Test drove a 2026 Badlands - do all Broncos have this much tire noise?

[Douglasjwood]

I wonder if the GY Territory that comes on '26 is louder. I never noticed excessive noise from the earlier KO2s, just a whole lot of wind noise.
You could try a 2-door. Less windows, less panel gaps, surely less noise?

I just put a brand new set of Territory tires on. The wife and I both thought it was quieter than the wore out a territory set. Same as stated above, if you're looking for a quiet vehicle, this should not be your first choice. I honestly don't think it's terrible. The function and fun of the Bronco far outweigh any amount of sound due to wheels/tires!

Sponsored

 

[Douglasjwood]

All the broncos with Goodyears have that much tire noise. So do all the f250 tremors with Goodyears. Goodyear tires suck.

I hate to disagree. Maybe the best course of discussion should be to get all of us to post our models, specs on tires, and then sound tests while going specified speeds down the road. It's easy enough to download an app for your phone measuring sound levels. Then we'd have a fair comparison.

 

[Douglasjwood]

I think the OP bailed by the end of page one.

Troll?

 

[Desert_6G]

if you never had a offroad vehicle before this is what they sound like. you go from having pizza cutter all season tires to AT or MT tires that are wide and bigger; of course they will be louder. Add the shape of the vehicle and the hard/soft top it doesn't help with the noise. People buy them because of their capabilities and the drawbacks that comes with it. If you want a quiet ride; stick to a Rav4.

 

[Scooter M'Gee]

Guys,
I want a Bronco so bad. I've been test driving several different Badlands (non Sasquatch) and I'm not sure I can live with the tire noise on this vehicle. Do all full size 4 door Broncos make this much tire noise?

TIA

Well, you have proven to be a troll. Go buy a Civic.

 

[5GENIDN]

Troll?

No it appears he is still on here just not constantly monitoring the conversation....

 

[Douglasjwood]

This. I drive cars that 10 year old me would approve of. I grew up in the 80s thinking that the 60s were peak aesthetic years (they were). 10 year old me would approve of of my 2008 mustang which looks like a modern interpretation of what I thought was the coolest thing going. 10 year old me would also approve my Bronco which looks a lot like the old Broncos and scouts that, while no 60s muscle, were cool in their own ways. 10 year old me grew up with a dad who "refused to buy any vehicle made after 1972 because they started putting that smog bullshit on" who put recap pizza cutters on his old 4X4 trucks that hummed when you drove em down the road.

Since I got out of the army, I've owned 4 vehicles: 2000 Mustang, 2006 Mustang, 2008 Mustang...then my 2024 Bronco. We won't count the 1968 Mustang in my sister's garage because I don't have anywhere to store it, or the time or inclination to work on it myself right now. All of them have 3 pedals. I never considered that third pedal optional.

What 10 year old me hated were 4 door anythings and automatics. The fastest way to ruin a nova, fairlane or impala was to have 2 extra doors in the back.

As an adult, having lived with Mustang cargo capacity for years, I really wanted to have an SUV. The FJ cruiser interested me, 2 door appearance...but no third pedal. It's the biggest thing that stopped me. Jeep? Meh. Fine vehicle, but the cult that surrounds them is offputting. Then Bronco comes along. 2 door? Check. Manual? Check. More cargo space than the Mustang? Check. So I wrote a check. Easy peasy.

Gas isn't any worse than any of the trucks my dad owned. Hell, he constantly bragged on how his J4000 Jeep pulled 19.8 MPG. It was loud, the tires hummed, and dad liked it, so naturally I thought it was a pretty cool truck. My Bronco is more comfy than his old Jeep, or his buddy's 64 Scout. It gets better gas mileage than either. It's far quieter for road noise purposes. Doesn't sound as cool as that Buick V8 in the J4000 that he loved so much though. That's a bummer.

Complaining about wind/roadnoise? Everytime I see a thread like this I can see my dad roll his eyes and hear him say "Candyass". You know what's quieter than my Bronco? Minivan. Don't forget to put a stick figure family sticker on with your dog, 3 kids with the empty spot where your ex-wife used to be.

I love this! My dad would have said much the same. He had lots of hearing loss though due to farming and a lack of any hearing protection. Maybe that's why I don't think my Bronco Sas is loud? Have I turned into my dad?

 

[5GENIDN]

Well, you have proven to be a troll. Go buy a Civic.

I do not think he has proven to be a troll...

I do think his expectations are a little unreasonable for what the vehicle is. I do not fault him for that. You do not know what you do not know and that is why you ask. I do think the best method for finding out is first hand experience, but he is saying that he had first hand experience and is wondering if there are any model differences that may adjust his evaluation.....

To be honest I think that is reasonable.

I also understand the knee jerk reactions because this forum sees this question quite often and usually from someone that has no understanding of the vehicle and their expectations are completely outrageous and without a reference point.

I think OP is the exception and not the rule in this case.

 

[Scooter M'Gee]

I stand by my original statement. They have chosen the wrong vehicle, period.

 

[5GENIDN]

I stand by my original statement. They have chosen the wrong vehicle, period.

I understand... But in this case he is trying to figure that out for himself as opposed to trying to rely on our opinions. I agree with you that if he wants a "quiet" ride this is probably not the vehicle for him.

I will suggest that there are differences in how loud interior noise is in the different models. And then there are modifications.... I have a Mod top which I believe is quieter than the MIC top which is quieter than the soft top. BUT I have also coated almost my entire interior with killmat more for audio reproduction purposes but it does affect interior ambient noise in general. Then there is my rather aggressive tires.

Noise does not bother me but I know what to expect from vehicle built for off road. Many people simply do not.

 

[crenca]

I will suggest that there are differences in how loud interior noise is in the different models. And then there are modifications.... I have a Mod top which I believe is quieter than the MIC top which is quieter than the soft top.
Noise does not bother me but I know what to expect from vehicle built for off road. Many people simply do not.

This is right however I would add the caveat that if a Sasquatch is a 10 on the NVH meter an Outer Banks is still an 8.

The vast majority of the buying in public wants nothing more than a 3 or 4. This includes most bronco buyers, 85% of whom are looking at the bronco for aesthetics or the idea of maybe, possibly, if-the-stars-align one day taking it out on a two track. It’s like you say, they really don’t know what they’re getting into from an NVH standpoint.

These buyers then have to live with the consequences. Many have learned to live with it, though reluctantly. Some of them even end up utilizing the bronco as a real 4 x 4, which is great…butlet’s be honest most don’t.

In the end I think we should be honest with these folks because they really do have a different set of needs and expectations from those of us who embrace the NVH as part of the experience.

edit: the OP is supposed to be driving an Outer Banks this morning, so we’ll see what he thinks.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

I do not think he has proven to be a troll...

I do think his expectations are a little unreasonable for what the vehicle is. I do not fault him for that. You do not know what you do not know and that is why you ask. I do think the best method for finding out is first hand experience, but he is saying that he had first hand experience and is wondering if there are any model differences that may adjust his evaluation.....

To be honest I think that is reasonable.

I also understand the knee jerk reactions because this forum sees this question quite often and usually from someone that has no understanding of the vehicle and their expectations are completely outrageous and without a reference point.

I think OP is the exception and not the rule in this case.

Agree with @5GENIDN — OP isn’t trolling, just asking if his take is unreasonable. Which it maybe is.

The reality he’s bumping into is the Bronco is maybe not a great highway or city vehicle. If you’re buying it for attitude, not function, then you’re going to have to embrace some downsides due to the engineering for use cases you may never encounter.

I lived in a big city for a long time, and drove a lot of urban streets and highways, and thank God I’m not doing that anymore. But I can’t imagine having a Bronco in that environment. Why buy a big, loud, poor mileage, 4x4 if you don’t need it? Lots of people do it, but it’s a mystery to me.

 

[Eldowerks]

I have a non SAS Badlands with MIC top and BFG KO2’s.
At highway speeds the tire noise pales in comparison to the wind noise. I’d say at most 1/3 tire noise to 2/3 wind noise.

That being said, sometimes I’ll drive around at street speeds without the roof panels on and the radio off just to enjoy the sound of the engine as it runs through the gears and the KO2’s singing on the pavement. Music to my ears.

Reminds me why I bought the Badlands in the first place: it’s a fun convertible truck with terrific off-road capability.

 

[crzyhawk]

It's honestly expectations management, and that's a bit why I rambled on about my dad's old trucks. My expectations for truck like vehicles is not high. I've not spent a lot of time in "modern" vehicles, and it pains me to say that my 2008 Mustang isn't exactly state of the art anymore. Between the stereo and the glorious sound of 8 cylinders delivered courtesy of Borla...I couldn't really tell you whether the Mustang's got a quiet interior.

But, I suppose I am probably in the minority of people who've never really owned quiet vehicles. if you grew up in your mom's Windstar, and moved on to an accord or a camry on your own...your expectation for what's normal and therefore acceptable is probably different. I don't care about good gas mileage or lack of wind noise because I've never HAD that in a vehicle.

I'm not going to tell OP that the Bronco may not be for him. I will however suggest that perhaps the current TRIMS are not for him. The Filson's coming out and to me looks like it's positioned for some sort of luxury. Might be worth his time to wait for it and see if the Filson comes with better dampening.

 

[Ozark]

If you are worried about noise and still want a Bronco, test drive a Heritage trim. It has the Sasquatch package, but it will have the higher quality painted roof and it has carpeted flooring. I’m not sure exactly the spec of Badlands that you test drove, but if it had the rubber flooring and the basic MIC hardtop, the Heritage will have much less overall noise on the highway. The new painted hardtops combined with the carpeted flooring is much better at insulating the road noise compared to a Bronco with no carpet and the basic molded in color grey hard top. I also suggest driving one with the top open and the windows down and you might start to enjoy all those noises. Good luck!

Sponsored