Engine noise different trims??

I test drove a TRD Off Road and the engine noise in the cab was very loud. Rough, rattley motor and loud turbo whistle. Surprisingly loud and honestly the motor sounded rougher than it should have.
Right after that I test drove an SR5 and it was slightly less rough and rattley, but still surprisingly loud motor and same high volume turbo whistle.

Today I was able to get in a TRD Sport Plus and the engine noise in the cab was a lot quieter and at a level that I would expect in a midsize truck.

Has anyone else found that different trim levels have drastically different levels of sound dampening?

 

I don't have an answer for your direct question, but 1 hr ago I was walking past a 4th gen at the store and thought it sounded rattley too, like a small diesel engine in a VW Jetta TDI.

 

I think you have to go TRD Premium or Limited (or above) to get the hood insulation. I put it on my TRD Sport Upgrade and it made a noticeable difference. The insulation should be standard on anything TRD, but what do I know.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hood-insulation.830772/#post-29890408

 

Our shopping was long, deliberate and much trying SR5 through halo models, different packages, plus long and short beds. All were similar if not the same. Yes, you can hear the top injectors. They are what they are. Other Toyotas we've had including V6 seemed more noisy than some others. The gen 4 Tacomas sound different if you sit in the back. You hear more exhaust noise there.

Now with 3 months and nearing 4000 miles I consider the overall experience with insulation and noise cancellation just fine. A 186 mile single leg trip I do stands out for the vehicle not being fatiguing including sound. In my case the TRD OR long bed had more turbo noise after break in period.

In all that testing long beds seemed superior in any trim but not so much engine noise as how they handle bumps.

For my work and utility oriented needs and interests the 4th gen stands alone. Top safety pick, pleasant to use and own, and right between the useless and goofy to me short beds or getting a full size mostly with 5.5 beds pretty much as no good as the 5 ft. beds.

 

I can barely hear the turbo on my TRDOR.

Rattling engine sound slowly disappears with break in and higher octane than 87 fuel. I personally think some of that noise is detonation from the 87 octane. Land Cruiser has same engine and specifies premium fuel.

there’s people in here clamoring for a K&N air filter just so they can hear their turbos.

Maybe the TH with the snorkel has loud turbo noises because it’s sucking air from the passenger window…

Maybe just personal preference but my passengers don’t notice the turbo either until I tell them it has one

 

Ive stated in an another thread, EXACTLY what youre experiencing....
I thought offroad was super harsh sounding, loud on acel compared to an sr5.

 

My OR with the Premium package is dead quiet. It has acoustic glass and the sound-damping under the hood.

Plus, I turned the fake engine noise off with the Carista app.

 

I have the sr5 double cab with the highest package available. It didn’t come with sound deadening under the hood or acoustic glass. I did eventually purchase the sound deadening mat and installed it under the hood and it did make some difference. I also turned off the engine noise enhancement and left the active noise cancellation active. For what it’s worth I’ve tried every grade of gas I can find with different octane ratings and I honestly can’t tell that much of a difference between regular 87 and premium 93. It still makes the rattling sound regardless of what octane I use. And the odd thing is that it only does it with light to moderate throttle between 2,500 and 3,200 rpm from 0 to 40ish mph. I noticed it from day one owning the truck. The mat did help but it’s still there and audible just not as loud. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it truly is the direct injection system and not a bigger issue Toyota hasn’t addressed yet or willing to admit. From what two dealerships have told me is the classic “ it’s normal” quote they give everyone.

 

The fuel engine cover and break in time- my 24 sport I swear I was driving a diesel, 89 octane fuel and couple thousand miles and pretty much settled in. the trail hunter with the hood insulator and good fuel is markedly different in the sound, way quieter.

 

I don't sense any of this with my Ltd (max). Engine just has a low rumble when idling. Driving around you can hear it rev up but nothing that makes you pause or your head cock sideways. Pretty much exactly as I'd expect. The idle got a few steps deeper in tone when I switched it to the trail dump exhaust to jettison that 5" chrome tipped exhaust, but that's it really.

I'm not making my audio any louder, nor quieter I don't believe than I did in my prior SUV, and I don't feel the engine noise has ever overpowered it or hindered me from hearing it (and my audio is at a level that you can still talk normally in the cab).

That's said, halo trim, so engine bay sound deadening & acoustic glass. Using carista I left noise cancelling active but turned off the supplemental engine noise within the first 10 miles.

I'm an outlier in feeling that a sign of good engineering is how much power can you generate while being a quiet as possible. I didn't want any of eardrum numbing constant rumbling or diesel-esque sound effects. I prefer subtle & smooth... Understated sounds against the power being produced.

I got a truck for its haul and towing capabilities.

 

I test drove an OR that sounded similar to my Honda push-mower. It hesitated, and sputtered down the street until it was fully warmed up. Was told that no matter what I think I hear going inside that engine bay, don’t look underneath the hood. Just turn up the stereo, eyes face forward, focus on positive thoughts. And trust that it’s all perfectly normal.

So naturally, I opted to hang back a while, at least until some people around here start bragging about putting 100k+ miles on theirs.

 

Seriously no bullshit, it's totally normal.

 

My Offroad Premium 6ft bed sounds like a diesel and i can hear the turbos spool if the windows are down. I only use premium at 5000 feet above sea level . It has 600 miles on it.

 

Who told you not to look under the hood? Hesitated and sputtered? Okay...

 

don't
open
the hood

 

The salesman warned me that beneath the hood lies the ancient spirit of Iron Duke trying to escape…

Seriously though, it didn’t like pulling into traffic until warm, missed. Bought something else for now, happy about that, might revisit in the future.

 

I've got 5,000 miles on mine and have never experienced that. No difference, warm or cold. If a cylinder misses, it'll throw an engine code–so you should have seen a check engine light.

It's a much better power train than the previous generation.