A new report from Brunel University's Driving Research Laboratory [UK] suggests that older cars provide more safety-enhancing sensory feedback than new cars, and that's a bad thing. "Cars provide timely ‘informal chatter’ such as engine noise and road noise, which keeps us attentive and informed of our situation on the road," posits the appropriately named Dr. Guy Walker. "If this feedback is removed through car design innovations, the whole nature of driving could change completely, potentially putting lives at risk.” Yes, well, the methodology used to reach this more-is-less conclusion involved just ten drivers using their own vehicles. "Drivers provided a concurrent verbal commentary as they drove around a defined 14 mile on-road test route, from motorways to residential streets. Analysis of the verbal commentary provided over sixteen thousand data points which were analysed in reference to the concept of situational awareness (SA)." Perhaps an analysis of the relative accident rates of an old S-class vs. a new model would have provided more relevant data. Or not.
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When I have to drive with my wife across the desolate hinterland of North Dakota, the last thing I want is to have to listen to 10 hours of road and wind noise penetrating the cabin of our car. There’s definitely an aural reward to driving a car with sensory feedback, especially in a sporting way, but it isn’t always the best experience. If I want to listen to whistling wind and hear my motor, I’ll jump on my motorcycle; otherwise you can have your rattly old cars.
Interesting. The 2008 Accord has something called Active Noise Control (ANC):
The 2008 Accord has the latest version of Active Noise Control (ANC) first introduced on the previous-generation Accord Hybrid. Now standard on the 2008 Accord V-6 Sedan and Coupe equipped with automatic transmission, and all 190-horsepower four-cylinder models, ANC significantly reduces certain low-frequency sounds in the interior.
Dual microphones – one located in the headliner near the overhead console and the other near the rear overhead light module – pick up low-end drivetrain frequency noise entering the cabin. This audio signal is sent to the Active Noise Control electronic processor, which creates and sends a precisely timed “reverse phase” audio signal to a special amplifier. In turn, the amplifier drives the door speakers to cancel the original noise signal.
ANC dramatically reduces the booming sound of the exhaust for passengers in the front as well as rear seats. In the frequency range below 100 Hertz, ANC results in a remarkable 10 dB reduction in noise level.
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The Odyssey (Touring and EX with leather) benefit from extra high-tech noise-abatement features; …booming sounds are reduced by an active noise control system that automatically sends an out-of-phase sound through the loudspeaker system to cancel out engine noises; it also works when the engine is idling.
well I’d prefer not to listen to wind whistling through the doorseals; nor the constant and deafening whir of tires. For me it’s the unassuring handling and relentless rattling(to avoid insanity) that makes me drive much more careful.
I don’t think the type of low-frequency noise that Honda / Acura’s active noice cancellation system blocks is really important to road awareness. However, tire noise is very underrated. Any car that lets you hear the rubber against the pavement is castigated by the motoring press for having “too much tire noise”, as if a Lexus-like tomb is the ideal for any car.
They do have a point – new cars sometimes can be so “refined” that they don’t adequately convey the sense of speed (and the associated dangers) to the driver – particularly young drivers. It can also take some of the fun out of it – let’s face it, the emotional feedback we get from driving comes from the visual, aural and kintetic feedback we get from the car. As every new generation of car seeks to dial these back, greater speeds (and danger) are required to get your automotive driving fix.
I’m not suggesting that tire noise is a good idea but it wouldn’t hurt if we called off the pursuit to make cars that keep futher isolating their driver from their environment.
If I recall correctly, the Z4 pipes engine “music” directly to the cabin. Thinking of that, it doesn’t seem like it would be too difficult to mike outside sound and engine sound directly to the cabin, especially in the more expensive luxury cars that are the most quiet. You could individually control volume from several strategically placed mikes around the car, through the car speakers. This would be a huge benefit to technicians for troubleshooting also.
By default, they could be turned off, or you could have different “aural” profiles to choose from within the car’s computer. For example, one called “Diagnostic” might give full volume from all mikes, and a “Sport” setting might turn transmission/engine volume to 3 or 4, but keep road noise at 0.
I’d have to agree with the point of the article. When I test drove a Mazda3… it was so quiet in the cabin that I could not even hear the engine rev.
When I turned to the salesman and asked how I was supposed to tell when to shift, he told me to look at the tach.
Look at the tach, for pete’s sake! You’re supposed to judge the shift off the engine noise, not from watching the dashboard!
Vehicle noise attenuation is certainly an indicator of the engineering competence of the manufacturer. Particularly, the reduction of wind and road noise. Engine noise is somewhat different, since it has an actual tonal quality. There are good, and not-so-good, examples of engine noise: (fill in the blanks___________.)
Personally, I find road noise the more objectionable, especially in unibody vehicles. On a long trip, in a road-noisy car, the noise seems to get louder after a few hours. It is definitely tiring. Since the majority of cars today are unit body, some of the blame has to go to tire makers (many of whom have clearly dropped the ball here) and state transportation road pavers who, apparently, have dedicated zero man-hours to coming up with durable pavements that don’t originate the noise in the first place.
Ideally, to my way of thinking, the three major road noise sources (wind, road and engine) should be similarly muffled so that none is louder that either of the others, and all three blend into a nice, unobtrusive “white noise” to a total interior decibel reading of no more than 65DBAs. BMWs often seem to follow this approach.
If there is too much road noise, its a loud, poorly put together, crap car and possibly dangerous.
If there is too little, then its tomb like, boring, and no fun to drive, and possibly dangerous.
I would have liked to see/hear Jeremy Clarkson’s comments on such a test…
“Rubbish rubbish rubbish, to much understeer, racial slur against Italians, rubbish rubbish, POOWWWWWAAAAAA!”
Not only is there a lack of auditory feedback, but the lack of tactile feedback (electronic braking/steering/automatic transmissions/cruise control) also insulate the driver from the experience of driving. This is to say nothing of the issues involved with hybrid systems.
I am also concerned with the lack of physical connection with other systems (e.g. heater controls no longer have a connection to the heater core so the control no longer has to be tied to an appropriately-scaled control system).
These are old arguments from aviation-related autopilot systems. To summarize: user engagement is important for careful navigation and there is often a trade-off between convenience/comfort/technological help and engagement.
If you want engine, road, wind and tire noises, you can always turn off the radio and open the window.
My 96 Accord rattles, hums, and is generally mildly irritating when driven at speed. When I ride with friends with newer vehicles, I keep thinking “come on! Drive faster, granny!” when we’re already zipping along at 75.
I’m much more aware of speed in my older car, and tend to not push it quite as hard as I would something newer.
Um, if you don’t want total silence, wouldn’t the most obvious option be to not purchase a luxury car? I personally enjoy the abuse/pleasure of driving a loud, fast vehicle. To quote a perverted friend of mine “Oh, it hurts go good!”
It just seems like an oxymoron to buy a luxury car, then complain because it isolates you from the road. And sawaba, playing the engine/road noise over the speakers of your tomb-like luxury couch just seems wrong.
My wife’s new Sonata four cylinder is very refined – yet not “dead quiet like a library” (though when cruising at 55, it’s close).
Ironically, the Brits (who always seem to whine about everything) compared the revving engine sound of the four cylinder Sonata “to a diesel”.
Yep, it’s got some engine noise when pressed – not objectionable to me – it IS an all-alloy four, and while it may not be as “refined” sounding as the Honda four, it WAS engineered to last 250,000 miles – minimum – with reasonable care by an owner. Per Hyundai when they developed the engine. Hence, it has cam CHAINS instead of cam belts, for one thing.
I want to hear my engine, it’s music to my ears. I also want to hear my tires, they tell me about their adhesion/grip. I want to hear what is going around me in traffic.
That’s why I would never buy a coffin-on-wheels Lexus.
The sounds of a car are an interesting topic.
The engineeers in Ohio who worked on the current Civic Si engine air intake system used their ears, and a computer to “tune” its sound.
They ended up ducting the intake air in via the front fender well to take advantage of resonances found inside the fender.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Acoustic Alchemy
“Small team of engineers perform some magic, give new Civic Si a sporty growl”
…small team of engineers believed that sound would give the car an edge over the competition. So Honda gave the engineers leeway to enhance the acoustics of the Civic Si’s intake and exhaust modules…
That’s called sweating the details.
Alright, thanks for the article. That totally justifies some coilovers and pillow ball mounts everywhere!
who´s with me!?!
kansei: who´s with me!?! I'm right behind you. As always.