Jamz3k

I am wanting to sell my current car and buy a diesel due to the mileage i do but i really am put off them by the sound.

Today stuck in traffic, i had the window down as the sun was out in full glory and the wee rumble of my little twinspark engine sounded great but then a Astra 1.7CDTi pulled up beside me and it was horrendous sounding, really put me off getting a diesel now!

Andy M3

I would avoid diesel tbh, they aren't as nice as petrol's and IMO they pro's outweigh the cons. Depending on how you are buying/funding, how many miles you do and how long you propose to keep it, it may be that some equivalent petrol's may work out for you!

P.S I am a diesel Alfa, and a petrol Renault owner

Turbo2

I don't care what people say, diesels are noisier than petrol. I have had many cars of both varieties (still do) and although diesel performance has moved on incredibly during the past few years, they are still noisier than their petrol equivalents. Manufacturers put a lot of effort into sound-proofing, but that's mainly for the benefit of the occupants rather than the outside world (as you found out today).

The driver might be lulled into thinking that he's got a Rolls Royce engine purring away under the bonnet, but the rest of us know it sounds more like a Massey Ferguson!

greenonedave

Good engines if you can adjust, they just dont sound right, install a louder ICE system

Jamz3k

The reason why the noise annoys me so much is that i'm actually thinking of moving to a Alfa GT 1.9JTDm and the thought of such a pretty car having such a terrible noise just seems a shame.

More to the point i think it'd be embarrassing on start up

Matteeboy

James - my Astra has the same unit (Fiat sourced) - it is a noisy bugger but the turbo whistles quite nicely and it's quieter than rival VAG units - by a fair margin.

The only diesel units that sound okay are the 3.0 BMW units and the VW V10 in the Touraeg and Phaeton.

The rest sound cack.

I will always miss the lovely noise my old Golf R32 made...

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Use to have a vauxhall omega 2.5 TD, that was smooth as diesels go, not at all clattery, had a ford mondeo mk1 phase 2 1.8ltr td, horrid unit, 500 rpm power band and very clattery, have the astra 1.9 cdti now, lovely engine, still a little clattery, but thats diesels for you, a damn sight quieter than my mates vw 1.9tdi, especially when driving!
I think the BMW diesels are probably the most refined out there, even when they stop they are nice sounding
(and no it doesnt put me off owning one )

Tony

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

...but where do you spend all the time the engine's running?

My 330D does indeed sound like a tractor from outside, but who cares? Inside the car it sounds more like a big V8 (yes, really - quite unlike any other diesel), and that's all I hear

RS Grant

Our 330d sounds alright at idle... sounds like a tractor very briefly pulling away as you lift the clutch... then once moving its pretty smooth sounding actually.


Cheers,
Grant

MJW

I'm currently driving an Alfa Brera 2.4 JTDM (5 cylinder) and it sounds nice high up the revs and has a fair bit of shove (it's mapped to 255bhp / 350 ft lbs). I looked at a few 1.9 GT's but once I'd had a go in the Brera I was hooked A diesel will always sound clattery when you start it up from cold, but I can get 500 miles to a tank compared to 200 in the Impreza, still have a majority of the pace, plus it can make knickers moist from 300 yards - a small price to pay hehe !

stilover

Does it really matter what it sounds like?

You need to change because of the millage you do. How often are you going to be sat in traffic with the window down?

I went from 23mpg (taking it easy) STI PPP to a Golf GT sport (170) TDI, and although it doesn't sound like a Subaru, it does do 38mpg booting it everywhere.

It's hardly tractor like, and once rolling you can't hear the engine anyway. Turn the stereo on, and you'll hear nothing.

I always said I'd never buy a Diesel, but now modern Diesel engines are so good these days, that it would be hard to justify going back to a powerful petrol car as an everyday steed. I've over halved my monthly fuel bills.

urban

iTrader: (1)

For what its worth, my boss has a BMW 535D.
Its very quite, infact doesn't even sound like a diesel engine.
You listen closely asking youself if thats a diesel engine?

All good, until you see it under accelleration when plumes of thick black smoke wack out the back.

Jamz3k

Quite alot actually

I know it shouldn't matter what it sounds like but to me it really does especially as its such a pretty car. without being offensive if it was a Golf i wouldn't really care what it sounded like.

Urban - my good friend has a tweeked 530d and as you say no noise what so ever from it, actually sounds very throaty inside and is the definition of TORQUE!

Spooky Mulder

BMW diesels sound brilliant when you press on - sporty in fact!

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

Agreed. However, they are the only diesel car I ve heard that fall into that category.

Spooky Mulder

And the sound is tuned - it sounds sporty from the drivers seat and very muted from the passenger seat!

brickboy

The Volvo D5 unit in the S60s etc also sounds good, goes well too

Simon C

My parents tiguan is damn quiet, that quiet it shocked me.

The Audi I test drove today and the works skoda and focus are bloody noisey things.

LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

used to have a Megane 1.5 dCi and really suprised me how quiet it was and other had said as well, had it 2 completely trouble free years as well (before you start knockin em), needed a tuning box on it tho and got between 50 and 75mpg
i'd have another

mart360

My seat 1.9tdi wasnt exactly lound, but clattered as diesels do.

that said, at 50mph, youd be hard pushed to tell what engine was in the car.


My saab 2.2 tid, is even louder, and sounds positivly agricultural at tickover / low speed.

At 50+ you cant hear a thing


bit of a lame argument saying the noise puts you off..

So an open 3" backbox booming out is no problem, but bit of diesel clatter is?

HMM???

look at the bigger picture...


Scooby 2.0 NA Petrol -- £40 per week
Seat 1.9tdi Diesel -- £45 per fortnignt
Saab 2.2 Tid Diesel -- £58 per month!!


Mart

Matteeboy

Inlaws used to have a Botnia Targa 35 with 2 x 330bhp volvo diesels. They sounded pretty good.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

For communting daily driving cars; noise wouldn't put me off at all, not that you really it really that intrusive inside. In fact the diesel would be my preference because most perform better than the equivelent BHP petrol versions of the same car.

For performance cars however, the right noise is crucial. Having said that most "hot" petrol engined cars these days sound just as pants TBH, either no noise or the wrong type of noise.

The best sounding diesels are the 620bhp (2000+lb/ft) Scania V8 tractor units with twin exhaust stacks that drive past the office every day (also have a soft spot for the noise of the Detroit 2 stroke diesels )

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

The sound, the smell, the tiny powerband, the fact I don't do many miles, the owners obsession with torque, being mistaken for a Mini cab and the fact that even when you buy a big Merc it makes you look like a tightwad if you buy a diesel.

They make progress, in fact generally faster than most petrols but by and large leave me cold, would anyone really bother with them outside of commercial and agricultural vehicles if petrol was cheap and road tax a standard £200 across the board, if company car tax didn't favour them, would they f*ck, they make sense, not fun.