The hiss and rackety clatter of New York City buses could soon be history.

Three new buses being tested by the city are being lauded for their quiet and smooth ride.

“Quiet as a tomb” is how Metropolitan Transportation Authority board appointee Doreen M. Frasca describes them.

Three are currently running in Brooklyn and Manhattan. If approved, 87 more will be added by the end of 2010. Each costs $559,000. They are made by DesignLine, a New Zealand company.

They operate on a spinning turbine that recharges a lithium-ion battery that recharges whenever the driver hits the brakes.

Declared NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton: “It’s the most advanced vehicle we have.”