It depends on the tires. My car's a 99 and like a tank and quiet inside until I take it past 85 MPH, which I do often....thanks to my V1. Wind noise and road rumble is normal and acceptable on the Volvo and is much less than my Lexus GS 300 believe it or not. The low end frequency range type of road rumble in my Lexus is ridiculous compared to the Volvo..and it comes from the tires on the car, which are Bridgstones. Naturally, the Volvo to me is better poised on the road at higher speeds and much more comfortable than my Lexus...it's just European, what else can I say. Do they have AutoBahns in Japan? Hmmmm?
Anyway....from my experience, the Michelins 17s that come with the Volvo from factory are noisy and slippery, especially on hard cornering, where they squeal like you're killing a pig and the Bridgestones are a bit noisier, which is what's on the car now, but grip the road like suction cups. I guess you just have to find that right combination of tires that are more quiet, and have great performance....but there aren't that many if you look. I heard from my dealer that the Nittos are very good on the Volvo and stick like glue to the road....don't know from experience though. I'm sure some guys on this forum have more experience with other brands of tires and their noise level on the Volvo and I yield to their opinions on this subject. The Tire Rack has listing on many tires that include noise ratings for each model/brand. Go take a look when you get a chance...they're both on the web. That's my two cents.
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