Motor Trend on new Avalon ride quality
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,395
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From: Maryland
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,514
Likes: 392
From: ON/NY
good points, and certainly a quieter design is better than just adding weight by trying to cover it up.
on a related note hondas have always had pretty quiet engines, but very little sound insulation, so there's lots of road noise that comes into the cabin. they've been using active noise cancellation in recent years - not sure how well it works, but in the pilot i was in a while back, it was pretty worthless as far as i could tell.
in recent years, the direct injection in lexus engines produce a lot more (ticking) racket than older engines, in the interest of performance and fuel economy. this is masked generally by sound insulation when the windows are closed.
anyway, i understand what you're saying, but quiet is quiet when you're inside. a ford f-150 truck does not exactly have a quiet engine when you stand beside it, but it's vault-like quiet inside. it's really impressive.
and while the avalon may have a quiet engine and good aerodynamics, the new one i drove recently was not THAT quiet, mainly road noise coming through.
once again, a trade off of cost, what's acceptable, and meeting other goals of fuel economy, performance, noise, etc.
on a related note hondas have always had pretty quiet engines, but very little sound insulation, so there's lots of road noise that comes into the cabin. they've been using active noise cancellation in recent years - not sure how well it works, but in the pilot i was in a while back, it was pretty worthless as far as i could tell.
in recent years, the direct injection in lexus engines produce a lot more (ticking) racket than older engines, in the interest of performance and fuel economy. this is masked generally by sound insulation when the windows are closed.
anyway, i understand what you're saying, but quiet is quiet when you're inside. a ford f-150 truck does not exactly have a quiet engine when you stand beside it, but it's vault-like quiet inside. it's really impressive.
and while the avalon may have a quiet engine and good aerodynamics, the new one i drove recently was not THAT quiet, mainly road noise coming through.
once again, a trade off of cost, what's acceptable, and meeting other goals of fuel economy, performance, noise, etc.
That is not to say that the Verano is not good, it just is certainly not great. And it not a luxury car either.
As for your ride in the Avalon, everything I have read is that it is on par with the LS for being quiet.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 987
Likes: 23
From: Southern Cali 310
maybe some will never be happy and people sometimes call the avalon boring... 
.....no way to make everyone happy
I was ready over the specs from the quiet tuned Verano I4 and a designed from the ground up Avalon, although the Avalon weighs 130lbs more, and comes with a standard V6, it meets or almost meets the Verano with regard to MPG. The trade offs of a very good design are good MPG.
As for your ride in the Avalon, everything I have read is that it is on par with the LS for being quiet.
edit: just did some googling and according to a post in this thread, some surprising info (if correct)...
BMW 535i:
Idle: 39.3 dBA
31 mph (50 km/h): 57.7 dBA
50 mph (80 km/h): 61.1 dBA
62 mph (100 km/h): 64.2 dBA
Lexus LS 600h:
Idle: 42.6 dBA
31 mph (50 km/h): 60.6 dBA
50 mph (80 km/h): 63.0 dBA
62 mph (100 km/h): 66.4 dBA
Idle: 39.3 dBA
31 mph (50 km/h): 57.7 dBA
50 mph (80 km/h): 61.1 dBA
62 mph (100 km/h): 64.2 dBA
Lexus LS 600h:
Idle: 42.6 dBA
31 mph (50 km/h): 60.6 dBA
50 mph (80 km/h): 63.0 dBA
62 mph (100 km/h): 66.4 dBA
edit (one more
) - found this which puts ls600hl as quietest along with a bmw and mercedes dieselhttp://www.dmv.com/blog/quiet-cars
Last edited by bitkahuna; Jul 4, 2013 at 06:56 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,514
Likes: 392
From: ON/NY
a little absolute, no? maybe some will never be happy and people sometimes call the avalon boring...
now that's true!
i think that's a false dichotomy, as both techniques are applied by all car makers but by differing degrees of each. i've disliked hondas / acuras for years in the fact that they don't do much sound insulation.
good points. of course the avalon is about 50% more expensive too.
i find that hard to believe, although it's been a while since i was in an LS.
edit: just did some googling and according to a post in this thread, some surprising info (if correct)...
i wouldn't be surprised, as a 5 i was in about a year ago was extremely quiet.
edit (one more ) - found this which puts ls600hl as quietest along with a bmw and mercedes diesel
http://www.dmv.com/blog/quiet-cars
maybe some will never be happy and people sometimes call the avalon boring... now that's true!
i think that's a false dichotomy, as both techniques are applied by all car makers but by differing degrees of each. i've disliked hondas / acuras for years in the fact that they don't do much sound insulation.
good points. of course the avalon is about 50% more expensive too.
i find that hard to believe, although it's been a while since i was in an LS.
edit: just did some googling and according to a post in this thread, some surprising info (if correct)...
i wouldn't be surprised, as a 5 i was in about a year ago was extremely quiet.
edit (one more
) - found this which puts ls600hl as quietest along with a bmw and mercedes dieselhttp://www.dmv.com/blog/quiet-cars
You mentioned that the Avalon starts at 50 percent higher than a Verano, and that starting price is why I don't think the Verano or Buick is even close to luxury car or near luxury car. I am not sure that the Avalon is a luxury but it sure has all of the credentials of one.
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