Picture this, you’re driving down the road enjoying your music but you keep hearing a constant humming sound.
Of course, that constant sound is going to drive you nuts after a while.
You’d be surprised to know that the culprit behind that sound can be your tires.
Yes, your tires can make a humming, squealing, or whistling sound when you’re driving.
To eliminate this issue, it is recommended to purchase the best quiet tires on the market.
But how do you know which tire is the quietest?
In this article, we’ll discuss the factors you need to consider before buying the quietest tires on the market.
We’ve also reviewed some of the best quiet tires available as well to make it a little easier for you.
Best quiet tires for you
- Speed reading: W
- Size: 215/55R17
- Weight: 22.60 lbs
The Michelin Primacy MXV4 tire is an all-season tire with a unique tread design that makes it one of the quietest tires on the market.
This tire evenly distributes the forces of acceleration, braking, and cornering for a quieter and safer experience.
It can be used on small trucks and SUVs to reduce noise, vibration, and fuel consumption thanks to its computer-optimized design and larger size.
Michelin Comfort Control Technology is the best tire for comfort and noise and leads to a pleasant driving experience.
The Primacy features numerous biting edges and an asymmetrical linked shoulder block design that grips the road well in rain or snow.
Together these features all boost speed stability, safety, comfort, and durability.
- Speed reading: V
- Size: 235/50R18
- Weight: 21 lbs
As the name suggests the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus radial tire provides a feeling of serenity when you’re driving in your vehicle.
The best tires for quiet rides use silica and other polymers in their construction which increases traction and grips well in all weather conditions for safety on the road.
Low rolling resistance reduces friction between your tires and road to help with fuel efficiency and further extend tread life.
It uses Resonance Noise Attenuated silencer grooves around the tread which is the main reason for its quiet operation.
The continuous center rib also helps to eliminate noise as well as improve steering response and stability.
The Serenity Plus even helps give you more control when braking and accelerating.
For snow, it includes a 3-D Sub-Surface Platform with biting edges that increase traction when driving on hard-packed snow or ice.
- Speed reading: S
- Size: 235/75R15
- Weight: 27.65 lbs
Designed to work well no matter the season, the Goodyear Wrangler Radial Tire provides year-round traction and unbeatable off-road performance.
This tire is the best option for jeeps, pickup, and SUVs since the large tread blocks handle dry, wet, snow, and off-road terrain well.
The risk of hydroplaning is greatly reduced because of the circumferential grooves around the tread and optimized tread design that enhance wet grips.
Two steel bolts are found inside the tire for added strength that helps keep the tires stable no matter the speed at which you drive.
While the Wrangler may be a bit noisier than some models, it is the safest quiet tire for your small trucks and SUVs
- Speed reading: S
- Size: 225/75R15
- Weight: 24.1 lbs
If you are looking for the ultimate best quiet all-season tire, then your search ends here.
The Hankook Optimo H724 tire offers a comfortable ride with its computer-designed tread.
It comes with a continuous center rib and rounded shoulders with deep grooves.
Together these provide enhanced stability and allow the tire to work well on both wet and dry pavement.
You can also find computer optimized grooves that remove excess water from under the tread and cancel out noises for a safe and quiet ride.
Furthermore, multiple sipes provide bite for extra safety when driving through slush or snow.
The Hankook Optimo H724 guarantees safety and serenity.
- Speed reading: Q
- Size: 285/70R17
- Weight: 46 lbs
This hard-working Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Radial tire is a quiet truck tire suitable for use on and off the road.
It is equipped with TractiveGroove Technology with rugged treads that allow for excellent traction in mud, sand, or snow.
Although it uses stiff rubber in its construction, the location and design of the traction grooves and sipes reduce the amount of air trapped which means less noise.
For safety and stability, the DuraTrac comes with a symmetrical design with big shoulders and angled center blocks.
What is more, is the Rim lock feature with its built-in rim protector that prevents the wheel from slipping.
- Speed reading: V
- Size: 195/55R16
- Weight: 19 lbs
For a quiet and smooth ride without any disturbances, the Yokohama EnVigor tire works well on all sports vehicles on dry and wet roads.
It is not a winter tire but may work in light snow conditions.
This high-speed performance tire uses a silica tread compound and Groove in Grove Technology to reduce tire stress.
Combine these with the Uni-bloc shoulders and a continuous tapered center rib, gripping and handling is greatly increased on wet and dry surfaces.
The best thing about this tire is the Six Pitch Tread Variation that separates the tread blocks to reduce road noise for a quiet drive.
Other features that make the Yokohama EnVigor stand out are the 3D sipes, angled grooves, and intermediate tread blocks for wet road traction.
The tire tread includes two steel belts for better control and stability when going at a fast rate.
- Speed reading: H
- Size: 225/60R17
- Weight: 22.2 lbs
The Michelin Defender all-season tire uses the latest in tire technology to keep you and your precious cargo like your family and friends safe no matter where you go.
Don’t let the weather keep you back from doing what needs to get done.
The Michelin Defender silica tread compound and Michelin’s IntelliSipe technology allows you to handle your vehicle better and improves brake performance.
Together with the Intellisipe technology, it also uses Green X technology to create a unique interlocking action.
This action makes the tread block more rigid which provides lower rolling resistance for lower fuel costs.
- Speed reading: V
- Size: 215/50R17
- Weight: 21.10 lbs
There is a reason why we are mentioning so many Michelin tires and that is because they have been in the tires game a long time and make some of the best tires you can find.
The Michelin Energy Saver was designed to save you money.
Not only is it made to save money but also made to keep you safe during every single season.
Throw these on your vehicle and enjoy going from place to place no matter the road or weather conditions.
Like the others mentioned in this article, it has a low rolling resistance, an asymmetrical design and formulated from a silica-based compound.
Michelin has boasted that the Michelin Energy saver provides up to 8 feet shorter braking distance than others in its class.
Common causes of tire noise
Many different parts of a vehicle make sounds from the engine to the suspension and others.
However, when everything is running smoothly, you can still hear your tires.
So what causes this annoying sound you hear?
Let’s get into that in this section.
Tire Size
Bigger tires mean that there is more rubber on the road which means that it creates more noise.
Tire Thread
Ever paid attention to the design of the tire thread before you purchase it?
If not, then you definitely should.
The grooves between the tread blocks can trap air which gets compressed by the road and makes a loud noise as it escapes.
The larger the grooves, the louder the sound will be.
Similarly, a tire with a symmetrical tread design will be louder than an asymmetrical design.
Tire Type
Tires are designed for specific vehicles, road and weather conditions.
The amount of noise your tire makes will depend on the road and the weather.
Road conditions
New roads will be smoother than old roads so it’ll be much quieter than driving on older or damaged roads.
Older roads will have potholes and little grooves as it chips away due to thousands of vehicles utilizing it every day.
On the other hand, grooved concrete roads move moisture faster off the surface of the road but they can generate a ton of sounds.
This is similar to roads under repair or freshly done roads.
Driving at a fast rate
When your vehicle is going at high speeds, it means that your tires are spinning faster and the air is being compressed and released faster.
This combination can create quite a ruckus.
Along with the combination of the tires going faster and hitting the pavement, the weight of the vehicle can also contribute to the number of sounds you hear.
Treadwear
Worn out tires may create a squealing sound since the worn and smooth surface is rubbing against the road.
Overinflated tire
If your tires are filled with too much air, the middle threads will wear faster and create a type of drumming sound.
Underinflated tire
A tire without enough air will generate more noise and will have poor grip and traction.
This can be dangerous on wet and icy roads.
It will use more fuel and the edges of your tire will wear out faster.
Alignment issues
If your tires aren’t aligned properly, it can cause one tire to wear faster than others.
This can cause your tire to emit loud sounds.
Bad wheel bearing
A bad wheel bearing can cause tire noises.
If a bearing is bad you will hear a humming or grinding sound and needs to be looked at asap!
For more on a bad wheel bearing, here’s an article on how long will a wheel bearing last after it starts making noise.
Loose hubcap lug nuts
If a hubcap lug nut is loose, it can cause a tire to shake and make a rattling sound.
Failing Struts
Since struts are a part of the suspension system, if they are failing it will put more pressure on the tires.
If this happens you’ll feel bumps and vibrations while you drive as well as hearing more tire sounds than normal.
Worn out CV joints
A worn-out CV joint will make a popping or clicking sound.
This can cause the vehicle to wobble since the CV joint is the flexible part of the axle that moves with the wheel and suspension.
What to look for when buying the quietest tires on the market
For a quieter and smoother ride, here are some factors to consider when looking to purchase the quietest tires on the market.
Tire type
Passenger vehicles
When it’s warm, Summer Touring tires are your best option for your passenger vehicle.
Although all-season tires aren’t as quiet as Summer Touring, they are best for winter or driving on wet roads due to increased traction.
You can also use performance tires which are quieter at high speed or you may opt for winter or studded tires in the winter.
Winter tires are the loudest of all these types but maybe the safest on icy roads.
SUVs and trucks
Highway Touring tires are stiffer and thicker than passenger tires but they are the quietest for your small trucks and SUVs.
All-terrain tires are a safe choice but they are noisier than highway tires but quieter than Mud terrain tires.
When choosing the best quiet tire for your vehicle, ensure you are not just choosing the quietest but the safest for your vehicle type and the road you drive on as well as weather conditions.
Type of rubber
The rubber is the part of the tire that is in constant contact with the road.
Noise levels will depend on the type of rubber used to make your tire.
Some manufacturers prefer to use hard rubber because it maintains the shape of the tire better.
But hard rubber tires will make more noise as you drive over bits of gravel.
Tires made up of a soft rubber composition won’t make as much noise when driving over the same bits of gravel.
Tread design
The design of the thread block can determine how quiet the tires will be.
They can improve resistance and road handling for a smoother and quieter ride.
Tire shoulders
The inner and outer rings surrounding the tire are called the shoulders.
The shoulders on the tire should be sloped or semi-open to minimize noise.
If not, air would be allowed to whizz around the inner and outer rings to give off a whistling sound.
That being said, in some cases a closed shoulder is best due to safety concerns.
Wheel size
The wheel on your vehicle should match the specifications outlined by the manufacturer.
Using the right size of wheels on your vehicle will have less rubber coming into contact with the road thus less noise.
Tire width
Just like the wheel size, manufacturer’s will mention the width of the tires that should be used on your vehicle.
Narrow tires will have less rubber hitting the road so it’ll be quieter than a broad tire.
But once again you need to follow the manufacturer’s specifications to be safe on the road.
Speed and weight specifications
Some tires are made for speed while others carry a heavy load.
Note that depending on your needs if you do choose high-speed tires, remember to check their weight.
These may be heavy which will create a lot of noise, especially when going at high speed.
Conclusion
It is important to understand that no tire is going to dead silent.
Your tire coming into contact with the road will make some noise.
However, using some of the tires mentioned in this article, the noise level will be greatly reduced.
Remember to stay safe and choose a tire that is made to be used on your specific vehicle and choose the right one for the season.
As much as noise is annoying, safety is of utmost importance.
If you are still annoyed by tires, you can easily soundproof your car.