It has a lot to do with tyres. I have michelin alpin A4 winter tyres and continental premium pro summer tyres. Driving on michelin sounds like driving an armored vehicle comparing to continentals...when I can hardly hear anything else but right front door rattling.

The only noise from my 1.25 is when traveling with the rear windows down,(with the mutt in the rear) quite annoying booming noise.

 

Found the same thing - it was probably the main thing that concerned me when I test drove Yetis; the dogs go pretty much everywhere with me and in my view climate control doesn't really get enough cool air into the cargo area on warmer days. Cracking the front windows down helped but I've found the better solution was fitting sun shades to the rear windows. I've had them for a year now, the windows operate as usual with full travel, I've not had any problems driving at speed with the windows down and if you want to take them out they pop out in seconds. I know some people have expressed concerns that they reduce visibility but I've not found this to be a problem in practice so they've been in probably 10 of the last 12 months.

Having done a few long drives from Kent to Merseyside in my previous FL Octy vRS & done the same journey on the bank hoilday. SWMBO commented that it was  less tiring in the Yeti than it was in the Octy. 

 

Having done BH journeys in both, i have to agree that the Yeti felt lighter & airier  ( OK it does have the panoramiic roof), the seats were not as harsh, suspension not too soft to make it wallowy or too hard so you felt & heard every concrete joint on the M25.

 

I am now looking forward to the trip to Germany at the end of the month & then off to Oktoberfest in the Yeti, confident that the only real noise will be the stereo on V loud, cruising at the Autobahn speed limits.