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This is true. I know there is a lot of wind noise (mostly around the mirrors) and road noise (e.g. Tires), but I feel like there's a lot more acoustic garbage that could be helped by Dynamat in the doors and/or roof.
Plus, I wanted to take off the headliner for another project anyways.
I noticed you have the 6 speed MT. Although I prefer MT, this was my fear at highway speeds that the noise level would get old quick. With the CVT, I don't hear the engine at all except for hills. Having said that, I'm not sure if specific extra sound dampening in the firewall area might help or not, but that is where you may get the biggest gains because the CVT at < 3K RPM is pretty quiet.
The FIT is already fairly quiet for a small car. On highway the only noise is that of the engine and it's well muted. The ONLY time the FIT is noisy is when the engine is being revved and when travelling on rough roads. Neither of those can be removed by sound insulation. The only recourse is a larger vehicle.
I noticed you have the 6 speed MT. Although I prefer MT, this was my fear at highway speeds that the noise level would get old quick. With the CVT, I don't hear the engine at all except for hills. Having said that, I'm not sure if specific extra sound dampening in the firewall area might help or not, but that is where you may get the biggest gains because the CVT at < 3K RPM is pretty quiet.
That's very true. I wish that I had the CVT when I take long trips, cuz the 6 speed means the engine is roaring at 3600 rpm+ on the highway (4000 when I hit SD and 80 mph speed limits!). Very tiring for anything over 2 hours. But even in city driving, I notice how loud the noise is at idle versus driving because I have to turn my speakers up when I get moving (and yes, I do have the speed controlled volume on, it doesn't help much).
I just installed Dynamat on the spare tire area, rear wheel well, and part of the floor under the rear seats. Removing the interior carpet and trims are quite straight forward. I also removed the rear seats during the installation. In addition, I placed a layer of carpet underpad in few areas. Here's a photo of the installation mid way through. I have a Spoon N1 exhaust installed and running 204/45R17 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. The sound deadening does reduce road noise and exhaust noise a bit.
The FIT is already fairly quiet for a small car. On highway the only noise is that of the engine and it's well muted. The ONLY time the FIT is noisy is when the engine is being revved and when travelling on rough roads. Neither of those can be removed by sound insulation. The only recourse is a larger vehicle.
I agree.
Use my FIT as a city car, and that's where it really shines. Consumer Reports just gave it a great rating in this month's magazine praising legroom, headroom, and the load carrying ability.
Adding an extra gear on the mt Fit without changing the final gear ratio (same rpm on the highway as the previous model) was their biggest mistake IMO, and I would stay away from the Fit just because of that. Although they made many improvments, the major drawbacks are still there (really average seat comfort for tall drivers, road noise and short gearing).
He guys you it's impossible to remove road noise and engine noise as the car uses both to ride. We have to accept a certain level of noise. After all, it's a car, not a toy. Actually, I love my car, it reminds me that I am driving a machine. As a cheap solution, I suggest that you can wear ear muffs or ear plugs to reduce the cabin noise level. But then again, you will not be able to hear what your passengers are talking about.
He guys you it's impossible to remove road noise and engine noise as the car uses both to ride. We have to accept a certain level of noise. After all, it's a car, not a toy. Actually, I love my car, it reminds me that I am driving a machine. As a cheap solution, I suggest that you can wear ear muffs or ear plugs to reduce the cabin noise level. But then again, you will not be able to hear what your passengers are talking about.
It is possible to reduce it. How else do you think luxury cars are so quiet? Sure they weigh a lot more than the Fit, but it shows that sound deadening does work. You just have to use the right tools (heavier windows, better insulation, etc).
I like engine noise and such, but I honestly think that Dynamat and a good exhaust would be better than what the Fit comes with from the factory. Not a fart can, but something quality.
I love my HKS can. That said, at 70 MPH Foxy is turning around 35-3700 RPMs (manual trans). It gets old quickly on long trips. Why Honda didn't make 6th taller, I'll never know.
I am enamored with my HKS muffler. Normally it produces lovely sounds. My car, Foxy's, 1.5L engine spins at 3,500 to 3,700 rotations per minute when in 6th gear at 70 miles per hour. The ambient sound in the passenger cabin at that engine speed is not pleasing to the ears. In my opinion, Honda should have designed the transmission, specifically 6th gear, with a longer usable range to improve both fuel efficiency and the driving experience.
Ok. Now I understand. I cannot share this experience as I can never drive in 6th gear here because we don't have long straight roads and no highways. I live on a very tiny island with a population of 8000 and short hilly roads. You can use an ear plug if it's too noisy.
It is possible to reduce it. How else do you think luxury cars are so quiet? Sure they weigh a lot more than the Fit, but it shows that sound deadening does work. You just have to use the right tools (heavier windows, better insulation, etc).
I like engine noise and such, but I honestly think that Dynamat and a good exhaust would be better than what the Fit comes with from the factory. Not a fart can, but something quality.
I don't think that the engine noise on the highway comes from the tip of the exhaust, but more from the whole engine itself, going through the firewall.
Otherwise, I use earplugs when I ride my motorcycle on the highway and it works wonders, but I wouldn't want to use such as thing in a car since a well designed car should mute the noise enough to no be annoying without plugs.
The saddest part is that Honda used to make the EK hatchback Civic (and previously the CRX HF and Civic VX) with extra tall gears for fuel economy. As a result, you would only hear road noise and sip 5l/100km while cruising at normal speeds, not hypermiling at 55mph.
Broody, I think you should learn to live with the noise and over time it will become second nature. I don't think there is any cheap solution as the car was designed like this. One thing I cannot understand though why Honda hasn't addressed this problem since customers all over the world have been complaining about this and also the rough ride for many years now. For me, this is a lack of respect.
