 I bought a new Accord from the same dealer and a CV joint started making a noise at about 4000 miles. They fixed it and I never had another problem. The service manager gave the same explanation, they had had a few failures. But the good news is they fixed it in both instances, no questions.
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    snukesnuke Member Posts: 81
    Thanks for the update.
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    steerpikesteerpike Member Posts: 3
    I currently have an 07 TL, and have test-driven the new 2013 RDX - nice, but pricey and not THAT quiet (not as quiet as I'd hoped). I'm also looking at the CR-V EX-L. I've been a honda/acura guy for 30 years and appreciate their reliability and operation, and don't want to have to consider other brands but ... I want to pay $30k or less for something like the CRV, and want it to be reasonably quiet. ANY car in this class will have sufficient power and handling for me, so the noise is the biggest factor (along with interior fit/finish/appearance/comfort). I've heard that the RAV-4 is on the 'utilitarian' side inside. The Mazda CX-5 is pushing its sportiness, which generally translates to stiffer, noisier ride. What else is out there worth considering?

    Note - I was never thrilled by my 07 TL noise levels; I replaced the original tires after 40k miles and put on some very quiet tires (Turanza Serenity), but after about 30k miles they turned REALLY noisy and ended up going back to OEM tires. Acuras, at least, don't do well with non-OEM tires I discovered.
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    rikrikardorikrikardo Member Posts: 23
    Looked at some relative quietness rankings for small SUVs (http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/new-cars-25k-to-35k.htm) and the RDX comes out on top along with the Ford Escape and the GMC Terrrain (RDX = 7, CR-V = 5, Escape = 6/7, Terrain = 6/7 ), although the latter two depend on you choosing the proper engine.
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    steerpikesteerpike Member Posts: 3
    I looked at the site you linked, but I could not see any way to focus on 'quietness rankings'.

    I test drove the CR-V EX-L again today, a week after the RDX. It really wasn't bad, mainly higher pitch 'wind-like' noise around 80mph. I thought 'road noise' was quite well handled. I'm guessing the wind noise is due to the large rearview mirrors and roofrack, etc. I'm not ready to play roulette with a Ford or Chevy, I'm afraid, so I'll probably go with the CR-V ...

    What occurred to me last night was this ... I have read that some cars (RDX, Buick Enclave) are using 'active noise cancelation' (ANC) to quieten their cabins. This is, to me, a great idea. I've use Bose ANC headphones on planes and such and they do wonders to block out the mundane 'drone' of engine, A/C, etc. I was wondering if there are variations on this that can be applied to cars as an after-market solution ... probably not due to the need for careful placement of microphones, etc. But something worth thinking about. I also wondered if it would work to use ANC headphones in the car ...
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    rikrikardorikrikardo Member Posts: 23
    Go to the web site identified. Pick a vehicle. On left hand side of the vehicle's first page, choose "Road Test". On the road test page for the vehicle scroll down until you see the noise level category. It also provides a rationale for the rating. For example, for the RDX it said the vehicle was somewhat noisy during acceleration, but had very low noise levels when cruising.
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    lovemyoptimalovemyoptima Member Posts: 3
    What tires do you recommend for the CR-V to reduce road noise? My mother just bought a 2013 CR-V EX-L and she didn't notice the road noise while test driving the car but now says the road noise is killing her ears. I told her to look at changing out tires.
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    mac134mac134 Member Posts: 9
    I have heard that Michelin Defender's are quiet
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    rikrikardorikrikardo Member Posts: 23
    We have a 2008 CR-V EX-L and also had tire noise problems with the cheap OEMs. When the time came for their replacement I switched to Michelin Latitude Tour tires. Took the vehicle on a 700 mile trip and the difference was amazing - at 75 mph the CR-V was quieter than my MDX. Now 2+ years later I still don't really hear the tires much, don't even think about them most days.
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    ron1949ron1949 Member Posts: 5
    Many have inquired about the missing warning indicator for low washer fluid level. The fact is that Honda does not put a indicator in US models, only those in Canada. The US models have a dip stick that does not serve any purpose. Asked if you could retro the dash indicator and the dealership said no. This and power passenger seat would have been preferred over the moon roof in my opinion.
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    ron1949ron1949 Member Posts: 5
    I have notice in the past that for what ever reason the Michelin tires seem to run quiter. I know they seem to last longer than other tires I have tried.
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    ron1949ron1949 Member Posts: 5
    I have noticed that my 2013 CRV and others seem to surge turning right into a driveway with an incline. Now it appears that the transmission downshifts while you are pressing the accelerator to go up the incline. Its not a smooth transition but an abrupt surge.
    I made sure I wasn't stepping on the break and accelerator at the same time so that couldn't be it. Anyone notice this?
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    cogitoergozocogitoergozo Member Posts: 1

    I recently bought a used 2008 CRV AWD. We will be using it as a toad behind our motorhome
    and some light off road use. I spent months researching this and similar vehicles. I chose the
    CRV because it will 'flat tow' (all four tires on the ground) without modification, it's legendary reliability, economy and resale value. I was forewarned about the road noise but I got a lot more than I bargained for. Years of time in aircraft have deafened me but the road noise is still overwhelming. In order to listen to the radio one must increase the volume to an uncomfortable level, conversing with another passenger is difficult. It's road noise is nearly unbearable on some
    road surfaces while on others it's tolerable. Thus far I've spent a couple of grand trying to quiet it down. Dash cover, seat covers, more carpeting, blanket folded up with the spare and jack, $100 worth of
    sound deadening material and six days of labor ripping out the interior and gluing it in. New Michelin's at $1100. all in an effort to quiet it down. The result thus far is moderate improvement.
    . The rear wheel wells seemed to be a major source of the road noise, that appears to be the area
    that improved the most from the application of the sound deadening material. I've yet to do the front doors (the back doors were a royal pain). The noise is still much greater than it needs to be.

    I regret not following progress with a db meter and hope someone does.

    Future plans include treating the front doors and getting the CRV on a hoist and shooting
    polyurethane foam into the numerous holes in the floor pan. If I'd thought of it I'd have shot foam into the holes in the floor when I had the interior ripped out. I'd recommend it to anyone who embarks on a similar quest for peace and quiet.

    Now; a word of scorn for those apololgists who happily sacrifice ride comfort for fuel economy: BUNK; my 2003 DeVille gets better mileage (average 25.6) than the CRV and does it with very little road or wind noise and vastly better handling and ride comfort. Unfortunately it wants to be dolly towed and is not so sprightly off road as the CRV..

    I will happily entertain suggestions from others who have had success in quietening the otherwise fine little CRV.

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    isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited August 2014

    Oh, c'mon...is it really THAT bad??

    I agree, that one downside to ALL Hondas is road noise. Each new model get's better but they still have room to grow. We have had one of every CRV generation and still have a 2003 we bought new and a 2013. The 2013 is MUCH quieter than the 2003 and I can assure you your 2008 is quieter than our 2003.

    When I was still selling them, the road noise bothered very few people but once in awhile it would be an issue. You are probably comparing it to your De Ville and that may be part of the problem. I just tune it out and don't give it a second thought.

    Tires make a difference too. The new Michelin Defenders on our 2003 made a noticeable improvement. There is a product called Dynamat that can be installed under the carpet and in the door panels that I've heard make a huge difference.

    That said, yeah, Honda has long been taken to task for this and they have improved but they still can do more to quiet down their cars.

    If you do flat tow your CRV, MAKE VERY SURE you follow the towing directions or you WILL ruin your transmission. So many people didn't follow the directions and destroyed their transmissions and they tried to blame it on Honda that Honda quit saying they could be flat towed.

    Then I had the customer that didn't release his parking brake completely and TOTALLY burned out his rear brakes and rear differential. It had gotten so hot, it stunk up the entire shop.

    Of course, he accepted no blame and refused to admit he left the parking brake partially on.

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    softears1softears1 Member Posts: 1
    I added soundproofing in my 1998 CRV and it made a huge difference. We can actually speak normally when driving, and there is no need to turn the radio up. I simply put a Moving Van blanket (after cutting to shape) between the roof headliner and the roof. No more road and engine noises echoing through the empty roof cavity. The blanket stops the sound from going up the pillars of the vehicle. The OEM dampers were a joke. When we got the CRV, I could believe how loud it was. And imagine with winter tires! One gets fatigued from road noise very easily. Companies scrimp to save on weight, but as a user we put a whole more lot in (rubber mats, supplies, emergency kit, etc). So I don't think a pound or two of sound proofing is going to change much. A good test before buying any vehicle is to hit the headliner and if you hear a tinny or metal sound instead of a nice dull thump, you can be certain it will echo the road and engine noises. I should know; my Lexus is very quiet and we never get tired driving it. lol.
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    jimbo65jimbo65 Member Posts: 65
    Bought our first CR-V in January, a 2015 EX-L Fwd, and really like everything about it and especially that it is VERY quiet! Totally happy with it. : )
    2015 CR-V EX-L 2WD = One Sweet Ride :p
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    turnrightturnright Member Posts: 5
    Is it possible that you can compare it to a CR-V 2012, mine is BAD for road noise. I have heard rumors both ways that they have or have not improved the road noise. I really like this SUV, I would hate to buy something different, but the road noise at times can be very tiring.
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    TITANDATATITANDATA Member Posts: 1
    I have owned a few Hondas and the noise really bothers me now, when i was younger it wasn't an issue.
    It is a very subjective issue and everyone is different, but truth be told "honda is a noisy ride"
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