Re soft vs hard compound tyres and road noise

Searching 'are softer tyres quieter' on googl. .......... just three separate examples

People also ask

Are softer tires quieter?

What kind of rubber the tire is made of: Softer rubber will make less noise, but it also tends to wear out faster. Harder rubber will be quieter, but it can make for a bumpier ride...........

It is the friction between the road and the tyre that causes the noise. Generally speaking, a harder compound tyre will cause less friction than a softer one, making it quieter. There is now an extensive range of noise-reducing tyres available across such brands as Bridgestone, Pirelli, Sumitomo and Falken..........

Generally, softer tyres tend to be quieter, but they also wear out faster. The friction between the tyre and the road is what causes noise, and softer tyres have more friction, leading to a quieter ride on imperfect surfaces. However, this increased friction also means they'll need to be replaced sooner than harder tyres............

How ............ just how can such contradicting crap get written. I give up.....

Edited 14 May14 May by Tilt

This internet can be such a pain at times!!!

Anyway, on the subject of tyres, I usually have a watch of a few of this guys videos to help inform my decision. As always, reviews are subjective but at least he discusses the differences. The website is quite informative too.

https://youtube.com/@tyrereviews?feature=shared

I wonder if the answers were provided by AI which can be notorious for hypocrisy in some instances.

8 hours ago, Tilt said:

How ............ just how can such contradicting crap get written.

Unless it was "authored" by an "Artificial Idiocy" (AI) system, I have no clue.

I did wonder why the thread was here and reported it as in the Wrong Forum as surely it is a General Automotive Chat Section type thread or a Tyre Section thread.

Looks like it is the title that needs change if it is a AI generating unreliable info thread.

Perhaps if the tyres weren't so unnecessarily over wide then soft/hard, tread pattern and other designs of the tyre, and the cars weren't so heavy there might be less tyre noise about about, willy-waving gone mad.

16 hours ago, SteveTheElder said:

https://youtube.com/@tyrereviews?feature=shared

I'm not sure this bloke's videos are that good for average drivers and car owners and the videos I've seen relate to Beemers and faster Golfs (all black cars of course, to go with the upper arm muscles). But as always each to their own.

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

I'm not sure this bloke's videos are that good for average drivers and car owners and the videos I've seen relate to Beemers and faster Golfs (all black cars of course, to go with the upper arm muscles). But as always each to their own.

Can see where you’re coming from, and I never drive like he does on a circuit. I do, however, drive on wet twisty roads from time to time and knowing about the differences in wet braking distances can be very useful, for example.

Yeap taken as general information only, unless your driving the same cars as him with same wheels and tyre sizes. I am a bit biased as I took an instant dislike to him to save time. 😁

Not so wet roads are the ones that catch many out and a light rain after a longer dry spell. I always suggested to those buying rear wheel drive cars, particularly light (very light by modern standard) sportscars to buy them in autumn and drive them through winter to get used to them for next spring and summer, particularly two-seater softtops, many more better roof down driving days in winter than summer for the better driving roads. When the Mazda MX-5s were better s/h prices many not used to or returning to RWD would buy them in spring for a flurry of them against tress and lamp posts in autumn.

@Lee01 @Ootohere

Only one was AI i think.

The others were general questions asked / reported by others.

I know a lot of misinformation is from numpties reading and repeating other peoples misinformation ........

I mean, do people not read what they have written .... I guess not.

Logically I would think that softer compound tyres were quieter.....

Sizes being equal and all that .........

IME and i change all cars / vehicles i get from the tyres they come on which are nearly always Summer / All Year round tyres as UK cars get to All Season, All Weather or All Year round tyres.

Softer Compounds, sometimes wider tread and sometimes narrower.

No idea about the difference in noise as a bit Mutt & Jeff.

But i know it has been years since i heard anyone scream or the noise you get as you go in a ditch, through a wall / fence etc.

9 minutes ago, Tilt said:

Logically I would think that softer compound tyres were quieter.....

Sizes being equal and all that .........

Possibly, but tyres are an extremely complex component on the car, I would guess (no real idea) that tread pattern and a lot more also contributes something. Generalisations are just that, but you have to start somewhere.

Bit unfair to blame people for what they are told by others and then accept, truth and accuracy can be so subjective and truth and accuracy changes with time and with who (or what now and in the future) has and controls or hides or destroys, the information. Given the tyre labels I'd not fully trust what a tyre manufacturer puts on their label given the evidence of my own experiences, anyway VW owners more than most know test figures can be manipulated.

12 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

No idea about the difference in noise as a bit Mutt & Jeff.

But i know it has been years since i heard anyone scream or the noise you get as you go in a ditch, through a wall / fence etc.

Yes, and how is the chauffeuring going . . .

😄

On 17/05/2025 at 08:53, nta16 said:

Bit unfair to blame people for what they are told by others and then accept,

I'm talking about when information is plain wrong / incorrect.

Nothing subjective and nothing about things that may change.

Some information is simply incorrect and always will be ... but some people still keep passing it on ..... and always will ... because some people do not check their information.

I believe in checking information before passing it on to others, or at least use the phrase 'I think' or 'I'm not sure but' ..............

Too late.

I read tyre reviews they normally include noise tests.

For instance;

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/91856/tyre-reviews-best-car-tyres-buy-now

other reviews/tests are available.