Renault do tend to do the soundproofing & smooth suspension thing particularly well. Probably the best combination of the non-prestige makes. Fiat suspension & soundproofing has always seemed far more compromised than any equivilent Renault.

I know this mainly as i used to work for Renault & have owned a couple, but have also owned a few Fiats, so i've driven Meganes alongside Stilos, Clios alongside Puntos etc.

I don't think Fiat are bad in this area compared to ALL makes, but they do appear poor when next to a Renault.

306maxi said:

Well to be honest the difference won't be like night and day, it also depends one what roads you testdrove the car and other factors like whether it was wet and so on.

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I have to say, wen I changed from my previous 500 (15" wheels) to this one (16" wheels) the difference was massive. I drove off in my nice shiney new car thinking "oh no, what the hell have I done". But you very quickly get used to it.

When I went from the OEM tyres to the Bridgestones things improved a bit though.

It's something you get used to, like every other fault with the car. I mean the Abarth has stiff suspension, 17" wheels and low profile tyres, but i don't notice the rumble any more, except it sounds much quieter every time i get new tyres of course!

ECO type tyres are terrible for road noise though, as are "run flats"

Fiat already fit a solution to this issue as standard, it's called the car stereo

turn it up to 11 and the road noise problem will be eliminated

RobW said:

Fiat already fit a solution to this issue as standard, it's called the car stereo

turn it up to 11 and the road noise problem will be eliminated

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I agree Only problem is that you pull up to junctions and the stereo is stupidly loud

RobW said:

Fiat already fit a solution to this issue as standard, it's called the car stereo

turn it up to 11 and the road noise problem will be eliminated

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Yes Yes, that's always the answer, but sometimes you don't want the music up loud or (Now I' know I'm starting to get old) and listen to LBC

RobW said:

Fiat already fit a solution to this issue as standard, it's called the car stereo

turn it up to 11 and the road noise problem will be eliminated

Click to expand...

workaround .. not a solution

I've noticed road noise too, but having had a 2016 Sentra and 2014 Versa, I know that car bodies are being made thinner and thinner to meet EPA mileage requirements.

I'm inclined to put some Dynamat in some strategic areas of the car.