Is it just me or is the Yaris engine THAT noisey?

[bronsin]

What a shame the motoring public (and reviewers like Edmunds) thinks this is important.

The engine in the Yaris/ECHO is the best small engine on the market today. Its 1.5 liters and makes 106 hp and, in an ECHO (lighter than the Yaris) with manual transmission, capable of 40 mpg around town and 53 mpg on the highway at 60-65 mph. With a different cylinder head, it is also about the same engine used in the origional Prius.

By contrast the engine in the ~1973 BMW 2002, which was thought to be a marvel in its day, was 2 liters, fuel injected, and produced 100 hp. What mileage it got I dont know because I was too young to drive/own one.

But it wasnt 40 mpg you can bet on that. Probably more like 25 mpg.

The ammount of noise an engine makes is irrelevant. Whats important is how reliable it is and, today especially, how economical. This engine makes phenominal power and delivers state of the art fuel economy. On TV commercials other car companies (Ford and Hyundai) are (fraudulently) claiming their cars are 40 mpg capable.

I guess the same people who think the engine in our cars is noisy believe that too!

[Captain Slow]

having owned two Miatas I can tell you they have some valve-tapping buzzy little motors too, but they're excellent motors nonetheless.

[bronsin]

Why that would be Bronsin Oil. At $100 a quart its a bargain!


Here what you do. When you find the Quietest Oil we'll put some in one Yaris and something else in 99 other Yaris's.


But we wont tell you which one it is.

You find it.

[Hamster]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Why that would be Bronsin Oil. At $100 a quart its a bargain!


Here what you do. When you find the Quietest Oil we'll put some in one Yaris and something else in 99 other Yaris's.


But we wont tell you which one it is.

You find it.

Hah, hah! I was just curious about that comment, if using specific brands makes a noticeable difference, especially given that I just changed my oil just yesterday.

[UTVitz]

When I first became aware the engine sounded different right after an oil change was the same time I first experimented with full synthetic back in '08. I had no bias as what to try as I had always used Valvoline conventional. But I did not like how Valvolines syntec sounded as well as Mobile One-they gave my engine a gritty sound that was not there when conventional was in the same engine. I decided cost no object I'll try Redline (I never changed weight it was always 5w-30 no matter what brand) and my ear heard the difference. Yes, it's a few dollars more than other brands, but since the car only holds 3.5 qts. I like the smooth quiet it gives my motor.

[swidd]

Put sound proofing butyl on the inside of the engine hood, and on the firewall in the footwells and around the gear shifter area (resonating surfaces between the seats/footwells).

[Captain Slow]

sound dampening does do wonders. I remember using a small piece of carpet under the shift boot of my '84 Prelude and it did wonders for the cabin noise.

[Hershey]

The Shell synthetic 5w-30 tames it . Now have the SHELL 5w-20 (SN ) syn and that's a tad noisier than the 5w-30 . The sedan really seems to like the 5w-20 . Plan to get an used oil analysis done within a few months to see if any more wear than with the 5w-30 . Hopefuly not . Will post the U.O.A. .

[bronsin]

You must have got bad ones. Mine is as quiet as a mouse. It DID make a little noise on accelerating when I got it.

But that was gone by 1000 miles.

[Highway Star]

My last two cars I drove for ten years each. In the early nineties I bought a 91 chevy sprint turbo new, excellent car but the engine was loud. Then again it was an early 90's econo car.

Next was a 95 geo tracker used (suzuki sidekick) 2dr convertible hardtop. I lifted it, put bigger tires, a header with 2" exhaust. I drove that thing hard everywhere, it had next to no insulation from the engine or outside noises. It was noisey, and it rode stiff like a military truck. I drove it for ten years, and just sold it two weeks ago.

I've only been driving the yaris for two weeks now. Let me tell you guys & gals that the yaris is as quiet, and rides as smooth as a bentley no kidding, it's that big of a difference to me. I bought it used, an 07, so the first thing was to change the oil to synthetic. I bought it from a nissen dealer, and wanted to make sure I got 5W-30 into it. The oil place I go to uses quaker state, so I used 5W-30 synthetic. and must say there was a difference in how the engine sounded from a cold start to cruising. The synthetic oil made a small difference but noticeable. Also it might have had thicker grade of oil in it too from the dealer or previous owner, you never know what's in it when you buy used.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Highway Star

I've only been driving the yaris for two weeks now. Let me tell you guys & gals that the yaris is as quiet, and rides as smooth as a bentley no kidding, it's that big of a difference to me.
.

I think you pretty much have to run it to the limit through the gears to get the noise some people are talking about.

I almost never exceed 45 mph and I take my sweet time getting there.

I hardly hear the engine myself.

[Hershey]

We've always had small cars , so no big deal .

[thebarber]

Its noisy under load...or at 70mph

[mikescuba]

I recently changed my front tyres and I have noticed it has got a little more noisy. I can't complain about my Yaris though. It is a 2001, 1 ltr petrol engine and has done just over 350.000 klm. I never changed the spark plugs till it had done 225.000 Klm. Changed brake pads at 250.000 and the back wheel bearings at 320.000. I have replaced the battery twice. Other than that all I have done is change the oil and filter every 15.000 Klm. Somewhere along the line I did change the air filter and its just about to be changed again as there was a problem with the pollution for the MOT. It doesn't use any oil between servicing and I think it still has a lot of life still left in it.

[bronsin]

Thats what we need here the 1 liter gas engine. They should charge LESS for it too.

Everyone has diesel engine on the brain. But diesel here in NJ is ~$3.69 a gallon while gas is ~ $3.10.

BAck in the 90s when diesel was 79 cents a gallon and gas was 99 cents yeah, diesel was the nuts. I could fill my 240D (20 gallons) for $16!

Those days are GONE.