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Just had the latest NX300 on 24hr test drive. The road noise was truly terrible. Really started to wear you out. When I took it back the dealer said the previous model was even worse!

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I noticed this road noise on a courtesy NX, as well as the new CT. it’s almost like there isn’t enough sound deadening in the newer, smaller cars. I don’t think it’s unique to Lexus though...

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As I have said in another thread, just swapped OEM Yokohama tyres for Michelin cross Climates and it has made quite a difference to the noise level

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As Dan has noted, the CrossClimates really do seem to reduce road noise, and I haven't seen an increase in fuel consumption since fitting them. In general NX reviews seem to think it's a fairly quiet car: Autocar's 2014 road test had the NX as quiet at 70 mph as an F-Pace at 30 mph, which possibly isn't saying much... 

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One of the problems with saying the road noise is bad is that unlike every other diesel I have owned you don't hear the road noise because of the noise the engine makes

the petrol engine is so quite (except when you put your foot down)

Never driven a Outlander PHEV but maybe to compare it with this on Electric only as some owners say it is more noisy under electric inside than when the engine goes.

AS said before it is all down to the tyres and I still have Yocos on so it does seem quite a lot of road noise 

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That ^^^^^^^^ is a very good point.

Just about every other car this size has a grumbly 4-cyl diesel engine in the background. The NX doesn't which exposes everything else. The road noise is no worse than most other cars of its type, actually quieter than an Evoque with silly sized tyres. 

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@FunkyboyI found the same when I had an F-Sport model when my standard Sport was at the dealer (not sure what model you had?). The standard suspension seems much quieter based on my experience, and tyres also make a big difference as noted by others. 

My NX is quieter on all levels than my previous Honda CRV, but I doubt it is as quiet as my saloon Accord was. 

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10 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

@FunkyboyI found the same when I had an F-Sport model when my standard Sport was at the dealer (not sure what model you had?). The standard suspension seems much quieter based on my experience, and tyres also make a big difference as noted by others. 

My NX is quieter on all levels than my previous Honda CRV, but I doubt it is as quiet as my saloon Accord was. 

With the cross climates on the having an accord before the NX the road noise isn't much different

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The only other consideration is the condition of the roads,  pot holes aren't the main problem of road noise its the poorly repaired pot holes and all the worn out sections making the roads look like patchwork quilt

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On 30 March 2018 at 9:03 PM, Heanorboy said:

One of the problems with saying the road noise is bad is that unlike every other diesel I have owned you don't hear the road noise because of the noise the engine makes

the petrol engine is so quite (except when you put your foot down)

Never driven a Outlander PHEV but maybe to compare it with this on Electric only as some owners say it is more noisy under electric inside than when the engine goes.

AS said before it is all down to the tyres and I still have Yocos on so it does seem quite a lot of road noise 

Did the same trip after the test drive in my own car which is diesel. My car was so much quieter with road noise. You also can't hear the engine in mine though the NX engine was also very quite it was the road and wind noise that was dissapointing 

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On 31 March 2018 at 10:13 AM, EssexGonzo said:

That ^^^^^^^^ is a very good point.

Just about every other car this size has a grumbly 4-cyl diesel engine in the background. The NX doesn't which exposes everything else. The road noise is no worse than most other cars of its type, actually quieter than an Evoque with silly sized tyres. 

My current car is diesel when on motorway there isn't any engine noise (though there wasn't in the NX either) it was the road and wind noise that I found excessive in NX my own car was substantially quiter 

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45 minutes ago, Funkyboy said:

Did the same trip after the test drive in my own car which is diesel. My car was so much quieter with road noise. You also can't hear the engine in mine though the NX engine was also very quite it was the road and wind noise that was dissapointing 

You do have to understand that you can't really compare an SUV to a saloon in terms of wind noise simply because of the poorer aerodynamics leading to more wind noise on the SUV. Crosswinds on the motorway will also cause a substantial increase in wind noise which would not normally be present on a normal day

Road noise is almost certainly to do with the tyres as others have commented on. 

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Yep. Tyres make a big difference. Agreed. Road noise definitely reduced when I replaced the OE Yokohamas with Goodyear Efficient Grip tyres. Difference was quite marked. MY experience is that an F-Sport is always noisier than a non F-Sport too. At least to my own ears

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've come to the conclusion the noise thing is a bit like living near an airport or a railway line - some people get really really bugged by it, others (like me - I live near a railway line) just aren't bothered at all.

I had a four-hour round trip on Saturday (which is mammoth by NI standards!) and just don't notice it at all - motorways, expressways, major roads, minor roads, just not at all. I have Bridgestones, which are not ideal.

I would agree that the noise is ever so slightly more noticeable than in an IS, but barely.

Just one of those things, I guess.

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  • 1 year later...

I have had my 2019 Lexus NX 300 for a month and took it on the freeway for an hours drive. THE NOISE from the other vehicles is making me CRAZY. My last car was totaled. It was a 2013 RX 350.... I love how this car drives, but the noise is so bad!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/16/2018 at 11:30 PM, steveledzep said:

I find the road surface to be the largest contributor to noise.  On my commute home I go from a concrete road to a tarmac road and the difference in noise level is huge.

I would concur with this. There is a new section of A1 / A14 which I travelled on recently. Absolutely whisper quiet on this section in terms of road noise. However as soon as you get off the new bit and on to the older section of the A1, the road noise increases substantially. The NX is fine, it’s the roads.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A close friend with a new Volvo XC40 diesel was amazed at how quiet my NX is, as most passengers are in my experience. Having just completed a long motorway jaunt, I find the NX a very quiet cruiser indeed.

Having had a number of loan Lexus models over the past couple of years - IS, RC, RX and GS - I can say the only one I found to be noticeably quieter than the NX was the GS. 

As others have said, tyres make an amazing difference. I had two new RX courtesy cars for a week each, back to back. The first (F-Sport) was really noisy on the motorway, much louder than my NX. The second (Sport) was like a different car, the difference really was startling. Before that I'd never realised what a huge difference a tyre could make.

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I have put the Michelin cross climate on my NX. What a difference.  I let the salesperson at Lexus have a drive after they were fitted. He could not believe the difference. He even asked the sales manager why Lexus did not fit them as standard.

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  • 4 weeks later...
A close friend with a new Volvo XC40 diesel was amazed at how quiet my NX is, as most passengers are in my experience. Having just completed a long motorway jaunt, I find the NX a very quiet cruiser indeed.
Having had a number of loan Lexus models over the past couple of years - IS, RC, RX and GS - I can say the only one I found to be noticeably quieter than the NX was the GS. 
As others have said, tyres make an amazing difference. I had two new RX courtesy cars for a week each, back to back. The first (F-Sport) was really noisy on the motorway, much louder than my NX. The second (Sport) was like a different car, the difference really was startling. Before that I'd never realised what a huge difference a tyre could make.
First Lexus is right the tyres make a big difference

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  • 4 years later...

There is ALOT of misconception about the run flats. When I got the 2023 NX350h, I thought i was driving a truck. It is SO noisy and like most people I thought it was the run flats. I spent another $1k and got some "quiet" all season cooper tires, STILL noisy. Its mostly the car that's noisy, not the tires. Think the engineers were drunk at the time as you can see the fenders are crooked. Not even an ARC. How difficult is it to take a circle and cut it in half? They also forgot to put noise cancelling tech under the vehicle and especially around the wheel area. The NX is definitely not a luxury vehicle. You have to spend another 2k to get it sound proof, then another 1k on a tire package.

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6 hours ago, ti009nx said:

When I got the 2023 NX350h, I thought i was driving a truck. It is SO noisy and like most people I thought it was the run flats…. Its mostly the car that's noisy, not the tires. Think the engineers were drunk at the time as you can see the fenders are crooked…. They also forgot to put noise cancelling tech under the vehicle and especially around the wheel area. The NX is definitely not a luxury vehicle. You have to spend another 2k to get it sound proof, then another 1k on a tire package.

I note that the brochure boasts of this vehicle’s ‘quietness’!

Did you buy this new from a Lexus dealer?  If so, did they not notice the ‘crooked fenders’ or the missing ‘noise cancelling tech’?

If this is all as you say, then I would have thought you had a case for demanding that the Dealer rectify what would appear to be faults or you reject the car!

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