Whitestrok

Looking for a quality muffler that is as quiet as stock. Should I go to the stealer or aftermarket. Local shop? Middas?

HarrierAWD

Definitely stock. if you dealer wants too much, you can try look up the inventory at the local auto recycler.

TunedRX300

Only + on stock is quiet. Aftermarket mufflers made in Japan comply with Japan's noise control standard, you don't hear them at cruising speed. But stock one can not deal with road salt well, non-stainless exhaust system is the first thing to rust out when combining corrosive salt and heat cyclings.

HarrierAWD

It's hard to find aftermarket Japanese mufflers here that's quiet. They are all performance mufflers.

Few places use road salt nowadays because they can corrode bridges and overpasses. Colorado uses magnesium or potassium chloride. They can stain chrome wheels if you have them.

There are a few tiny surface rust spots on my 3+ years old muffler. At that rate, it'd take 20 years for rust to eat a hole in it.

TunedRX300

You are lucky, it is not so in Upstate NY or Toronto area. Road salt also rust out my brake rotors. My muffler is still OK but I would go for stainless steel for look, sound, and a little performance gain when it is time to replace it.