I have a 2015 Corolla LE with a 1.8L 4cyl engine. It is an order of magnitude louder than my 2003 Corolla when accelerating. I drive with a lead foot, and maybe the "average person" wouldn't have my same complaint. But it really bothers me. It sounds cheap and annoying. I'm pretty sure there is nothing "wrong" with the car, that this is how the car was designed. Unfortunately I didn't notice when I was test driving, because I was too polite to floor it when the salesman was sitting in the car. That is the last time I don't floor it on a test drive. How can I find out where the noise comes from exactly, and what can I do about it? It sounds like a munchkin jackhammer. Also, this car has a CVT, but it is acting like it has gears, which seems to defeat the whole purpose of having a CVT. What can I do about that?
fake engine noise on 2015 Corolla LE ?
- Thread starter octhed
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From what I understand, the CVT is designed to have the simulated shift points to make it feel like a normal transmission, rather than the drone that some of the older CVTs made. I've heard complaints about Nissan 's original CVT.
I'm not sure if you can do anything about the engine noise. I have a 2014 S, and the exhaust seems a bit loud compared to the power it produces. I thought it seemed a little ricey.
I'm not sure if you can do anything about the engine noise. I have a 2014 S, and the exhaust seems a bit loud compared to the power it produces. I thought it seemed a little ricey.
I'm pretty sure this is one of those "fake noise" situations where the engines have gotten so efficient/quiet that Toyota thinks they have to pipe in sound because they think that is what people want. How about letting people choose? They do this with Lexus. I just want to know where the errant sound is coming from so I can disable it.
Fake noise in a Corolla... not ! They are generally quiet, except when pushed. It is not, so to speak, the purpose of the car.
Fake shift points are mostly to please reviewers and, at lest with my driving, don't engage... except when the car is pushed !
Maybe it's too late but all you can do is choose another model designed around your prefered driving style.
Fake shift points are mostly to please reviewers and, at lest with my driving, don't engage... except when the car is pushed !
Maybe it's too late but all you can do is choose another model designed around your prefered driving style.
The Lexus NX plays noise over the stereo, but it has an "Active Sound Control" knob where you can adjust the level of fake noise to suit your own sensibilities. It need not be an expensive car for them to just stick a tube in somewhere and make the thing louder. Case in point: (i can't post the link, but it is about the subaru wrx sti, and it has a secret tube that they don't advertise and it pipes engine sound into the cabin) Most modern engines are very quiet and sound like wooshing air. I'm pretty sure there is no way that this engine should be this loud. Like I said, the 2003 Corolla engine isn't anywhere near as loud. The 2015 is several times louder than the 2003 when accelerating. At least 5 times louder! How does that make any sense, considering engines have only gotten more efficient and quieter?
5X louder is way over the top. Maybe there is something wrong with the car, or its a perception because of the way CVTs keep the revs steady.
WRX intake sound tube (and others like some Mustangs) is no mystery. Those - and fake attempts like on the Lexus - are meant to make a "sportier" sound to please some ears - different sound, not less sound.
WRX intake sound tube (and others like some Mustangs) is no mystery. Those - and fake attempts like on the Lexus - are meant to make a "sportier" sound to please some ears - different sound, not less sound.
You may be right, but the revs definitely aren't kept steady because of the simulated gears. I've read something about CVTs making more noise because they can rev higher. Perhaps that is the case. If that is the really what is causing the infernal racket, the transmission itself rather than the engine, then I won't be so mad about it. A little disappointed, but not mad. I'm still disappointed that I bought a CVT instead of insisting on a MANUAL because this is supposed to give better gas mileage AND performance but they've essentially nixed the performance bit with the retarded gear-stepping BS. With an honest-to-gosh manual transmission, economy car or not, I can GET performance out of it. I really should be able to turn that crap off, there is no excuse for it, besides IDIOTS complaining that a car with a million gears doesn't feel like a car with 6 gears.
Well Corolla CVT is programmed primarly for fuel efficiency, thus for gradual acceleration and "soft" driving. I certainly agree that the fake shift points are kind of defeating this purpose and don't transform it into a sport machine. So maybe that is just the car telling you that it is not at ease with "performance" oriented driving !
There's no doubt that it's not some kind of piped-in sound -- there's no way Toyota or anyone else is doing that kind of thing at this price point. You're really just talking about sound insulation, or the lack thereof, and perhaps the exhaust note that they may have tuned with the exhaust.
If you wanted performance, I would have recommended that you look into an S model -- with the "Sport" mode in the S, it changes the throttle response and the "gearing" that has been programmed into the CVT, so it really does make a difference in the performance. Though, it's all within the relative performance that the car can achieve, which isn't a whole lot for the car in any stock form.
I have driven a stock 2015 Camry LE with a four-cylinder engine, and I sure thought that it sounded far louder during acceleration than my Corolla S Premium does, and my Corolla seems to have more of a "sporty" engine sound rather than just a loud, annoying sound that the Camry had. Though, I have also driven a 2015 Camry SE (again a four-cylinder), which was A MILLION TIMES quieter than the LE was. I don't really know if there's such a difference between an LE and an S on the Corolla side of things. In the end, it sounds like it may have all to do with sound insulation -- I expect that substantial differences can be made with Dynamat and such things, if you'd ever want to go there.
If you wanted performance, I would have recommended that you look into an S model -- with the "Sport" mode in the S, it changes the throttle response and the "gearing" that has been programmed into the CVT, so it really does make a difference in the performance. Though, it's all within the relative performance that the car can achieve, which isn't a whole lot for the car in any stock form.
I have driven a stock 2015 Camry LE with a four-cylinder engine, and I sure thought that it sounded far louder during acceleration than my Corolla S Premium does, and my Corolla seems to have more of a "sporty" engine sound rather than just a loud, annoying sound that the Camry had. Though, I have also driven a 2015 Camry SE (again a four-cylinder), which was A MILLION TIMES quieter than the LE was. I don't really know if there's such a difference between an LE and an S on the Corolla side of things. In the end, it sounds like it may have all to do with sound insulation -- I expect that substantial differences can be made with Dynamat and such things, if you'd ever want to go there.
I have the same version of car you have, and have realized that sometimes the engine gets very loud upon acceleration. I live in a city which has very heavy traffic, so I don't have many opportunities to step down on the pedal, unless really needed, and I have realized that then it gets very loud. After all, the engine is kind of small, so these things are expected in car car of its class. I used to have a 2.3 2008 Ford Fusion and it was the same!