Quote:
Originally Posted by G8rGrl
So, what's the bottom line? Is my prospective daily driver (M2) going to be a loud ass tin can that makes it impossible to take calls on the speakerphone? Or is it going to sound like a performance car that just happens to be a little louder than the M235i?
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Hi G8rGrl, to answer your query and also the OP's, the bottom line when comparing the BMW M2's sound level to the m235i is this:
- Under heavy acceleration, the M2 is 9 db louder than the m235i, which is almost 'twice as loud' ('twice as loud' = 10 db)
- At highway speeds, the M2 is 5 db louder than the m235i, which is 'noticeably louder'.
The qualifications 'twice as loud' and 'noticeably louder' come from the world of psycho-acoustics (how the ear perceives loudness).
Here are some comparisons. All numbers from C&D's testing charts:
Comparison at highway speed (constant 70 MPH):
- BMW M2: 72 db
- BMW m235i: 67 db (difference -5 db)
- BMW 340i: 70 db (difference -2 db)
- Porsche Cayman GTS: 73 db (difference +1 db)
- Porsche Cayman GT4: 76 db (difference +4 db)
- MB E350 (2014): 68 db (difference -4 db)
- MB S500 (2015): 62 db (difference -10 db)
Comparison under heavy acceleration (wide open throttle):
- BMW M2: 89 db
- BMW m235i: 80 db (difference -9 db)
- BMW 340i: 76 db (difference -13 db)
- Porsche Cayman GTS: 87 db (difference -2 db)
- Porsche Cayman GT4: 90 db (difference +1 db)
- MB E350 (2014): 77 db (difference -12 db)
- MB S500 (2015): 67 db (difference -22 db)
For reference:
- +3 db is "barely perceptibly louder"
- +6 db is "clearly noticeably louder"
- +10 db is "twice as loud as"
Interestingly, and if we rely on C&D measurements, the m235i is actually a very quiet car, as quiet (or very very slightly quieter) than an MB E350 at highway speeds. And the MB S500 is quiet as a vault.