michaelb wrote ...


I think it varies from set to set. Trawling around the Net it seems Michelins have been subject of a recall because of premature cracking in the sidewalls - presumably caused by hardening. Hardening presumably is noisy.

The first time I test drove a C6 I remarked on the road noise within five minutes. When I bought mine the noise was still there but it became noticeably worse when I put new tyres on the back axle and moved the old back ones up front. No one, not even a hearing-aid user, would be in any doubt they are noisy. It's fairly obvious most of the noise is coming from the front.

It could be that you are lucky and have a batch which is less noisy.

Have you got an iPhone? Please download - Click Here - and measure it. I measured 84 dB average (which is fairly high - Wiki says anything over 78 dB causes hearing damage) at 134 kph on a glassy smooth French Autoroute.

At these speeds - which are fairly modest - I can't converse with a back seat passenger, neither of us can hear each other without shouting. I think that rates as noisy in anyone's book.

I've had several passengers telling me my previous car was much quieter, I've mentioned the experience of having to raise our voices quite considerably at modest Autoroute speeds, I then went and measured it to get an empirical measurement and that told me it is indeed loud.

I would like to know if other C6s are giving different levels. I can't comment on your car, only mine. That's why I'm curious to hear some more empirical measurements. If there is a measurable difference I will take it up with Citroën.

urb wrote ...

Absolutely no shouting going on in my Car. This i the quietest car I ever traveled in. Ok, never tried a Rolls-Royce, but top of the line bmw's and audi's . Not sure if all C6 have laminated windows, mine has. Here in Sveden most of the roads has stones mixed in the tarmac and know as noisy, but I thing the Michelin's handles them well. But on smooth tarmac I can get a annoying whining sound,

urb wrote ...

Db reading, running falken's 17". 76



On a road thar has stones mixed in the tarmac and known as noisy.

David K wrote ...

I had an awful noise level in the car after changing back to summer wheels after the winter. I bought two new tyres, (became Hankook because they won some tests). I decided to put the two old Michelin tires in front with appr. 6 mm left, and my god what a noise it became! It was really, really awful!

After a week with more or less constant headache after coming home from work because of the noise, I decided to buy two new ones and replace the two old. But then I thought about what would happen in case I would change side of the tyres, from left to right and the opposite. The tyres doesn't have a rotation direction, but I just thought it could be worth a try, and see what would happen.

So guess what, after the change I had a completely silent car again! No noise at all anymore from the tyres. Unfortunately I don't have an Iphone so I can't do the Db-trick, but I can assure you it's an amazingly silent car now!

So if your tyres makes a lot of noise, try first with changing the rotation direction before buying new ones. It coud be worth the effort!

C6Dave wrote ...

I have to say that as my front tyres (original Michelins) are now nearing the wear indicators and will need changing before to long, the tyre noise does appear to have increased Michael.