The road noise I hear while driving my '06 Audi A3 (purchased new in Jan. '06) is extremely loud, and seems to be growing worse with time. It sounds like the car has snowtires. The dealer has said the Pirelli tires that came on the car are known for being loud, especially after tire rotation. Has anyone else experienced this?
Does the car ride rough, i know i have had the problem when the tires were (A) not the right size for the vehicle (B) Not Balenced
Look at the alignment.
Even a small amount off from the target value will cause irregular wear - and the further off the target it is, the more rapidly the noise (and vibration) gets worse.
BTW, not rotating tires aggravates this situation - as well as insufficient inflation pressure.
We have a 2002 Jetta that had the same problem with road noise. At first the vehicle was quiet, but got progressively worse over time. The tires looked good ( no excessive wear) but I decided to get new Michelins installed, and the noise went away. So, yes tires can cause significant noise inside the vehicle.
Have a local tyre shop take a look at the tyres. Certain suspension problems can cause this and it may show up as unusual wear on the tyres.