Cabin noise / tires

Robbert

Robbert

Active Member
Hi All,

New to the forum and to the Kona. Test drove one today and it was a bit noisy on the highway. It sounded (subjectively) like about 50-50 for road and wind noise. While you can't do much about wind noise, tires play a large role in road noise.

When I looked at the tires after the test drive, the factory tires on there are Nexen N-Priz AH8. A quick search on Tirerack shows pretty bad reviews for this tire. What is your experience with the Kona and the factory tire? Is it a relatively noisy tire? Has anyone swapped tires yet on this vehicle and what did you put on? Any significant difference?
 
I run Xice in the winter and noticed very little difference when I swapped for the OEM Nexens. Of course, that's a winter tire compared to a summer one. But don't forget that the Nexens are EV tires, designed to be hard and efficient. You won't find many EV choices designed with noise or comfort in mind. Not yet anyway.
 
Wildeyed said:
I run Xice in the winter and noticed very little difference when I swapped for the OEM Nexens. Of course, that's a winter tire compared to a summer one. But don't forget that the Nexens are EV tires, designed to be hard and efficient. You won't find many EV choices designed with noise or comfort in mind. Not yet anyway.
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Not to mention the lack of sound insulation throughout the cabin area
 
electriceddy said:
Not to mention the lack of sound insulation throughout the cabin area
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Oh, that’s not great... I was really hoping different tires would help with the road noise.
I currently drive an Avalon Hybrid, and when I swapped the tires to Michelin Defender T + H, it made a huge difference in that car. But the Avalon is quiet to begin with.
 
mikeselectricstuff said:
A couple of people on the SpeakEV forum have replaced them with Cpntinental All Seasons and reported noticeably less noise
https://www.speakev.com/threads/kona-electric-tyres.142069/
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Thanks for that link! I'll check it out. I don't have great experience with Continental on previous cars, but it's good to know other people complain about the noise with the Nexens and that there are tires that are significantly better. I can put up with 20k miles of noise with the factory Nexens until they wear out.
Not that I've ever seen or heard of anyone doing this, but wouldn't it be cool if the dealer would allow you to put your choice tires on there and take back the Nexens for full credit? :)
 
I have a theory.

There are a lot of concerns and complaints about noise across these forum threads. Road noise, wind noise, various mechanical noises etc..

A lot of owners here have mentioned their previous cars and they are largely larger, more high end vehicles. To me that means softer, quieter, better equipped.

If you combine people used to cushier, high priced rides, subtract the familiar but distracting drone of an ICE engine and then seat them in an economy vehicle, I think the outcome is pre-ordained.

I know the Kona is priced like a luxury vehicle but you're paying for the EV drive not a luxury ride. I think for many the Kona is a big step DOWN on the (relative) luxury scale and that's the genesis of many of these issues.

I have always driven lower end cars: Toyota Echo, Yaris, Fiat 500 and earlier beaters. To me the Kona is a huge improvement in almost every way. The "cheap" interior is a step up, the suspension vastly better etc..

I'm not arguing that it can't be improved but at what price?
 
Wildeyed said:
I have a theory.

There are a lot of concerns and complaints about noise across these forum threads. Road noise, wind noise, various mechanical noises etc..

A lot of owners here have mentioned their previous cars and they are largely larger, more high end vehicles. To me that means softer, quieter, better equipped.
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I totally agree with your assessment. I owned (in order) a Ford Focus, Hyundai XG300, Nissan Maxima, Prius, Prius-V, Avalon Hybrid, and now potentially a Kona EV. When transitioning from the Maxima to the Prius, that was definitely a change in comfort and luxury, but that was negated by the fact that I was getting 50 mpg instead of 20. This (future) transition for me will be the same idea, and I realize that, but still trying to eke out as much comfort and quiet "luxury" as I can. :)
 
Robbert said:
Thanks for that link! I'll check it out. I don't have great experience with Continental on previous cars, but it's good to know other people complain about the noise with the Nexens and that there are tires that are significantly better. I can put up with 20k miles of noise with the factory Nexens until they wear out.
Not that I've ever seen or heard of anyone doing this, but wouldn't it be cool if the dealer would allow you to put your choice tires on there and take back the Nexens for full credit? :)
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Been tried before:
https://insideevsforum.com/communit...r-tire-solution-all-weathers.4948/#post-52699
 
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