QUIET Family Sedan??

[Imported]

Have you thought about getting a "normal" family sedan and then installing sound insulation (or having a good car audio shop install it)?

This is what I'd suggest as well. Especially if you don't need the luxury/features of a Lexus, etc.

 

[NutBucket]

If it were a conversion or the manufacturer didn't try at all to work with the silence advantage, then yes, that would be true.

However, the Leaf's quietness on the road was impressive enough for Jeremy Clarkson to comment on when he reviewed it. Lots of special care was taken to make it quiet.

I'm sure its quieter than your average econobox but I doubt it has enough insulation to truly drown out road noise and other cars.

 

[Claudius-07]

Well thank you all for the many suggestions and ideas. First of all I had NO idea I could actually "insulate" my car or add noise dampening. Wow, talk about not doing my research -- again... I am really sorry for not having checked that out and the funny thing is I actually added noise dampening to my bloody computer panels and that stuff, guess what... it came from a car body/audio place... duh me!!

Anyhow we went to look at the Toyota dealership close to us and we are currently checking out/scoping a slightly used (gently used ) Toyota Avalon. My wife actually likes the look of it... go figure. I compared the price of that and a Lexus 350 or whatever the cheapest one was and dang... it's quite pricier.

On a side note, rather than just going for new or newest possible like 2013+ Japanese car, I am going to take the advice of a few of you here and look into a used Mercedes and see what I can find/afford. Honestly, I never even considered as my original Audi A6 Quattro was very expensive and I swore I would never spend/invest that much again into a car. But I have seen some used Mercedes and that might be a consideration. Audi's are so popular here, probably because of their 4 wheel drive... A4's are untouchable as everyone wants one. Heck I saw a few used Audi A6's going for LESS than A4's. Seems everyone wants the smaller one. Might actually start looking at used A6, at least I would be familiar with the type of car and style of driving.

Lastly -- American cars! Wow, OK I had added the Ford Fusion, thinking... hey it's pretty much a Mazda 6, how much can they screw that one up. I have never ever considered Buick in my life but I REALLY like the style but like I said, just left that aside but some of you have suggested that so I will also go look at that.

Man when you start thinking of trying everything out there, and doing TOO much research, I swear my head begins to spin and then my wife blasts me for not committing to ONE thing.

Once again, thank you all.

 

[nedfunnell]

I'm sure its quieter than your average econobox but I doubt it has enough insulation to truly drown out road noise and other cars.

Edmunds:

Absent an internal combustion engine, the all-electric 2015 Nissan Leaf cruises with a quiet serenity at all times, with only a vague high-pitched whine audible under heavy acceleration. The lack of engine noise vibration makes wind and road noise that much more noticeable at highway speeds, but overall Nissan's EV is impressively hushed.

US News:

Test drivers report that the Leaf is exceptionally quiet at speed and some note that it is quick from a stop and offers sufficient power on the highway.

BeGreen:

Nissan have worked hard to ensure these other noises are suppressed too. The result is a very quiet interior, making for a very relaxing driving experience. The LEAF is quite possibly the quietest car in the world. When travelling at 40mph with the windows down, you can hear the birds singing as you drive past.

Too boot, I've driven one on the highway, and it is very quiet, including road noise and other cars.

 

[NutBucket]

I stand corrected

 

[Midwayman]

I am going to take the advice of a few of you here and look into a used Mercedes and see what I can find/afford. Honestly, I never even considered as my original Audi A6 Quattro was very expensive and I swore I would never spend/invest that much again into a car. But I have seen some used Mercedes and that might be a consideration. Audi's are so popular here, probably because of their 4 wheel drive... A4's are untouchable as everyone wants one. Heck I saw a few used Audi A6's going for LESS than A4's. Seems everyone wants the smaller one. Might actually start looking at used A6, at least I would be familiar with the type of car and style of driving.

If you do look at MB and get 4matic, I'd recommend the 7g+ transmission models. That's 2012 or newer depending on the line. There were some transfer case issues with the earlier 7g transmissions and 4matic. Mostly something that could be resolved by servicing the ATF earlier, but you never know what you're going to get in a used car. MB wise for a sedan, the E350's seem to be a really good deal vs the 300 (both in 4matic.). But still more expensive in absolute term. Also in 2012 there was a facelift on the C class which is much nicer inside. Not sure on the E.

 

[Knavish]

Anyhow we went to look at the Toyota dealership close to us and we are currently checking out/scoping a slightly used (gently used ) Toyota Avalon. My wife actually likes the look of it... go figure. I compared the price of that and a Lexus 350 or whatever the cheapest one was and dang... it's quite pricier.

FWIW the Avalon and the ES350 are substantially similar cars (same platform, engine, transmission). On the Toyota websites, their price ranges also substantially overlap, but I'd expect most ES350's to be above $40K and (hopefully) most Avalons to be below $40K.

Also, remember the repair and maintenance costs on a Mercedes or Audi will be much higher than a Toyota. Some people don't like to keep German cars outside of the warranty period...