Drive Off with the Best Quiet Performance Mufflers

It might happen when you are driving down to work at the start of the day or when you’re headed home after a long day at the office. It might happen when you’re headed down a long country road or trying to wind your way through some city streets. Of course, It also might happen when you’re running some errands during the day or meeting friends for a night on the town, driving by yourself or with your whole family. There are any number of reasons why you might be on the move, but whatever reason drives you, one thing is for sure – you aren’t going to want a loud or poorly-performing muffler to spoil things.

Mufflers are responsible for slowing airflow and dissipating sound so your car doesn’t underperform or sound like a shrieking mess. They achieve this through a series of channels, chambers, and other mechanisms designed to minimize airflow restriction, allowing air to pass through more freely and thus with less noise. This also helps improve the car, since it frees it from engine backpressure. What’s more, most states have laws requiring mufflers, since after all, who wants to be stuck on the road or be woken up at night by a loud inefficient old muffler?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how a quiet performance muffler can improve your car’s performance along with a few of the quietest options that can silence your vehicle’s exhaust system.

What to Look for

The primary thing to consider when looking at different quiet performance muffler or silencer options is how they go about silencing the air flow. There are several different ways in which a quiet performance silencer can do this depending on how it organizes its internal mechanisms.

For example, chambered mufflers create an arrangement wherein different chambers muffle the different sounds by directing the airflow in such a way as to cancel them out. This can also help reduce interference, resulting in increased torque and horsepower as well as decreased fuel consumption.

Glass packed silencers are even simpler. These models have sound dampening materials such as fiberglass that work to absorb or muffle the sound.

Then there are turbo mufflers which, contrary to the name, aren’t about turbocharging but rather the fact that it allows the exhaust to flow much faster through the perforated tubes. This makes these models among the quietest performance muffler options out there.

Some models combine elements of these different arrangements to get the best out of all of them.

Top Seven Performance Mufflers

With that introduction and overview out of the way, let’s get down to the facts and take a closer look at some of the best quiet performance silencer options available.

1) Vibrant 1141 2.5″ Ultra Quiet Resonator

One of the quietest performance muffler options on the market, this model is one of those mufflers that work by absorbing the sound, which it does quite well. With it in place, the exhaust should flow out of your car nice and easily, and its aesthetic appearance is likewise smooth. It is constructed from stainless steel, and is not only sturdy enough to take a beating and keep on working, but it can also handle high temperatures without warping.

As the name would imply, this model has a diameter of 2.5 inches and allows air to pass with ease through its perforated core. Both the straight-through core as well as the in-out connection points are centrally affixed to the muffler. The housing, meanwhile, is 9.75 inches long and has an overall length of 13.75 inches, with the body in the shape of an oval and measuring  4.75 in. x 6.5 in.

The result of all of this is a model that eliminates raspy, droning, high-pitched noises from six and eight cylinder engines. Properly installed, it can do a remarkable job of dampening the sound emissions made by even the loudest engines of this kind.

Our rating: 4.8 / 5

2) MBRP M2220A 31″ Aluminized Quiet Tone Muffler

This is a great option for those looking to perfect their car at any cost necessary. This isn’t the least expensive muffler, but it isn’t the most expensive either, and its construction and overall quality are top notch.

The quiet performance silencer itself is on the larger side at around 31 inches, with an in and out length of around five inches and a diameter of eight inches. Size matters, especially if you are looking for a muffler that can handle larger vehicles. As indicated by the title, this muffler is made from aluminized steel, making it a sturdy and dependable long-term choice.

In addition to that durability and its ability to eliminate loud noises, it can also help lower the temperature of your exhaust and engines as well. It features punch-in perforated holes on the interior tube that can be seen from the inlet end. The ends of the perforations are what allow the muffler to catch and silence sound waves. This model is able to reduce the sound emitted to a significant degree, though it may not be able to fit every car given how large it is.

Still, this remains one of the most dependable models on the market.

Our rating: 4.8 / 5

3) Walker 21357 Quiet-Flow Stainless Steel Muffler

As one of the leading names in the industry, Walker is a brand that many trust for high-quality quiet performance muffler options, and this model is no exception. It has an original and stylish design, and even better, it is highly compatible with most US-made as well as foreign-made vehicles. If you don’t think that’s anything special, think again. Many mufflers are region-specific, and they can even be a bit finicky when it comes to trying to match them to different models. With this muffler, you don’t have to worry about any of that. As far as quiet performance muffler options go, this is as close to a “plug and play” unit as you are likely to find.

The muffler itself is made from stainless steel and can last as much as three times as long as aluminized mufflers might last when exposed to the same conditions. Even better, there is no huge jump in price compared to less expensive aluminized options.

The model has a 2.25-inch diameter as well as a central inlet connection that aligns with ease, which is one reason why it is so easy to fit into so many systems. It also boasts easy-to-fit locking heads that also work to prevent backfiring and can thus help reduce noise even further. The interior partitions have been spot welded together, providing even greater stability and durability.

Then there are the tubes, which are likewise fastened in place and do a good job of making sure breakage does not occur. This also helps prevent the unit from expanding or contracting too much as a result of the high temperatures.

If there is anything to note on the negative side of things, it is that the volume can sometimes be louder than expected, even with all of that muffling gear in place. Nevertheless, it does a fantastic job of muffling loud engines at least somewhat while helping to enhance performance.

Our rating: 4.6 / 5

4) EVIL ENERGY Burnt Exhaust Tip Muffler

This has a very straightforward design, making it another model that is good for newcomers to use. The unit itself is made from stainless steel but also boasts a sleek chrome finish, so if you’re looking for a muffler with a bit more style than your average utilitarian unit, this may be a good one to consider.

It can help improve your vehicle’s horsepower, fuel efficiency, and torque, and can also help keep it cool.  The steel body is also constructed in such a way as to reduce vibration, which in turn can help reduce the sound emitted by your car’s exhaust.

It may not outperform others and it may not be the quietest performance muffler here, but it is a good, affordable, accessible model for automotive DIY newbies in its own right.

Our rating: 4.6 / 5

5) Vibrant 1142 3″ Quiet Stainless Steel Muffler

This quiet performance silencer is another model that is on the higher end of the spectrum in terms of both performance and cost.

It features a three-inch perforated core and is able to dampen the sound emanating from your vehicle without cutting down on your horsepower. This model does an excellent job of reducing droning, rasping, rifling, and other unwanted sounds.

What’s more, it is able to do all of this while being easily compatible with many other components of most exhaust systems, making this another unit that’s highly accessible.

It is also a durable model, made from stainless steel and able to tolerate a great deal of heat. Its resonator measures 14 inches in length, while the body itself measures 9.75 in. x 6.5 in. wide x 4.75 in.

Our rating: 4.6 / 5

6) Borla 40842S S-Type Muffler

When you think of high end mufflers, Borla should come to mind. It is by far one of the best-regarded brands in that regard, and with good reason. This muffler does a fantastic job of reducing the sound created by exhaust, and all while helping make your vehicle more efficient in the process.

For example, this model does a good job of helping reduce the amount of fuel you expend, which in turn can help reduce the overall cost of that fuel. While this is a higher-end product, that ability to cut costs on fuel makes it a good long-term investment. What’s more, it does not exert a lot of pressure on the engine. The muffler itself is also quite durable, and it does a good job of resisting rust and corrosion.

In addition, this model is easy to install, so if you aren’t a whiz with automotive tools, you can still get it into place and ease the noise coming from your car. That said, a bit of modification is sometimes necessary to get it to fit and function properly. What’s more, this isn’t a “high-end” option for nothing, so be prepared to spend a bit more on this one than you might on other silencing mufflers.

Our rating: 4.5 / 5

7) Walker 17886 Economy Pro-Fit Universal Muffler

You can guess at a couple of reasons why this model has made our list from the title alone, starting with that “economy” label. If you don’t have the money to spend on a high-end option but still want to enjoy the sound dampening power a quality muffle can provide, you’ll want to look to a model like this. True, it is made of aluminized steel rather than stainless steel, but that doesn’t mean this model is flimsy. It is still sturdy enough to work, and can be a great choice for newcomers to automotive modification.

It does a good job of minimizing noise due to its chambered interior. This model is a good fuel saver and can also help enhance your vehicle’s horsepower.

The aluminum can corrode over time in high humidity conditions, but for the low price, this model is one of the quietest performance muffler options to actually be affordable.

Our rating: 4.4 / 5

In Conclusion

Which of these is right for you will naturally come down to your particular car and level of automatic expertise. If you want a unit that is made for newcomers and not too difficult, there are plenty of those on this list, and if you want something more high end, there’s that as well.

But they all do a fantastic job of sound dampening and improving vehicle performance, making them an automotive solution worth trying.