2015 coupe, and I can say that I have never heard any of the squeaking or rattling, once in a while over a speed bump the front end will have a clunk, but that is few and far in-between, id say that the build quality is pretty good all things considered. Honestly, even if there were any kinds of squeaks and rattles I wouldn't be able to tell over the sound of the intake and exhaust.

Things just may need to settle as well, they seem to fit together pretty tight, so some time to get situated may be the case!
Tyson

 

Thanks for your input. I'd like some consensus from the forum before feeling reassured.

Also curious about the interior sound level of racing exhaust and normal exhaust. How much quieter is the standard exhaust than the race one?

 

I've got a '15 coupe too. I don't notice much in the way of rattles and squeaks, which is pretty amazing given the spring rates the car uses. The 4C is stripped down to the point that there isn't much to rattle or squeak. I don't know why your experience was different. Maybe it's expectations. A car with near-race springs and no sound deadening is not going to sound like a Bentley.

 

If there are any rattles or squeaks I can't here them over the sound of the exhaust, turbo, engine, or wind and on occasion, the stereo.

 

Where are you from?

Here in North America, almost all the cars are with leather (means seats, dash, and door panels). The finish is excellent, and it looks fantastic.
I don't note any squeaks, although that might have to do with a heavy right foot. Hell, I can't even hear the radio over 50 MPH, so who cares about squeaks!
The carbon tub transmits the noise of every little pebble hitting the underside of the car, too.
If you are expecting a quiet interior, you're better off with a Porsche or Mercedes Benz than you are getting this car.

There are other markets where the plastic dash and doors are more prevalent on the 4C. I've heard worse reports about them in the way of looks. Might squeak as well, I don't know.

As far as exhaust noises are concerned, search the forum for many threads about comparisons (use "exhaust" to search the titles).

 

The carbon tub transmits the noise of every little pebble hitting the underside of the car, too.

Every single time. It hurts too much to listen.

 

I'm expecting (hoping actually) for the fit and finish of a Porsche. Is this unrealistic? I have a Cayman S and a 911 2S and love how I can focus on the engine, the gears, the good stuff - without thinking about these little ticks and cracks from trim, etc.

 

I have a LE and dont have any squeaks/rattles. I actually find the build quality to be quite good. There are cheap bits such as the center tunnel plastic and HVAC controls but that isn't really the build quality and is just the reality of what the car is and its price point.



To be frank, that's completely unrealistic. You're talking about a car with exotic construction that costs much less than a typically equipped Cayman S. Porsche fit and finish is also probably the best in the industry. I love Porsche personally but the 4C is a very different animal. That difference can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective. To most here it's a good thing but it isn't a car for everyone so I understand if it isn't to you.

 

Way more noises going on in a 4C. Porsches are super quiet. Not sure about squeaks though, it's mostly the engine and exhaust making loud noises.

 

For a car with little to no insulation to absorb odd sounds you'd otherwise never hear in a "normal" vehicle, I've been pretty amazed with this car. I had one noise that ended up being the wiring harness for the radio that hangs under the passenger side and is stuffed in the little leather "pocket" that's there. It was just the plastic harnesses moving around. I just had to mess with it a bit to stop it from rattling. Though I think every once in a while it shifts and I hear it again. I may wrap it in something to prevent it.

I also have a rattle that occurs between 2500-3000 RPM in the glass behind my head. But this is from the increased drone of my aftermarket Madness exhaust system. It gets less noticeable as the engine and cabin temperature increases. I'm swapping to the Centerline Stradale in the next week or so whenever I find the time to install it, so I'll find out if this gets any better or worse.

But at the end of the day, it's a car. Everything is moving and flexing, expanding and contracting, so there's bound to be a noise or two every once in a while. Car interiors are more prone to weird noises in the winter time too when plastics and other materials are a little more firm from the lower temps.

 

2016 coupe

I have no squeaks or rattles. Sometimes when the highway road surface changes, the tire sound changes and gets louder or softer, but that happens in most cars. I have the racing exhaust and to me it's not loud, but I mostly just drive like I drive my Honda Civic.

And no matter what speed I go, my car must have been blessed, I can hear the stereo with no problem... and to me, it sounds pretty good.

 

2015 Coupe here, and as John said, despite some of the more "dinky" controls and plastic pieces, I get absolutely zero squeaks and rattles (I've actually been quite impressed with how solid the interior feels and sounds while driving).

I've been daily driving the car as of late, and even on less ideal roads (one area of town even has cobblestone), railroad crossings, etc there hasn't been one squeak/rattle.

 

I have 2015 LE and I was surprised how quiet it can actually be at 3,000 rpm with the windows up. It does not seem so loud to me. Everyone "Jeremy Clarkson" said my ears would bleed it is so loud. Also, the stereo with the premium speakers sounds pretty good when turned up to 30 playing Armin Van Buren. I have not noticed any squeaks or any other noises. The fit and finish is absolutely beautiful even though some less expensive parts were used in the interior.

 

Thanks everyone for the input. I feel more reassured now. My experience has been no matter the car brand, there are flukes.

I feel like my ears did bleed a little with the race exhaust. I searched the forums for "exhaust" but cannot find a definitive answer as to how much louder the race exhaust is than the normal exhuast. I suffer from tinnitus so and I feel like the race exhuast will aggravate my condition. Can any tell me how much quieter the normal, non-race exhaust is? My measurements from a decibel meter showed that the 4c is a good 6 dbs louder than either of other cars.

 

Not sure we have exact readings on the standard exhaust.
Someone did measure the racing one:
result here

Basically 103 dB, but that is outside, 0.5m from and at a 45 degree angle behind the tailpipe, throttle 3/4 open.
Hardly where you as a driver will be hearing it from (well, you'd better not be! :grin2: ).

I too have tinnitus. The racing exhaust isn't exactly helping in that regard, but I don't think it is a problem in the cabin. However, there is a resonance drone at highway speeds of 75+MPH (120 Km/h) and 2,500+ RPM does tend to want to make my ears bleed.
If you envision taking the car on longer drives in this circumstance, then I'd opt for the regular exhaust and be prepared to put an aftermarket one from Sector 111 or Alfa Workshops on (both have exhausts designed to eliminate the resonance that causes this drone). Not everyone has experienced the phenomenon, but most have and it is quite annoying. Alternately, you can accelerate if the local constabulary will allow, or gear down to 5th and change the RPM (strangely, it goes away at higher speed/rpm) and simply burn more fuel.

 

I don't have an answer to how much quieter the normal exhaust is, but keep in mind that some people, even here in this forum, are selling their OEM exhausts for very cheap, so you can probably swap the exhaust if you find it too loud. There is always the aftermarket route, lots of options there. This forum is full of info and there is always someone who can help in case of doubts.

 

16 coupe here with racing exhaust along with tinnitus in one ear. No squeaks or rattles that I have observed, but then I am one who has no issue regarding the heat/AC knobs. Car to me is very solid, one piece.

 

2016 Spider in America. I've only put a few hundred miles on the car, but I've been pleasantly surprised with the build quality and the lack of unplanned noises. As others have pointed out, some of the controls are cheap, but they work well and haven't caused any extra noise. And you do hear everything that bounces off the car, but that's to be expected. For comparison, my daily driver is a 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata. It has a TON of unknown squeaks, rattles, etc. I don't notice any unknown/unplanned noise from the Alfa. My wife's 2015 Mazda CX-5 has an intermittent dash rattle and that's worse than anything I've heard in the 4C so far.

Admittedly, things might loosen up as the miles rack up, but all good for now.

 

I agree with others that interior build quality is fine.

In my opinion the paint and the way the panels line up on the car are where someone could find fault...but even there, you have to look for it...

Don't let any little thing stop you. This is a once in a lifetime car, and I can guarantee you won't hear anything other than the engine and exhaust once your driving it.

 

Lots of good stuff has been said. I can't think of anything new in the area of the original question(s).

The 4C is a purist sport car. The 911 is a GT car. They're not comparable. Both excellent cars, but not comparable. The 4C has no insulation while the 911 has a ton of insulation.

I also have tinnitus. My ears usually ring after I'm done driving, but, my ears ring most of the time anyway. A Cheetos bag being opened sounds as loud as twenty atomic bombs going off all at once. Running water is deafening. WHAT?!? But it's limited to a very minute frequency range. My 4C has racing exhaust and it doesn't bother me. Yes, I like my rock-n-roll, heavy metal, jazz, and so on.

My LE is an early build, June or July 2014. It's a 2015 MY. The fit and finish is excellent. The only squeak or rattle is inconsistent. It only happens at the end of a long hard canyon run. I think it's heat related. It seems to come from the back somewhere. I've never looked for it. It's not a big deal.

My 4C is my daily driver. Two years and 25,000 miles. My wife has almost as much time in the passenger seat as do behind the wheel. We've taken her on several long trips, one being 4,000 miles in three weeks.

The 4C isn't for everybody though. In short, it's a street legal race car. There is extremely limited storage. At time, she's a pain to get in and out of. The radio is crap, but the sounds of exhaust, intake & waste gate more than makeup for the missing radio.

What other cars do have/have you had? What is it you are looking for in a car?

 

2015 Spider on 17"/18" wheels and sports exhaust. No problem with the body panels or build quality, and absolutely no squeaks/rattles. We all know that the interior is a bit sparse and plasticky, all intended to keep the weight down. It's a raw sports car so you should not expect a Porsche luxury. It's great to drive, loads of thrills. Totally opposite to the relative luxury of my DD Brera.

AlfaArnold

 

2015 coupe with centerline Corsa exhaust and v2 intake no rattles at all. Like everyone else has said this car is very different then your everyday car and they will be some sounds that are exaggerated in the 4c. Besides that car has a great fit and finish. Just an opinion this might not be the car for your if your looking for Porsche quietness and smoothness.

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I have a 2015 LE coupe. No issues at all with rattles or squeaks. But with no insulation, race exhaust and sports suspension you can expect it to be a more raw experience...which is exactly what I wanted. Sofas on wheels isolate the driver from the experience. The 4C has it right as a driving machine. Build quality on mine was perfect with panel fits, no complaints on interior, etc. I suspect if you got the lowest end car it would have more plastic and doesn't look as upscale as the top equiped models. By the way....the car is rock solid. Closing the door is like closing a safe door.

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I have 2016 Spider. Really no squeaks or rattles. Yes their is quite a bit more road noise because of the bare carbon tub than with a Porsche.

I did put sound deadening under the seats and it did help some. There's no room in the doors to do that.

I really don't think you can make the Alfa 4C into a Porsche for smooth quiet driving. You should do some serious thinking before you buy it.

But I can tell you you get kind of used to the 4C I use it as a daily driver. It's more of a visceral driving experience rather just getting into your car and going somewhere.


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2016 Coupe, Los Angeles. Full options except for the race exhaust. Not many here have the normal exhaust and although it is quieter i wouldn't say it's a quiet car. You still hear everything and there's a deeper bass kind of noise to it. Not a loud raspy scream when you push it but more of a lower frequency growl. I actually love the sound. And at highway speeds no drone and mostly wind/tire noise and music can be heard no problem. I do feel that it drones around town (30-35mph) at low revs. It's just the nature of the carbon tub and lack of insulation that cause some of the noises to reverberate and bounce around. And as for build quality, it's been rock solid. Only squeaks I hear is approaching the driveway sideways to avoid scraping but that's kinda bending the chassis in an odd way.

I agree with everyone here as far as the car itself. Fancied it at first sight, loved it at first drive. The best thing about it is everything this car isn't. Nav screen, heated seats, "soft" suspension mode, fake engine noises, lane warning, self driving, Apple this, Google that....NO THANKS. Ok Ok maybe the heated seats

Finally, here are some videos of normal exhaust. The first is the only review I found of a regular exhaust and a decent clip of the sound under acceleration around 2:57. Still think the mic is muting the actual sound in this video, but you get the idea:

And this is a video of me cruising in the canyons. It's pretty accurate of the sound from the driver's seat. Good headphones and turn the volume up should do the trick:
https://goo.gl/photos/6K4BfFChgSkoD3Vv6

 

If you are looking for a car similar in build quality to your Porsche you are looking at the wrong car I'm afraid. This is a lightweight, bare-bones car that does not dilute the essence of driving...except perhaps for the lack of manual transmission. It has a decidedly old school/retro feel to it that those who have bought, undoubtedly revel in.
Many of us who have bought the 4C probably bought it without even driving it, or at the very least drove it only once before deciding this was IT without giving it a second thought!

 

I'm up to my third exhaust

 

Care to share the details of your exhaust impressions? I have the standard exhaust, bought a used race version for a great price (still in transit). Was planning on finding a good aftermarket solution but for the price of the used race exhaust I felt like it was worth a shot!

 

If you want it to feel and sound like a porche then buy a porche and leave the 4Cs for those that appreciate them for what they are and won t hate it and then complain about it in the months to come

 

There is a reason it is called the race "tuned" exhaust.