Ask an expert

I'm looking to replace my 2007 Ford Focus, which is a vehicle I've generally enjoyed except for the irritating amount of tyre noise especially on coarse chip-sealed roads. More and more, what I really want from a vehicle is a quiet environment. Are there any (mainstream) cars you've driven recently that stand out for their refinement? Happy to consider a larger vehicle, if this helps. Budget up to approx $40K, new or late model 2nd hand.

Thanks, Mike

This is a real problem on New Zealand course chip surfaces, and most cars transfer a high degree of tyre noise into the cabin. One of the biggest culprits is the trend of fitting large diameter sporty looking wheels with very low profile ttyres, so often the top of the range models with the fancy wheels are noisier than entry level models with smaller wheels and higher profile tyres.
These days, many (but not all) car manufacturers are making big improvements on NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) levels and to be honest, the new Focus is a big improvement over the previous model, so could be worth a look.
Other models of a similar size to the Focus to consider would be the new VW Golf, Honda Civic Euro or Toyota Corolla. The Mazda3 is also quite good but is nearing the end of its life cycle.
Generally speaking, larger cars and SUVs are better than smaller cars for NVH levels, but I'd suggest you have a look at some of those I've suggested first.