Truth in Reviews??
05-24-15, 05:03 AM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Truth in Reviews??
With road noise in the cabins being one of the biggest complaints of the RX 350 for some years now, and when you read reviews on the internet and magazines,
how much "truth" is there in these reviews?
After all, there is ad money coming from car manufactures to people publishing this info and dare
to write anything that's negative.
Example, Here's what's written about the 2015 RX 350 in Edmunds.com:
The compliant suspension and plentiful sound insulation isolate passengers from the outside world in a silent bubble of luxury.
Kelly Book review:
The 2015 RX's cabin is well-insulated and quiet,
So if road noise is a issue, how can the above be true???
Your comments please
how much "truth" is there in these reviews?
After all, there is ad money coming from car manufactures to people publishing this info and dare
to write anything that's negative.
Example, Here's what's written about the 2015 RX 350 in Edmunds.com:
The compliant suspension and plentiful sound insulation isolate passengers from the outside world in a silent bubble of luxury.
Kelly Book review:
The 2015 RX's cabin is well-insulated and quiet,
So if road noise is a issue, how can the above be true???
Your comments please
Last edited by GRPFAN; 05-24-15 at 05:13 AM.
05-24-15, 05:52 AM
#2
Moderator
IMHO nearly all of these reviews are subjective and dependent upon what one is used to before riding extensively in a 3rd Gen RX. Most reviews don't go to the trouble of actually measuring interior cabin noise through some sort of analytical means.
MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION ON:
MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION ON:
As I replied to your other post a few moments ago, my personal impression is tires make the greatest difference with interior cabin noise in our 3rd Gen RX. Tires as you know are the luck of the draw as to what brand your dealer and therefore an owner receives on a new vehicle, and many of the reviews don't specify tire type in the same article. Check THIS STICKY for a lot more discussion on tires. It's where I'd spend my time and energy drawing my own conclusion on this subject if I were you, so you could then include the type of tire you require on your new 2015 when negotiation time comes around. (That's what I did, as I did not want the Dunlops.)
For me, my 2013 RX450h that came with Bridgestone Duelers has acceptable interior cabin noise levels and beats the socks off a number of other vehicles I've ridden in, but my 2013 is not as quiet as my former 2006 RX400h that had Michelins at the time I traded it in.
MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION OFF: For me, my 2013 RX450h that came with Bridgestone Duelers has acceptable interior cabin noise levels and beats the socks off a number of other vehicles I've ridden in, but my 2013 is not as quiet as my former 2006 RX400h that had Michelins at the time I traded it in.
05-24-15, 10:14 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
05-24-15, 12:23 PM
#5
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I just bought a the 2015 RX350 last week. Coming from a 2008 Porsche Cayenne and before that, had a Oldsmobile Aurora (yeah, weird transition between cars
. Anyway, we always found the porsche to be very quiet inside from road sounds (except for the engine growl when accelerating).
When my wife first rode in the RX, her first comment was how very quiet it was. I find it very quiet as well.
. Anyway, we always found the porsche to be very quiet inside from road sounds (except for the engine growl when accelerating). When my wife first rode in the RX, her first comment was how very quiet it was. I find it very quiet as well.
05-24-15, 12:42 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
What I have found is it depends on the roads. Many of the roads here in Austin are quite noisy, though part of Mopac by Circle C is so quiet that you realize where the reviewers are coming from and another part on 290 that is so loud that you wonder what the road designers were thinking.
05-24-15, 04:15 PM
#7
Everything is relative. Especially something like noise. Remember that reviewers drive minivans and Porsche Carreras with varying level of expectations regarding subjective attributes. I agree you have the drive it yourself. But tire choice and road conditions will make a difference.
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05-24-15, 07:33 PM
#8
Lead Lap
I use an app on my iPhone called SPLnFFT Sound Meter v5.4 to take some of the subjectivity out of noise comparisons. I say some, because the dealerships are not all close to the same roads that I use for noise/ride comparisons.
The app allows me to quantify numerically the ambient noise in several scales, in graphical views, and with a histogram.
And my Seat-o-Meter tells me that, after a 1,700 mile road trip, neither wifie or I are horse from talking loudly to oneanother; and backseat passengers can participate in the conversations without missing anything.
The app allows me to quantify numerically the ambient noise in several scales, in graphical views, and with a histogram.
And my Seat-o-Meter tells me that, after a 1,700 mile road trip, neither wifie or I are horse from talking loudly to oneanother; and backseat passengers can participate in the conversations without missing anything.
05-24-15, 09:37 PM
#9
Pole Position
As I have mentioned in other threads, ride quality or sound levels shared by others or stated in reviews are often subjective, and more often than not, relative to comparison vehicles. I often defended my current RX when compared to my Prius. Now that we are comparing it to a Lexus ES, it suddenly doesn't seem as quiet.
My opinion remains that it is fairly quiet, but I have come to see why some people may consider their RXs a bit noisy. It really depends a great deal on the vehicle they are using for comparison. I would love to see a properly metered comparison of similar vehicles to see where it stands in an objective way, using controlled road surfaces and the same tires. I would be willing to bet that it compares favorably.
My opinion remains that it is fairly quiet, but I have come to see why some people may consider their RXs a bit noisy. It really depends a great deal on the vehicle they are using for comparison. I would love to see a properly metered comparison of similar vehicles to see where it stands in an objective way, using controlled road surfaces and the same tires. I would be willing to bet that it compares favorably.
05-25-15, 03:31 AM
#10
Road noise is subject to road surface and of course tires Asphalt comes in many types the "base' coat can have arrogate of 2" down to 1" and if no finish coat is applied will sound very loud. The finish coat when newly laid down is very smooth until the asphalt is worn away on the top producing a very rough surface which can be as loud as a base coat.
When testing a car for road noise I find a street or streets with these different conditions on them. You can really hear the difference going from new pavement to worn.
We also have a 14 rdx with noise canceling. This I notice works ok with engine noise but does nothing for road noise. I would pick insulation and superior build quality over this.
When testing a car for road noise I find a street or streets with these different conditions on them. You can really hear the difference going from new pavement to worn.
We also have a 14 rdx with noise canceling. This I notice works ok with engine noise but does nothing for road noise. I would pick insulation and superior build quality over this.
05-25-15, 06:50 PM
#12
Car and Driver or Road and Track used to publish in the back of each magazine a list of all of the cars they ever tested and one of the measurements was interior noise at idle and at 70 mph. I don't know if they still do but it might be worth checking out, a quick google didn't turn up the list on their sites.
I remember a BMW 5 series was the quietest car they ever tested but that was like seven years ago.
EDIT: This list shows the RX450 as the 26th quietest car tested.
http://elevatingsound.com/the-top-30...-by-auto-bild/
I remember a BMW 5 series was the quietest car they ever tested but that was like seven years ago.
EDIT: This list shows the RX450 as the 26th quietest car tested.
http://elevatingsound.com/the-top-30...-by-auto-bild/
05-25-15, 06:57 PM
#13
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Car and Driver or Road and Track used to publish in the back of each magazine a list of all of the cars they ever tested and one of the measurements was interior noise at idle and at 70 mph. I don't know if they still do but it might be worth checking out, a quick google didn't turn up the list on their sites.
I remember a BMW 5 series was the quietest car they ever tested but that was like seven years ago.
EDIT: This list shows the RX450 as the 26th quietest car tested.
http://elevatingsound.com/the-top-30...-by-auto-bild/
I remember a BMW 5 series was the quietest car they ever tested but that was like seven years ago.
EDIT: This list shows the RX450 as the 26th quietest car tested.
http://elevatingsound.com/the-top-30...-by-auto-bild/
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