Who has the quietest brand?
12-13-18, 08:27 PM
#46
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Which is why I said I wanted to see what Motor Trend reports for the same cars. And yes, Edmunds is quite different, but I am not sure where they place the measuring meter. Car and Driver places it at the drivers ear level. And yes, personal experiences are important, but they can certainly be biased. I am glad you brought some of ^^ up. It’s a good discussion.
12-13-18, 08:35 PM
#47
Lexus Fanatic
You can't engineer out "bias" in what somebody perceives. Everybody is different, everybody's hearing is different. People like different sounds, they have different frequencies that they hear and that annoy them. Its not an objective repeatable figure like a 0-60 time or a 1/4 mile time or a skidpad reading.
If you have 68 dB and all of that sound pressure is down at a low frequency that people cant hear as well, that car will feel quieter inside than a car that has a sound pressure reading of 64 but that sound is at frequencies people's hearing is more attune to.
For instance, 100 db at 100 Hz of frequency is equivalent to only 80 dB at 1000 Hz of frequency insofar as it is interpreted by human ears. But, with a dB meter its going to read "100".
If you have 68 dB and all of that sound pressure is down at a low frequency that people cant hear as well, that car will feel quieter inside than a car that has a sound pressure reading of 64 but that sound is at frequencies people's hearing is more attune to.
For instance, 100 db at 100 Hz of frequency is equivalent to only 80 dB at 1000 Hz of frequency insofar as it is interpreted by human ears. But, with a dB meter its going to read "100".
12-13-18, 08:45 PM
#48
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
You can't engineer out "bias" in what somebody perceives. Everybody is different, everybody's hearing is different. People like different sounds, they have different frequencies that they hear and that annoy them. Its not an objective repeatable figure like a 0-60 time or a 1/4 mile time or a skidpad reading.
If you have 68 dB and all of that sound pressure is down at a low frequency that people cant hear as well, that car will feel quieter inside than a car that has a sound pressure reading of 64 but that sound is at frequencies people's hearing is more attune to.
For instance, 100 db at 100 Hz of frequency is equivalent to only 80 dB at 1000 Hz of frequency insofar as it is interpreted by human ears. But, with a dB meter its going to read "100".
If you have 68 dB and all of that sound pressure is down at a low frequency that people cant hear as well, that car will feel quieter inside than a car that has a sound pressure reading of 64 but that sound is at frequencies people's hearing is more attune to.
For instance, 100 db at 100 Hz of frequency is equivalent to only 80 dB at 1000 Hz of frequency insofar as it is interpreted by human ears. But, with a dB meter its going to read "100".
Gonna move on from your posts for a while, and see what other members in the forum have to say.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-13-18 at 09:15 PM.
12-13-18, 09:32 PM
#49
Lead Lap
temperature is another thing that can feel different depending on a variety of conditions (humidity, elevation, etc...), just because a thermometer reads 72 degf in two separate places doesn't mean you'll feel exactly the same in both spots
12-13-18, 09:42 PM
#50
Lexus Fanatic
12-13-18, 09:43 PM
#51
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Nothing is absolute.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-13-18 at 10:15 PM.
12-13-18, 09:45 PM
#52
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
12-13-18, 10:18 PM
#53
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I'm generally not a big one for numbers when it comes to measuring things like that. It's nice if numbers actually can verify it, but I find that my two ears are generally the best indicator if I'm comfortable, noise-wise, in a car or not. And those ears are still reliable.....I'm not wearing a hearing aid yet LOL.
in the case of the Car and Driver numbers, there are no opinions by the testers. Just data. I think it is a good alternative to simple stated opinion which is what must reviews provide.
Is Lexus resting on their past reputation? The numbers seem to suggest the new LS and ES are not as quiet as their previous models, yet Lincoln has made some progress based on previous data.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-13-18 at 10:31 PM.
12-13-18, 10:29 PM
#54
Lead Lap
yes thank you i'm aware, my point is that saying this was quieter is relative just like saying this feels hotter, there are more factors at play than simply the number of decibels or degrees
it literally does...
it literally does...
12-13-18, 10:32 PM
#55
Lead Lap
12-13-18, 10:43 PM
#56
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
so give me a short explanation where a Navigator ringing in at 65DB does not sound like 65DB, but in relative opinion sounds more like 70DB?
12-13-18, 10:48 PM
#57
Lead Lap
Yes it is relative. But 100F is still a 100F, yes humidity or wind chill when it is cold can make it feel different, but it is still 100F
so give me a short explanation where a Navigator ringing in at 65DB does not sound like 65DB, but in relative opinion sounds more like 70DB?
12-13-18, 10:49 PM
#58
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Why don’t you summarize it? He mentioned road surfaces might be different, however I read Car and Driver uses the same track. He said you can’t engineer our bias, I read Car and Driver just stated measured DB levels at drivers ear level. He mentioned sound pressures, but I don’t see any automotive literature backing it up, as all of us on here are not sound engineers it would be nice to see some thing expanding on those claims, and being directly related to interior sound levels.
Like I said, this thread is supposed to be a fun discussion. My guess is the Navigator is one of quietest mainstream vehicles on the road.
Back to the main thread question, this thread is about the quietest brands, for mainstream brands, it looks like Lincoln has the best numbers to back it up. Followed by Buick. I am quite surprised at the higher than expected Lexus numbers as measured by Car and Driver.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-13-18 at 11:07 PM.
12-14-18, 05:15 AM
#59
Lexus Fanatic
Back to the main thread question, this thread is about the quietest brands, for mainstream brands, it looks like Lincoln has the best numbers to back it up. Followed by Buick. I am quite surprised at the higher than expected Lexus numbers as measured by Car and Driver.
The reason Buicks are so quiet is not that they necessarily make less noise to start with (indeed, their engines are not particularly hush-hush), but the fact that Buick is not stingy with insulation. The much-publicised Buick Quiet Tuning process is not just a bunch of ad-hype. It is real....and it works. Yes, it costs some money and labor at the plant to do it (my Verano, for instance, had FIVE separate layers of insulation simply in the roof alone, in addition to triple-sealed doors and double-paned glass, but it pays off of the road).
I'm less-familiar with how Lincoln does their sound insulation, but I suspect it is probably similar to Buick.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-14-18 at 05:37 AM.
12-14-18, 05:42 AM
#60
Lexus Fanatic
Not totally, but, for the most part, IMO, yes.
The numbers seem to suggest the new LS and ES are not as quiet as their previous models,
yet Lincoln has made some progress based on previous data.