Closing door sound

"Hermann" (hermann)
10/25/2013 at 11:26 • Filed to: Car Doors, Oppo Question

Watching this video, it didn't impress me much. But something came to my attention: The sound the door makes when closed. It sounded good, kind of heavy but not too much. A nice sound. And this leads to my question:

Do you care about the sound a car makes when you slam the door?

Has it influence on your thoughts about a car?

What defines a good door sound?

I usually notice this on cars, I think it's very important to note a car's quality by the sound it makes.

DISCUSSION (19)

pdthedeuce > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:33

nice , deep , bass thump . ahhhh .

joyrider564 > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:33

One thing that always bothers me about my Mustangs (2002 GT and 2003 Cobra) is the sound the door makes when closing. It's very harsh. It's much more soothing to close a door without a big "WHAMMOCLANKBANK" every time.

Party-vi > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:33

That's what a heavy sound-deadened door sounds like. I don't notice the sound a door makes, but how it closes. A gently push on my E46 door and it slowly closes and latches very smoothly. My 20 year-old Cherokee not so much - you had to slam the door or it wouldn't close properly.

Frank Grimes > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:35

Yes it bothers me when door shuts and it sounds like a sack of metal jangling around. It does make the car sound crappy and therefor must be crappy.

I think a good door sound is a deep thump with a slight metallic click of the latch engaging. That BMW was pretty good I would give it a B- I think it was too dull of a thud and needs to be more sharp clunk. If this makes any sense. Someone needs to come up with some kind of musical scale for doors and provide ratings on the best ones.

Hermann > Frank Grimes
10/25/2013 at 11:39

I think one of the things that separate a crappy door close from a good one is when you close the door, you hear (or not) the glass rattling in its frame.

Hermann > Party-vi
10/25/2013 at 11:43

Yes, that, too. I think it's a complete package of how strong you push, the sound the door makes or if the car rattles when you slam it, if the glass rattles inside the frame of the door... many factors, but it's a 1-second thing that influences a lot of my judgement about a car.

I think all BMWs I've ever tried have a nice closing. Mercedes, too. Audis on the other hand, only the new ones and a 100 (from what I've tried so far).

Chteelers > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:44

Many of the OEMs actually have engineers that work to make sure the door close sounds appropriately "solid". So while many purchasers use the 'door close sound' as a judgment of vehicle quality, it's really just a specifically engineered feature.

Textured Soy Protein > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:48

Any video like this is probably sound-edited like crazy in order to get that perfect door closing sound.

But the doors on my 135is sound pretty solid when closing so I'm sure the M235i doors probably also sound pretty good.

liquid_popcorn > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:49

My GTI has a nice sound; it's solid, fairly quiet, and no crashing noises.

My 240DL sounds like it would have been alright 30 years ago, but it now sounds like something's being broken every time you shut the door. Especially when the latch doesn't close properly and it doesn't stay shut.

cantresetmypassword > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:59

I've got to say it matters to me, but not enough to sway me from my purchase of the wafer-thin door'd STI I wanted...

I think it was a TG episode where they talked about the (ironic) Legacy Spec B wagon's door closing sound, how it had a nice 'thunk' to it - which reminded me, I've really enjoyed the luxury cars I've owned because closing the door as I left or entered had a very solid resonance. It made the car feel substantial and built well; as did the interior cabin sound when driving.

Now of course, luxury cars are dampened in the cabin from outside noises and that thunk sound is simply part of that system - a well insulated door; which I know I can insulate on my own as a weekend project someday on my STI. So until then, I'm good, the power and fun-factor of hearing the engine roar, road noise as I maneuver etc is something I'd rather hear than let go of the car over the tinny sound of it's door closing (though I can't stand when people slam the door, especially the rear ones, those are thiiiiiiin and sound like they'd bend when getting closed)

cantresetmypassword > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 11:59

I've got to say it matters to me, but not enough to sway me from my purchase of the wafer-thin door'd STI I wanted...

Frank Grimes > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 12:00

Oh yeah that is a major irritation. Which reminds me I need to replace my window channel rubber.

POD > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 12:04

So long as the door doesn’t sound like a metal tumble weed rolling around, and you don't need a herculean effort to close it, I'm mostly indifferent.

Fwump
Thwak
Thump
Wump
Thict

Any of those are fine with me.

magman007 > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 12:06

Yep, Door sound. My buddy has a 944 with some faults, but he always points out how vault like the door is. My subaru has a typical Japanese hollow noise to it, and sounds downright terrible when closed with the window still open.

Hermann > Chteelers
10/25/2013 at 12:30

Yeah. I've heard that. But still, at least they bother doing it. When it has a crappy sound you know the budget cuts were deep.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 13:36

I've hated almost any car door I've had if I close it with the window halfway open. But with the window up they've usually sounded fine. With my current '10 SHO sounding the nicest though.

Jayhawk Jake > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 14:23

I would have to already have a reason to dislike the car for the door closing sound to be a dealbreaker.

That being said, I like the door to sound solid. Rattling is the biggest detriment, when you close the door if anything rattles that's off putting.

But if I liked the car except for the rattling door close? I'm still going to buy the car.

Vlammenos2 > magman007
10/25/2013 at 15:50

Oh man. When I close the door on my Legacy with the window down, it makes a nice heavy sound, but yyou just hear the window rattling inside. Oh well. Still love it. :)

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Hermann
10/25/2013 at 16:01

I remember closing the door on a W124—better than anything else about that car. The car was a heap, but it was still great.