Hello! I had a 13 ES that drove beautifully and 6 months ago bought a beautiful new 2022 ESUL. I’ve noticed quite a bit of susceptibility to wind at highway speeds 70-80mph. It seems any wind will cause quite a bit of deviation requiring correction. There’s also quite a bit more wind noise than in my 13. Is all that normal for the 22? I took it to the dealer and in grand dealer tradition they found no drivability or noise issues. I am however quite discerning (read picky af).

 

Hard to say from here (the internet) but it's possible the engine roar/powertrain noise is quieter, giving the perception of more wind/road noise, especially if you have a hybrid where the engine shuts off up to 75 mph.

I can guarantee you the 7ES is an enormously stronger, more advanced, more robust and better designed and stiffer unibody vs. the 13. So it's inherently a better car. Also I'm sure lexus would not backtrack in terms of NVH characteristics so it may just be a perception/placebo thing. The best way to confirm is to do a controlled test with a properly calibrated instrument averaged over a measured distance and repeated multiple times. lol.

also how are you so sure the conditions causing the "Wander" are the same exact conditions you experienced in the 13? I'd drive both back to back to confirm and make sure. it could be just that you're expecting a lot since it's a new car and this is skewing your reference.

 

Hi: See my link last week on Windshield noise in my new ES UL 2022. Dealer and specialist from Lexus Corp found Poor Seal on windshield from factory in Kentucky..Some seal put on in front passenger side, but they say it is like trying to fix a fish bowl that is filled and only sealing from outside. Not normal as noise begins around 40 mph. They have ordered a new Lexus Windshield in case my windshield cracks as they take out and redo seal of the entire front windshield. It seems 9/10, the glass cracks when removing, so they want a backup.

 

Interesting, and surprising to me. There's been a fair amount of complaint about wind noise in this generation of ES, but not in the Ultra Luxury due to its sound-insulating front door glass.

 

One sound I realized early on that took me by surprise was the level of sound the ventilated seats produce, especially on the high setting. I don’t always notice anymore but it can increase overall cabin “noise.” Couple that with road, wind, and engine sounds and you get a symphony of noise but I just turn up my ML sound system and the rest fades away.

*** I’m being facetious about the noise.

 

another noise that annoys me is AC/vents fan noise. Even on level 1 fan it is more audible than it should be

 

It’s a very good thing that the ES doesn’t sound like a 747 Jumbo Jet.

 

I kind of wonder if its just because its been an exceptionally windy period of time here in New Orleans...and I do experience it mainly when going over a pretty tall open sided bridge. Like I said, I'm fully aware that I am nit picky when it comes to my car...

 

Its also fully possible that I romanticized my 2013 because I sold it in 2017 and missed it terribly while I had a crappy BMW 235i convertible that sucked eggs, and a pretty ok BMW X3.

 

OMG! The ML sound system rocks my world...so glad I didn't settle for the stock system this time!

 

See I don't get this kind of noise at all...just the wind when its windy....which automatically makes me feel like a crazy person for saying it....like "waiter, these brownies are too chocolaty" or "this water is too wet". I should shut up, I'm driving most people's ideal of automotive luxury.

 

Geez, are you a scientist? I'm having flashbacks from my graduate level research class. My conceptual definition is driving quality, my operational definition is degree of drift from left to right of the front end, independent variable is wind and vehicle speed, dependent variable is degree of correction of the steering wheel. No, just kidding, I totally get what you're saying and it absolutely could be placebo...and given my expectations placed on this car, that's likely true. I actually had a NX the other day the dealer loaned me during my first service appointment and found it also suffered the same degree of wind noise and front end sway with high wind at high speeds. My husband seems to think that it may be due to the fact that there's so much less ground clearance in the 22 than there was in the 13--which I can buy as well. I should probably just shut my mouth and drive gorgeous beast.

 

Yeah I mean people's expectations are THROUGH the roof when they get a new car. Newer cars are quieter so therefore other noises get elevated. Take for example the new 2022 S-Class, one of the absolute finest engineered cars in the world--space grade even. People are complaining about wind noise too:

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ind-noise.html

You can google any car and I'll guarantee there's wind noise complaints. Cars are better than ever but wind and noise causing events are just so dynamic you can never really block them out. It doesn't help that per regulation cars have to have gigantic (larger than ever) side mirrors that protrude 10-13 inches out to the sides. That's a MAJOR cause of noise right there that car makers can get rid of but can't due to outdated regulations.

 

As for wandering, if it really bugs you, you can get a custom alignment and toe in all wheels -.10 degrees/tenth of a degree. that will give you high speed stability. i used to custom alignment all my cars in the past using that recipe and it worked wonders. it will add a bit of extra tire wear though.

 

Thank you!!! Managing expectations is a must. Thats like people on the HD forum complaining about wind noise on a motorcycle! 🤣🤣🤣