Sure, understood, thanks, but feel Lexus should add more insulation around the speaker housing in future model years.

My IS feels more solid than my GS. The IS has a more vaulted feeling and i have cold air leaks in a few spots in my GS (none in IS) "Entry level" luxury is a crock statement. Luxury car brands throw the most money at their "entry level" sedans because they are the bread and butter of most brands. The only things i find more luxurious in my GS are the bigger/nicer nav screen and leather wrapped dash. Don't be foolish....more cost cutting is involved with higher model luxury cars because when your volume of sales is less, you need to make more $ on each sale individually.

I think the insulation is more than sufficient, the car is very quiet inside, but I did come from an Evo X,WRX, and 350z , so I don't know what silent is. With that being said, are you not interested with being able to hear things like sirens, train crossings, or other road alerts?

Of course I do. That's the thing. The interior is fine. The volume wasn't loud and the sound was easily seeping through the door. Additional insulation around the speaker housing itself is needed. I also don't want those outside to hear a telephone call (while I'm parked, sitting in traffic, etc.), even if just one side of same.

Pretty sure it's the opposite, as a greater retail premium can be had (i.e.: Porsche), while sales are more cost sensitive at entry level. Nevertheless, this is a $50k car. :|

If I play the loudest music I have on 20+ volume setting I can start to hear the words about 3-5 feet away from the car. But when I say loud, I mean I don't even listen to it at this setting inside the car because the song is recorded at a high volume and its a loud club banger on top of that.

Perhaps since I have the ML system the speakers are positioned a bit better but I leave the car on with music all the time and most times I simply hear a non-distinct faint beat. I'm not worried about eavsdroppers, but then if I had someone hovering around my car it would probably change my behavior anyway.

On the other topic, my 3IS' doors have a vault sound to it. My 2IS had it too, different tone but still there.

I've driven the 3IS and sat in a few of them and didn't feel that the IS felt as solid or as expensive as the GS. No cold air leaks in my GS. I find the materials overall much better in the GS (the lower door panels in the IS are very hard plastic as is the lower dash) and I find the overall finish, quality of the leather, trim, carpeting, stitching, detail finishing considerably higher in the GS...as one would expect for the price difference.

Your logic just doesn't jibe with any of the experiences I've had in any vehicle...Lexus or otherwise. If "more cost cutting" happens at higher price points why are the interiors of the LS, 7 series, S Class higher quality than entry level cars? Yes there is less volume, but far more profit per unit. When you are designing a car to meet a $70k base standard there is more to work with for features and materials than when a car is built to a $35k standard, which the IS is.

I've owned the LS, ES and GS and I can promise you the LS is way higher quality in every way from the ES, as is the GS...and of course the LS is higher quality than the GS.

But you have to understand that $50,000 doesn't buy nearly what it used to. Its an entry level car. The IS starts at $35k, the basic materials are that of a $35k car...whether your unit is highly optioned or not.

I was reminded of this thread getting gas all windows up and music cranked. Hahaha cracked me up