Anyone have any idea what is going on with the 17" tires on my Patriot CVT with Freedom Drive II? The roads around here are all asphalt, and the car is reasonably quite on them. But they just re-paved a long road I drive weekly with nice fresh shiny black asphalt, and my car is EXTREMELY loud traveling on it. So much so that I have started looking for alternate routes. You can't hear yourself think.

I have the Goodyear SR-As and they are noisy. I think the Patriot has *thinner* or less dense materials as well, contributing to noise bleeding into the cabin. Not sure why new asphalt would contribute to greater noise than old asphalt. The CVT2L is a whiny thing too.

Anyone have any idea what is going on with the 17" tires on my Patriot CVT with Freedom Drive II? The roads around here are all asphalt, and the car is reasonably quite on them. But they just re-paved a long road I drive weekly with nice fresh shiny black asphalt, and my car is EXTREMELY loud traveling on it. So much so that I have started looking for alternate routes. You can't hear yourself think.

This may sound like a funny question, but is it possible that the 'new' asphalt road is actually one that has been resurfaced via 'chip sealing?' Chip sealing is used to prolong the life of and/or increase traction on roads that otherwise have good bases/foundations. Unfortunately for the driver, the very noticeable end result is a rougher riding surface. (However, government agencies like the rough riding surface because it slows people down.) I trolled around for a comparison picture of chip seal vs. normal asphalt and this is the best I could find (http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/transportation/paving/chipseal.htm).

This may sound like a funny question, but is it possible that the 'new' asphalt road is actually one that has been resurfaced via 'chip sealing?' Chip sealing is used to prolong the life of and/or increase traction on roads that otherwise have good bases/foundations. Unfortunately for the driver, the very noticeable end result is a rougher riding surface. (However, government agencies like the rough riding surface because it slows people down.) I trolled around for a comparison picture of chip seal vs. normal asphalt and this is the best I could find (http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/transportation/paving/chipseal.htm).

I curse whoever decided to pave about 40km of my daily commute (which becomes 80km on a round trip) with chip seal. While it may prolong road life, it certainly doesn't prolong tire life. Hopefully it will smooth out a bit once the snow falls and the plows run across it.

I guess tire noise is a complicated thing involving tire tread shape, rubber compounds, pressure, any wear irregularities, and of course the nature of the road itself.

When I replace my pats tires I might go for the Goodyear "silent armor" tires. I have heard very good things about them being queit.

Tire noise is something you're gonna hafta get used to with the Patriot. It's been mentioned in every single one of the magazine road tests here in Finland. I noticed it at first too, but nowadays it just disappears after the Boston Acoustics are pop'd on... ;)