Is the XC40 a noisy car?

All Volvo XC40 related discussions
johnd
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:58 am

Post by johnd »

Most reviews seem to find it worth mentioning that noise in the XC40 is not that well suppressed. Some highlight the engine induction roar, especially when accelerating, others on road noise. A common comment is that other competitors like Evoque or E-Pace are quite noticeably quieter than XC40. One could get the impression that noise insulation wasn't a priority in the XC40 design and maybe it's no coincidence that eg the door cards seem pretty thin and flimsy behind that recycled plastic/carpety stuff on the surface.

This is a tricky subject because it's very subjective, depends what other cars you drive or drove previously, are we talking petrol or diesel, what volume of music do you routinely listen to etc etc. But, despite the subjectivity aspect, I'd be interested to hear how XC40 owners would sum up how noisy a car the XC40 is.

michael123
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:14 am

Post by michael123 »

I am not yet an owner, still waiting for my T4 to arrive hopefully in September..
Yes, it is bit noisy, I remember from my test drive, bit more of what I would expect from the premium car.
You should take it for a drive and decide for yourself,
Deleted User 1945

Post by Deleted User 1945 »

I would say from my experience so far the XC40 T4 AWD is quieter than our old V90 diésel up to 50 mph, above that speed the upright nature and tyre noise are more than the V90. But it is much quieter than our VW Sharan at all speeds.

If you have the radio / music on you won’t notice it at all.
johnd
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:58 am

Post by johnd »

michael123 wrote: Wed Jul 17, 2019 6:16 pm You should take it for a drive and decide for yourself,
Thanks for the comments. And yes I have already had a decent test drive of both D4 and T5, but it was a few months ago now.

(I've ended up agonising for some time now on what to buy next - none of my shortlist quite hits the spot but I know I'm going to have to finally make a decision & compromise significantly and so I'm just reviewing my shortlist again one by one. There's definitely something about XC40 that appeals to me - it's the right size, there are a lot of neat design features and T5 PS should have adequate performance. But equally there are some demerits too, one of which is refinement hence the noise question.)

Trouble with test drives is that there's so much to take in, and all at the same time you're looking to extend an unfamiliar car. I was more focused on performance and handling during the test drives. I recall definitely being conscious of some noise but it wasn't my prime concern at the time.
Deleted User 1894

Post by Deleted User 1894 »

The only real noise I have an issue with (D4, R-Design Pro with 20" wheels on Pirelli tyres) is the road noise from the tyres. It can be quite loud on poor surfaces, of which there are many near me. No doubt it would be better on smaller wheels but Volvo UK in their (in)finite wisdom don't let you choose R-Design Pro with anything other than 20" alloys..

The engine noise I find typical for a diesel - not great, not terrible. Having music on (not excessively loud) does help.

I'm only a few weeks into ownership, and I agree with your impressions of the car. Overall, the package is very good (I love the way it looks), but there are certain areas where it doesn't compare to the (German) premium brands (such as quality of interior plastics).
Dermottdog
Posts: 768
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:39 pm
Location: Orpington, Kent

Post by Dermottdog »

I, like michael123, am still waiting for my car to arrive (R Design Pro T5). Our test drive in a T5 (FE I suspect, because it had absolutely everything on it) was very quiet. I drove it about 2.5 miles away from the dealership and the wife drove another 2.5 miles back. We didn’t find it unduly noisy. However, our daily driver is a 20 year old Mitsubishi Shogun 3.0 V6 with chunky 4x4 tyres. We also own, until Saturday coming, a Mini JCW with Runflats that is being part exchanged so perhaps we’re not used to ‘the sound of silence’....
R Design Pro T5 AWD in Crystal White. Convenience Pack, Front Parking and Apple Car. Couldn’t afford anything else!! Arriving late September 2019.
Michaelxc40
Posts: 142
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Wakefield

Post by Michaelxc40 »

I had a test drive in a first edition diesel, found it very quiet for a diesel with minimal road noise, however when I took delivery of my T5 first edition the first thing I noticed was the very loud ( in my opinion ) tyre noise compared with my test drive. I’m not sure if it is down to the tyre manufacturer used. The engine I find is quiet.
T5 First edition Crystal White
johnd
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:58 am

Post by johnd »

Septercius wrote: Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:12 pm No doubt it would be better on smaller wheels but Volvo UK in their (in)finite wisdom don't let you choose R-Design Pro with anything other than 20" alloys..
Do you think it's the wheel size or the extra tyre width on larger tyres? 20" = 245, 18"/19" = 235. That's <5% difference. But maybe the tyre profile also has some influence, ie 45 profile on 20" but 50 profile on 19" and 55 on 18's.
...but there are certain areas where it doesn't compare to the (German) premium brands (such as quality of interior plastics).
I'm wondering how true this on the latest generation of comparable Germans? I'd have said that the XC40 is probably the equal of the new Q3 in terms of interior quality. It's certainly quite different in design and have to say that I prefer the Q3 dash design. But in terms of materials quality they're probably about on a par. It's like there's a gap opening up between the smaller/cheaper Audi's like Q2 (especially) & Q3 and those higher up the Audi range. It's almost as if Audi have decided that if you're not paying eg £50K for a car then they've got to economise on materials.

The only car I've seen in the XC40 class with a decisively more upmarket interior is the Evoque, but then that's £5-10K higher priced.
Last edited by johnd on Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
D4RDesign
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 7:18 pm

Post by D4RDesign »

The main thing I noticed between a diesel golf and the xc40 is the whistle of what I assume is the turbo in the D4
D4 AWD RDesign, Android, Winter, Front Sensors
morrsn
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:13 pm

Post by morrsn »

Tire noise on harsh concrete over 100 kmh on 20 inch wheels and Pirellis Pzeros is hardcore and I'm coming from a Volkswagen Amarok with big ass tires.

Other than that - wind noise and engine noise are nicely muted. On smooth pavement my xc40 is super quiet even over 130kmh.
Post Reply