Ambient noise level ES v UX

beyond the blue · October 12, 2022

My ES has been in the dealers for the last couple of days for a rattle problem. They gave me a UX as a courtesy car and although l still prefer the ES's drive, the ambient noise insulation in the UX was far superior to the ES. Driving the ES home it was as if I had a window slightly open, l could hear people's conversations on the pavement when stopped in traffic etc, l wish they hadn't give me the UX now. Very different.

October 12, 2022

I have had 2 UX loan cars whilst my ES has been in for work over the last 6 months and found a big difference in road noise etc between the 2 loan cars, could they have been different tyre brands, I don’t know. But I found my ES to be quieter than both UX’s

peniole · October 12, 2022

Have to agree with Antony on this one. I was picked up in a UX by the dealship when I first got my ES. Night and day when it comes to road noise. The ES is near silent at low speed, and as long as the motorway paving is in good nick, at speed too. Although I do hear a whisper of wind noise if I leave the sunroof inner slider open, but I'm nit picking.

peniole · October 12, 2022

3 hours ago, beyond the blue said:

My ES has been in the dealers for the last couple of days for a rattle problem. They gave me a UX as a courtesy car and although l still prefer the ES's drive, the ambient noise insulation in the UX was far superior to the ES. Driving the ES home it was as if I had a window slightly open, l could hear people's conversations on the pavement when stopped in traffic etc, l wish they hadn't give me the UX now. Very different.

Was it the UX300e? That specific one has extra noise deadening.

ColinBarber · October 12, 2022

2 hours ago, Derant said:

I have had 2 UX loan cars whilst my ES has been in for work over the last 6 months and found a big difference in road noise etc between the 2 loan cars, could they have been different tyre brands, I don’t know. But I found my ES to be quieter than both UX’s

My wife's UX has extremely loud road noise which come from the Bridgestone runflats. Looking forward to when they wear out and can get some Michelin CC2s on there.

beyond the blue · October 12, 2022

3 hours ago, peniole said:

Was it the UX300e? That specific one has extra noise deadening.

No, UX petrol hybrid.

beyond the blue · October 12, 2022

Guys l did say ambient noise in my post, not road noise transmitted through the tyres.

NemesisUK · October 12, 2022

6 minutes ago, beyond the blue said:

Guys l did say ambient noise in my post, not road noise transmitted through the tyres.

Where does some of the "ambient noise" come from, if not the tyres?

beyond the blue · October 12, 2022

6 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Where does some of the "ambient noise" come from, if not the tyres?

I also said when l was stopped in traffic. How can noise come from the tyres when the car is stationary, l give up!

peniole · October 12, 2022

10 minutes ago, beyond the blue said:

Guys l did say ambient noise in my post, not road noise transmitted through the tyres.

Well as luck would have it, I was parked at the end of the day just now and two gentleman were conversing in front of the car right next to me. Couldn't hear a peep. Car was not running, all windows closed.

NemesisUK · October 12, 2022

15 minutes ago, beyond the blue said:

I also said when l was stopped in traffic. How can noise come from the tyres when the car is stationary, l give up!

Apologies, I missed that bit :shy:

That said, does the UX have acoustic glass on the front windows? This was a big difference I noticed between my RC and now the RX, the RX has acoustic glass and outside sounds are very much reduced

beyond the blue · October 12, 2022

52 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Apologies, I missed that bit

That said, does the UX have acoustic glass on the front windows? This was a big difference I noticed between my RC and now the RX, the RX has acoustic glass and outside sounds are very much reduced

That's ok. Yes you could have a point there, it's as if the UX had double glazing as apposed to single glazing in the ES is the only way I can explain it.

October 12, 2022

4 hours ago, beyond the blue said:

Guys l did say ambient noise in my post, not road noise transmitted through the tyres.

Although I referred to general noise, I still say my ES is quieter in all areas including ambient noise.

Ala Larj · October 12, 2022

11 hours ago, beyond the blue said:

No matter what car I’ve had I’ve barely been able to hear my wife in the passenger seat!

ColinBarber · October 13, 2022

13 hours ago, beyond the blue said:

it's as if the UX had double glazing as apposed to single glazing in the ES is the only way I can explain it.

The ES definitely has an acoustic windscreen and my guess is the UX does too. The UX also has acoustic door windows in the front but only with the Takumi grade.

peniole · October 13, 2022

15 hours ago, beyond the blue said:

That's ok. Yes you could have a point there, it's as if the UX had double glazing as apposed to single glazing in the ES is the only way I can explain it.

ES has double glazing in front driver and passenger windows. If you roll it down, look for the notch running the length of it on top of the glass. I think there's an image on here of Betsy's front windows from top. Betsy is an F sport. I'm a grade lower with premium edition and have it too.

ColinBarber · October 13, 2022

1 hour ago, peniole said:

ES has double glazing in front driver and passenger windows

Technically that is laminated glass not double glazing with an air gap in-between that you get with high end vehicles (Lexus LS, MB S-Class etc.).

But that means it isn't the glass that is making the UX quieter. Possibly it is because there is less glass as the UX windows are quite small.

peniole · October 13, 2022

6 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Technically that is laminated glass not double glazing with an air gap in-between that you get with high end vehicles (Lexus LS, MB S-Class etc.).

But that means it isn't the glass that is making the UX quieter. Possibly it is because there is less glass as the UX windows are quite small.

Yes, you're right laminated, 2 glass layers with a middle PVB layer for sound deadening. Although the LS has the same (front and back, instead of just front) and so does the merc S class according to the AAA. Last merc I saw with true double glazing (air gap) was in the late 90's (the tank aka W140), which is confirmed by the linked table, as it only had rear laminated windows, and we know it had the famous glass gapped side ones. Otherwise LSs and S class mercs all switched to side laminated with PVB some 20 years ago, at least according to AAA.

ColinBarber · October 13, 2022

5 minutes ago, peniole said:

Last merc I saw with true double glazing (air gap) was in the early 2000's (the tank aka W140).

yeah the newer ones don't seem to do it anymore. Cost cutting or just doesn't justify the small difference it makes compared to laminated.

NemesisUK · October 13, 2022

1 minute ago, ColinBarber said:

yeah the newer ones don't seem to do it anymore. Cost cutting or just doesn't justify the small difference it makes compared to laminated.

More likely down to weight saving ..

peniole · October 13, 2022

7 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

yeah the newer ones don't seem to do it anymore. Cost cutting or just doesn't justify the small difference it makes compared to laminated.

Oh it's was a big difference at the time, felt tomb quiet inside, but I was comparing to a woefully loud hyundai I was driving at the time! Wonder if anyone has done a side by side comparison. Auto decibel only goes back so far: https://www.auto-decibel-db.com/desktop.html

STE041 · October 14, 2022

I’ve found on my previous IS300h, ES300h and my current ES300h F Sport that Bridgestone tyres are typically noisy more so at speed on concrete motorways. On the IS300h, I got 21000 + miles out of a set of Bridgestones on 17 inch rims, and towards getting them changed they were unbearably load on the M25.

I changed to Michelin Cross Climates and there was a vast difference on noise and handling with the cross climates; the IS was on rails! but the CCs do not have a bumper film on the tyre and they’re a softer tyre than the Bridgestones.

I have 19 inch FSport wheels on the ES with Bridgestones - the ES is now a year old with 11.5k on the clock on the original tyres. It’s still a quiet ride, as other have said with the sunroof visor back it’s slightly more noisy at 70mph but the tyres wear well and I’m not on concrete motorways so much these days.

One of the benefits of having the Takumi pack is the ML Sounds which kills all ambient noise especially on 2 - 4 hour motorway trips. With the volume up at 40 and an HD source, the ambient sound has gone and there is no engine or road noise - Happy days.

Mincey · October 15, 2022

On 10/13/2022 at 10:44 AM, peniole said:

I think there's an image on here of Betsy's front windows from top. Betsy is an F sport. I'm a grade lower with premium edition and have it too.