Fiesta Ecoboost mHEV quieter than non-mHEV Mk8?

[Ryan E]

After a lengthy wait due to the semi-conductor shortage, I'm finally the proud owner of a Fiesta mHEV! The thing that amazes me the most about this car is just how quiet it is. I have a Vignale 125ps 7DCT and when I collected the car I could barely hear the engine or the gear changes on the way home. I've been insured on my Mums 64 plate 100ps Ecoboost for 5 or 6 years now, so I'm used to the engine noise of an older Ecoboost, and previously owned a 65 plate 1.25 Zetec. I test drove the manual mHEV back in April and I recall this being similarly quiet.

I've seen a few threads on here that suggest the mHEV is louder or rougher, but I'm certainly not finding this to be the case so far. I'm also curious as to how Ford have managed to make the engine so much quieter. I'm told that the mHEV Fiestas are quieter than the non-hybrid Mk8's so it's perhaps not even soundproofing in the Mk 8 that's allowed this. 

What are your experiences? 

[unofix]

Enjoy your new car. 😀 🎉

[Ryan E]

11 minutes ago, unofix said:

Enjoy your new car. 😀 🎉

Thank you 😀

[Mavroz]

We own 2 Stline X 140bhp fiestas. One a 2019 and a 2021 Mhev. The Mhev is the Mrs car so I don't drive this regularly but when I do, it is definitely louder.

Upon accelerating the engine noise is definitely louder, sounds more powerful, more grunt which you can definitely feel with the electrical help. 

The exhaust appears to make a much deeper sound or rumble.

The other difference I have noticed is when accelerating and changing through the gears, the turbo dump valve is much louder on my car than the Mhev which is practically unnoticeable.

Before this I had a 17 plate Stline 140 (old shape) and that was...... Well not a patch on the Mk8's (in my opinion) sound tinny, poor acceleration also the turbo was sluggish and had to wait for it to kick in on that model.

So yes in my opinion, the Mhev is noisier through the engine and exhaust system especially during acceleration.

Whether this is with the StLine X being more sporty or having more horsepower, that I cannot say.

Hope this helps.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

My only experience so far with an MHEV was in a Puma test drive. That definitely produced more of a "growly" noise, particularly at low speed, than my non-MHEV Fiesta.

[Blatto]

On 10/10/2021 at 6:00 PM, Mavroz said:

Before this I had a 17 plate Stline 140 (old shape) and that was...... Well not a patch on the Mk8's (in my opinion) sound tinny, poor acceleration also the turbo was sluggish and had to wait for it to kick in on that model.

Strange I have the complete opposite opinion on that.

I currently have a 2019 ST-Line X 140 (Mk 8 ) and prior to that I had a 2016 St-Line 140 (Mk 7.5)

I found the engine/exhaust sound to be much deeper and sportier on the 2016 model, my 2019 model sounds dull and flat by comparison (GPF effect maybe?).

Performance wise the 2016 model  was a fair bit more responsive than the 2019  model, which I mainly put down to the MK7.5 being about 100Kg lighter.

If I could get the 2016 driving experience in the 2019 model with it's better interior I'd be happy to swap.

As for the MHEV's being quieter, I test drove a 155 ST Line last week and found it to be about the same or maybe slightly noisier

[Aldridge Andy]

I’m going to have to agree with the original poster. I’ve gone from a 2018 Mk8 1.0 100ps Fiesta Titanium to a 2021 1.0 125ps mhev TitaniumX and the mhev is eerily quiet, fantastic refinement for a Fiesta. 

[cjay1]

Do the "sporty" fiestas pump engine noise into the cabin? Could explain why some are louder than others.

[Mavroz]

6 hours ago, cjay1 said:

Do the "sporty" fiestas pump engine noise into the cabin? Could explain why some are louder than others.

I heard of this but believe it is only the ST that does or did this.... does it still? Is the engine noise also artificially generated? If so, I feel that is a bit bizarre and something that makes me cringe a little...

Edit

After a quick Google search it appears that the Focus St uses artificial sound enhancement but the Fiesta St doesn't.... 

[Mavroz]

6 hours ago, cjay1 said:

Do the "sporty" fiestas pump engine noise into the cabin? Could explain why some are louder than others.

To me, the Mhev even sounds very different and meatier from the outside under acceleration to the standard 1.0 140bhp engine. I am saying this with Sport mode enabled on the Mhev opposed to Normal or Eco.

[unofix]

4 minutes ago, Mavroz said:

Focus St uses artificial sound enhancement

As a little kid we used to have artficial sound enhancement on our bikes. We used to jam a lolipop stick in the brakes to rub against the spokes - it sounded so cool !!!

Well to an 8 year old it did. 🤣

[Ryan E]

On 10/11/2021 at 8:49 PM, Aldridge Andy said:

I’m going to have to agree with the original poster. I’ve gone from a 2018 Mk8 1.0 100ps Fiesta Titanium to a 2021 1.0 125ps mhev TitaniumX and the mhev is eerily quiet, fantastic refinement for a Fiesta. 

It's interesting that some posters agree with me and some say it's louder. Surely ST-Line vs Titanium-X and Vignale won't make much of a difference? It's the same engine after all.

[TomsFocus]

It might be more to do with the person than the car.  Saw an interesting thing on QI this week where different people hear the same musical notes differently when played together... 🤔 

I have a 155ps Mk4 Focus which is much louder while cruising than the old 125ps MK3 Focus I had.  Unpleasantly so tbh.  

[Eric Bloodaxe]

3 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

It might be more to do with the person than the car.  Saw an interesting thing on QI this week where different people hear the same musical notes differently when played together... 🤔

That's a very good point. I often find the person I might be with complains of something being too loud when I think it's quiet, or vice versa, so we obviously pick up sounds differently. Things also change as you get older or have suffered illness, of course.

I often complain in posts about road noise which I blame on the road surfaces round here, but have wondered if it is, in fact, me. But no, just back from a week in Norfolk where (in comparison) the roads were almost silent - like driving a completely different (and much quieter) car!

[Blatto]

13 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

That's a very good point. I often find the person I might be with complains of something being too loud when I think it's quiet, or vice versa, so we obviously pick up sounds differently. Things also change as you get older or have suffered illness, of course.

Good point, it could be that. I guess the correct way to tell would to be to use an accurate dB meter.

My hearing was damaged many years ago by a loud explosion so I have very muted hearing in my right ear. Some frequencies I don't hear at all in that ear.

Add in a bit of age which usually results in a gradual loss of hearing (espescially in the higher frequencies) and that may be colouring my experience of the sounds I'm hearing.

If I could get a car with all the sounds over 8Khz I'd almost have a silent car 🙂

 

[Mavroz]

Definitely not a psychological issue, a hearing issue or any other issue in my opinion than the Mk8 Mhev 1.0 155ps definitely sounds to have much more grunt than the standard Mk8 1.0 140ps car. It even feels much much more powerful and agreasive while accelerating, not just from a standing start.

I am in the position to get straight out of one model and into the other and all I can say it isn't a figment of the imagination.

Even going back further, acceleration, engine sound and cabin noise knock spots off of the Mk7.5 StLine...

None are a patch on a 6.2 litre engine though.🤣

[Ryan E]

5 hours ago, Mavroz said:

Definitely not a psychological issue, a hearing issue or any other issue in my opinion than the Mk8 Mhev 1.0 155ps definitely sounds to have much more grunt than the standard Mk8 1.0 140ps car. It even feels much much more powerful and agreasive while accelerating, not just from a standing start.

I am in the position to get straight out of one model and into the other and all I can say it isn't a figment of the imagination.

Even going back further, acceleration, engine sound and cabin noise knock spots off of the Mk7.5 StLine...

None are a patch on a 6.2 litre engine though.🤣

Interesting stuff, I look forward to being able to accelerate a bit more quickly in mine to try it out. With less than 150 miles on the clock it's gently does it for now!

[Mavroz]

35 minutes ago, Ryan E said:

Interesting stuff, I look forward to being able to accelerate a bit more quickly in mine to try it out. With less than 150 miles on the clock it's gently does it for now!

Never bothered with holding back for long from new either..... 

Sport mode makes all the difference but has a harsh regen for the battery when you take your foot off the gas. 🤣

[Eric Bloodaxe]

On 10/10/2021 at 5:35 PM, Ryan E said:

I've been insured on my Mums 64 plate 100ps Ecoboost for 5 or 6 years now, so I'm used to the engine noise of an older Ecoboost, and previously owned a 65 plate 1.25 Zetec. 

Just re-reading the original post. We've gone all round the houses on this thread but not really commented that the Mk 8 has, imo, a much higher level of refinement generally than the Mk 7.5 version which Ryan has experienced previously.