User blog comment:Jimeee/Skryim DLC Details Leaked in 1.5.26 Update Files - The Snow Prince!?/@comment-4947435-20120427225356/@comment-70.71.251.6-20120430020648

Crossbows are actually rediculously loud if you've ever heard one shot, so I doubt they would be great for sneaking. It's not like everyone sneaks around with a Warhammer and sneak attacks with that, but you can. So it'd be more or less as practical as that. You'd probably use the Crossbow for killing one big guy then charging in head on. So overall crossbows would be Loud, Powerful, Accurate (In the sense that it has less arrow drop during flight), and quite long to reload (Presumably 5-10 seconds).