Hello All,

I recently upgraded from a '350 to an F, and have been considering upgrading the OEM exhaust system with the Invidia Q300 cat-back setup. I am looking for a *slightly* louder than OEM sound - something that won't embarrass me when I start my car in the apartment complex parking lot at 7AM. I had the Invidia axle-back exhaust on my '350, there was noticeable drone, and was a notch too loud for my taste when cruising - I wonder if that carries over to the F.
If anyone has any perspective on the Invidia vs. OEM sound, especially when cruising on the highway, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

I have had Invidia for 5+ years on my RCF. Never noticed any drone, but I use paddle shifters every time I drive so I don't lug the engine. It is usually in the right gear so rarely I am in a high gear and low rpm situation. The V6 engine typically has a lot more drony characteristics than a high strung V8. I have a 2019 IS350 F-Sport as well and even bone stock I notice it tends to drone a little.
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The Invidia RCF exhaust is a popular upgrade, definitely not too loud. Either this or like a Revel axle back is a good exhaust with no drone. We have both in stock.

-Josh

 

The Invidia on the RCF is the perfect upgrade, sound-wise, for what you're looking for. It's a touch louder than stock so you know there's a V8, but at cruising speeds there's barely any difference. A lot of guys end up finding it too quiet and chop off the resonators, but I think that ends up introducing a touch of drone. I think it's popularity is helped by also being one of the cheaper exhaust options available.

Once I added headers, it really woke things up. Since the Invidia is pretty tame, it keeps things reasonable.

The huge downside about the Invidia though is they use the wrong sized flange at the manifold/header connection and it can cause a bit of a headache trying to solve emissions related check engine lights. I have a detailed thread on how to resolve this though and I still get PMs here and from Facebook from people it has helped. Tech Tip: Invidia Exhaust Gasket Leaks and CEL Luckily it's a fairly easy issue to resolve once you know about it.

 

If you thought the axle back on your 350 was a touch too loud then the full cat back on an ‘F’ will definitely be too loud for you.

A few options:
Borla axle back
Factory 350 performance axle back

 

I was in the same boat and ended up with getting the Revel axle back. It's definitely more than stock. Cold start ups are nice, but tones down when warmed up.

 

There are a lot of great options for the F, but I do think Invidia is one of the most balanced bang for your buck systems. I can't tolerate drone. There is 0 drone.

 

Until it throws a CEL. People need to stop recommending parts with known manufacturing defects. What does that say about a manufacturer’s respect for the community? What does it say about a vendors respect for the community? Or the community itself?

 

I don't think it is that serious. Easy fixes have been discussed for years. I made a video on it as well:


No the flange does not match the manifold flanges as easy as you would like them to. But if the resolution has been readily made available and disclosed, not sure the issue. To each his own at the end of the day. I don't think this small adjustment at all discredits the system.

 

This was even referenced on this thread....

 

You proved my point. It’s been going on for years. Years. It shouldn’t be up to the end user to fix a manufacturing defect.

 

again........

 

I think the Invidia is a good bang for your buck honestly.

I enjoy the sound and it's not insanely loud or straight pipe rasp...etc. As I get older, I am liking more subtle. I used to like straight pipe loud, but now find it completely obnoxious and annoying. What bothers me the most is all the noise that is happening yet hardly moving or going fast. If it's a super/hyper car, completely different story. Normal cars just don't fit that anymore to me,

Yes the Invidia flange could be better. Why they used that 3" is probably way easier to manufacture. With that being said, I get the annoying part of it but just like many have mentioned there are several threads on what to do. I was the one that first started looking at aftermarket thicker gaskets, and thus started recommending the Grimmspeed (either size. I personally went with the 12layer double thickness). If done properly it seems like you shouldn't have an issue. Could people still have issues...YES. But we've seen SOOOOOOOOO many threads of what happens when you twist the crap out of the o2 wires and then mess stuff up. Or not aligning the gaskets/pipes right. For the extra 15-20 minutes (on top of the 1-2hrs of install) worth of double checking and aligning most people will NOT have a CEL if they are doing the install. If you are having a shop install the exhaust...well, you'll probably have an issue. Most shops just get the car up in the air, unbolt the old and bolt up the new...done.

If one REALLY wanted to go OEM solution then cut the flanges off the mid pipe and take it to a shop to weld onto the invidia section and you'd have an OEM solution that uses OEM gaskets. It shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred to do. Then you'd never have to worry abuot a CEL happening because we are using the correct crush gaskets. For how expensive these cars are MSRP if you bought new, what is a couple hundred bucks? OR, look at it that you are still coming in WAY under an OEM+ exhaust like the Tom's.

Invidia Exhaust - $1200-1,300 normally with free shipping from almost every place online.
Tom's axle back s/s - $2,200 or for the Ti version - $3,300.
-NOW add a midpipe to the Tom's in order to make it a catback system. Most go with Apexi. Add another $1000... so you are anywhere from $3,200-$4,300.
IF you want ALL OEM+ Tom's Ti catback you are close to $10k for an exhaust.

So how is spending a couple hundred to fix or address an issue with the Invidia flange that bad? One is EASILY saving at a MIMIUM $1,700 from going the Tom's s/s axle backand Apexi mid pipe combo. You'd be saving even more ($2,800) if you went the Ti axleback with apexi , midpipe. And an even more insane savings of $8,500 from the Tom's TI catback.. All to get roughly the same performance.

Most folks are OK with the above knowing how much you are saving when it comes to exhausts... I totally get that sound is super subjective but with exhausts it's not like our cars are going to sound insanely different. There's only so many configurations of non catted/straight pipe/resonators. that can be had and we've pretty much seen/heard it all. One might be louder/raspier.etc. But it's not some insanely different sound.

I'm OK knowing I saved close to $2k for what might be a flange fix in the future if I truly don't want headaches years later. But, as people have posted who have the Invidia, some have had it on for YEARS with zero issues, while others can't seem to get rid of the CEL... Everyone's milage will vary slightly but to me it's not this huge blown out of proportion thing...

-Nigel