they didn't put better tires on them because this is their entry level car and the goal is to keep the cost as low as possible.

 

If road noise is a concern, just turn the radio up. The fit is the entry car in the Honda line up so don't expect a quiet ride. You'll definitely hear the engine working to accelerate. You'll hear tire noise but it's no worse than any other entry level car and you'll probably get used to it after a while.

On my commute there is a new stretch of road and the asphalt makes the tires noisy there. Another stretch where they repaved sounds normal so I'm not sure what differences in the process.

I'm up for changing tires soon so I'll let you know if there is a significant change.

 

My EX is very noisy. Wind noise so loud sometimes I think I have the windows cracked, but I don't. The road noise on concrete is deafening, I find I often end up with the stereo on 35 on concrete.

 

I find the stock Firestones pretty noisy, even with an upgraded audio system, depending on road conditions.

Strangely, and happily, my Michelin winter tires are very quiet which is unusual for a winter tire, based against my previous experiences with other winter tires.

 

I did read the entire post. The fact is that there is nothing we can do to make the Fit guaranteed quieter for all drivers. Some people have more acute hearing than others. The Fit is a budget car and sound deadening is not high on the priority list. The Fit was simply not designed as a quiet car and it shows. We can talk about small changes such as tires, or blame the road surface for noise, but he fact is that most other cars are much quieter. This is by design and not by accident.

Nothing we can do will make the Fit substantially quieter, except for what ROTTBOY did, which was to rip apart and sound deaden the complete car. If a quiet car is high on your priority list, the Fit will not qualify. As I have rented the Mazda3 I know it is a quieter car, to me, but you lose out on hatch space, fuel efficiency and price. There is no perfect car for everyone, so I don't mind offering other options. We should not be such Honda fanboys as to not consider other makes and models.

OP, go test drive a Mazda3. It might show you that a quiet ride is important but not as important as the other benefits of the Fit. otherwise the Mazda3 is a great car.

 

Is something I considered in my research. I rented the 2016 Mazda 3 touring (Zipcar) for a day trip to Connecticut. Louie's Lunch was on my mind so I hopped in to kill two birds with one stone.
+ Acceleration, handling, fuel economy, hatch, and QUIET.
- 1990's GPS like Infotainment screen and price.

It checked many of the boxes for me but as I researched all the stories of early rust, my focus shifted to a brand I know and trust. I will be sticking with Honda and thank everyone for their input. I will shop around to see how much it will cost to get sound deadining professionally installed or look into some sort of active noise cancelation that works with the sound system.

 

Yep, my friend who loves his Mazdas also lament the rusting issue.

Check out ROTTBOY's radical sound deadening thread. He basically gutted his Fit! He had already sound deadened the doors with his speaker install.

 

To FTL: I also am very noise-sensitive and I find the noise level on concrete pavement, or in the rain, to be overwhelming.

It's not nearly so bad on tarmacadam style pavement, which is the vast majority of roads around here. It wouldn't lead me to not buy (obviously) or sell the 2012 Sport that I have. In fact I love the car. But I also don't drive long distances often.

If you drive long distances, or if all the roads around you are concrete, then I think you might not love the car. The Civic is a lot quieter. There are a lot of other hatchbacks on the market now, although sometimes more expensive. A Hyundai Elantra, Chevy Cruze, Toyota Prius ... all those are going to be quieter, more comfortable cars. What they won't give you is more space: They're larger but have more steel, so they're safer at the expense of interior room. The only thing in the subcompact class that springs to mind is the Nissan Versa. A Toyota Yaris is cheaper than a Fit, and won't be as comfortable. Really, for long distance cruising a sedan body style is best.

Hope that helps!

 

Sure, the Fit isn't the quietest car on the market, but it's also one of the more affordable/versatile cars on the market. I typically have music on anyway, but I don't consider the "road noise" a big deal even with audio off, even at 80 mph with the 6 spd manual and Tanabe Medalion Touring axleback. It's all a matter of perspective....our '15 LX is nowhere near as noisy as many many of the cars I've had over the last 40 years.....great lil hatch for the $$$

 

I'm passing 60,000 miles at the time this was written in 2015 Mexican fit. New models are presumably better quality cars being assembled in Japan. In any case, I love my car and it has served me very well. It's a 6mt ex.

Road noise is present but not overwhelming unless your roads suck. Oregon is upgrading many stretches of I5 to this new black road compound and there is no road noise over that stuff at all.

The wheel wells on the ex have a felt layer in them. It doesn't do much for road noise but I'm told it makes a difference over the lx. I have Federal Formoza az01 tires and they are great. Those tires are more grippy and virtually eliminates hydroplaning in rain.

It seems there is a delicate balance between luxury and economy. The ex is a great car with fantastic features for the price. If I could go back and make the deal again, I would have got the lx with bare bones options. I never use my sun roof and the weight doesn't help gas mileage. the extra two inches on my dash screen I would sub for actual knobs any day.

Push button start/stop is neat but mine is loosening.

I suggest getting a bigger car if you will not tolerate road noise. But if you wind up getting a fit, I suggest saving money and getting the lx, automatic(auto gets better mpg) and spending your saved money on professional sound proofing.

 

sound proofing all 4 doors and turning up the music might help.

just my 5 cents

 

Here are the Top 30 Quietest 2016 Cars. No Honda products made the list:

BMW 730d Blue Performance
Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6 Diesel S Luxury
Audi A8 4.2 TDI DPF quattro tiptronic
VW Touareg 4.2 V8 TDI DPF Automatik
Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Diesel
Audi Q7 3.0 TDI DPF quattro tiptronic
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
Mercedes R 350 CDI L DPF 4Matic 7G-Tronic
BMW 520d Touring
Mercedes S 400 Hybrid 7G-Troni
VW Sharan 2.0 TDI BlueMotion Comfortline
Audi A4 2.0 TDI DPF Ambition
Saab 9-5 2.0T Aero
Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid Tiptronic
Mercedes-Benz E 200 CGI BlueEfficiency Avantgarde
Volvo S60 D3 Summum
BMW 135i Cabrio Automatik
Audi A7 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic
Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI Ecomotive Reference
Citroën C5 HDi 165 FAP Exclusive
Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi DPF Titanium
VW Touran 1.4 TSI Comfortline
Mercedes C 180 T BlueEfficiency Avantgarde
Mercedes-Benz ML 250 BlueTec 4Matic 7G-Tronic
VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI DPF 4Motion DSG Sport & Style
Audi A6 Avant 2.0 TDI DPF
Lexus RX 450h Impression Line
Land Rover Range Rover Sport TDV6
VW Polo 1.2 TSI DSG Highline
BMW X3 xDrive28i Automatik

 

Many not available in the US, most out of the price range, very few (if any) as practical as the Fit. Nearly useless list. Thanks for trying.

 

By posting the list I was hoping someone knew of a source for noise readings for the Fit and other cars of interest. There is sort of an industry standard for publishing all the physical measurements, weights, volumes, MPG, etc. Wouldn't it be helpful if there were published noise levels too?

 

Some of the auto magazines post noise levels at certain speeds. Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track, but again there are too many variables ... road surface, tire brand, etc.

Remember when Ford claimed that the old Galaxy was quitter than a Rolls Royce?

 

My LX is noisy... I think.

Honestly, after thousands of miles I just got used to it. This is the first time I've thought about it in a year probably.

You probably will get used to it soon enough also. If you're on the fence, try a lease? If it doesn't work out, okay next model; if it does, buy the lease at the end.

 

Agree that new pavement/nice roads make all the difference in the Fit, both the GE and the GK. My sister-in-law has a GK and it is significantly quieter than my GE Sport, in my opinion, but road quality determines road noise to a much greater degree than any other factor in my experience.

On the one hand, I'm amazed at how little road noise there is on a freshly paved stretch of road, even in my 2012. On the other hand, I notice that because I am amazed at how noisy an average road is at highway speeds.

Also agree that the Mazda3 is a much quieter car. My friend bought a 2014 Mazda3 for a longish commute after having owned a 2009 Fit Sport. He liked the Fit but no question the Mazda is a more comfortable, much quieter and more gas efficient ride for the long distance highway driving he was doing. However, it is also way less versatile for carrying cargo, compared to the very foldy Fit. It also has that weird tacked-on screen thing.

If I had another car to buy, no question I would buy a GK to replace my GE. But it's not a quiet car in my experience.

 

For reference we have a 2015 LX and my brother in law has a 2016 EX. Both are equally noisy since there is no insulation in the doors

 

I will note that, to my ears, the Cooper CS3 tires I replaced the Firestone tires with seem much quieter. I don't find noise to be an issue, since most of my motoring experience is with "entry level" cars or motorcycles. I've never owned a "luxury" car, so I have no real frame of reference. In any case, I'm DRIVING the car, not SLEEPING in it, so I'm not bothered by it.

 

For a few hundred dollars any decent radio install shop would be able to install Dynamat or similar sound deadening material throughout the Fit to make it significantly quieter. I've ordered similar product for the new 17 we'll pickup later this week, but I'm doing the work myself.