Has anyone compared both? Is the panoramic louder than the regular sun roof?

 

Since the 300h doesn't have the panoramic sunroof, it must be quieter.

 

I suspect that the ES300h does not have the pano sunroof because of the weight factor.

 

I like the pano but I also only wanted an FSport which doesn't offer it.

 

Amazing the different opinions of buyers regarding options on cars. I bought an Ultra Lux ES 350 and wished I could get one with NO sunroof... Instead I had to pay for a pano sunroof...

 

I have a 2015 ES350 with the panoramic sunroof and a 2018 LS500 with a panoramic sunroof and neither of them is noisier than our Lexus cars that have the regular sunroof. I wasn't really interested in a panoramic sunroof as I never use them, but that's what the car had.

 

Initially, I wasn't a big fan of the pano roof because of the perceived noise factor, but in order to get other package features that I wanted, most if not all Ultra-Luxury models come with the pano. Prior to my purchase, I test drove both the sunroof and pano models with all facets of roof open/closed, sunshade open/closed, etc. Not having a decibel meter :-), it was hard to tell the true noise difference but the sunroof seemed a little quieter. During the pano test drive, took it down the freeway at about 75 and played with the sunshade opened and closed and there was just a slight increase in noise when the sunshade is fully retracted. I was very impressed with just how quiet it is with the pano roof and sunshade retracted at freeway speeds. I have the UL model with pano and drive with the sunshade fully retracted just about all the time and enjoy it. Need to close up the sunshade on hot days though - it will heat up the interior pretty well if left retracted.

 

I have the pano roof only because that all they had at the time I needed a car, and all of the pano roof cars had a $500 credit on the sticker which offset the cost, I opened it one on the way home to see if it was quieter when open - it wasn't and I have never opened it again and probably won't. My granddaughter does like having her own moon roof in the back seat though and the guys at Discount Tire think it looks like a Tesla S, so I guess it's not all bad.

Dave Mac

 

I think one of its best attributes, is being able to park under a tree and not worry as much about the birds above.

 

With the higher insurance premiums due to “spontaneous explosion” of pano roofs I wouldn’t want one. Before I started shopping for a newer car I checked and they wanted a negligible bit more premium for a regular sun/moon roof but quite a bit more for pano. Besides, I rarely have any back seat passengers anyway. I do wish they would make some of the other options such as the extending thigh support on the seat available “a-la-carte” though.

 

I just love the extra light even though I rarely open any sunroof. Had the pano on my last car but not on the ES.

 

Yes, and I do appreciate that as well.

And I've never had my insurance company ask for any more than the VIN and maybe purchase price along with the ZIP code on a new car, not the options.

Dave Mac

 

Even though I have had sunroofs on every vehicle that I've owned for over 25 years, I'm not a big fan of sunroofs, and it is extremely rare that I've ever opened them. That said, I had the standard sunroof on my 2013 ES, and I have the pano roof on the 2017 ES that I currently own, and, if there is any difference at all in noise levels, it is not enough that I would ever be likely to notice it.

One minor disadvantage of the pano roof is that it does weigh more than the standard sunroof. I've read estimates of an extra 75-150 pounds for a pano roof, and that does result in marginally lower mpg.

The one thing that I have come to appreciate about the pano roof is that I don't need to be concerned nearly as much about bird droppings, tree sap, and other environmental contaminants doing damage to the paint. With paint protection film covering the full hood and full front fenders and with the pano roof, the only horizontal surface of the car that is a likely target for such environmental contaminants is the relatively small horizontal portion of the trunk.

 

I have the Pano on my Matador Red. I wasn't looking for this on the car, because I thought I would barely use it. But everything else I wanted and the color was on this one, so I decided it was a fun option. I have used it a few times, but more from the ability to release the heat from the car quickly after being in the sun. I have opened the sun screen portion a few times, but don't like any noise outside the car when driving. I hardly ever put the windows down.
The statistic regarding the MPG is interesting, I have not given it much thought before, but I wonder what the EPA uses for the weight of the driver(s) and maybe passengers to determine their ratings.
As I have said in an earlier post, I had a bunch of heavy stuff in the trunk following my big trip to Costco. Remarkably, the ride was very, very nice. I got no idea what it did to my MPG. If it dropped by 1MPG, at $3.50/gal, that would cost about $1500/yr on my annual mileage. But I don't think I'll be be adding cinder blocks in the trunk. Regardless, I love the 6cyl and 8spd trans.

 

Every ES I have owned has been an Ultra Luxury Edition with the Panoramic Roof (2007, 2013, 2016, 2019) which was a must have for me, I would never ever buy another vehicle if it doesn't have a Panoramic Roof if I can help it, I love the openness I get without having to have the extra noise of actually opening anything except the shade and now that they have made it electrically operated, it's that much better.
Who Really Gives a Damn about how much it weighs, it's the coolest thing period, just enjoy a little and life is not just about weight saving.