How are newer cars (gas/hybrid) supposed to sound?
How are newer cars (gas/hybrid) supposed to sound?
Context: I drive a 15+ year old SUV, and I am no longer in the position to just replace everything should anything bad happen. So sadly I will have to buy a newer car at some point. Hopefully not anytime soon 🤞🏼🤞🏼 But, I noticed when shopping with other people that newer cars sound weird. My knowledge of car troubleshooting is little more than sounds good/sounds bad, looks good/looks bad, smells good/smells bad, feels good/feels bad.
So, how are newer cars supposed to sound?
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Regular gas cars should sound like normal muffled engines (comparable to your experience with 15+year old SUVs). Outside slight improvements in cabin isolator material which can dampen or lessen road noise and exhaust noise, they should sound roughly the same.
The injectors can sound like loud clicking or tapping occasionally, and depending on the make/model it can be quieter but usually audible inside the vehicle when at drive-thrus or when idling.
Hybrids usually turn the engine off at stops/low speeds and can often have a brake pedal that people complain feels spongey or loose, but due to how hybrids work that is normal since they use the electric motor more than the actual brake pads to stop in most cases. So hybrids usually have brake pads that last a really long time compared to non-hybrids.
Definitely shouldn't sound loud unless it has some aftermarket exhaust or the cat was stolen.
So hybrids usually have brake pads that last a really long time compared to non-hybrids.
Mine has a bit over 90,000 miles and still has the factory pads. I've made very heavy use of regen braking. They're still in good condition (passed inspection), but I'm going to get new tires soon and will just have them replaced for good measure - I definitely feel I've gotten my money's worth out of them.
Pads dont really need to be replaced if they arent low and arent crumbling or falling apart, but if it makes you feel better then you can have them replaced. If you want to keep your fuel economy make sure you install an economy tire for hybrids, theyre a harder tire.
I don't know exactly how much life is left on them (just that they passed inspection), but I'm due for tires soon so figured might as well since it's sometimes a hassle to schedule that.
Yeah, I cheaped out the last time I got tires and didn't spring for the "eco" tires. Lost 2-3 MPG but was still averaging 48. The regular tires were like $200 less than the eco ones (per tire). I haven't done the math, so I don't know if the 2-3 MPG savings would have broke even or not. I do know they did better in the snow.
This is helpful, thank you. I wonder if it's the injectors I was hearing then that sounded weird.
Thanks for the heads up about the brake pedal. That would probably freak me out especially if the car's detection system beeped at me for a random reason while I was braking.
If its not the injectors, then its the high pressure fuel pump, but they sound very similar with a loud clicking. A similar sound to lifter ticking, if youve ever heard that sound before.
Hybrids will also turn the engine off while driving sometimes, so that can sometimes scare people as well. So don't be too scared if that happens on a test drive.
Yeah I really hated driving hybrids and EVs around because of the brake pedal. I daily drive a car without power brakes or ABS so I am used to a really hard pedal and manually pumping the brakes. Hybrids and EV brake pedals basically just felt like another throttle pedal to me.