Flash5

Oh I totally didn’t mean it towards him and in that way! My bad! Lol I meant it in like general someone who has that much sensitivity to road noise probably has a medical condition where they are much more sensitive to noise than a normal human. @davyjordi @arentz07

arentz07

People have different preferences. Sometimes I like to drive without music on - call me an alien if you want. But, in that case road noise totally matters. Or, if I am on a long trip, even with music, road noise can be mentally fatiguing after a while. So, for me at least, tire noise is a big deal. Having said that, I can put up with some noise if it means added performance - and in the case of these Michelins I agree with you that the noise is totally good considering the grip levels. However, I mean you said it yourself, it's subjective.

davyjordi

totally agreed, and thanks @arentz07

arentz07

Oh, one other thing I meant to mention is that it also depends on what you are doing with your tires. For a track/autocross setup, I'd probably be fine throwing some Dunlop Direzza's on there since I know I'd be beating the crap out of them. For a daily, I'd probably lean more towards some Michelins, or more likely the Firestone Indy 500s. Those Firestones are pretty quiet for their price while still giving just enough performance for an IS.

Flash5

Didn’t realize CL veterans were so sensitive on here. Doesn’t help I’m in the medical field so I’m a little desensitized when it comes to medical conditions. Anyways, it was just my opinion that road noise is NOT that serious.

arentz07

... I think it's not a matter of sensitivity, as in medically, as it is a matter of expectations. Some people got this IS because it's a refined, quiet Lexus. Sure would be a shame to ruin that with loud tires. I think we've beaten this topic to death - obviously there is no need to defend the desire for a comfortable, quiet tire. Further posts on this subject of "sensitivity" are discouraged as I'll just remove them.

Flash5

Flash5

I just reread this and realized your point is moot because if you wanted a quiet ride you set yourself up for failure by buying a car that has low profile tires. The IS is not the car for a quiet ride at least not with stock wheels and stock tire sizes.

arentz07

That is fair. But I've driven quite a few cars recently and realized that the IS is pretty quiet among them. Compare it to something like a Camaro or other mainstream brand car, and it's no contest. I think my GTI is somewhat of an outlier in that it's pretty quiet, but still not as quiet as the IS. Funny thing is that it has the same tire size as the IS's front tires, too. To your point, the IS really is compromised a little to give you a sportier ride compared to something like an ES. However, I think you can want that sportier ride, RWD dynamics, and the looks of the IS without having really sporty tires. And if you want to do it that way, the IS can do it.

I went the opposite way, getting the BFGoodrich tires which were definitely more sport-oriented rather than comfort-oriented. They were definitely great-handling tires, but when I was driving on an 8-hour road trip through Oklahoma and Texas, some of the concrete sections of interstate in Texas just about drove me crazy with how loud the road noise was. I can almost guarantee you a different set of tires would have improved the situation. However, I had a feeling something like that might happen, but I chose those tires anyway for the improved performance especially for the price (knowing there was a chance the IS would eat the tires anyway). Now that I am in the GTI, I managed to snag tires that are both quiet and perform right up there with the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ in all tests I've seen. They're just newer tech, so not really that surprising. But the quietness is really the part of the tires I like the most, since I can drive on the worse parts of the streets here in KC and still be able to actually enjoy some music or just chill and not have a constant growl in my ears. And like I said, this is in A) a car that it much cheaper than the IS and B) on tires that are the same size as the front tires as the IS. Still makes a huge difference.

Flash5

There’s no doubt you can get a more quiet set of tires, but if you keep the stock size sidewall you’re gonna get more noise than like an ES or something less sporty with thicker sidewalks. I guess all I wanted to point out was that for the IS I don’t feel that it’s fair to complain about road noise regardless of tires since you’re most likely going to stick with stock tire sizes which are low profile. Low profile = more noise.

davyjordi

there is absolutely no doubt that the car is a sporty sedan, but it isn't at all a sports car. before all, the vehicle is still a lexus and that lexus comes with quite a serene ride when compared to a lot of the pedestrian competition and is in line with the rest of the luxury segment -- at least that at which it was compared to when it originally came out in 2013 as a 2014 model year. the stock bridgestones are not ideal and everyone here knows that, in fact, the firestone firehawk indy 500s are probably the best low-profile tire that provide for the best compromise of handling and control of road noise that i've experienced on the vehicle - others have suggested various hankook tires, although i can't speak to those. even with the stock bridgestones, however, the car is quite quiet and the OP wanted to know how to quiet the ride even more which is also a concern that interests me as i'm running the stock bridgestones at present as they came with the car when i purchased it and there are unquestionably better options out there whether one wants to go in the direction of acquiring better handling or acquiring a quieter ride.

these are priorities that you cannot deny another, and again, you must remember that this is no track car. it's not even a sports car in its highest configuration with the 3.5L V6. It just doesn't compete. It does handle well, although there are better handling vehicles out there in this segment and lexus relies upon its serenity and reliability/dependability for a lot of buyers -- me included. i use the car to drive either in bumper-to-bumper return commuting traffic or largely open morning commuting highways.

there should be no need to argue against one who is looking for an a preference that differs from yours as they clearly, as in the case of this entire thread, have different priorities.

arentz07

Yes, looking back, the IS handles extremely well especially considering its weight relative to other compact high-end sedans. TBH I think driving the Lexus on twisties is more engaging than a stock F30 3-series (including M-Sport package, haven't driven one without that). The weird thing is how the IS doesn't always feel ready to attack - that is, it can be more relaxed.

Yes! And I could totally see the argument of the IS being a daily, while there's a, say, Lotus in the garage for the weekends. In that case, maybe you maximize the comfort of the IS, since you're really going to hop in the Lotus for the aggressive driving. Just to give yet another example.

Flash5

No one is saying it’s wrong to want quiet tires, but you’re not going to get a super quiet ride with the 3IS no matter what tires you put on it. That’s a fact unless you move up in sidewall. Less sidewall leads to more road noise absorption from the chassis which ends up going into the cabin. No one is saying that the IS is a performance sports car either, but it’s definitely been tweaked to ride somewhat like one. Go get a Lexus ES if you want dead silence.

davyjordi

i'm 34. i'm not the target demographic for an es and even if i were to be an outlier, i'm not. that said, the is is perfectly fine with the right tires on the car. the bridgestones are clearly not them. moreover, i didn't say that i wanted dead silence and i don't think the op did either, although i'd have reread his post. there are clearly better options out there if the car is a daily and comfort is preferable without moving up in sidewall - the firestone firehawk indy 500s are most likely what i'll end up replacing the bridgestones with and i'd be absolutely fine with that mix performance and minimization of highway drone. is there a better tire out there suited to my needs? i dunno, that was the point of the creation of this thread. it looks, thus far, however as though the firestones are preferable in my case unless someone who has the same preferences as me can chime in on a tire without having sidewalls the size commonly found on a 1950's buick.

davyjordi

i agree with you, it does totally handle amazingly if you are able to take it into the mountains or through the canyons here in southern california.

and if i were to get rid of the acura, i'd get perhaps an alfa romeo giulia quadrifoglio (assuming i'd want to take on a loan, which i don't as i own both the lexus and acura outright) which i've had the pleasure of driving and that car is one amazing machine. it's a shame that it has such horrible reliability problems.