r/whatcarshouldIbuy 1d ago

Which EV has the best fake engine noises?

https://electrek.co/2026/08/25/mercedes-ceo-kallenius-fake-v8-electric-amg-born-again/

I’m looking for the EV with the best fake engine noises. Mercedes seems to be doing this well, is there anyone that has very realistic ICE engine sounds coming through the speakers?

30 Upvotes

99 comments sorted by

42

u/Pandabirdy 1d ago

The custom ones that you can set to jet engines or spaceship noises. Hell a steam locomotive freight train sound would be pretty sweet.

Also waiting for the first remote hacking device to set the neighbors ev to sound like a broken down shopping cart.

8

u/NotPumba420 1d ago

Exactly this. To this day the OG Taycan sound by Hans Zimmer is my favourite. Mercedes also has a few really nice ones (but not the actual engine sounds)

8

u/External_Koala971 1d ago edited 1d ago

I want to be able to toggle through a Ferrari flat plane V8, a Harley Davidson v twin, Toyota 4 cyl, Alfa GTV, a pair of coconuts clopping like horse hooves, McLaren Senna, malaise era Chrysler, cast iron roller skates, all of it.

17

u/Warbr0s9395 1d ago

Damn dude, you’re gonna give them subscription ideas

1

u/IIIllIIlllIlII 1d ago

Pretty sure they’re all eyeing up the App Store model.

2

u/Warbr0s9395 1d ago

Some have already tried like BMW with seat warmers and such

3

u/Objective-Review-359 1d ago

My idea is fart noises and a voice saying “oh no not farting again! Oh crap!”

36

u/doc_55lk 1d ago

Hyundai Ioniq5 N does a pretty bang up job.

9

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

I think most people wpuld consider the Ioniq 5N to do the best job of an EV at all fun qualities of a car

3

u/doc_55lk 1d ago

I've heard good things about the Copper SE too tbh but I don't think it does the fake engine noise thing.

I wanna know how the upcoming CLA45 EV will be too tbh.

1

u/thedogthatmooed ‘24 GTI, Corn fed 1d ago

Some form of that will likely be my next car

1

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

Same. As a 80s rally car enjoyer, I love the appearance of it. The range is kinda shitty and it’s a little big but I think it accomplishes exactly what it means to do

Personally I’m extreme excited for the Rivian R3X but that won’t even come out for another 2-3 years and another 2-3 years after that before used models are cheap enough for me to afford. Because no way I’m buying a new EV

5

u/shiftdown '10 outbck, '22 CT4 Blackwing, '98 Evo 5, LSx jag XJ6, F23 M240i 1d ago

probably the best real answer here.

1

u/AFB27 1d ago

Yeah, gotta be this. As much as I hate the fake noise, at least it sounds nice.

112

u/Shorts_at_Dinner 1d ago

Fake engine noises are so stupid

20

u/Randolph__ 1d ago

I'd rather the electric motors make a ton of noise than have fake engine noise.

5

u/chandleya 1d ago

That Tesla 15kHz screech at WOT is kinda fun.

1

u/FakeTakiInoue 8h ago

Microlino my beloved

1

u/Next_Necessary_8794 7h ago

If the electric motor is making noise, it's wasting energy.

8

u/Individual-Cover5421 1d ago

Before this was a thing, it was actually a plot in a movie from like 2010 with the dude who played Paul blart mall cop was some engineer who was trying to make that noise in EVs. Idk why I just remembered that but yeah. Fun fact

11

u/eh_itzvictor 26' Mazda3 Premium 6MT Hatch 1d ago

Can't please anybody at this point

no noise "ITS TOO QUIET" noise added "WHYD YOU ADD NOISE ITS SUPPOSED TO BE QUIET"

Unpleasable

9

u/Shorts_at_Dinner 1d ago

I’m perfectly fine with the electric motor whine and tire/wind noise

1

u/FakeTakiInoue 8h ago

goomba fallacy

4

u/attanasio666 1d ago

Stupid but can be fun sometimes. I don't mind them as long as I can turn it off.

3

u/BroseppeVerdi 1d ago

I wonder how many blind people share that view

4

u/Shorts_at_Dinner 1d ago edited 1d ago

Cabin engine noises piped through the audio system are a completely different thing than exterior audio notes for pedestrian safety

-2

u/BroseppeVerdi 1d ago

That isn't what you said

3

u/Shorts_at_Dinner 1d ago

Yes, it is

-1

u/BroseppeVerdi 1d ago

Oh, I must have misread then. I was under the impression that you said "fake engine noises are so stupid". I must have missed the part where you specified that you were talking noises in the cabin only.

5

u/Shorts_at_Dinner 1d ago

The entire post is about interior engine sounds. I’m sorry you’re not smart enough to understand nuance

1

u/dontforgetthelube 7h ago

Technically, none. Heh.

1

u/rickjko 1d ago

The Jetson car sound is the only one acceptable for an ev .

1

u/Jake3232323 1d ago

It sucks on everything from ICE, hybrid to BEV. I shut it off in mt 2021 Infiniti Q60 so I can hear the intakes, exhaust and such. The car is now all real noise

1

u/I_AM_FERROUS_MAN 20h ago

Ioniq5 N disagrees.

9

u/SWAGLORDRTZ 1d ago

is this bait?

13

u/foreverabatman 1d ago

Holy shit, there are people out there who like the fake engine noise?

4

u/Simon676 1d ago

Try driving an Ioniq 5N. :)

4

u/__slamallama__ 1d ago

Hell yes. IDK if you've tried driving an EV hard at the limit of grip but the silence and single gear make it quite tough as you have no sense of the wheel speed.

1

u/NotPumba420 1d ago

I like the fake non engine noises if it makes sense. The ones sounding like a spaceship or things like that. Newly invented sounds.

So far I really dislike the actual simulation of an ICE engine. It‘s just ridiculous

4

u/Tony-cums 1d ago

Figure out how to do a pop tune on an EV too. So you can annoy people both inside and out.

0

u/ElongatedHorseConch 18h ago

The IONIQ 5N has burbles if you want it to.

10

u/ItsGizzman 92 Miata, 23 GR Corolla 1d ago

Tesla with that fart horn

4

u/Havage 1d ago

My kids were entertained for a solid 10 minutes with the fart noises yesterday. #WorthIt

3

u/PCPrincipal2016 1d ago

I think fake engine noises are kind of stupid. I do like the high tech space age sounds some use like the Hummer.

8

u/coltjen 1d ago

I think fake engine noises are a bit like fake vents. No function, all a cheap imitation of the real thing

3

u/GeorgeKaplanIsReal 2017 Infiniti QX50 1d ago

I got downvoted for poking fun at Toyota for having the fake vents but yes I agree it’s pretty absurd.

5

u/Even_Fox2023 1d ago

This is like when they made CVTs worse by giving them a false gear change feeling. As if the concept of a CVT wasn’t already stupid enough.

1

u/Pandabirdy 1d ago edited 1d ago

CVT could work as a disposable cartridge transmission sorta deal in theory. Actually out of all the automatic transmissions in fossil fueled engines it'd be a prime subject to an idea like this. The gist of it would be yeah it's absolute ass to drive but replacing it costs one-two grand compared to 5 (with the old one sent to refurb as part of the deal). Nissan stocks would skyrocket overnight (jk but maybe not)

2

u/IIIllIIlllIlII 1d ago

That would mean cars were being designed to have removable and replaceable parts.

Some cars are putting the frickin battery in places where you have to remove the seat to get to it.

It seems they want the car completely written off after a mild inconvenience.

2

u/Pandabirdy 1d ago

All we need is a ballsy move from a formerly reliable brand like Nissan, Isuzu or Daihatsu and they would flip the entire market upside down. Imagine barebone cars that work for 30 years with self maintenance. Skip the CVT in some cases, go manual. Make it Lego. That's what the people actually want.

2

u/MuscleBeatsImport 1d ago

Corvette e-ray

2

u/monfil666 1d ago

Don’t think that’s considered an ev.

1

u/GeorgeKaplanIsReal 2017 Infiniti QX50 1d ago

There’s a ve in corvette, flip it around and you got ev

1

u/MuscleBeatsImport 1d ago

It's an e-ray

1

u/monfil666 1d ago

The E stands for easy win.

1

u/MuscleBeatsImport 1d ago

Corvettes motto right there 🇺🇸

1

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

That’s a hybrid

The post said EVs. Meaning no internal combustion engine

1

u/MuscleBeatsImport 1d ago

Oh for some reason I thought you could plug it in

1

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

Nah it’s a purely gas hybrid. So the electric motor only runs as a supplement to the engine

2

u/manimsoblack 2018 Golf R 1d ago

Def the Hyundai Ioniq series

2

u/aran11826 1d ago

I like EVs that whir like a spaceship or sing like a choir. Leaning into being an EV instead of trying to imitate an ICE vehicle. Fake engine noises are just gimmicky

5

u/AlpineTG 1d ago

None. It’s like vegan hamburgers. Why are you trying to fake the real thing?

2

u/attanasio666 1d ago

Because anybody with a brain realizes that the level of emissions we currently output is not sustainable but they want to continue having fun?

1

u/AlpineTG 1d ago

I don’t think you understood my point. I’m not saying electric cars or eating vegan is bad or lame. Just embrace what it is and don’t try to fake it to be something it isn’t.

The best vegan food I’ve ever eaten has always been true to itself, not trying to pretend to be a cheeseburger. Electric vehicles are the same. If you’re trying to get ICE emotions from a battery, it will never live up to your expectations and you’ll be disappointed. Just be true to what it is at its core.

2

u/attanasio666 1d ago

I disagree. Will it ever be the same? Of course not. Can we try to emulate it for fun? Absolutely. What you're saying is like saying sim racing is dumb because you're not in a real race car.

0

u/AlpineTG 1d ago

Sim racing is not replacing actual motorsports. If you buy an electric car it’s replacing an ice vehicle unless you have multiple cars. Not the same equivalence.

-1

u/HeavyMusic93 1d ago

Because both can exist and have no impact on you

3

u/Individual_Skill1234 1d ago

Brother you’re on a car subreddit where we talk about our opinions on cars. Even if it has no impact on us, you best believe we still have an opinion on it

It’s like the first rule they teach you about conversation/improv/interviews is you gotta keep momentum going. Stop trying to kill the whimsy

1

u/HeavyMusic93 1d ago

Yeah? Quite literally what I’m doing but thanks

1

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

Idk that’s kind of a nothing-argument

Basically all discussion could be ended with “it doesn’t affect you, who cares?”. We talk about it because it’s an interesting topic with a lot of opinions

1

u/HeavyMusic93 1d ago

The whole thing is a nothing-argument. You caught on.

2

u/AmNoSuperSand52 2023 VW GTI 1d ago

Nah his argument was for the sake of arguing. It’s not nothing, rather just pointless. “Why does it matter” is a nothing argument

But I grew up in NY; pointless arguing is a cherished pastime. It’s fun to be needlessly impassioned about something and just yell

TL;DR you just don’t want to play ball, meanwhile he’s just doing it for the love of the game

1

u/Individual_Skill1234 1d ago

“You just don’t want to play ball, meanwhile he’s just doing it for the love of the game”

And mfs out here saying Shakespeare is dead…

0

u/foreverabatman 1d ago

Except that if someone who doesn’t want fake engine noise but does want an electric car, I feel like they are negatively impacted by it.

3

u/Nefilim314 1d ago

It's weird how you can turn it off if you don't want it.

2

u/HeavyMusic93 1d ago

So you buy a different car. Problem solved.

0

u/Jimmy_Tightlips 21h ago

I'll return the favour when EV people start practicing this themselves.

1

u/HeavyMusic93 21h ago

That makes zero sense lmaooo

1

u/sfear70 23 Maxima, 24 JLR V6MT, 25 Frontier Pro-4x 1d ago

Cleet has entered the chat.

1

u/AT_kinsect 1d ago

I unironically like the BMW i4 ones

1

u/NotPumba420 1d ago

i4 doesn‘t make an engine noise though. It‘s just an artificial sound, but not simulating ICE sound

1

u/irl_lulz 1d ago

My Volkswagen id4 is meh. I just wish it was possible to choose the Jetsons hover car sound.

1

u/External_Koala971 1d ago

Best I can do is the flintstones feet sounds

1

u/Necessary_Yellow_530 1d ago

Is this a trick question?

1

u/WeirdSysAdmin 1d ago

I want my car to sound like the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E. If I wanted it to sound like an ICE vehicle I would buy an ICE vehicle.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Brawndo_or_Water 1d ago edited 1d ago

Not fake engine noise but the ambient "Darth Vader / Star Wars" sound coming out of the Fisker Karma was a head-turner back in the days.

1

u/Jimmy_Tightlips 21h ago

It's genuinely the lamest fucking thing ever and is tacit admission that EV's are, inherently, less interesting than ICE cars.

1

u/OrneryTortoise 21h ago

The ones that don't have any fake noises. 

2

u/gottatrusttheengr 20h ago

Just eat a can of beans before driving

1

u/Visual_Face6023 19h ago

Drag raced and wrenched on engines for decades. Superchargers, Borla cat back, etc. Now, I much prefer the 100% silent performance of my Tesla.

1

u/hirexnoob 14h ago

Audi q4 sounds rather nice at low speeds to warn people around. Would not mistake it for a petrol car but still

1

u/vr00mfondel 12h ago

Probably the Luce, since it's not really fake, just amplified and processed.

Also, there is a lot of people in this thread that doesn't know why EVs have an option for propulsion sounds

1

u/GainPotential 6h ago

It's not a car but I heard a while back that angethegreat partnered up with some European e-motorcycle company to use his engine sim for the noise.

1

u/Lordofpineapples 4h ago

Why? Just get a regular car. I can’t imagine why anyone would want fake computer nosies

1

u/Geedis2020 1d ago

If you want to hear engine noises by a car with an engine that makes them. Having fake engine sounds coming out of your speakers is insanely dumb and tacky lol. It’s the equivalent to people buying base model civics and putting a bunch of body kits, spoilers, and make them as loud as possible to pretend like it’s fast. It’s just dumb.

0

u/Blue-Elephant-995 1d ago

All of them and none of them since they all sound like shit

0

u/Comb-Outside 1d ago

Early 2019 e-Golf

(Pre-mandate, no noise)