guitarman001

Actually yes, I drove one other which is the same as mine - and although it didn't have the boom, my father's Rapid had similar noise verging on it. I think Skoda cabin noise is inherent in the design and some people just haven't driven quiet cars..? I've driven enough cars now to have fair confidence that IRS handles better, and can pretty confidently say the Octavia noise is the worst I've heard and unacceptable. Such a shame. Yes, the coolant hose recall - apparently despite the recall some engines still find coolant leaking in and blowing them so I'm not convinced it's completely solved. I'm just bewildered about this cabin boom, it's really ridiculous. How could Skoda make a car that's so uncomfortable to drive :(

Even just sitting in an A3/A4 and shutting the door... it was "solid" - doing the same in the Skoda, there was a definite reverberation. I've been trawling through autotrader but can't find the perfect car. I'm now put off torsion bars as the Focus I tried yesterday handled SO much better with its independent suspension. Unfortunately I'm so used to the vast array of features that come with the Skoda - there must be another car similar for not much more money out there. -> The closest I can find is Mazda 3 (but loads of clutch problems, apparently) and Focus Ecoboost (engine problems are worse mpg but this is the main contender.. they've really shrunk, though.. and the touch screen is a bit tricky). Also need to check out smaller Skodas - Fabia etc. It might be I just "get used to" the Skoda boom until something better turns up. E.g. a 2017 Civic petrol in a couple of years.

Oh man, was just in an A3. So much better..... But so much more expensive with barely anything in it - no NAV, no parking sensors, no folding mirrors, no auto lights or wipers, no lumbar support. That all needs to be spec'd up. An £11k Skoda spec would cost about £15-16k++ in Audi format. Saying that, you can tell the difference. Less vibration, quieter, just more solid. Also the Audi garage was correct in pointing out the alloys and wheels this car went out with aren't really good enough especially for approved used. The offer was on the low side for the Skoda.

If I could afford a 2017 Civic petrol, THAT is what I'd get. To be honest I'm not 100% if dynamat will reduce the very low frequencies but agree it's not worth the time and effort given how low they are. Mazda 3 looks brilliant other than multiple clutch failures reported. Also looking at Fabia but it's such a step-down from this car in Elegance trim. Audi A3... pretty good but that electronic handbrake... not so keen. Honda Jazz 53mpg petrol...!! BUT has torsion beam suspension and despite not knowing what I'm on about, I think I prefer independent suspension. Certainly my Focus handled better and had less noise. Civic petrol (pre-2017)... seats aren't too comfy and it has the same performance (approx) as my old Ford! Again... Ford would be great if they just got better engines (new EcoBoost are reported blowing up due to coolant pipe malfunction... also mpg is poor).

So none of these issues at all in the Superb's? Man... I thought it was just the SIZE of the car that was making things worse, which it probably is... I think all Fords have independent rear suspension, right? My Focus felt great to drive and had none of this. I wonder if the Audi A3 has independent suspension. Will check!

I do actually have Bruxism but I'm not sure it's related... Remember I'm not the only one who can hear the sound... an independent garage could, as well as friends and co-workers. Infrasound... I hope not. I'm also moving to a new home with a phone mast about 33m away so hope I'm not tuning into that...! ;D Mazda 3 probably better...? I'm put off big cars now!! Scared about what will happen to diesels else I'd get a Honda diesel. Honda Jazz - 53mpg for a petrol but it's not the same.... There's just not a clear winner. Musos who don't wear 'plugs are mental. There's nothing macho about losing your hearing! Oh no - do you have tinnitus? --> Holy cow, Mazda 6 does look good, plus it's a saloon... so less chance of boom from the boot (if that's what it even is)...

Right!! I just read that it is illegal to wear earplugs or headsets whilst driving so it is NOT a long-term solution! Unless I'm wrong... please correct me if so!

Somebody a few posts above said that made no difference :( My earplugs work well.... Just saw the new Honda jazz.. looks alright, Honda are reliable.. might be a go-er...

It's a bit of a pain having to put the earplugs in and out for short drives.

No spare wheel. It's bare metal in there, basically. I've padding the free space in there with pillows!

After another hour with no luck searching for cars on autotrader... Might I have found a workaround? Probably not but..... my boot is still damped with blankets, as is the tray. I have a pair of custom mould earplugs which cost £130 and last years (ACS Pro 17s). I used them for gigs when I was playing in a rock band. The frequency attenuation is a pretty flat 17dB, though in the graph below, it doesn't go below 125Hz, so attenuation at lower frequencies isn't known... https://acscustom.com/uk/downloads/PRO 17 SPEC SHEET.pdf I drove with these today on the way in and no earache. The earplugs just attenuate all frequencies, so the boom is still there but massively attenuated. You can still hear everything, just at a lower volume, and if anything, it provides a more enjoyable ride. Of course there are downsides: - is this dangerous? - you over-rev before changing gear unless you are used to the feel of the engine. - the radio has to be louder to hear it better, which is a no-no with others in the car. You can hear everything a lot more clearly with these in. I also didn't get headache or sore teeth (!) but I'll keep doing this all week and see how it goes. Maybe Skoda should give you a free pair when you buy one. I'll see how this goes up until the weekend. It will be interesting to see if I get physical symptoms despite the earplugs, indicating a low-freq vibration in the car (i.e. is the sound through my ear drums pushing to my teeth and hurting them, or is it a mechanical thing).

I fear the damage is already done for some folk

I was within 30 days when I mentioned the issues but wasn't offered a return...... Agree... Too many test drives the sales guy talks all the way through it.. distraction..

Worst case I reckon I'll lose £1k and then add on £3-4k for something else.... I'll just have to "absorb the loss." I want to get rid immediately but I'm unsure what to get..... Damn..... You defo pay a £2k+ premium for Audi. I'd get a golf if it weren't for their extremely poor reliability .. How much did you pay / lose? You don't have to say....!! I don't understand how you could stand the noise... I think it would have long term effects on my health and I'm not joking!

Right. The car has to go. I keep making excuses. Truly, other than this one issue, I think it's a cracker of a car. However, it's no good having a car that you're stressing over within a month of buying it, getting out of it with sore ears and sometimes even sore teeth! Yes, I'll have to spend more cash, but at least I'll have a comfortable ride. I can't see this continuing for another 5+ years... Unfortunately it also means Skoda is off my list in future due to this bad experience. It's now a case of what to go for, how much to spend... if it weren't for all the diesel press I'd go for the Honda 1.6 iDTEC - unbelievable economy. Might have to stick to petrol Audi or so.

I never fancied Mondeos. Watch out for ecoboost engines if you go ford as they've been blowing up! Never considered an insignia.. Friends warm me spending another £3-4k, I could still be buying other peoples' problems..

I wonder if A3's have this issue as that's one of the cars I was considering. That or a Honda diesel, though wary with what the government are saying about diesel now, plus the petrol ride is better. If there was a fix for this I'd even cough up but it's ridiculous we're going to these lengths.

What stop adjustments are you talking about? Simply loosening them? Thanks for the pics, those are the panels I was talking about earlier. Shame it's had no effect but thanks for trying

So is this the thin plastic trim around the edge of the boot lid that you removed? Just so we're on the same page... What is the Leon like compared to the skoda, other than the noise?

Have you performed this experiment in a similar car (Audi A3, Seat Leon, VW Golf)? If there was flat out another car for decent money I'd trade but it's going to be expensive for another, with no clear winner.

Ok mine shows a peak at 65Hz but don't think the mic on the phone is that good. Could even try using my portable recorder (a good one) to record some audio then post-analyse the waveform. I'll do that..

That's a great way to do it, assuming it's accurate enough. Hmmm, nice one!! I'll need to find an equivalent android app

Does the superb have this same issue?

I do have a very expensive spectrum analyser at work but there's zero chance getting that in the car! Also rode with 3 separate friends yesterday who could all hear it but all said they'd keep it. IMO it's been than my friend's A4 allroad - the spec is so good. Clearly I can't make my mind up!

Is it possible to replace the suspension and is that costly?