Quietest SUVs of 2024

Quiet SUVs make for better SUVs, and these are the quietest we've tested in recent years. But before we get into our list, it's important to talk about how we measure cabin noise and what actual decibel numbers mean, because it's not as simple as you'd think.

First, our cabin noise test is conducted at 70 mph with the microphone placed in as close to the same point in the vehicle as possible, because that makes a huge difference. Next, decibels don't increase in a linear fashion. They increase logarithmically, so going from 10 dB to 20 dB doesn't mean it's twice as loud. It's 10 times louder. Thirty dB is 100 times louder and 40 dB would be 1,000 times louder. So while our measured numbers seem close together, the difference in cabin volume between the quietest and the loudest is significant.

Here are the best-performing SUVs on sale in 2024, listed in order from loudest to quietest.

2024 Kia Telluride SX: 60 dB

Kia's biggest SUV has proven to be a massive hit with buyers thanks to its good looks, excellent list of standard features, very nice interior appointments, and tons of cargo room. It has a peak cabin noise level of 60 dB in our testing, which puts it at the bottom of our list, but that's still not bad.

2024 BMW X5: 59.9 dB

BMW's X5 is an upmarket midsize SUV, so it's not unreasonable to expect decent levels of sound deadening. The Germans are usually pretty good at keeping cabins quiet, and all three versions of the X5 perform well. What you may give up in sound deadening compared to other models on our list, you get back in an engaging driving dynamics, so it's all about lining up your priorities. The X5's xDrive50i trim is quietest.

2024 Subaru Ascent: 59.7 dB

Subarus haven't always prioritized a quiet cabin, instead focusing on more tangible features like all-wheel drive and rugged capabilities. That's begun to change in recent years with new Subarus receiving much more focus on noise, vibration and harshness levels, and the 2024 Ascent — in Touring trim, anyway — is proof of that.

2024 Audi Q7: 59.5 dB

Audi's biggest SUV is a family favorite for those willing to spend a bit of extra money for extra levels of refinement. The Q7 features Audi's typically high level of fit and finish, excellent interior layout, and sensible drivetrain options, paired with Quattro all-wheel drive. The quietest trim is the 3.0T Quattro.

2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS: 59.4 dB

Mercedes' most capacious SUV offers expected levels of luxury and style with several engine options ranging from the rather rowdy 4.0-liter AMG V8 to the non-AMG GLS 580 and down to the GLS 450 with its 3.0-liter inline-six. It's this latter trim that interests us thanks to the inline-six's inherent smoothness and Mercedes' excellent engineering, offering a very respectable 59.4 dB at 70 mph.

2024 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: 58.8 dB

Land Rover's Range Rover sub-brand is about two things: off-road ability and luxury. These things are taken seriously right down to the littlest Range Rover, the Evoque. The Evoque R-Dynamic P250 features a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes just 246 horsepower, but which offers almost surprising levels of refinement. Four cylinders typically aren't the smoothest engines and much of that vibration can be transferred into the cabin. Not so much here.

2024 Honda Passport: 58.7 dB

Honda's Passport has proven to be a competent, affordable and pleasant midsize SUV for the automaker, and buyers have shown plenty of interest. One of the tricks hidden up the Passport's sleeve is its low cabin noise. We were pleasantly surprised to find it the quietest non-European model in our testing, and that means both its Japanese and American competitors have a lot of catching up to do.

2024 BMW X3: 58.6 dB

BMW's compact SUV offers most of the brand's hallmark features in a (relatively) budget-friendly package that's also small enough to fit easily into most people's lifestyles. The X3 also gets much of the same engineering consideration as its bigger siblings, meaning that it's sharp-handling and nice to live with. It's also whisper quiet, particularly in plug-in hybrid form, which netted 58.6 dB. Notice how this smaller X3 is even more quiet than BMW's more expensive X5.

2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE: 58.5 dB

Mercedes' GLE is nice. Now, that sounds undescriptive, but it's accurate. It's all-around a nice place to spend time in, nice to drive, and nice to look at. The GLE is also very well insulated from drivetrain, chassis and exterior noise. The engineers in Stuttgart really went above and beyond here.

2024 Bentley Bentayga V8: 58.1 dB

That a Bentley is quiet should be absolutely no surprise to anyone. The Bentayga is big and heavy and made by hand with incredible attention to detail for some of the world's most discerning customers. The folks in Crewe spared no expense in keeping the Bentayga as serene and sedate as a countryside estate.

2024 BMW X4: 57.5 dB

The X4's sibling, the BMW X3, is already one of the quietest SUVs on this list. The more aerodynamic X4 improves on that score, and does so well that it even beats the Bentley Bentayga at 70 mph. "Quieter than a Bentley" is definitely a bragging right.

2024 Audi Q8: 56.2 dB

Audi's Q8 is its flagship SUV and it's also the model that gives its buyer the most choice of configurations. If you want it powerful and rowdy, get the RS Q8. Want it quiet and comfy? Get the base model. The Audi Q8 Quattro Prestige is our quietest SUV on this list, with a may-as-well-be-silent 56.2 dB at 70 mph. If it's an SUV and it has an internal combustion engine, it doesn't get quieter than this.