20" Wheels - excessive road noise

[jasz1156]

I agree it’s the coarse chip which is the problem.it goes from silent to a roar.in NZ the dealers sell both Jag and Volvo.I had the new model xj Jag v8 which was near silent. They kept pestering me to try Volvo and we only had a short test drive on the motorway before getting the T6 inscription fully loaded.Ive now gone through a laundry list of issues but I have solved or given up on most.
The car is good overall if I stay off coarse chip which I can’t do.
I have used dynamat in the rear which reduces the noise but the sound now seems to generate around passenger well.
I need to resolve or move on so I am looking to have the front dynamatted and move to Michelin as2 preferably on 19” rims.They tested the 19” on another car and said there was no improvement but I am minded to go that way.
Overall I regret trading the Jag which only had 25000 miles but we live and learn.

[jasz1156]

Sorry I sent post twice and don’t know how to delete

[Bicax]

I have now tried the car on a (very) coarse road, and again I didn't find it particularly noisy. And I am extremely picky.

I'm starting to agree with the theory that it's linked to on which side the steering wheel is mounted, rather than the surface of the road itself.

Either that, or the roads in the UK are a different type of coarse compared to here.

[Lexman8]

There are many different types of tarmac depending on how and where it'll be used, the ambient temperature range, etc. It's not just whether it's smooth or course but what materials are incorporated into it during manufacture.

Noise reducing tarmac can be made by including small rubber pellets from ground up old tyres into the mix. This type of tarmac was recently used on a stretch of the M62 near me and it's noticeably quieter. Unfortunately noise reducing tarmac is seldom used in the UK. Perhaps other European countries consider noise as a factor in the choice of tarmac which is why their roads are quieter.

[NewV90Owner]

It is interesting that this thread is still so active. I agree that it spoils an otherwise great car.

The coarse road is clearly an issue but it is not just the road. I have driven loads of Audi's, BMW's and Mercs and they are all quieter - sometimes much much quieter. The BMW 5 series really stands out.

It is interesting to consider how they have done a better job. I think it is in 2 main areas:

1. Subframe mounts. These are a key part of isolating the main part of the car from the road vibration. I just think these are not that good. BMW ones are extremely good and isolate the car main body when even using low profile tyres.

2. Panel vibration. I think a large part of the noise is due to resonating panels. The move to high tensile and lighter steels has made things worse (and many new cars suffer from this).

Generally I am saddened that cars have developed massively in the last 15 years and that in the case of noise we are going backwards.

And Dear Volvo - please wake up and listen. I personally will not buy another one and cannot recommend one until this is fixed.

I know this is an XC90 thread but I think the issue affects every single SPA platform car (V90, V90CC, XC90, XC60).

[bobby2000]

Originally Posted by NewV90Owner

It is interesting that this thread is still so active. I agree that it spoils an otherwise great car.

The coarse road is clearly an issue but it is not just the road. I have driven loads of Audi's, BMW's and Mercs and they are all quieter - sometimes much much quieter. The BMW 5 series really stands out.

It is interesting to consider how they have done a better job. I think it is in 2 main areas:

1. Subframe mounts. These are a key part of isolating the main part of the car from the road vibration. I just think these are not that good. BMW ones are extremely good and isolate the car main body when even using low profile tyres.

2. Panel vibration. I think a large part of the noise is due to resonating panels. The move to high tensile and lighter steels has made things worse (and many new cars suffer from this).

Generally I am saddened that cars have developed massively in the last 15 years and that in the case of noise we are going backwards.

And Dear Volvo - please wake up and listen. I personally will not buy another one and cannot recommend one until this is fixed.

I know this is an XC90 thread but I think the issue affects every single SPA platform car (V90, V90CC, XC90, XC60).

Its early days for me but my car doesn't seem to be affected by noise, its on 19" wheels.

[Jimrod]

Nearly all reviews I've seen (S90/V90 as they're what I was looking for) comment on how quiet and refined the car is, even on UK roads. Is there a chance a few are slipping through the net with issues while others ok? Seems quite odd otherwise that user experience so different from reviews...

[Deman77]

Originally Posted by Jimrod

Nearly all reviews I've seen (S90/V90 as they're what I was looking for) comment on how quiet and refined the car is, even on UK roads. Is there a chance a few are slipping through the net with issues while others ok? Seems quite odd otherwise that user experience so different from reviews...

I've driven 4 different xc90 from demonstrator before buying to my car to two loaners whilst mine had been at the dealership (most recently reg17) - noise issue was universal, just to varying degree - it varied somewhat (not a huge amount) as all were on different wheels/tyres (21/20/22/21in) but neither car I would have called as controlling road noise well. They were all D5. The more plump T8 might have some advantage with fewer hollow places. How I know I am not too fussy. I had xc70 on loan once and it was significantly quieter for road noise than all the xc90s.

[Jimrod]

Originally Posted by Deman77

I've driven 4 different xc90 from demonstrator before buying to my car to two loaners whilst mine had been at the dealership (most recently reg17) - noise issue was universal, just to varying degree - it varied somewhat (not a huge amount) as all were on different wheels/tyres (21/20/22/21in) but neither car I would have called as controlling road noise well. They were all D5. The more plump T8 might have some advantage with fewer hollow places. How I know I am not too fussy. I had xc70 on loan once and it was significantly quieter for road noise than all the xc90s.

I ordered an S90 R-Design on standard 18's, I only had a 10-15 min test drive but all seemed quiet and composed, though hard to tell when you're taking everything in I guess, that test car was on 20's though so I just presumed 18's would be even quieter and more comfortable... I'd heard of noise issues with the XC90 and potential fixes but hadn't heard talk of the same problem in the S/V90 until this thread!

[skyefarmer]

First decent trip on the 19" wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Winter tyres - verdict, definite improvement. Far fewer stretches with load roar. Lots more actually quite enjoyably quiet. Still not as quiet as my old '06 D5. However, at least with winter tyres I can tell myself that I'm getting some additional winter performance in exchange for the noise. I shall probably stick with this combination until needing new tyres, and then buy Michelin CrossClimate.