Do Michelin tires make road noise?

We all love the enjoyment that comes with a quiet ride. Some tires are known to make road noise, but do Michelin tires make road noise? Let’s find out.

Some Michelin tires make road noise while others do not. It all depends on the specific Michelin tire model. Quieter ones are designed with Michelin Acoustic technology and polyurethane foam solutions that significantly reduce the interior noise of the tires, thereby offering a quiet ride.

As a frequent traveler and tire expert, I understand the importance of having tires that offer a smooth ride. Over the last few months, I’ve tested and evaluated numerous tires including Michelin tires to determine their performance in terms of road noise. I can say with confidence that Michelin is one of the world’s best tire brands for those seeking a quiet and comfortable ride.

Michelin tires and their reputation for quality and quiet ride

Michelin has a storied history of producing tires for a wide range of vehicles with more emphasis on durability, performance, and handling.

In terms of road tire noise, the French company strives to make tires that offer a smooth ride for motorists while reducing road noise. So when you go shopping for a smooth and quiet tire, it’s important to look at a variety of Michelin tires in the tire rack to see if the ones displayed are quiet.

What factors lead to tires making noise?

Before delving into Michelin tires, it’s important to look at some factors that contribute to road noise in tires. They include:

Tread design

The tread design is an important part of reducing road noise. Tires that are designed with more tread grooves are quieter because they generally absorb road vibrations, which is effective in reducing tire noise. The idea here is that these grooves disperse and absorb the sound waves that create tire noise.

Differently, a tire that is designed with a firmer tread compound will make more road noise. This is because they generally lack grooves to absorb the vibrations, so the noise will be transferred to the cabin of the vehicle. 

Road surface

The road surface that you’re driving on can determine the road noise. For instance, asphalt roads are known to be quieter than concrete highways. In other words, hard and rigid road surfaces will generate more noise.

It’s, therefore, important to choose tires that are designed to absorb vibrations and reduce noise, if you’re planning to drive on hard surfaces.

Tire pressure

Under-inflated tires will make the treads of your tires flex, thereby generating more road noise. This is because the contact patch of the tire will increase. 

Similarly, over-inflating your tires will make them produce a harsh booming sound as the tires bounce off the road surface. 

It’s, therefore, important to maintain the correct air pressure as recommended by the manufacturer. 

Misaligned wheels

The alignment of your car is of great importance. If the wheels of your cars are misaligned, your tires are likely to produce an annoying thumping sound, especially if you’re speeding. 

This is because the wheels are not pointing in the same direction, so it’s important to ensure that the alignment of yours is right on all wheels.

Vehicle suspension

One of the main roles of a suspension system is to absorb road impacts and reduce vibrations. A worn-out or poorly-maintained suspension system will transfer more road vibrations to the tires, increasing road noise.

Environmental conditions

Various weather conditions such as rain, wind, and snow can affect the level of noise that comes from your tires. 

Deep snow will make your tires produce more road noise as the tires have to work a lot harder to produce enough traction for these conditions. 

Rain can also make your tires produce more road noise. This is because the road surface is more slippery, so the tires have to struggle to keep traction.

As far as wind is concerned, it will create turbulence around tires and increase road noise. 

Driving habits

If you’re an aggressive driver and love driving at a high speed, chances are your tires will produce more road noise when you accelerate or make sudden brakes. This is because the tires will frequently come in contact with the road surfaces and generate more sound waves.

Vehicle type

Sports cars tend to make more road noise because of their low-slung aerodynamic designs. They also have firmer tires and rigid suspensions that will produce more noise.

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So which Michelin tires are quiet?

As I mentioned earlier the amount of noise produced by Michelin tires will depend on the specific model and whether or not that particular model is designed with noise-reducing technology.

With that in mind, here are a few Michelin models that offer the best ride quality:

Michelin Primacy MXM4

In addition to the use of Michelin’s Acoustic Technology Program in designing this tire, it’s manufactured with multiple tread grooves that help in absorbing road vibration. 

This is an all-season tire that’s manufactured using soft tread compounds that help in offering a smoother and quieter ride. The brand also includes acoustic foam, polyester casting, and steel belts in constructing this tire to reduce noise levels.

Michelin Premier A/S

Another Michelin all-season tire that’s designed with Michelin Comfort Control Technology, Premier A/S is an advanced tire that brings forth a computer-optimized design and precision construction to reduce vibration.

Its tread pattern is also optimized with a foam layer within the tire structure to help in absorbing vibrations. It also has an acoustic foam barrier which is essential in reducing noise levels.  

Michelin Defender T+H

Designed using Comfort Control Technology, this tire has features that make it quiet on the roads.

It’s designed with a number of noise-absorbing materials, acoustic foam, and a tread pattern with grooves to make it quieter while also offering comfortable rides.

Besides offering a smooth and comfortable ride, this Michelin tire is known for its fuel economy thanks to Michelin’s Ever-Grip technology, which is essential in maintaining grip even in wet road conditions.  

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Michelin CrossClimate2

Built to offer year-round performance, this is one of the best Michelin tires. It’s engineered with an optimized tread pattern and acoustic foam that can offer you a quiet and comfortable ride in different driving conditions.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

This is one of the high-performance Michelin tires. It can be ranked as a noisy tire if other Michelin tires are taken into account since it’s designed for sports cars in terms of offering good grip and handling. However, it’s still one of the quietest in the sports tires category. 

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

This is an upgrade from the Pilot Sport 4 in terms of performance and noise reduction levels and is popular among drivers for its long-lasting tread life.

Michelin LTX M/S 

These Michelin tires are designed for light trucks and SUVs. They’re designed with Michelin’s Comfort Control Technology, which is essential in reducing vibration.

Road Noise Comparison Table

The table below summarizes the noise levels of the Michelin models that we’ve discussed above.

Michelin Tire Model	Noise Levels
Michelin Primacy MXM4	Low
Michelin Premier A/S	Low
Michelin Defender T+H	Low
Michelin CrossClimate 2	Low
Michelin Pilot Sport 4	High
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S	Moderate
Michelin LTX M/S	Moderate

Features that reduce noise in tires

When selecting the right tires for your car, it’s true that you’ll choose tires that meet specific needs depending on your requirements. 

But if you’re looking for tires that reduce noise, you might want to look at the following features. 

Tread design

As we discussed earlier, the importance of multiple tread grooves in reducing road noise as they absorb vibration cannot be ignored. When looking for new tires with less road noise, I’d recommend that you go for tires with more tread patterns or grooves as well as tires with long-lasting tread life.

Let’s highlight a few tires with more tread grooves. They include:

• Michelin Premier A/S
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
• Continental TrueContact Tour

Acoustic foam 

High-end tires are generally designed with acoustic foam. But what is acoustic foam?

Well, this is a unique type of foam material that’s usually placed inside tires to reduce vibration and noise. This foam is generally made from viscoelastic materials such as polyurethane foam, which combines both mechanical and acoustic properties, to help in reducing road noise.

Some examples of tires that are designed with acoustic foam in the market today include:

• Michelin Primacy MXM4
• Michelin Premier A/S
• Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus
• Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Noise-reducing technology

Tire manufacturers have created special noise-reducing technologies that help in reducing noise.

Michelin particularly uses Comfort Control Technology, which is a computer-optimized design created to reduce tire vibration. 

A few examples of tires with noise-reducing technology include

• Michelin Defender T+H
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
• Continental TrueContact Tour

Sidewall design

Many new tires are designed with a stiff sidewall that plays a crucial role in reducing the amount of tire flex. 

When the amount of tire flex is reduced, the tire won’t vibrate that much and the noise levels will be reduced. Stiff sidewalls are also vital in preventing tire deformation, which may lead to louder noise.

Some examples of tires that have adopted this design include:

• Michelin Pilot Super Sport
• Pirelli P Zero
• Continental ContiSport 4S
• Nitto NT01
• Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
• Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R

A summary of customer reviews for Michelin tires in terms of road noise

Don’t just take my word for it. I went through various online platforms including Consumer Affairs, Better Soundproofing, Discount Tire, and Tyre Reviews to validate my experiences and find out what other customers say about Michelin tires and noise.

From my experience and the experience of others, Michelin tires generally receive very high ratings from customers as far as less noise is concerned. Many motorists admit that most Michelin tires offer smooth and quiet rides even in challenging driving conditions or when driving on a rough road surface. 

Key Takeaways

• Most Michelin tires are designed to reduce road noise.
• They achieve this thanks to Control Comfort Technology and Acoustic Foam Technology.
• Michelin Primacy MXM4 is one of the quietest tires in the US.
• Many customers admit that Michelin tires are among the quietest.