Threxx

I'm sure the LS430 is still smoother/softer riding. But is the fact that the GS is a 5 year newer design enough to allow it to be close to or as quiet as the current gen LS in terms of road noise and in general NHV?

I know my generation (98-05) GS is most definitely louder than the LS430. Not even on the same level IMO.

flipside909

The new GS is very quiet, quieter than it's predecessors but the ultimate quiet goes to the LS430 hands down.

timoc42

would the 04 and newer LS430 be quieter than the older 01-03 LS430?

jyg es3

just drove one 05 ls430. much much quieter that gs 430. gs is designed to make some noise. also drove gs300, runflats make ride very hard, seat on gs300 is no way as comfortable as ls430/ can get $5 k off ls430 $58 for ls 430. with nav & levinson, same price as full boat gs430

Threxx

Is the new GS at least noticably quieter and smoother riding than the old GS (and keep in mind comparing a 80k mile previous gen GS to a brand new 06 probably skews the comparo a bit as well)

lexusls430

The 04-05 are a little quiter that the 01-03 but you cant really tell a huge difference.

DXC

LS430 still

But I always do exhaust upgrade for cars, so this feature is never in my concern

Rockville

More sound insulation in the LS430 and a different exhaust system make this no contest at all.

JHStrange

At one time Lotus (Cars) Engineering was working on an active sound suppression that used strategically placed microphones to capture sounds and then would play back sounds through the speakers that there 180 degress out of phase to cancel them out. I think similar technology is used in Helicopter headsets. Anyway, with the ML sound system this would seem like a natural for the Lexus.

DXC

just a personal preferrence thing I think your opinion will wipe out the entire Japanese VIP culture

sirrob11

This is what Acura and Bose do for the 2005 RL.

flipside909

The Mark Levinson Systems for Lexus are far more advanced than the Bose systems you find in Honda, Nissan and etc.

Threxx

He's referring to active noise cancelation, which is a very cool feature found in the new Acural RL w/ Bose and the new Honda Accord Hybrid (which uses an Alpine-based system although it doesn't say anywhere in the car). ML/Lexus have not done yet. But while we're on the subject, the RL also has DVD-Audio, 5.1 sound, etc, etc which is more than can be said for any of the ML systems except for the one in the new GS which is definitely superior. They were kind of late to the game in terms of surround sound though considering the GS just now came out.

Acura's 30k dollar TL and its panasonic system have had 5.1 sound for almost 2 years now. And I've gotta admit... if I use a 2-channel CD in my friend's 05 TL compared to the Nakamichi in my 99 GS4, I think my GS4 sounds marginally better. Much less crisp mid-bass (punch) in my GS4, but the highs and sub-frequencies are defnitely clearer and truer and overall it sounds better. But man you stick a 5.1 DVD-Audio disc in that car and it's just flat out amazing. Blows the imaging and clarity in my GS4's Nak away. True 2 channel vs 5.1 isn't fair, but hey... it's the best that both of our cars have to offer.

flipside909

Honda used that Alpine based system on the last generation Prelude.

Lexus' interior acoustics and sound deadening are well engineered that an artificial noise cancellation system would be almost pointless.

Oh yes, the Nakamichi systems that Lexus previously used is far advanced in comparison to Bose systems as well. Lexus has done a fine job over the years in their selection for in-car audio systems. Even the benchmark Nakamichi system in the 1990 LS400 blows away many car audio systems in many new cars these days.

Threxx

If there is ANY noise in the cabin then active noise cancelation still most definitely has a point. And I don't know about the LS430 but my GS400 definitely has noise (albeit noticably less than many other cars).

And while Nakamichi and ML speakers, amps, engineering, etc are most certainly worlds beyond that of Bose (I'm very big into audio so I know what kind of rep all three brands carry and how bad Bose's is), it still doesn't defeat the point that some of the Bose and Panasonic systems were using 5.1 DVD-A capability well before ML did, and even now the only surround sound ML system on the market is in the just-released GS.