Quieting the sound of your car's exhaust pipe can be a daunting task. Get the wrong one, and your car will slow down to a halt as the silencer restricts your vehicle's airflow, or worse still, you get the inevitable reduced speed, but without the quieting effect you were after.
We've reviewed the quietest performance mufflers on the market, so you can upgrade your vehicle without any worry.
We use mufflers to reduce the noise emitted by an engine’s exhaust. But we want to do that without reducing the power of the engine.
A performance muffler is the loudest type of muffler, as it attempts to reduce the backpressure, allowing you to keep a higher speed (hence the performance name).
It isn’t impossible to find a quiet performance muffler, however, due to the type of muffler we are dealing with, finding a really quiet one can be challenging.
We have found the quietest performance mufflers, so all you need to do is scroll through our list or read through our reviews to find one which suits your needs.
OUR TOP PICK
Quietness
Walker's range of Quiet Flow mufflers is the quietest in the industry. They use industry leading coverage over their tubes to produce lower noise levers.
The tubes themselves have been domed around the heads to create another noise dampening effect.
You might have already guessed, but this is a chambered muffler, which makes them perfect for drivers who want more than just a suburban quiet ride.
Easy To Install
Being quiet isn’t the only thing this muffler achieves with ease; it also has a direct fit and bolt-on brackets, making them super easy to install and detach (if necessary).
You don’t need to weld the muffler onto your vehicle, nor do you need specialized fabrication equipment.
Built to Last
In the winter, metal shrinks, and in the summer, metal expands. Heat can dramatically affect your vehicle and the mechanics it uses to be functional.
Walker 22501 has internal partitions, which means that the tubes can expand and contract without breaking the muffler or eroding the framework.
The Walker 22501 will last for much longer than a standard silencer.
Pros
Quietest performance muffler
Chambered muffler
Easy to install
Built to last
Corrosion resistant stainless steel
Cons
Quieter when driving than when idle
EDITORS CHOICE
Quietness
The Flowmaster 71416 can really quieten down your car while allowing it to keep a sturdy rev-able sound.
Flowmaster is a brand that is known for its deep and electrifying sounds, so of course, they will want to keep their iconic noise even in their quieter rides.
Straight Through Design
The straight through design means that the muffler will be easy to install; however, the fiberglass material does make the product a little fragile.
If you choose a Flowmaster, the likelihood is you love their sound, as a straight through muffler doesn’t deaden a sound completely; you can be sure that the low and instantly recognizable noise will still be heard as you zoom through the quieter parts of town.
Moderate Exterior Performance Tone
As you can expect with the sound dampening equipment, the tone of the noise will be lessened by the 71416 mufflers. This is the quietest Flowmaster muffler on the market.
The overall audio quality will still have the trademark sound you are hoping for, but not to the highest level.
Usually, when looking for a quiet muffler, this would be good news, however, Flowmaster lovers will know the depth of vibrations they will be missing out on.
Couple this muffler with an engine quieting additive and you'll get great performance without the noise.
Pros
Quiet but iconic Flowmaster sound
Straight through design to keep audio quality
Moderate performance tone
Cons:
Needs to be welded
BEST VALUE
About Borla
Borla is a world leading exhaust systems manufacturer that cares about the performance and sound of its products and the desire to make every car enthusiast excited.
We can confirm that the sound the Borla 40359 muffler made did give us the tingles!
Quietness
Borla, just like Flowmaster, has its own iconic sound, and although we were striving for quietness, we were hoping to hear a bit of a rumble.
Not only did we hear the sounds of a world class manufacturer, but we also heard it through a beautifully muted muffler. The sound didn’t drone and was kept clean.
Cruising Vs. Idle Vs. Acceleration
The Borla was quietest while idle and continued to be quiet when just cruising around town.
But we got the louder, more Borla-like sounds when we powered through an acceleration.
If you want a quiet car for the majority of your driving but hope to give yourself a powerful boost every now and then, look no further than the 40359 which is the quietest Borla muffler on the market.
Pros
Quiet but iconic Borla sound
Quiet when idle
Quiet when cruising
Cons
Not quiet when accelerating
RUNNER UP
Quietness
The MagnaFlow is advertised as a classic deep exhaust sound, but in reality, it was surprisingly quiet.
This is great news for those of us trying to find a softer sound, but not good news for those in the car enthusiast world that wanted a deep roar.
Lifetime Construction Warranty
The MagnaFlow 11219 is designed to last and to make sure you know that MagnaFlow is serious, they have added a lifetime construction warranty on to this product. This is also the quietest Magnaflow muffler on the market.
Granted, the warranty is limited, which means that if it had broken due to miss-use, then the warranty would become void; however, most of us aren’t trying to pull a scam.
Knowing that your muffler is guaranteed to do its job means you can have absolute confidence in the product.
Stainless Steel Construction
Adding to the longevity of the MagnaFlow 11219 is the corrosion resistant stainless steel materials used to create the silencer.
You can be confident that the exhaust will last the lifetime of your vehicle!
Pros
Quiet sound
Limited lifetime construction warranty
Corrosion resistant
Straight through muffler
Cons
Expensive
RUNNER UP
ATV Muffler Needs
ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicles, meaning that they can handle uneven gravel trails, muddy woodlands, boggy farmlands as well as classic roads.
ATVs need a muffler that can handle the rough and tumble terrain that their vehicles go through, and on top of that, we want it to be quiet.
The thick wall material isn’t the strongest, which means you shouldn’t take it on likely-to-crash adventures. It is one of the quietest ATV mufflers on the market.
Quietness
The muffler is so quiet that we would compare it to a factory muffler.
You should have no problem keeping quiet as you drive your quad bikes through the woodlands hoping to creep up on prey during hunting season.
Universal Design
The Ultima is designed to fit into every vehicle. This means that the Ultima muffler should fit no matter what you are trying to install it onto.
However, this also means that some cars will have a quieter sound than others.
If your vehicle has a unique exhaust system, you may find that connecting the muffler is a trickier job than expected.
Pros
Cheap
Quiet
Durable
Universal design
Cons
Although universal, muffler may not fit every vehicle.
RUNNER UP
Quietness
The LCGP muffler is another straight through muffler with performance enhancement.
The straight through design creates a deep tone that is quiet enough to make your car sound powerful but not like a boy-racer.
It isn’t the quietness silencer on our list, but that’s because we are battling with the High Flow system. It is one of the quietest high flow mufflers on the market though.
High Flow
High Flow means lots of horsepowers, and therefore lots of speed. It’s hard to keep a powerful machine quiet, but the LCGP does make a genuine effort.
There are very few high flow mufflers that even attempt this feat, which is why the faint rumble is so impressive.
Welding
Unfortunately, you have to weld this muffler onto your vehicle, but the material is thin, making the process difficult.
There is also no instruction manual to guide you through the process, so an inexperienced hand will feel lost in the process.
If you have welded mufflers before, then the process won’t be unfamiliar, but the thin materials will still be fiddly.
Pros
Quiet for a high flow muffler
Strong horsepower
Quiet rumble
Cons
Difficult to install
Welding needed
No instruction manual
RUNNER UP
Quietness
The quietest straight through muffler is the deceptively named Evil Energy. Despite its aggressive moniker, the audio output is very quiet. This is true when the car is idle and when you’re on the highway.
There is a deep rumble when you hit the accelerator, but once you’ve reached your high speeds and want to cruise, the vehicle will reduce its noise.
It does all of this without losing any power.
Appearance
Evil Energy uses its name to showcase the appearance of its products, but you might have guessed that with the “Tip Burnt” addition to its title. The muffler is designed to have an almost blue looking tip on your exhaust. Where the blue meets the silver steel, there is a red, purple, and orange line.
It gives you a realistic display of heat, suggesting that your car is going so fast that the muffler might break!
Of course, this is all for show; a perfect addition to a street cars vibe.
Warranty
Evil Energy doesn’t have an evil heart, and they reassure you of their products. They have included a 2 month warranty. This means that if anything happens to the muffler, like situational breakages or poorly manufactured issues, they will replace or refund the product.
You probably won't need to use this back up plan, but the fact that it exists should tell you that your money is safe.
Pros
Quiet when idle
Quiet when cruising
Tips burnt appearance
Warranty
Cons
Rumble when accelerating
RUNNER UP
Walker Wins Again
As you may have noticed, we are using Walker Exhaust Quiet Flow again, and you would be right to realize that they are the same exhaust type.
The difference is that the 22229 is smaller, and therefore the quietest muffler for small engines too.
The 22229 and 22501 are the exact same product but made for different car types.
This means that everything we said about the 22501 can be applied to the 22229.
Pros
- Quietest performance muffler
- Chambered muffler
- Easy to install
- Built to last
- Corrosion resistant stainless steel
- Great for small engines
Cons
- Quieter when driving than when idle
RUNNER UP
Diesel
Diesel vehicles have a different engine and a different sound to other types of cars.
Ensuring that your vehicle stays quiet means checking out if the mufflers will match these changes.
The Vibrant 1142 can handle the deeper roar of a diesel engine, and their ultra quiet resonator will reduce the droning and the sound significantly.
Quietness
As this muffler aims to reduce the drone and reduce aggressive sounds, we can confirm that they have achieved their goal.
The silencer is indeed “ultra quiet.” However, a name is just a name, and we cannot ignore that other mufflers on our list are quieter than the Vibrant.
The Walkers, for example, are our top pick for every category. That being said, Vibrant can handle a diesel engine’s depth better than any of the others. It's the quietest diesel muffler on the market.
Pros
Quietens diesel drones
Reduces aggressive sounds
Straight through design
Cons
Gas cars may prefer walker
Quietest Performance Mufflers Buying Guide
Realistically, there are three types of performance mufflers.
They are straight through mufflers (also known as glass packs), chambered mufflers, and turbo mufflers, however, we are adding another type of silencer into the mix; high flow mufflers.
Here, we are going to explain what each type does and who they are good for.
Straight Through Mufflers
Straight through mufflers have sound dampening materials, which makes them relatively easy to spot. The materials usually come in steel wool or fiberglass.
These materials are wrapped around the pipe so the sound will be immediately passed through, slowed down, and therefore dampened.
Despite this sound quieting effect, straight through mufflers will be a lot louder than most other types of silencers.
Chambered Mufflers
Chamber mufflers are quieter than straight through mufflers. They have an internal mechanism called “the chamber,” which creates its own sound waves.
These built sound waves battle with the engine sound waves, canceling each other out.
If you like to manipulate your sound, then chambered mufflers offer you some variety. They are perfect for muscle and streetcar enthusiasts.
Turbo Mufflers
Turbo mufflers are a mixture of straight through mufflers and chambered mufflers. The gas is directed through an s-shaped tube which dampens the sounds through the added movements.
As you can imagine, the deadening materials and the s-shaped tubes create the quietest sound in their end product.
High Flow Mufflers
High Flow Mufflers allow the exhaust to catalyze quicker than normal.
The catalyzing process is what reduces the amount of harmful emissions produced by your vehicle. They are required on every car automatically.
Adding a high flow muffler forces the car to double in horsepower.
They are extremely powerful in turbocharged, supercharged, or heavily modified vehicles as any other air flow or power will create a surge in performance.
Which Muffler Is Right For Me?
The majority of vehicle users who want a quiet engine should go with the straight through muffler. They are easy to find, easy to install, and quiet.
If you like to rev the engine and show off your metal but also want to respect your neighbors after a race, then you should pick a chambered muffler.
If this car you are modifying is built for drama, then a turbo muffler should be on your radar.
You could also use mufflers to quiet gas engines on other products. You could even make the quietest lawn mower quieter by using a purpose made muffler. You could also make a generator quieter by replacing its muffler.
If you are looking to reduce car noise further then install the quietest electric fuel pump.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions? Don’t worry; we have more answers! Check out our Frequently Asked Questions section!
Are Longer Mufflers Quieter?
Generally speaking, longer does mean quieter. This is particularly true if there isn’t a lot of piping or materials against the last muffler.
However, longer mufflers can give off an echoey sound due to the long length of empty space.
If you have a long pipeline, you can add more mufflers, which is another reason why they can be quieter.
Will Repacking My Exhaust Make It Quieter?
Yes, repacking your exhaust will make it quieter. This is especially true for ATVs (all terrain vehicles) like dirt bikes and quad bikes.
You should repack it every time you think it may have received damage or become clogged.
If you take your dirt bike out every weekend, you should clean it every weekend. However, if you drive primarily on tarmac, you could reduce the repacking to once a year.
Are Loud Mufflers Illegal?
In the US all cars must have a muffler, and every state (or sometimes even cities) have their own rules about being too loud.
Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” law around how loud your exhaust can be.
If you have modified your vehicle, then you should check with your local law authorities to see what they consider to be “too loud.”
That being said, there is one rule that does fit in every state. You cannot modify an existing muffler to make your car louder as it may cause an exhaust leak.
Instead, you should replace the muffler with a new, state-approved silencer.
Summary
In general, we would recommend a Walker muffler, specifically their Quiet Flow range, to anyone who was looking for a silencer to reduce their car’s exhaust sounds.
The other brands are just as good, and if you prefer a certain brand, then use our list above to find their quietest performance muffler.
If you've installed the quietest performance muffler and your car still isn't as quiet as you'd like there are a few other things to try. Fixing noisy cupped tires or replacing door and window seals will also quiet things down effectively.