vgdti

Hi fellow Lexus owners,

I just bought a 2005 Lexus LS430 to get a taste of Lexus for future new car purchase. Recently, I notice cabin noise gets louder and louder as speed picks up. I could not believe it is called one of the quietest cars. It is definitely much worse than my 2003 BMW 540i at high speed. I brought the car to a repair shop to see if it is caused by wheel bearing. In fact, I was told eventually that wheel bearings are completely fine. They suspected noise is from tires. The tires on the left side are directional Michelin Hydroedge, and the right ones are normal Dunlop sport. They probably have 10K miles left. I have no ideas why they are there.

So, the question is how bad do you guys think tire noise can be based on your experience?

abbyNormal

I had a 2004 Honda Civic that had a lot of road noise over 5 MPH. I couldn't decide whether the cause was wheel bearing or tires. It never got worse so I just drove it, always trying to decide what was causing it.

Finally got new tires and the car was much much quieter. Tires can really growl and make noise.

AlexusAnja

Tires make a big difference. My LS has always been whisper quiet on the original ContiPro Contacts and now Michelin MXVM. I would say rim size had a lot to do with it too. An 18" will be louder than a 17 or 16" my MDX with oem Bridgestone Duelers and Michelin ATS are night and day. Also, you have different tires in the vehicle, another no no.

jackies

iTrader: (5)

It's true, the car itself is very quiet, and that makes the tire noise even more pronounced. I went from stock 17" to 19" for sharper looks, tire noise increased 5x. Now I (temporarily) put the stock wheels back on, sounds like I'm driving with my ears plugged.

BradTank

Tires can also have issues with something like a steel belted radial that has separated, etc. I've seen where something is wrong and they become really loud, it didn't come like that from the factory.

The LS430 is just about as quiet as any car ever manufactured, and that's not really an overstatement. I would easily put it into the top 1%. So if road noise is an issue with it, it's going to be much worse on any other model car. Even other luxury makes. You don't realize how quiet the LS is until you get into other cars. Even my wife's Lexus SUV pales in comparison.

Sounds like it just needs new tires.

Tom57

+ 1

vgdti

Thank you all for the info. I am having three options for new tires: 1) Michelin Primacy MXM4; 2) Kumho ECSTA LX PLATINUM; 3) Hankook Optimo H727. Any comments in terms of quality and price?

BradTank

Michelin if you're going to be picky about road noise. I have the Primacys, they are great tires and are universally praised here.

The others are discount brands.

My experience is "cheap" tires are expensive.

vgdti

Thx. It is true for most stuff: "My experience is "cheap" tires are expensive."

jackies

iTrader: (5)

I think overwhelming majority of LS430s here running Michelin MXM4 on stock wheels, myself included.

zapola6

My 01 had a set of new Primewells on it when I bought it, absolutely the cheapest tire the dealer could find…. I put up with them for about 10K, couldn’t keep them balanced, unbelievable noise. I think my review of the Primewells was manufactured in Bedrock inspected by Fred Flintstone, no insult intended to Fred.

Much like many in here, I went to Michelin. Been happy ever since…

There may be a better tire out there for the money, I don’t know… But with Michelin I knew what I was getting. I’m on my 3rd set now…

vgdti

Thx for sharing your experience. I think I am pretty much sold on Michelin MXM4. I know it has been discussed in many places: where do you guys get tires changed, Costco or Discount/America's Tire?

zapola6

I use Discount myself and they will price match… I balance and rotate every 5K, usually in and out in under an hour… To me, more convenient than Costco, plus at Costco it ends up costing me more money because I shop longer. I always find something that I think I just can’t live without!!!

StanVanDam

Tires make a huge difference in road noise, and H-rated tires are smoother and quieter than tires rated for higher speeds (ie. W, V, Z).

I have the Michelin Primacy MXV4 225/55/17 97H on OEM chrome wheels, balanced using a Hunter GSP9700 Road Force balancer. They are extremely smooth and quiet, bought them 6.7 years ago, and put 43000km on them. The wet weather traction is slightly less than desired, so when these wear out, I will be trying the Michelin Premier A/S H-rated.

I highly recommend finding a tire shop with a GSP9700 balancer, with techs that installs tires to exact torque specifications, as opposed to blasting the lugs on at 100-150 ft.lbs when the LS430 spec is 76.

If you are using aftermarket wheels that are lug-centric and not hub-centric, make sure you get plastic hub centering rings (73x60.06mm). Without precise balancing and installation, you may be misled into thinking the tires are bad.

Both the Premier A/S and the MXV4 has 60,000-Mile Limited Treadwear Warranty. The MXM4 is 55,000-Mile for H-/V-Rated sizes, 45,000-Mile for W-Rated.

I change tires myself every winter/summer season, rotate front and back regardless of mileage each season, inflate to 32.5psi, and use a torque wrench.

Bocatrip

Michelin Primacys (MXV4) were probably one of the quietest tires very made. Unfortunately, they are out of production. Can't say for certain what the best one is now, but Michelin does make a superior product.