In a Noisy World, Quiet is the New Measure of Quality

Ford vehicles are now among the quietest on the road – topping Toyota and Honda in key sound quality measures – and customers are taking notice.

Third-party initial quality research shows Ford customer satisfaction with interior quietness now far surpasses Asian rivals, and that Ford vehicles have fewer wind noise, squeak and rattle issues than any other volume automaker.

In fact, the new global Fiesta, headed for the U.S. in 2010, is not only quieter than the leading B-cars, but also quieter than the leading C-cars in both wind noise and rough road surface comparison tests conducted by Ford engineers.

Key to Ford’s success in crafting quiet cabins is the use of everything from traditional wind tunnels to sophisticated virtual reality tools to identify and eliminate unwanted sounds.

The competition among automakers to engineer the quietest vehicles on the road is increasing as interior noise becomes an ever more important factor for customers. More than 80 percent of new vehicle buyers rated quietness as very or extremely important in the Martiz New Vehicle Consumer Survey. Ford brands also have higher interior quietness customer satisfaction scores than their Asian competitors, including Toyota and Honda, according to the RDA Global Quality Research System (GQRS) surveys this year.

Material advancements
The process for designing a quiet vehicle starts from the outside in. Ford engineers stiffen certain parts of the vehicle, strategically mount engines, and tune the rear suspension to reduce vibration. This can contribute to a quieter and more refined sound for a sedan like Fusion or Taurus, or a sportier and more powerful ride for vehicles like the Mustang or F-150.

Advancements in materials, such as expandable foam pellets strategically placed in the doors, headliner and pillars, can improve sound-deadening efficiency by up to 20 percent. Interiors are further quieted with hood insulators, inner and outer dash absorbers, sound-absorbing carpet, improved ceiling baffles, additional sound absorption in the trunk, and new interior and headliner materials.

Other ways Ford engineers have built interior quietness into the 2010 lineup include:

• Acoustic laminated windshields that feature a layer of sound-absorbent vinyl sandwiched between two sheets of glass
• Improved body/door sealing to reduce wind noise
• Expandable stuffers in the fenders and pillars
• Constrained layer damping material on the entire floor to reduce road noise, especially generated by the tires
• A retuned air induction system for a more refined powertrain sound
• All-new acoustic headliners to further deaden interior noise

Learn more about how quiet vehicle interior are accomplished.

Quotes

“Customers connect a quiet cabin with a quality vehicle, and we know that. Step by step, we’re gaining in quality; we’re now on par with Toyota and Honda. And the strides we’re making in interior quietness are all part of the game plan.”

– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development

“The key to world-class quietness is to pinpoint the source and location of every unwanted sound, no matter how subtle it is. Noise Vision already is paying off for Ford, with the new 2010 Taurus, Fusion, Flex and F-150 achieving the quietest interiors in their class.”

– Bill Gulker, Ford’s leader of Wind Noise Engineering

“We strive to continuously stay on the cutting edge of technology to find the most innovative ways to bring the highest-quality vehicles to our. We look at every angle, every method, to find ways to improve.”

– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development