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First Winter Storm with the NX - Driving Impression
So, we just got about 20cm of the white cr*p last night! Yay! .... I bought my NX F-Sport in June and was a little eager to see how it would handle in the snow and such. First off, I installed some Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 winter tires. I had negotiated some winter rims as part of the purchase when I got the vehicle, which initially they had told me I'd be getting 17", but turns out they gave me 18", so installed the same size tires as my summers...
This is just opinion, so if you feel your experience is different than mine, please don't take this to heart...
Roads this morning were snow covered for the most part, slushy in spots, and rough where they had put down salt, which made for inconsistent surface between asphalt, snow and ice... Right away I felt traction and handling was pretty good, however the fact that I had to go with a wider tire because of the rims does make it a tad trickier... you just get the sense you're floating a bit more when hitting some snow spots, but overall, pretty good.... with the stiffer suspension on the F-Sport, it wasn't the smoothest ride, but it wasn't too bad...
I found that with a shorter wheel base than my previous vehicle, that it jumped around a bit more, meaning when passing a car for instance and hitting snow, I found the vehicle tended to jerk to the left or right a bit more, but still manageable... I know the tires are also a factor here, but I had the same size tire on my previous vehicle and it felt slightly more stable in these situations, so not sure whether this is attributed to the fact the vehicle might have been longer and heavier, but that's likely part of the reason.
Now for rattles!! This was likely the biggest disappointment for me... I realize with cooler temperatures you tend to hear more squeaks and rattles than normal, but there was a constant rattle coming from the driver side somewhere until I got to work and the NX was in the garage all night so it wasn't hanging ice or anything... I'll have to look into where it's coming from, but this is one thing I found to be a bit annoying, especially considering it's a brand new vehicle... I've had various brand cars over the years, Japanese, German and domestic, and somehow (and maybe it's just me), but I found the German brands to be much quieter than anyone else... I realize over time that panels or parts might loosen up where these noises become more prominent, however this evolves over time, and not in the first year....
Anyhow, I'd like to hear what kind of experiences others have had with the NX over the last year or so when it comes to winter condition driving.
As for the rattles, your car being NEW has nothing to do with it. Allow me to explain thermal expansion and contraction in lame man's turns. When things get COLD...they shrink, thus gaps are created. When it gets warm...they grow, thus refilling the gap and removing the ability to vibrate. I honestly couldn't care if you bought a Scion, a Ford, a Mercedes, or a Ferrari....you can't defeat material science and thermodynamics.
I'm here in NYC for the holidays. I'm going to be here til after the new year and I really can't wait to try out the AWD in some snow.
hopefully we'll get some snow but not too much. lol
Also, I want to buy some snow chains for when we get that really nasty winter weather.
Words can not describe how excited I am that we have made it to the first week of December without a single flake of snow. I figured if we had another winter like last year, that was it, I was selling the house and moving to Florida.
As for the rattles, your car being NEW has nothing to do with it. Allow me to explain thermal expansion and contraction in lame man's turns. When things get COLD...they shrink, thus gaps are created. When it gets warm...they grow, thus refilling the gap and removing the ability to vibrate. *face palm* I honestly couldn't care if you bought a Scion, a Ford, a Mercedes, or a Ferrari....you can't defeat material science and thermodynamics.
True, and I'm not saying otherwise. One would assume some manufacturers either add some form of padding or "linings" within some panels and such to limit the amount of noise produced when these materials shrink or expand based on temperature variations, at least you would think so no?
With higher quality vehicles, you come to expect these things, or at least you do if you're me... Had my Audi for 4 years, and out of every car I've owned, there was a noticeable difference in comparison to every other car driven through winter, regardless of thermodynamics, whether it was -30 or +30, there were hardly any rattles or squeaks to be heard inside the cabin, so can you explain as to why that is?
True, and I'm not saying otherwise. One would assume some manufacturers either add some form of padding or "linings" within some panels and such to limit the amount of noise produced when these materials shrink or expand based on temperature variations, at least you would think so no?
With higher quality vehicles, you come to expect these things, or at least you do if you're me... Had my Audi for 4 years, and out of every car I've owned, there was a noticeable difference in comparison to every other car driven through winter, regardless of thermodynamics, whether it was -30 or +30, there were hardly any rattles or squeaks to be heard inside the cabin, so can you explain as to why that is?
You're right about padding, or what Lexus does is place felt tape. I've seen improvements over several Lexus models with more felt added between joints but still not everywhere, or not enough. For instance some noises come from the clips interfacing with metal or plastic which are not felt-taped. As I hear squeaks, latest one from the passenger speaker cover, I tackle the problem as such.
You're right about padding, or what Lexus does is place felt tape. I've seen improvements over several Lexus models with more felt added between joints but still not everywhere, or not enough. For instance some noises come from the clips interfacing with metal or plastic which are not felt-taped. As I hear squeaks, latest one from the passenger speaker cover, I tackle the problem as such.
Good find Corrado! That's helpful and worth looking into, mind you I'll likely wait until next spring to explore some of these areas assuming the noises persist. Would be nice to have a guy like you around to do this stuff for me.. lol ... I'm a little reluctant to start taking off panels... then again I could always take ti to the dealer and tell them to address it.
You're right about padding, or what Lexus does is place felt tape. I've seen improvements over several Lexus models with more felt added between joints but still not everywhere, or not enough. For instance some noises come from the clips interfacing with metal or plastic which are not felt-taped. As I hear squeaks, latest one from the passenger speaker cover, I tackle the problem as such.
What tool do you use for removing panels inside your car? I'm looking to buy a tool set that will make it easier and safer for me to do so.
Good find Corrado! That's helpful and worth looking into, mind you I'll likely wait until next spring to explore some of these areas assuming the noises persist. Would be nice to have a guy like you around to do this stuff for me.. lol ... I'm a little reluctant to start taking off panels... then again I could always take ti to the dealer and tell them to address it.
I'm a DIYer so personally it's easier (and sometimes fun ) to tackle these small issues than to visit the dealer for every small noise issue. But definitely for most people, the easiest and safest thing is to have the dealer look at it.
Originally Posted by Pinhead
regular automotive trim removal tools are fine
just be careful and dont force things
+1
Originally Posted by skabei
What tool do you use for removing panels inside your car? I'm looking to buy a tool set that will make it easier and safer for me to do so.
I bought mine on Ebay a couple years ago... Was a set of four but for most removal, I end up using these two. Also note the felt tape (hockey tape) which has become an invaluable tool in minimizing squeaks between plastic/plastic, plastic/metal, or metal/metal contact points.
I'm a DIYer so personally it's easier (and sometimes fun ) to tackle these small issues than to visit the dealer for every small noise issue. But definitely for most people, the easiest and safest thing is to have the dealer look at it.
+1
I bought mine on Ebay a couple years ago... Was a set of four but for most removal, I end up using these two. Also note the felt tape (hockey tape) which has become an invaluable tool in minimizing squeaks between plastic/plastic, plastic/metal, or metal/metal contact points.
To add what CorradoMR2 said, I find mask-taping the tip of the tools might help minimize marring some time. Or tape the edges of the panels that you want to remove. Also as the tip of the tools get worn out, it is time to replace 'cause it would mar the surface.
Something to note about the vinyl surface on the dash -- if for any reason it would mar, it will become a bit whitish as the dye comes off. Not to scare you off but just be cautious.
12-04-15, 04:01 AM
First Winter Storm with the NX - Driving Impression
.... I bought my NX F-Sport in June and was a little eager to see how it would handle in the snow and such. First off, I installed some Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 winter tires. I had negotiated some winter rims as part of the purchase when I got the vehicle, which initially they had told me I'd be getting 17", but turns out they gave me 18", so installed the same size tires as my summers... 
One would assume some manufacturers either add some form of padding or "linings" within some panels and such to limit the amount of noise produced when these materials shrink or expand based on temperature variations, at least you would think so no? 
... I'm a little reluctant to start taking off panels... then again I could always take ti to the dealer and tell them to address it.
) to tackle these small issues than to visit the dealer for every small noise issue. But definitely for most people, the easiest and safest thing is to have the dealer look at it.
