Rented an 2008 FEH... very nice on the local city driving, but on the hwy, wow..loud drone all the way to Vegas...the radio was really competing...other that this lack of quiet and the leather seats a bit firm for a long drive, the suv is great..would buy one , but not sure about that hwy din...is it the Continental Tires? or is that just the FEH?..can there be any noise baffling after market?..
I don't expect Lexus quiet, but my 92 exlporer is decent and you don't have to crank the radio.

-Your input is appreciated

 

I have found the 2008 FEH to be fairly quiet on the freeway, in fact an slight improvement over the earlier models. Compared to the Honda Element I had it is like riding in a cone of silence. I've also found the recycled cloth seats to be fairly comfortable on long (multi-day, multi-state) drives. I would say the speakers could use some improvement...

 

A combination of items can contribute to loudness. Tires have been noted to be loud by a number of posters but they are on the vehicle because they save fuel. The new Michilen tires (2009 models) may be solution. Your driving style can contribute if you bring in the electric motors frequently. This is noted as a drone noise especially when one needs to climb hills. I can't speak for the 2008 vehicle but previous versions did not have much "insulation" in the doors and cabin area. You can remove the inner door panels and put sound deadening material in and while your at it, replace the stock speakers with name brand versions. A sound deadening pad can be installed on the underside of the vehicle's front hood. An example of aftermarket sound deadening material would be dynaliner and dynamat.

 

jyaman -

I don't find the noise level as bad as some others. Avg hiway speed makes a difference too...the atkinson cycle engine is tuned for efficiency not speed and power and revs higher (and louder) if you are trying to go 70 - 75 all the time, IMHO

 

Just echoing the earlier comments. Compared to the 2006 Escape we rented, the 2008 is significantly improved, but neither is as good as the Ford Edge or Explorer.

 

It's an SUV!!!

Want quiet? Buy a Bentley!

 

Thanks for the input..I'll ck out your suggestions

 

It was the tires.

Ford still insists on using Continental tires (referred to in the industry as "Junkinentals").

These start getting noisy after only about 10,000 miles.

I just bought my hybrid used two months ago, and it's a shame... plenty of tread left after 44,000... but the noise is driving me insane... new tires coming soon...