Are Yokohama Tires Quiet Or Noisy? (Read This First!)

Yokohama is a Japanese manufacturer producing tires for a range of vehicles, including sedans, coupes, crossovers, pickups, and SUVs.

We’ve written previously about how long Yokohama tires last (Must-read!) and now it’s time to look at their noise level.

The company is renowned for its commitment to making eco-friendly tires that deliver on all fronts.

Are Yokohama tires quiet or noisy?

Yokohama tires are among the quietest tires you can find in the mid-range category. They are comfortable to ride with and do produce minimal noise. However, the smoothness and quietness of your Yokohama tires will depend on the model you buy.

Are Yokohama Tires Quieter Than Other Brands?

For years, Yokohama has committed to making environmental-friendly products so much that the brand is almost synonymous with “eco-friendly tire.”

You may think Yokohama places more emphasis on its green credentials at the expense of key aspects such as ride comfort.

This is far from true, as Yokohama’s tires offer competitive levels of quiet performance.

In fact, some of its models, such as the bestselling Avid ENVigor, are as quiet as their premium rivals.

However, we should note that Yokohama is a mid-range tire brand. Hence, it would be unrealistic to expect a Yokohama tire to be as quiet as, say, Goodyear tire.

Mid-range tires hardly feature advanced noise-reduction elements present on premium tires.

Nevertheless, Yokohama tires are among the quietest tires you can find in the mid-range category.

This means you can get quiet performance without having to break the bank on your purchase. As Yokohama tires are durable, you will enjoy many silent rides using them.

Among Yokohama’s efforts aimed at minimizing road noise on its tires is its patented Five Pitch Variation Tread Design Technology.

This noise-canceling feature reduces three types of tire noise:

1. Tread Pitch Noise
2. Road Noise
3. Tread Pumping Noise

The way the Five Pitch Variation Tread Design works is simple. By using treads of different variations, engineers can prevent the buildup of rhythmic road noise.

When tire treads have the same size and distance between them, it is easy for road noise to become loud.

How Are Yokohama Tires Tested for Noise?

As with other tire manufacturers, Yokohama assesses noise output on its newest tire designs before mass production.

The noise assessment exercises cover both internal noise and external rolling noise.

We will explain what each type of tire noise is, and how Yokohama measures each on its tires:

Tire Noise & Tests:

External rolling noise or exterior noise refers to noise that affects road users and others outside the vehicle.

Conversely, internal noise or interior noise affects those riding in the vehicle.

Both types of tire noise are bad for business. Excessive external noise may cause the tires to violate government noise emissions regulations. Pronounced interior noise will reduce user comfort and ride quality, and could be a deal-breaker for buyers.

To assess the level of exterior noise on its tires, Yokohama’s engineers conduct the pass-by test. The pass-by test records and measures pass-by noise on a test vehicle as it moves through the test zone.

There are some variations, particularly how the test vehicle navigates the racetrack.

Below, we review variants of the pass-by test:

1. Coast-by Technique:

In this procedure, the driver travels through the course with his engine off and the car in neutral gear.

He approaches the course at a stable speed, say, 50 mph.

Immediately he enters the test area; he kills the engine and engages the neutral gear.

2. Drive-by Technique:

Also called the acceleration method, this procedure requires the driver to speed through the test zone.

As with the coast-by technique, he advances towards the track at a fixed speed.

However, he does not decelerate once in the track; rather, he hits the accelerator and zooms through.

3. Cruise-by Technique:

As the name suggests, this method involves the driver “cruising” through the racecourse.

This means he moves through the track without changing his speed, unlike what you have in the other two tests.

Interior noise testing often takes place both indoors and outdoors. For the outdoor test, an experienced test driver navigates different surfaces using specific tires with varying tread patterns.

Thereafter, she describes the amount of tire noise audible to vehicle occupants while driving.

To ensure the test predicts noise accurately, the racetrack may be prepared in advance to include patches of rough ground. Other noise-causing road objects such as speed bumps, manhole covers, steps, and potholes may also appear on the test track.

Indoor testing usually involves engineers monitoring tire noise at various speeds.

The procedure goes like this:

1. Engineers place a dummy in the passenger seat of the car.
   • This dummy will have microphones in its ears, connected to sound measurement sensors.
2. Engineers speed up the car up to a certain speed level, and the mics record the ensuing cabin noise.
   • This activates the sound measurement sensors, which then measure the volume of the tire noise transmitted to the vehicle’s cabin.

What Yokohama Tires Are the Quietest?

While Yokohama is not a premium brand, its tires offer a great deal of ride quietness.

To aid your buying decision, we have compiled a list of the quietest Yokohama tires on offer.

Here they are:

Yokohama Avid ENVigor All-Season Tire

Without a doubt, the Avid ENVigor is one of the quietest tires in the high-performance all-season category.

In fact, the Avid ENVigor is one of the few Yokohama tires that can compete with premium rivals in terms of silent performance.

Did we mention that Yokohama uses a Five Pitch Tread Design to reduce noise on its tires? Well, the Avid ENVigor uses a more advanced version called the Six Pitch Tread Variation technology.

This feature places the tread blocks in a staggered arrangement, which decreases road noise. Multiple reviews have praised the ENVigor’s silent performance, and real-world buyers confirm the tire’s low noise output.

However, silent performance is not the only outstanding quality of the Yokohama Avid ENVigor.

The tire uses a silica-infused tread compound and a trademark Uni-bloc shoulders and a tapered center rib. Combined, these features improve handling qualities and cornering performance.

The unique Groove-In-Groove technology also bolsters the tire’s grip, as it further strengthens the sidewalls.

Wet performance is above average, and the tire features 3D sipes, interlocking tread blocks, and curved grooves.

These features help to increase wet grip and reduce the risk of aquaplaning when driving over wet ground.

Yokohama Geolandar G055

Engineered for crossovers and SUVs, the Geolandar G055 combines reliable all-season performance with exceptional ride quality.

Particularly, it is an attractive option for anyone looking for an excellent, affordable, long-lasting highway-touring tire.

A combination of Yokohama’s patented Orange Oil technology and high polymer and silica content provides increased traction, especially on wet surfaces. In addition, the tire has a symmetric tread pattern and a continuous center rib, which increases steering response and cornering and handling qualities.

In addition, the tire features crosscut grooves that remove water from the tread, increasing wet grip.

Similarly, a series of sipes around the tread provide better traction while driving through roads packed with light snow.

Even with its performance qualities, the Geolandar G055 tire is surprisingly quiet on drives. This is likely because of the Integrated Shoulder Block Design, which helps minimize tread noise on the tire.

This feature also makes sure tire noise does not filter into the cabin.

Yokohama Parada Spec X

The Parada Spec X is part of Yokohama’s collection of tires aimed at light SUVs, performance trucks, and muscle cars.

It offers dependable year-round traction and long tread life.

For anyone looking for an affordable, performance-focused tire, the Parada Spec X is a superb choice.

Due to its all-season tread compound and aggressive directional tread, the Parada Spec X brakes well on different types of pavement. In addition, the sturdy shoulder blocks and double center ribs increase steering response and allow for better cornering ability.

While winter performance is hardly exceptional, it is definitely above average. A collection of lateral and circumferential grooves on the tire enhance traction on wet roads.

Thus, your chances of getting involved in a hydroplaning accident reduce.

For a low-profile tire, the Yokohama Parada Spec X has incredibly low noise output. The secret to the quiet performance of the tire lies in variable tread pitch sequencing that reduces noise.

If you want a performance tire that offers excellent ride quality, the Parada Spec X is an ideal option.

What Yokohama Tires Are Noisier?

Here are the noisiest Yokohama tires:

Yokohama BlueEarth S34

The Yokohama BlueEarth S34 tires offer low rolling resistance and exceptional fuel efficiency.

This explains why they feature as OEM equipment on a handful of fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius Hybrid.

Despite their high points, the noise output on the model is reportedly excessive, contributing to reduced ride quality.

On a particular Prius owner forum, we came across an owner said his BlueEarth S34 tires had gotten noisy over time. The owner described the noise as a rhythmic drumming sound that occurred while driving.

This problem persisted, even while the tire still had significant tread life left.

Can You Make Yokohama Tires Quieter?

You can do various things to make your Yokohama tires quieter.

Here are some of them:

1. Stick to the maintenance schedule: Tire maintenance activities such as rotations must be done religiously.
2. Have the wheels realigned and rebalanced
3. Ensure the wheel bearings are in good condition
4. Balance your tires

Which Tire Brand Is The QUIETEST?

Given the explosion in the number of noise-canceling tires, it is difficult to pick out a particular brand as the quietest.

However, we have researched and come up with the top 10 tire brands with the lowest noise output for you:

1. Pirelli

2. Bridgestone

3. Cooper

4. Dunlop

5. Michelin

6. Hankook

7. Continental

8. Goodyear

9. Firestone

10. Yokohama

References:

Technology and Innovation – Protyre.co

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