Road Noise

Crispy · December 14, 2006

In the 12 months I have owned my IS250, it has managed to have 4 different sets of tyres. I only paid for the last set though.

Set 1 - OEM Bridgestone RE050A - nothing special about these tyres, were too noisy.

Set 2 - Pirelli P7 - fitted by Lexus after road noise complaint - Awful tyres, rough ride and whine like a 4wd.

Set 3 - Falken ST115 - claimed to be a very quiet tyre which is why I got them. Unfortunately while they were noticeably quieter than the Pirelli tyres, they did whine as you slowed below 60kmph, almost right down to a full stop. Was really starting to get on my nerves. This whine was also evident on the Bridgestones but not the Pirellis. However, if you are looking for a performance tyre then this one is for you. Sticks like glue.

Once Lexus reimbursed me for the Falkens I gave them the Pirellis back. Was talking to the service guys yesterday and they said they put the Pirellis on the car of another IS250 customer who had complained about road noise. I asked if he was happy with the Pirellis, they said they thought not. No surprises there.

Set 4 - Did more research and found that the newly released Goodyear Excellence was making claims about road noise suppression. Had considered the Bridgestone ER50 but the Goodyear was a much newer tyre so thought it should have better technology. Also being a much newer tyre that was claimed to meet new EUC noise regulations so I thought I would bite the bullet and give it a go.

:) What a difference! If you want to reduce road noise then this is the tyre for you. Noticeably quieter on medium texture and smooth roads. Only noisy on coarse chip bitumen, but even then still quieter than the other 3 brands.

They have a firm ride, but no more so than the other 3 brands, and seem to absorb road imperfections better. To top it all off they were the least expensive.

nicnac · December 14, 2006

In the 12 months I have owned my IS250, it has managed to have 4 different sets of tyres. I only paid for the last set though.
Set 1 - OEM Bridgestone RE050A - nothing special about these tyres, were too noisy.

Set 2 - Pirelli P7 - fitted by Lexus after road noise complaint - Awful tyres, rough ride and whine like a 4wd.

Set 3 - Falken ST115 - claimed to be a very quiet tyre which is why I got them. Unfortunately while they were noticeably quieter than the Pirelli tyres, they did whine as you slowed below 60kmph, almost right down to a full stop. Was really starting to get on my nerves. This whine was also evident on the Bridgestones but not the Pirellis. However, if you are looking for a performance tyre then this one is for you. Sticks like glue.

Once Lexus reimbursed me for the Falkens I gave them the Pirellis back. Was talking to the service guys yesterday and they said they put the Pirellis on the car of another IS250 customer who had complained about road noise. I asked if he was happy with the Pirellis, they said they thought not. No surprises there.

Set 4 - Did more research and found that the newly released Goodyear Excellence was making claims about road noise suppression. Had considered the Bridgestone ER50 but the Goodyear was a much newer tyre so thought it should have better technology. Also being a much newer tyre that was claimed to meet new EUC noise regulations so I thought I would bite the bullet and give it a go.

:) What a difference! If you want to reduce road noise then this is the tyre for you. Noticeably quieter on medium texture and smooth roads. Only noisy on coarse chip bitumen, but even then still quieter than the other 3 brands.

They have a firm ride, but no more so than the other 3 brands, and seem to absorb road imperfections better. To top it all off they were the least expensive.

good info for the future