Road noise

Buy tires that are known to be quiet. Do your research before buying more tires.

Tires could be scalloped from lack of rotation; Geolandars are loud anyway. Also could be a rear wheel bearing...or a front...or even a bad CVT. Rule the tires out first, then listen to individual wheel bearings and the CVT with a stethoscope while under there.

I think road noise is common with the forester. It’s a great suv but the paneling is all light. It’s almost Jeep like.

Just switched from 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee to 2014 Forester. New all-weather tires but when I go off asphalt onto worn cement bridge approach, tire noise high. Agree, Guru, there is next to no sound deadening material in the car, due, presumably, to weight/mileage engineering priority. Tap the door panel or wheel well from outside, I hear metallic, not dampened "thump." If I stand outside car and put down the center console cover hard, the car rings like a drum, and in 50+ years of car ownership and a fair amount of work with friend's vehicles, I have NEVER heard that. This old sound engineer is going to invest in a few square yards of closed-cell foam padding, and a couple bottles of Pliobond....

Ha! Interesting how Indiana-made Legacys and Outbacks are so much quieter than Horoshima-made Foresters and Imps. Can't help you with the Foresters, as they're a lost cause in too many areas, alas....

from my experience in imprezza/forester they are exactly are same car. Below average quality in build and cabin noise level. I loved my subaru to death on snow road but it just unrealistic cheaper quality than civic and corolla. my recommendation, i wouldnt buy another subbie except outback unless I am guaranteed to drive around local road in the neighbors which defeat the whole purpose of owning a car.

i am indeed interested to see what ascent can bring in the future. I dont know its really a higher roof option to outback but i am sure it paved its category to totyota to upscale rav4 and honda to bring back passport. I really see that its not a tribecca replacement.