Sound quality assessment has become an integral part of product design in t
he automotive industry. Car manufacturers have realized that the sound prod
uced by vehicles is not only a noise pollutant but also a desired acoustic
signal which provides feedback to a driver and conveys information about th
e functioning of the car. Moreover, many customers believe that sound quali
ty gives them an idea of the quality of the vehicle. Since extensive resear
ch studies on sound quality are conducted by the automotive industry, noise
control engineers and car designers need education in psychoacoustics and
other areas related to sound quality judgment or assessment. Listeners who
take part in jury panels need systematic listening skills training. This pa
per describes the basic areas of psychoacoustic research that are of intere
st to the automotive industry. The article also discusses an educational pr
ogram in sound quality assessment for automotive engineers and a method for
training technical listening skills, developed for people involved in the
perceptual evaluation of car sounds.