I suggest browsing tirerack.com and researching the survey results for tire noise etc...Much bigger review base then here on the forums.

 

i am considering changing the suspension because i am assuming a lot of the noise is secondary to the stiffness of the springs(strut) generating a drumlike effect on the tires as well as the floor of the car being physically closer to the road. i know this will affect performance.

 

It's the result of not being able to rotate tires and running performance tires. The former has the greater impact.

 

I would suggest getting an entirely different car if your going to go through the expense of changing out the entire suspension. The Michelin PS+ A/S's are much quieter than stock and the ride is extremely comfortable while maintaning great performance. Granted I haven't had them on for very long, but your not going to find a better all around tire. The F1's were horribly loud when I had them on. The stocks while not horrible were noisy.

 

entgunguy
I have done exactly what You are asking about!
Im in So Cal too and wanted to soften and quiet the ride on My 08 S sedan.
Im running oem 05 coupe 17" wheels, and Yokahamma 225/55/17 Advan S.4. tires on all 4.
The coupe wheels have a better offset that fills the wheel wells better,and will clear the bigger brakes on the S model.
The taller sidewall on the 55 series tires,softened the ride a little,making it bearable on our awful freeways.
Im in the San Fernando Valley,Your welcome to meet up somewhere and come along for a ride.

 

gypsy i may take you up on your offer. how many miles do you have on your yokohama's?

 

Only have 5k on the Yokohamas,so no telling how they will be in the future,but a big improvement over the Bridgestones .

 

I have the Goodyear F1's and there so loud it's incredible. I brought my car to the dealer last week to have the suspension checked. Bottom line is the tires are "cupped". From what I understand this happens from the alignment being off which of course my car is not. I also had this happen on my BMW. I went to the Goodyear store and what they explained is the way the car is designed casues fast wearing on the inside of the tires. Personally I think this is all BS but I still have tons of tread left on the tires so I'll just turn the radio louder for now. My next set of tires will not be the Goodyears.....

 

The F1's have had problems with "cupping". Mine were cupped within 5k miles and the manager of the shop said the same thing happened to his F1's. That is when I replaced them with the Michelin's.

 

well i took my car back to america's tire. the front eagle f1 all seasons showed cupping. i pulled the trigger on 17" rims and yokohama yk520's. i've only had them for a few days but did take a reasonably long trip from san bernardino to pasadena yesterday. the new rims and tires seem to absorb the inconsistencies in the 210 freeway much better then the eagle f1's.

i haven't had a chance to try the tires at higher speeds because of traffic. my initial impression is that it definitely helped with road noise reduction. i do agree with some of the reviews of the yk520's that it feels more of a cushioned ride. i will update when i get more significant miles on the tires.

 

Hope it works out for You. So, which 17" wheels did You get ?

 

went with the mb wheels mesh x- looks very similar to the oem 18 " rims
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/fin...1512&rc=LAIINT

 

They look great !