I Think My 96 Camry Rides More Quiet Than The Is

[ldc]

I still have original tyres on my IS (Potenzas), and driving on same roads i notice my Camry drives smoother than my IS (if not the same). What's more i just had my 2 years service at the dealers. What's the GO here ya'll?

[pygothian]

are the tyres the exact same size, width, profile? is the suspension the same?

You are probably trying to compare to complete different rides.

My IS250 SL has 17" 225/45 and 245/45 ..with no sports suspension (which is crap considering they call it a sports luxury) all stock. It is very smooth, and quiet.

Then I get my c63 amg 6.2L V8 336kw with adaptive sports suspension 18" 235/35 and 265/35.. you feel every tiny pebble on the road, your spine gets jarred into the seats with the slightest tap of the accelerator and you hear a tremenous roar when you put your foot down...not quiet by any standards...not particular comfortable either...but fun to drive when you want to play. After driving the lexus IS-F im tempted to get rid of the C63 and change to the IS-F as it seemed more comfortable, more luxury, and still got my heart racing when i put my foot down. Much cheaper too.

But im off the topic...you need to compare the specs of both cars...if they are identical in every respect and the camary is quiet...then maybe you got a dud lexus?

[ldc]

i'm referring to when both cars roll at 80km/hr and on brand new stretched of roads.

[Bluey]

i'm referring to when both cars roll at 80km/hr and on brand new stretched of roads.

The IS wil have wider tyres than the camry, hence more noise. Also lower profile tyre, again more noise. And the suspension in the IS will be firmer for a better performance ride, again noisier. The camry is a people mover, a good one, but still thats what it is.

[last1]

Idc,

are you referring to tyre/road noise, or all noise in general (wind, engine, exhaust etc.)?

BTW, every car should ride smooth at 80kph on a brand new road. A car salesman's dream would be to limit the test drive to brand new roads at that speed!

Throw a few tight bends into the mix at 120 cents per hour and then tell me which one rides better.

[IronFist]

I once had a 96 Camry as well. However Mine was the 4 cylinder one not the V6.

I couldn't compare it to now since I had it before I got the IS250. I still think the IS rides more quieter though in my experience.

From what I remember, the standard wheels were 15" compared to the IS250 which comes with at least 16"

The difference in tyre profile will make a significant difference regardless if they are the same brand.

[ldc]

My Camry is a 4cyl with budget 14" on. The car just felt smooth for what it is and i can't help but feel it's smoother if not on par with the IS going at 60-80km/hr. Needless to say it doesnt handle nowhere near the IS but for how old it is, the cabin noise and the feeling of smoothness is right up there with the IS. Perhaps the dealer put in too much air during the service but that cannot be a factor as i am referring to smooth roads. Also my IS has 16s (if anything equivalent to 14 in the Camry).

Both cars have had oil change at the same period with the camry i do it myself (don't tell me the Dealer didnt do their job and hasn't changed my IS oil?). It felt as though i'm running on old oil with the IS and the Camry with brand new oil. That's the smoothness i'm referring to . You guys know the differences in driving with oil and new oil right?

[Sapphire Cam]

Two things I believe, both related to rubber!

Tyres (of course). You'll find the Bridgestone Turanzas a little quieter than the Potenzas. These are Lexus-endorsed for the IS, although the Potenza is preferred. The Turanza are of slightly less performance (I think the sidewalls arent as rigid as the Potenzas) resulting in a little more roll during cornering, but last an extra 10k kms (give or take) and are a little quieter. Of course as your tyres get older, they'll gradually become noisier.

The next issue are the door seals (and boot/bonnet seals for that matter). Do not underestimate the importance of these for noise attenuation. Make sure you and the passengers aren't slamming the doors regularly (no need because in a sense the doors in the IS are desgined to be self-closing once there is any momentum behind them), because over time this will decrease the effectiveness of the seal, particularly the fatter, more spongey seals used by Lexus. It doesnt hurt just to get a damp cloth every few months and clean the seals from dust etc. Even better, every 6 months or so, soften them up with an Armorall-type cleaner, or even a tyre rejuvenator-type product.

Also most tarmac contractors are now using cheaper, coarser grade aggregate on country roads and highways now to reduce costs. I know in Victoria (a close friend of mine works for Vic Roads), it was a conscious policy change five or so years ago in the tender evaluation process. They'll only use the smoother surfaces now in residential areas to reduce noise. Brand new sections of the Hume, the Princes and Goulburn Valley freeways are appauling in the road noise generated due to the coarse surface - but here Im off the topic a bit.....

[ldc]

Hmm im due for 18s upgrade so i might just put up with my mindset thinking it's the rubber that makes my Is as smooth as my Camry...lol how stupid does that sound?

Before then i might go a check my tyre pressures, bet yah it's 40psi which i think is 4-5psi too high.

To be quite honest with you there is something about the IS i'm not 110% satisfy with since the purchase. Weird isnt it?

[IronFist]

40 psi is too high if you've got 16's which are probably have a 60 profile tyre. That will definitely make the ride feel like a rock.

I've got the standard Bridgestone Potenza's on my car and I do feel like they are kinda noisy - I can put up with it. I just have my music on to drown out road noise :P

When these tyres come to being replaced - I'm planning to change them to Michelin Pilots. I've used Michelins on 13", 14", 15" with other cars I've had in the past and I've always happy...really quiet tyre.

If you go to 18's with a lower profile tyre - they will definitely make more noise if your concern about quietness.

I wonder if it's a compromise, quiet tyre = less grip/friction VS louder tyre = more grip/friction (cross treads) ???

[kinjiru]

The standard Potenza RE030's are crap. Noisy and not particularly grippy. When they wore out and I had to buy a new set, I rang around a few tyre places. The conversation would start like this:

ME: "I'm looking for a set of new tyres for my Lexus IS250"

TYRE person: "What tyres do you have right now?"

ME: "Bridgestone Potenza RE030 205/55/16's..."

TYRE Person: Changing them because they are too noisy?

[Bluey]

The tread design has a lot to do with noise also. Apparently the directional tyres will always be noisier than the more generic passenger tyre, and it's always the more sports/aesthetic minded that want these tyres. As mentioned already, some sports tyres will be quieter than others. I've heard the newer Toyo sports tyres are very good, can't remember the model though.

[ldc]

I would sacrifice looks for a little noise, if i go 18s. Stockly speaking it's abit disatifying i would think, that said Dunlop tyres in the past has given me alot of thumbs up.

[ProjectIS]

The tread design has a lot to do with noise also. Apparently the directional tyres will always be noisier than the more generic passenger tyre, and it's always the more sports/aesthetic minded that want these tyres. As mentioned already, some sports tyres will be quieter than others. I've heard the newer Toyo sports tyres are very good, can't remember the model though.

Just to re-enforce Bluey's comment, this is the rubber I roll on at the moment. Goodyear F1's.

With the Eagle F1's, the tread runs uninterrupted from shoulder to shoulder.In both straight driving and cornering, there is always a very large contact area on the road. Unfortunately, as a result, the road noise is significantly louder. Do I personally care, nah, thats a trade off im willing to make for a good quality tyre. By the way, Tyre Rack rated them 9/10 even with the greater then normal road noise. I will definately look @ getting them again when I get the 19's. (I know QQQ thought the same about the noise when he ran these!)