Ford Takes on Sound Quality

Engineering a quiet car is not a new endeavor. Lexus seemed to perfect the nearly silent cabin years ago, but now companies like Ford are looking at chimes and the sound the door makes when it closes, too. For the new Taurus, Ford designers worked on the rickety-sounding door of the previous Five Hundred. Now the company says the Taurus has a vault-like sound when the door is shut.

For the 2009 Ford Flex, the company is adding a symphonic door chime when the door is opened. Ford says all of this details are because customers are attuned to sound as well as exterior design. That may be true, but if Ford doesn’t make sure it has stunning cars, no one will get close enough to hear them.

Fine-Tuning A Brand's Signature Sound (BusinessWeek)

Comments

The only sound I hear is Ford bringing up the old AND boring Taurus name. But hey, at least one can now claim to be driving a car that sounds like a vault closing. If we all listen realcarefully we can also hear the vault closing on Ford as the Japanese and Korean car manufacturers.....heck, even GM take a bit out of Ford's profits. Kaa-boom!

Personally I enjoy the sound of hearing a heavy door close with a clean sounding *ka-chunk*. That may sound strange but I think it subconsiously reflects protection and safety with the perception of a thick door protecting you. ...or maybe thats just me. That being said however I think more chimes bells and whistles would just be more of an annoyance. I can imagine opening up or closing the back hatch on a car and hearing the old "DOOM" game door sound effect. Things like that would get old quick. In respect to the overall vehicle market I definitely give credit to Ford for looking into an avenue like this, however I would appreciate them rather spending their money and time into coming up with better designs and improving engine effiency to make them more competitive in an ever changing market. I mean would it matter to me more that I hear a door chime when I enter a car or that I can smile while blowing past gas stations on the interstate?

It's all part of a general focus on improving "fit and finish", something they get criticized on here quite often for lacking. As long as they're not diverting too many resources to it, I say good.

I love the nice thump of a door closing because it has to do with quality I think. If it sounds cheap, it is. The last generation Escape and Focus had problems with it.

The chime when opening a door might may be overdoing it, but sounds good. May get annoying if it is too noticeable though.

Perhaps it's time for programable "ring tones" for all the bells and whistles in the car?

I can not believe Ford has just realized this is important. Where have they been for the last 50 years?

One thing Ford needs to fix in the sound department is the annoying seatbelt chime. If I choose to start the car before I put on my seatbelt I should at least get 15 seconds before the chime goes off. And does it have to be so freaking loud?