Road and Wind Noise At Speed

I think up to 160km/h (100mph) it's really quite. The only noise I hear is from the tires which seems to get less with each kilometer driven.

I stand corrected. Drove a 335 today, (MT) and it was quiet. Not like the Team USA cars I drove before.

We have lots of negative feedback here (Malaysia) regarding wind rustling noise coming from the wing mirrors. You start to hear it from 110 km/hr onwards and gets really loud at 140 km/hr. We drive on the right hand side and am wondering if the wing mirrors are the same with that of the left hand drive version.

I think my 328i is super quiet. But anything is quieter than my c6 corvette.

Originally Posted by Willy5

We have lots of negative feedback here (Malaysia) regarding wind rustling noise coming from the wing mirrors. You start to hear it from 110 km/hr onwards and gets really loud at 140 km/hr. We drive on the right hand side and am wondering if the wing mirrors are the same with that of the left hand drive version.

I test drove a bunch of F30s and noticed serious wind noise from the mirror on only one car. I have had my F30 up to 140km/h and have not observed any serious buffeting.

Perhaps some cars have a problem with mirror cap installation or the mirror itself has a slight design defect.

Originally Posted by Steven79

I think my 328i is super quiet. But anything is quieter than my c6 corvette.

Mine was very quiet. I don't recall being bothered by wind noise even at 100mph on the autobahn during ED. I can verify as my redelivery is today.

I don't understand those that say the F30 is quiet. It depends what you are comparing it to, but it is NOT a quiet car. It is MUCH louder than my e90 and x1 I'm currently driving. This should not be the case in 2013 on $50,000 automobiles. For those that are blaming the mirrors, the X1 has the same mirrors as the F30 minus the wind noise option.

Quiet? It's everything BUT. Take a look at the 11 pages about the wind & tire noise http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781339. If you're looking for a quiet car, stay away.

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Didn't you have an e90 convertible? You think that might impact your assessment?

Also, tire choices and tire status...

The f30 is larger and lighter than the e90. And the e90 used more aluminum. Where did that weight savings come from? Some of it came from sound deadening removal in the f30.

It's still a great, quiet ride in it's class. But some people expect it to be lexus-quiet, and it's not, and it's not meant to be.

I don't think this statement is accurate. Weight loss came from a variety of things, one of them being a slightly different alloy used for the side and rear steel. I'm not saying I know emphatically they didn't remove sound deadening, but suggesting they MUST have removed some seems pretty illogical. Did you read that they removed some? I would be interested in the article.

Most of the noise you will hear is generated by the action of the tires on certain types of highway. I find this car on it's Pirelli tires to be quieter than
the 2010 Lexus ES350 we just sold, on blacktop roads. On cement roads, the noise on both cars is comparable. I am not counting the exhaust noise as in this car you hear it, but it sounds distant. In other words, it doesn't sound like the noise is inside the car. The Lexus has more wind noise than the Bimmer at speeds around 80-85 mph.

As for the 2007 Lexus GS350 we used to have, THAT was a noisy car. The wind noise and road noise were quite prominent. We were happy to get rid of that car as the only positive attributes we found were the powerful engine and the nice interior. Braking and steering on that car was like old American cars. Even the ride was quite choppy on its lousy Japanese "performance" tires.

I find wind noise suppression to be one of the great positive assets on both the E46 and F30 Bimmers.

EDIT: The above pertains to our 2013 328i LUXURY. The Sport loaner I drove had more road roar, perhaps due to a combination of wider tires and stiffer suspension.

Hugh H.
MSgt (Ret) USAF

I guess it depends what you are comparing it too. I was going to get a 2011 coupe and noticed the 2012 sedan is noisier with wind, but road noise was about the same. Compared to my Acura TL, it is a lot noisier on both road and wind noise. Also the AC sounds like high speed wind in a tunnel. Very hallow sounding almost like they are using a cheap blower motor or they use very thin plastic on the ducts. Only had the car for a couple weeks, but when I turned on the AC it freaked me out it was so loud compared to the TL that I thought something was wrong. I know off topic but kind of on topic as it is technically wind noise :-)

Yes, we can safely add the super-noisy AC to the $15k-category-car noises list ...

Originally Posted by HugH

Most of the noise you will hear is generated by the action of the tires on certain types of highway. I find this car on it's Pirelli tires to be quieter than
the 2010 Lexus ES350 we just sold, on blacktop roads. On cement roads, the noise on both cars is comparable. I am not counting the exhaust noise as in this car you hear it, but it sounds distant. In other words, it doesn't sound like the noise is inside the car. The Lexus has more wind noise than the Bimmer at speeds around 80-85 mph.

As for the 2007 Lexus GS350 we used to have, THAT was a noisy car. The wind noise and road noise were quite prominent. We were happy to get rid of that car as the only positive attributes we found were the powerful engine and the nice interior. Braking and steering on that car was like old American cars. Even the ride was quite choppy on its lousy Japanese "performance" tires.

I find wind noise suppression to be one of the great positive assets on both the E46 and F30 Bimmers.

EDIT: The above pertains to our 2013 328i LUXURY. The Sport loaner I drove had more road roar, perhaps due to a combination of wider tires and stiffer suspension.

Hugh H.
MSgt (Ret) USAF

Wow, that is quite surprising as a colleague of mine has a 2010 ES350 as well and it is so much quieter than my 2013 328 Luxury. No detectable wind noise in his Lexus and absolute isolation from road noise. So, if you find your F30 quieter, it leaves me optimistic that there may actually be a fix for the noise. As it is now, the wind noise is so obtrusive, I can' t stand it. I am constantly pulling at the window tabs to make sure the windows are up. The road noise, well, I can live with. I don't want total isolation from the road. But, I do expect total isolation from the wind, to some degree anyway.

Hi there

After reading all the posts saying it is a quiet car, I think I need to get my car checked out. I have had my car for about two months and from day 1 I felt it was noisy for a higher end car. I have a 2003 Acura TL and a newer MDX - both are much quieter. Guess I was enjoying the car too much to worry about the noise. Thanks for the info all.

I just read the last few posts and looks like others have concerns about noise.

Originally Posted by Gocar

I just read the last few posts and looks like others have concerns about noise.

It is a very common complaint. In fact, it is probably the most common complaint about the F30.

Originally Posted by metrathon

Yes, we can safely add the super-noisy AC to the $15k-category-car noises list ...

My AC doesn't make much noise when it's on auto. When you hit MAX AC, it makes a bunch of noise because it turns every fan on high. Not unexpected IMO. I've only used max AC after getting into a car that's been in the sun. Otherwise, it's not really noticeable in auto.

Originally Posted by KLC

My AC doesn't make much noise when it's on auto. When you hit MAX AC, it makes a bunch of noise because it turns every fan on high. Not unexpected IMO. I've only used max AC after getting into a car that's been in the sun. Otherwise, it's not really noticeable in auto.

Quite honestly, I haven't noticed the AC at all; probably because the wind noise over powers it!

Originally Posted by bluemark

Quite honestly, I haven't noticed the AC at all; probably because the wind noise over powers it!

It's possible the wind noise affects certain trim lines and or production weeks given the rampant disconnect in feedback here. You, for example, suggest the wind noise is very loud and noticeable. Others have said they noticed how quiet the car is. It seems most likely that a certain trim and/or production week(s) had some issues.

Originally Posted by KLC

It's possible the wind noise affects certain trim lines and or production weeks given the rampant disconnect in feedback here. You, for example, suggest the wind noise is very loud and noticeable. Others have said they noticed how quiet the car is. It seems most likely that a certain trim and/or production week(s) had some issues.

Very true which leaves me with some optimism that it is a fixable problem.

Just picked up my 328 sport line yesterday and while overall it seems quieter than my previous 335d, there some seem to be some leakage through the side mirror / seal area. If addressed, it would be a very quiet car relative to what I am used to. A little off-topic, but much softer ride too (sport pk vs sport pk, both with rft AS tires).

It's quiet with the windows up. You really can't feel that you are moving (prone to speeding unless you are careful). Open the moonroof and it's about as noisy as it can get (not fun).

Originally Posted by CALWATERBOY

Can't imagine F30 would have degraded acoustics re: E9x....

Even with my top down I can easily have a conversation. Heck, the needle was passing 130 mph yet I could still hear wifey hysterically shouting at me to slow down as she pounded my right shoulder - and, yup, top down!

.

Hitting/distracting driver going at 130mph....

Emission commented on the noise issue when he reviewed an early 335i in January 2012. He thought BMW used less noise insulation relative to the E90 to save on weight.

I noticed quite a bit of noise, mainly road and wind noise, when I drove a 328i last spring. Then maybe six months ago , a 335i I drove seemed completely quiet.

I assume for now the issue mainly afflicts the early cars. At least that's what I hope is the case.

Originally Posted by bluemark

Very true which leaves me with some optimism that it is a fixable problem.

Originally Posted by Robert A

Emission commented on the noise issue when he reviewed an early 335i in January 2012. He thought BMW used less noise insulation relative to the E90 to save on weight.

I noticed quite a bit of noise, mainly road and wind noise, when I drove a 328i last spring. Then maybe six months ago , a 335i I drove seemed completely quiet.

I assume for now the issue mainly afflicts the early cars. At least that's what I hope is the case.

Is it possible my car is actually a 2012 and they sold it as a 2013?