Well, there's various things to do to combat noise. First, you can stop creating noise in the first place. Stiffer engine blocks, quieter exhausts, etc. Better aerodynamics for wind noise. Then, you can use sound deadening to block it. But one of the unsung heroes is sealing. You can have lots of deadening, but any tiny air leaks can let sound energy in. Block it out, and you don't need so much sound deadening material. I had a Focus that I bought and could instantly tell something was wrong. There was wind noise coming from the corner of the windshield. Sure enough, it had a pin hole in the sealant. And sealing technology is one of the things that have really improved the past 10 years.