Most refined vehicle

JediKnight · 17th December 2012, 17:41

Hi,

Posting on behalf of a non-bhpian friend.
He is in the market for a vehicle which will mostly carry 3 people and occasionally 5-6 people. This guy is a sucker for silence in the cabin.
Nothing matters to him more than this. Which according to you is the most refined vehicle he can get within a 15 Lakh ex-showroom budget.
Diesel is the preferred fuel choice.
Body style does not matter. ( SUV/MUV ).
Looks do not matter.
Features do not matter.
Interior quality does not matter.

What matters is in his words " cabin silence"
His requirements:

1. Least engine sound intrusion in the cabin.
2. Least wind noise with a cruising speed of around 90 kmph.
3. Least drive train noise. He is especially allergic to low frequency drive train sound. ( Grrr......)
4. Least suspension noise. No loud thuds while traversing potholes/speed breakers.
5. Highest Cabin insulation. Least amount of external noise when the windows are rolled up.

shankar.balan · 17th December 2012, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Hi,

Posting on behalf of a non-bhpian friend.
He is in the market for a vehicle which will mostly carry 3 people and occasionally 5-6 people. This guy is a sucker for silence in the cabin.
Nothing matters to him more than this. Which according to you is the most refined vehicle he can get within a 15 Lakh ex-showroom budget.
Diesel is the preferred fuel choice.
Body style does not matter. ( SUV/MUV ).
Looks do not matter.
Features do not matter.
Interior quality does not matter.

What matters is in his words " cabin silence"
His requirements:

1. Least engine sound intrusion in the cabin.
2. Least wind noise with a cruising speed of around 90 kmph.
3. Least drive train noise. He is especially allergic to low frequency drive train sound. ( Grrr......)
4. Least suspension noise. No loud thuds while traversing potholes/speed breakers.
5. Highest Cabin insulation. Least amount of external noise when the windows are rolled up.

Perhaps only a hovercraft will meet his particularly fastidious and exacting needs, given the state of Indian roads surfaces and general chaos, external noise etc!

volkman10 · 17th December 2012, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKnight

What matters is in his words " cabin silence"
His requirements:...

Would like to know what is the current vehicle he owns before we recommending any?

Cheers!

Octane_Power · 17th December 2012, 17:59

That's quite a list!
Given the requirements IMO you should look at the German(or Czech) stable.
I think, they are better at giving the 'cocoon' feeling than their Japanese counterparts.
The Laura fits quite well I feel.
But as Shankar sir has stated you cannot expect a car to be perfect "squeak-click-quack" free given our road conditions. Being more realistic will help.

-Bhargav

VW2010 · 17th December 2012, 18:02

The car you are looking at is called a second hand, mildly used accord.

I do not see any car in the price range fullfilling all the requirements. May be most of the requirements can be filled by a Skoda and a petrol

Diesel engines will be noisy meaning the grrrrr..... as you said. But cars like SKoda TDI or the Jetta TDI base version have fantastic sealing that the noise is very minimal and intrusive.

Petrol or diesel is another question?

With suspension also coming into picture the new Jetta or the Laura or the Yeti or the Elantra can fullfill minority of that requirements list.

To fullfill all the requirements you have to step way up the budget and move to above 40L category. May be superb is closer to silence but still not perfect for what you ask for.

shashank.nk · 17th December 2012, 18:59

Whoa ! Never read those kind of requirements in a car before!

The only option like someone said is to go for a used petrol. Toyota Camry or Honda accord should suffice

I would've recommended a used 6cyl BMW but I don't think he'll find one for his budget and being oil burners they make a lot of grrr... noise

On a lighter note,may be your friend can get a Laura, Jetta,Elantra or altis and invest in a good set of ear plugs

vineethvazhayil · 17th December 2012, 19:29

If he has the money, he should go for a Lexus import. Refinement, quiet etc. are words that define Lexus.

ani_meher · 17th December 2012, 20:18

On a lighter note, a pair of noise cancellation bose headphones will go a long way with any car for persons with such sensitivity to noise!

Passiondrive · 17th December 2012, 20:57

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further.

manim · 17th December 2012, 21:25

Sorry but could not resist, if budget not a constraint then how about the 'monster' the American president uses!

Well, as a Civic owner I will say that it is one very silent car.

bijuiser · 17th December 2012, 22:00

I can only recommend him to try all the A4 segment sedan and choose the one he he feels most "silent". Further he can rip down the car's interiors and put all sorts of sound absorbing material underneath the carpet and door panels. But he'll surely be unhappy with any suv/muv in that price range.

IshaanIan · 17th December 2012, 22:49

If you're friend is so whimsically adamant about cabin noise, that he is willing to let go of any other requirements like quality, safety etc, then it seems highly odd that he cannot manage if the car is not a diesel. Get a Honda Civic and some extra dampening just to make sure xD. Discounts are pretty high and yes the car won't be sold anymore. But it's a Honda. And a Civic at that. It will not only last, one will also find parts very easily.

Because if he ends up with any diesel he just becomes a hypocrite

n.devdath · 18th December 2012, 08:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Hi,

Posting on behalf of a non-bhpian friend.
He is in the market for a vehicle which will mostly carry 3 people and occasionally 5-6 people. This guy is a sucker for silence in the cabin.

How much can he afford to plonk and how much can he afford as running costs? It all starts from that point.

One good option for people like him is the Outlander. Silent, refined, automatic and very smooth.

sreedotk · 18th December 2012, 08:54

Wouldn't an option be to buy a comfortable car that he likes and get it Damped using sound deadening material like Dynamat or Dampmat all over to reduce the NVH.

or try something like this http://www.cvel.clemson.edu/auto/sys...ppression.html

and researching further there is a thread on team-bhp already

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...-possible.html

discussing possibilities similar to the above link

Mnjdnght · 18th December 2012, 09:01

I don't see an easy way to sorting out the exacting requirements and there is quite some subjectivity to the "silence" part of his requirements. You'll have to go through the grind of test driving a good number of candidates in the 12 - 25 L range to find one that he can tolerate. Petrol sedans may be my first pick to start the TDs.

I am wondering though - don't the European ones lean more on "performance" and hence cause more noise than the Japanese ones?

17th December 2012, 17:41	#1
JediKnight BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Banaglore Posts: 646 Thanked: 2,136 Times	Most refined vehicle Hi, Posting on behalf of a non-bhpian friend. He is in the market for a vehicle which will mostly carry 3 people and occasionally 5-6 people. This guy is a sucker for silence in the cabin. Nothing matters to him more than this. Which according to you is the most refined vehicle he can get within a 15 Lakh ex-showroom budget. Diesel is the preferred fuel choice. Body style does not matter. ( SUV/MUV ). Looks do not matter. Features do not matter. Interior quality does not matter. What matters is in his words " cabin silence" His requirements: 1. Least engine sound intrusion in the cabin. 2. Least wind noise with a cruising speed of around 90 kmph. 3. Least drive train noise. He is especially allergic to low frequency drive train sound. ( Grrr......) 4. Least suspension noise. No loud thuds while traversing potholes/speed breakers. 5. Highest Cabin insulation. Least amount of external noise when the windows are rolled up.
	() Thanks

17th December 2012, 17:59	#4
Octane_Power BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mumbai Posts: 630 Thanked: 429 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle That's quite a list! Given the requirements IMO you should look at the German(or Czech) stable. I think, they are better at giving the 'cocoon' feeling than their Japanese counterparts. The Laura fits quite well I feel. But as Shankar sir has stated you cannot expect a car to be perfect "squeak-click-quack" free given our road conditions. Being more realistic will help. -Bhargav
	() Thanks

17th December 2012, 18:02	#5
VW2010 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: electricity Posts: 2,763 Thanked: 3,412 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle The car you are looking at is called a second hand, mildly used accord. I do not see any car in the price range fullfilling all the requirements. May be most of the requirements can be filled by a Skoda and a petrol Diesel engines will be noisy meaning the grrrrr..... as you said. But cars like SKoda TDI or the Jetta TDI base version have fantastic sealing that the noise is very minimal and intrusive. Petrol or diesel is another question? With suspension also coming into picture the new Jetta or the Laura or the Yeti or the Elantra can fullfill minority of that requirements list. To fullfill all the requirements you have to step way up the budget and move to above 40L category. May be superb is closer to silence but still not perfect for what you ask for.
	(2) Thanks

17th December 2012, 18:59	#6
shashank.nk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,696 Thanked: 1,046 Times	Whoa ! Never read those kind of requirements in a car before! The only option like someone said is to go for a used petrol. Toyota Camry or Honda accord should suffice I would've recommended a used 6cyl BMW but I don't think he'll find one for his budget and being oil burners they make a lot of grrr... noise On a lighter note,may be your friend can get a Laura, Jetta,Elantra or altis and invest in a good set of ear plugs Last edited by shashank.nk : 17th December 2012 at 19:09.
	(2) Thanks

17th December 2012, 19:29	#7
vineethvazhayil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,513 Thanked: 456 Times View My Garage	Re: Most refined vehicle If he has the money, he should go for a Lexus import. Refinement, quiet etc. are words that define Lexus.
	() Thanks

17th December 2012, 20:18	#8
ani_meher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 1,931 Thanked: 3,825 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle On a lighter note, a pair of noise cancellation bose headphones will go a long way with any car for persons with such sensitivity to noise!
	(10) Thanks

17th December 2012, 20:57	#9
Passiondrive BHPian Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: wayanad,Kerala. Posts: 42 Thanked: 16 Times View My Garage	Re: Most refined vehicle Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum. Please read our rules before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 18th December 2012 at 11:18.
	() Thanks $Received Infraction$

17th December 2012, 21:25	#10
manim BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN69 Posts: 820 Thanked: 916 Times	Sorry but could not resist, if budget not a constraint then how about the 'monster' the American president uses! Well, as a Civic owner I will say that it is one very silent car. Last edited by manim : 17th December 2012 at 21:27.
	() Thanks

17th December 2012, 22:00	#11
bijuiser BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 68 Thanked: 30 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle I can only recommend him to try all the A4 segment sedan and choose the one he he feels most "silent". Further he can rip down the car's interiors and put all sorts of sound absorbing material underneath the carpet and door panels. But he'll surely be unhappy with any suv/muv in that price range.
	() Thanks

17th December 2012, 22:49	#12
IshaanIan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hyd Posts: 3,556 Thanked: 7,045 Times View My Garage	Re: Most refined vehicle If you're friend is so whimsically adamant about cabin noise, that he is willing to let go of any other requirements like quality, safety etc, then it seems highly odd that he cannot manage if the car is not a diesel. Get a Honda Civic and some extra dampening just to make sure xD. Discounts are pretty high and yes the car won't be sold anymore. But it's a Honda. And a Civic at that. It will not only last, one will also find parts very easily. Because if he ends up with any diesel he just becomes a hypocrite
	() Thanks

18th December 2012, 08:54	#14
sreedotk BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 247 Thanked: 90 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle Wouldn't an option be to buy a comfortable car that he likes and get it Damped using sound deadening material like Dynamat or Dampmat all over to reduce the NVH. or try something like this http://www.cvel.clemson.edu/auto/sys...ppression.html and researching further there is a thread on team-bhp already http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...-possible.html discussing possibilities similar to the above link Last edited by sreedotk : 18th December 2012 at 08:59.
	(1) Thanks

18th December 2012, 09:01	#15
Mnjdnght BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 185 Thanked: 244 Times	Re: Most refined vehicle I don't see an easy way to sorting out the exacting requirements and there is quite some subjectivity to the "silence" part of his requirements. You'll have to go through the grind of test driving a good number of candidates in the 12 - 25 L range to find one that he can tolerate. Petrol sedans may be my first pick to start the TDs. I am wondering though - don't the European ones lean more on "performance" and hence cause more noise than the Japanese ones?
	() Thanks