Falken SN250 A/S louder on freeway than cheap tires - need quieter tires

[mco30mco]

195/65/15 defender t+h only size still available at tire rack gives .5 larger diameter which will also give a better ride. More sidwalk

If you can go with the 65 series tire tire rack has quite a few better options than falken. Even the new continental tires come in that size

 

[z71bill]

Does the car have a radio?

Turn it up.

I was complaining to a coworker about a rattle I had in my vehicle - he said I drive a Kia Sportage with 300K miles on it - I never hear rattles because I just turn the music up louder.

 

[Natesi]

195/65/15 defender t+h only size still available at tire rack gives .5 larger diameter which will also give a better ride. More sidwalk

Hmmm.... taller side wall is an interesting idea - thinking outside the box a bit - love it. Don't get me wrong - I think they are great all around tires - and I like Michelins in general. But I don't think the Defenders are a particularly quiet tire though - have direct experience with them on a Camry in a 205/65 R15 size.

 

[IndyIan]

195/65/15 defender t+h only size still available at tire rack gives .5 larger diameter which will also give a better ride. More sidwalk

Yes, these are pretty good tires, and I also upsized from 195/60R15 to 195/65R15 which seems to be nothing but good on my Focus. Puts the speedometer to match real speed too. You could run these with a touch less pressure as well due to the additional load capacity.
The other option is to go narrower to 185/65R15 which I think helps for less noise, and is about the same diameter. They also work better in the snow and for aquaplaning.
My focus isn't particularly quiet either but at 65mph its not bad on most surfaces, so I usually just go that fast and save some gas in the right lane, unless I have a compelling reason to get somewhere sooner.
Interestingly CR has most EV tires getting 5/5 for noise, but I doubt there are any 15" EV tires?. The almost all all-seasons they tested gets 4/5 for noise and none get 5/5.

 

[Natesi]

I had sentury tires on my daughter’s previous 04 Camry, and I agree they were quiet and performed perfect for a daily. They just didn’t last long.
If the noise from the falkens are gonna bother you, then I say replace them. You can always go back w sentury since they are less expensive and you know what to expect. I have an 05 Pontiac vibe and it’s not a quiet car. Had Sumitomo UHP all seasons and they were smooth and quiet. Now I have GY summer touring tires and they are just as smooth and quiet. The car is still loud so there’s a lot of wind, etc noise

I'm considering go back to the Sentury tires - they were much quieter and comfortable. The only issue is the continual balancing problems and pulling issues - I was never able to sort it out. I'll admit, aside from the noise, the Falkens are a superior tire.

 

[Nukeman7]

I'm considering go back to the Sentury tires - they were much quieter and comfortable. The only issue is the continual balancing problems and pulling issues - I was never able to sort it out. I'll admit, aside from the noise, the Falkens are a superior tire.

I agree with CapriRacer's statement that the tread pattern's (and perhaps rubber compound) interaction with the cement pavement is creating the harmonic noise that you can't tolerate with the Falken SN250's.

As such, no one on this board will be able to provide you with a definitive solution and you would likely need to test drive a dozen different tires to find the best option. Since you were happy with the Sentury tire's NVH characteristics, I suggest going to a different Discount Tire/America's Tire store in the Portland area and swapping back to the Sentury tires. At least that would decrease the odds that the unbalanced vibration/pulling issues were due to poor workmanship of the technician or possibly a bad batch of Sentury tires.