According to USA Today, most manufacturers work to enhance the good sounds in a car while covering the bad ones. Auto technology works like noise-canceling headphones, keeping sounds out of the interior space. Many luxury cars have used this strategy in the past, but now it is trickling down into mainstream vehicles.
Science Daily points out that car designs have long been focused on cutting down on "routine" noises such as those from tires and the engine.
The 2013 Honda Accord is one new model that is employing new technologies to cut down on outside noise. Microphones pick up outside noise, and a computer then comes up with matching, nearly indistinguishable sounds. The synthetic sounds are pumped into the cabin through speakers, and the frequencies cut down on unwanted noises.
Meanwhile, performance cars have elements that enhance sounds from inside the engine. The 2012 Porsche 911 even has a button that turns on the exhaust sound, letting the driver hear the purr of the engine at any time.
No matter what kind of car you choose, buyers can expect new models to be among some of the quietest vehicles on the road.