is model S quieter than Lexus

[Electroman]

FWIW, my Leaf is quieter at all speeds than my 2006 LX RX 350. At lower speeds it is no contest. At higher speeds it sometimes depends on the road surface.

Of course my Lexus has noticeably become noisier over the years. It was much quieter when new, but they may be a perception thing since I came out of 2001 Honda Odyssey at that time.

 

[bigsmooth125]

Davidbrown, so would you say that your Model S is now quieter than your Lexus? On what parts of the car did you have the dynamat installed?

We have a P85+ with 21" tires and a Lexus LS 460. I put a decibel meter on my phone. The Lexus is 5 db quieter than the Tesla at 80 mph on that grooved concrete freeway stuff. However the Lexus has standard tires. Lexus was 75db and Tesla was 80 db. Way too loud for me. There is a big difference as we all can hear on blacktop vs. concrete. I had my Tesla soundproofed recently with Dynomat. It cut the decibels by over 10 db. That is a big difference. Your local auto upholstery place can do that for you. Costs about $2,500 for the whole car.

 

[liuping]

I had my Tesla soundproofed recently with Dynomat. It cut the decibels by over 10 db.

Where did you have the Dynomat installed and how long did it take?

I'm definitely interested. The road and wind noise is my only real (non software fixable) complaints about my Model S.

If I can fix the road noise for a reasonable price ($2500 seems reasonable to me for a 10 db sound drop), that would just leave the wind noise, which I'm confident they will be able to lower next time I go in for service (I've located at least the worse offender, I just have not gone in since I found it).

 

[Bon Scott]

I just drove my wife's Lexus 2006 RX400h home after dropping off my new 70D for tinting. I must say, after a week of driving the MS, the Lexus seemed like a jalopy in comparison. My immediate thought when first accelerating was "all noise and no speed." Our Lexus has been a terrific car. I'm just spoiled now.

 

[muleferg]

Same here RX400. Wife's car much more noise. Tesla less noise, drive's and rides better.

 

[jwg]

Haven't driven a RX400, but it is certainly far quieter than my wife's RX350. However, I drove a LS430 for a number of years before I bought my Tesla and I would have to say that Lexus was quieter. Despite a V8 engine, what the Lexus engineers have done in terms of soundproofing is magnificent. My Tesla on the other hand suffers from lots of knocking, rattles and general noise mostly from the undercarriage, and the whirring of the motors are louder than the ICE engine was.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back to the LS, but I think over time it will just be something that Tesla gets better at (though of course with the new EV rules coming into effect that will require those cars to make more noise, I'm not sure how that will impact things - would still be nice if they could make them quieter on the inside even if they are a bit louder outside).

 

[mikeg561]

Haven't driven a RX400, but it is certainly far quieter than my wife's RX350. However, I drove a LS430 for a number of years before I bought my Tesla and I would have to say that Lexus was quieter. Despite a V8 engine, what the Lexus engineers have done in terms of soundproofing is magnificent. My Tesla on the other hand suffers from lots of knocking, rattles and general noise mostly from the undercarriage, and the whirring of the motors are louder than the ICE engine was.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back to the LS, but I think over time it will just be something that Tesla gets better at (though of course with the new EV rules coming into effect that will require those cars to make more noise, I'm not sure how that will impact things - would still be nice if they could make them quieter on the inside even if they are a bit louder outside).

Yea, I just (2 weeks ago) switched from a Lexus LS460 to the 85D. The LS460 is a lot quieter and smoother ride than the 85D. Lexus has done a great job sound-proofing their car and making the ride amazingly smooth. Don't get me wrong- I am not going back to the 460, just noting the differences. Tesla is an amazing car...not perfect, but amazing! More sound proofing and a smoother ride on the Tesla would be nice.

Mike

 

[jwg]

Part of the problem is Tesla's hatchback design, which could never insulated the cabin from noise coming from the bottom rear area (where most of my Tesla's noise seems to emulate from) as well as my Lexus LS could since there are openings between the trunk and cabin areas. But I don't think that is the entire problem - there are still lots of types of noises coming from my Tesla that you just don't hear from a much more (seemingly) solidly built high-end Lexus or Mercedes. Again, not saying I'd switch back, but just that this is one area that Tesla still needs to improve on over time.

 

[caps04]

I have on good authority that Tesla has been testing cabin noise against the market leaders and still haven't matched their levels (Mercedes and Lexus were mentioned). They are improving it all the time so newer cars will be quieter than older ones and hopefully one day be "the quietest car on the planet".

 

[sorka]

At low speeds, our P85D is quieter than our Lexus SC430 convertible. However, at high speeds or rough roads it switches. The Tesla makes almost no noise from the drivetrain but it also doesn't have good noise isolation. The makes it quieter at low speed and louder at high speed. Our Lexus is like a tomb. It's very quiet at any speed and only a little bit louder than the MS at very low speed.

 

[smilepak]

I have a Lexus GS 350 on 18". I do have to say it is definitely quieter. But the 2013 P85+ I had as a loaner, was just as loud, if not louder.