BB11

I drove the ES 350, had an issue with back pain, second ride used the lumber and it was a bit better. Have since has a series of facet injections and will try again. What I did experience though was road noise, the car has 17inch wheels, Michelin tires, should be pretty quiet. I think my Tinnitus is affecting my perception and my ears just are not happy in pretty much anything I am testing. My current car is loud, but the ES was loud enough to make we question whether spending a bunch more money makes sense if I will still have ears that hurt and as bad take the enjoyment out of driving.

I also have driven (just for a reference)
Toyota Avalon with 18" wheels, road noise
Buick LaCross, road noise
Chevy Impala, a lot of road noise (bit tires)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (I know but what the heck).. not too bad but I hated climbing in and out of it
Nissan Murano, road noise

Seems that the road noise is killing me no matter what I try. Have not tried the German cars yet and really don't want to get into that money pit.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

BB

swfla

iTrader: (1)

LS 460 is very quiet. A used 2011 = $30k. Worth a test drive.

BB11

I was thinking of one but did not think I could afford one, will take a look, thank you

lesz

While I have no question that a vehicle like an LS will do better than an ES with regard to keeping road noise, wind noise, and engine noise out of the passenger compartment, unless you are willing to spend a lot more money (or buy used), I'm not sure where you are going to find a car that is quieter than an ES.

I've driven in lots of cars from many manufacturers, and, for example, when I have my Lexus vehicles serviced at the local Toyota dealer and they give me a Toyota loaner, the first thing I notice, regardless of whether that loaner is a Corolla, a Camry, or a top-of-the-line Avalon, is how much more road noise, wind noise, and engine noise enters the cabin. And I find that the same thing is true when I drive or ride in a Chevy, a Buick, a Honda, an Infiniti, or virtually any vehicle from any manufacturer that is not priced well over the $40,000-50,000 price range of the ES.

BB11

I cannot disagree, if I was to look at an LS it would have to be used

So I was thinking, I had read that the last not current Generation ES built on the Camry frame was quieter and had a bit more comfortable ride, I wonder if that can be confirmed, that may be something to look at as well. If I was to be used it would have to be certified and with low low miles.

Swinke

100% of road noise from an ES would be worn or uneven tread from tires. And most vehicles would be the same.

BB11

It was a brand new '15 I was driving with 100 miles on it and Michelin 17" tires.

lesz

Typically, when the vehicles are in transit from the factory, the tires are over-inflated to around 40 psi. Several people who post here, including me, have noted that it is often the case that, when the dealers get the vehicles, they don't bother to reduce the tire pressure to the recommended levels of 33 psi. I know that, when my ES was delivered to me, its tires were at about 40 psi.

Unless you are sure that the vehicle that you drove had the recommended tire pressure, I'm not sure that you should draw any conclusions about its ride quality or noise levels.

airgas1998

there is some wind noise that i can hear around the driver/passenger doors. i will say unless stomping on it the engine noises are very muted.

zes

Check out www.auto-decibel-db.com

That site lists the road noise from many different makes and models. Road noise was very important to me as well and I could not find any alternative in my price range.

BrazLex

This is truly impressive info!
Brands may be filtered and columns classified.

Thanks!

NickTee

Just realize that many of the numbers on that website are incorrect. For example, it lists the Dodge Ram and the 2010 Acura TL at around 57 decibel, which are entirely incorrect. The TL is around 62 decibel and the ram should be around 64.5-66 decibel.

It also doesn't specify what equipment is used to obtain said readings. If it was obtained with a phone, where the microphone is designed for specific frequencies, it will not necessarily give an accurate picture of the road noise because it won't pick up those lower frequency sounds.

SLH

Around here, they use two distinctly different kids of macadam paving. One is smooth. When driving on that, the tires are nearly silent. The other is quite rough. When driving on that, it can be hard to hear the stereo, or anything else.

Sometimes I think they use the "loud" paving just to give themselves an excuse to spend millions of dollars on "sound walls".

gemigniani

Road test the Ford Fusion and Ford Taurus. I have not tried out the latest Taurus, but the latest Fusion had a remarkably smooth and quiet ride for a $20,000 econobox. Also had soft seats. But, of course, it's a Ford so is among the worst for long term reliability and durability. Like you, I tested Impala, Buicks, etc. and found they had alot of road noise.

SW17LS

You said you drove the Jeep Grand Cherokee...what trim level?

I had two Grand Cherokees, they are VERY quiet. Quieter than every car I've had but the LS, including the ES. The 2015 Summit trim (the top trim Grand Cherokee) had additional noise deadening and active noise cancellation that the other trims do not have, and that 2014 Summits did not have. If you did not drive a Summit model, I would.

The ES is quiet, but not extraordinarily so. Its no quieter than say a Camry. Another car to drive would be a Hyundai Genesis...a quieter, better riding car than the ES.