Query: I'm looking to buy a used car soon, and I've really taken to the Matrix. It's fun to drive, has a practical size, and gets decent milage. We've been looking at an '04 XR auto, but it seems to have quite a lot of road/wind noise. Is this normal to all Matrixes or might it just be the tire choice of the previous owner.
As a side note, it has lether, which I don't like, but the sales guy was pushing it as something he'd never seen before and that Toyota didn't make any with lether.Is this true?
Query: I'm looking to buy a used car soon, and I've really taken to the Matrix. It's fun to drive, has a practical size, and gets decent milage. We've been looking at an '04 XR auto, but it seems to have quite a lot of road/wind noise. Is this normal to all Matrixes or might it just be the tire choice of the previous owner.
As a side note, it has lether, which I don't like, but the sales guy was pushing it as something he'd never seen before and that Toyota didn't make any with lether.Is this true?
Unfortunately, the Matrix is not a particularly quiet car from a road noise standpoint. Part of it has to do with the shape of it, but alot of it is just that it is a relatively inexpensive car and many of the soundproofing things that are done to higher level vehicles are not in a car of this price (FYI, I work in automotive NVH -- Noise, Vibration, & Harshness). There is usually not as much sound damping material, barrier weights are not as heavy, etc.
I have never heard of leather in a Matrix, so I am with the person who said it is likely a seat cover.
It doesn't appear to be covers. All the seats are leather and they all appear to be upholsterd that way. They lack the extra bulk that I would expect from a cover.
I'm saddened to hear that it's not a quiet car tho. That may kill it for my wife. Sigh. I guess it's time to return to the search.
Yup, mine's kind of noisy too. The general shape of the vehicle doesn't help all that much. Having that relatively long, flat roof, and the cargo area really allows some of the boomier frequencies to shine. Add to the road noise, even from decent tires, and you've got a vehicle that's a little noisier than some.
However, I don't find it difficult to deal with. The wife and I can hold a normal conversation at highway speeds without having to raise our voices at all. I have found I have to turn the stereo up a bit at high speed, but not much more than I would in any other car.
Consider having soundproofing mat installed behind some of the panels, and above the headliner. It's not that expensive and will make a world of difference.
Echo, I had to reply to your comment about the Ford commercial.
I too have seen that commercial -- it was from when the new F150 came out. The whole campaign they did on the quietness of that truck was a bit of a joke in automotive supplier circles. The foam to which you refer, is fairly typical. Most cars have at least some of it. They also did a commercial for the "NEW" Quiet Steel dash that they put in it. Quiet Steel has been around for decades, owned by a company called Material Sciences Corporation.
That is not to say that they didn't do a good job with that truck -- they did, it is one of the quietest trucks around, especially for the price -- but their advertising was a little misleading.
Consider having soundproofing mat installed behind some of the panels, and above the headliner. It's not that expensive and will make a world of difference.
Jim
I"m willing to consider that, but how not expensive is not expensive?
Well, yeah. But is it a couple of hundred or 1k+? I was looking for some ballpark numbers cause people have different definitions of these things.
If you're willing to do the installation yourself b-quiet will run you $129.99 (canadian) for 50 sq. ft. That should be enough to hit most of the noisy spots in your car.
While we're on the subject, tonight I took all the the crap out of the spare tire well (tire, plastics covers, etc) and found that the floor of the spare tire well is one noisy piece of metal. Even with the tire bolted down, it still rang pretty good. So there's one good spot to hit. Another would be (and this is much more work) the whole roof. Inside of the doors is a no brainer. If you're feeling adventurous, pulling the carpet up in the front of the vehicle to install would also go a long way to solving problems.
If you're willing to do the installation yourself b-quiet will run you $129.99 (canadian) for 50 sq. ft. That should be enough to hit most of the noisy spots in your car.
While we're on the subject, tonight I took all the the crap out of the spare tire well (tire, plastics covers, etc) and found that the floor of the spare tire well is one noisy piece of metal. Even with the tire bolted down, it still rang pretty good. So there's one good spot to hit. Another would be (and this is much more work) the whole roof. Inside of the doors is a no brainer. If you're feeling adventurous, pulling the carpet up in the front of the vehicle to install would also go a long way to solving problems.
Hrm. I live in an apartment complex, so that makes doing my own work on cars difficult, but not impossible. I guess I need to look into instillation methods. Or alternatively find out how much it would be to have someone install it and then get the dealer to reduce the price by that amount.
The noise that bothers me is the rattle noise on acceleration. I haven't done a serious search,es0. esp. front exhaust header shrouding, ..... but I did find loose attachment points to the top of the radiator.
For me, the first spot to try to deaden would be engine bonnet (hood), and engine compartment panels. Would have to be glass based stuff, (heat resistent, fire proof), however.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
