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2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected?

30 messages,  Last post on Mar 15, 2013 at 8:37 AM

You are in the Subaru Impreza Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 2 of 4

#5 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [dlins13] by xwesx

Oct 29, 2012 (10:57 am)

Replying to: dlins13 (Oct 29, 2012 8:39 am)
To be honest, now that I have my Fiesta, I think our Forester is pretty noisy, too. It isn't, but it seems that way since the Fiesta is so insanely quiet. Ford put quite a bit of effort into sound deadening, though, including a heavily insulated engine compartment (compared to Subaru), sound-deadening windshield (not sure how that works!), and wheel wells that are lined with a felt-like material rather than hard plastic or sheet metal.
 
I'm not saying one is better or worse than the other, but I am saying that those things are effective at making the car almost eerily quiet.
 
The stock tires on the Subaru are noisy, too, so I suspect you'll highly appreciate the first few hundred miles after you replace those (whenever that may be). I think as time goes on and you adjust to the new surroundings, what seems loud now won't be an issue.

#6 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [xwesx] by dlins13

Oct 30, 2012 (8:30 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 29, 2012 10:57 am)
Thanks xwesx - that's helpful context. And yeah, I don't want eerily quiet, but not being able to hear the radio when I'm going over rougher highway is going to be interesting
 
Any thoughts on competitors to this car I should also check out?

#7 of 30 Cars I considered by sgoldste01

Oct 30, 2012 (9:04 am)

The only other cars I considered were the Mazda3 and the Ford Focus.
 
I stayed away from the Mazda because the interior seemed dated, and I don't like the styling of the front end.
 
I stayed away from the Ford because of interior ergonomics/styling, and I don't trust the reliability yet.
 
I trust the Impreza to be extremely reliable, the resale values are high, I like the conservative interior styling, and the go-anywhere confidence that AWD provides.
 
I have no problems with the Impreza's acceleration. You need to be willing to hold 2nd and 3rd gears longer (if you get the manual tranny) in order to find the acceleration potential of this car.

#8 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [dlins13] by rsholland

Oct 30, 2012 (4:23 pm)

Replying to: dlins13 (Oct 29, 2012 8:18 am)
I think you'll find that any entry-level car, which is what the Impreza is, will be a bit loud. That's one of the reasons the price is low. I'm sure the (more expensive) Legacy will be quieter.
 
Bob

#9 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [dlins13] by zillion08

Oct 31, 2012 (7:06 am)

Replying to: dlins13 (Oct 29, 2012 8:18 am)
I am having the same problem road noise problem with my 2013 Impreza.
 
One way that I reduced the road noise is I had the dealer spray rubber on the bottom of my car. That seemed to reduce the road noise a little but not enough.
 
I feel that most of the road noise is coming from the tire and the doors. So I am planning on ordering some sound deader (http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/products/cld or http://www.soundproofcow.com/RoadBlockR-Sound-Deadening-Material.html) and applying it to the tire wells first (easier) and if that doesn't reduce the road noise enough I will then take off the door panels and apply the deadener to those.
 
I will let you know how much this helps.
 
Are there any other ideas on where to put some deadener from the community?
 
Thanks!
Kris

#10 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [zillion08] by xwesx

Oct 31, 2012 (2:15 pm)

Replying to: zillion08 (Oct 31, 2012 7:06 am)
If it is possible to get to it, sound proofing the exterior of the firewall would help quite a bit, I'm sure. As for the doors, there are acoustical mats often installed in doors to accompany high-end sound system installations. That may work better than a self-adhesive sound material, given the limited access holes in to that space.
 
Also, under the headliner, if there is no insulation there, is a prime candidate. If you have a moonroof, you'll get a fair amount of noise creeping through there.

#11 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [zillion08] by dlins13

Oct 31, 2012 (10:20 pm)

Replying to: zillion08 (Oct 31, 2012 7:06 am)
Interesting - I didn't know about all those ways to deaden the sound. Definitely looking forward to hearing how they go!
 
How much was the cost to spray rubber on the bottom? And is that something every dealer would understand, or would I need to point them to some resource?

#12 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [xwesx] by dlins13

Oct 31, 2012 (10:23 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 31, 2012 2:15 pm)
I didn't think about the moonroof adding a lot of sound. I'm about to buy my car and was leaning towards the moonroof, but I could also leave it would dramatically improve the noise. Any thoughts on how big of a difference it would make, xwesx?

#13 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [dlins13] by dcm61

Nov 01, 2012 (5:24 am)

Replying to: dlins13 (Oct 29, 2012 8:18 am)
My '12 Sport Limited w/ Moonroof is much quieter than my '02 Outback (non-Limited). Although I do feel the road / vibrations more in the Impreza, most likely due to the thinner sheet metal.

#14 of 30 Re: 2013 Impreza: Louder than I expected? [dlins13] by xwesx

Nov 01, 2012 (10:16 am)

Replying to: dlins13 (Oct 31, 2012 10:23 pm)
Well, I'm not sure in the same model car. It might be worth a test drive in each.
 
For my cars, I always liked to have my moonroof cover in the Forester open when I drove it, because I liked the extra light (Forester moonroof is HUGE). Now when I use it (I use the Forester periodically, as the Fiesta is my DD), I can't stand the constant, but low level noise that permeates from that area. I end up closing the shade every time, which cuts the noise in half, but doesn't eliminate it.
 
I imagine that the difference in the same model car would be just as dramatic, or close at least.

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