LC vs LX road noise

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JonD

JonD

10 Year
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Threads
16
Messages
222
Location
Maine
Hi all- been lurking here for a while and have been obsessed with purchasing my first LC for the last 6 months or so after getting to ride in a friends.

Hands down, the looks of the 100 series LC over the LX win me over every time, BUT the fact is I am going to be using this mostly on pavement as a family hauler and for my short 15 mile commute to work. I currently drive a 2008 Rav 4 Limited V6 and I love it EXCEPT for the road noise on the highway. I am done having to crank up the volume in order to listen to the radio while driving to work and really want my next vehicle to have a quiet cabin.

So, strictly on the criteria of road noise, would you go the LC or LX route?

This came up in a recent thread about LC vs LX but no one addressed it directly and I have not been able to find anything on the forums. Does the LX actually have more sound-deadening material in it?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and thanks for having me- I have had a lot of fun over the past months learning from you all and soaking it all in.

Cheers,

Jon
 
I don't think there is any difference. When I was looking for my 100 I test drove two LC's and two LX's and noticed zero difference in road noise. Maybe a slight difference with the standard suspensions and the AHC. The AHC seemed a tad quieter and softer but barely noticeable. The 100 is significantly quieter than the 80 I had before it and my 80 was a lot quieter than the XJ, TJ, and WJ I had before it. Overall a very quiet vehicle. That all goes to hell if you start running huge knobby mud tires.
 
I have heard that the Lexus has different door gap seals and insulation to cut down on road noise, but I think you will be happy with either the Toyota or the Lexus. I have a 1998 LC, and the cabin feels much softer and quieter compared to my friend's newer V6 RAV. I do not have any quantitative data (db levels) to share, but I am very happy with the quiet cabin on my 1998 LC with the factory mufflers and normal tires. I think the tread pattern on the tires has a major influence on road noise, and the tire choice could make more difference than the difference between the LC and the LX.

Hope this helps!
 
@JonD, I've had my LC for 2 weeks now and have noticed a couple of things. My vehicles for the past 10 years have been an '04 wrangler and an '06 Sierra Denali. The road noise on the jeep is crazy and the Denali is better but still very lacking for it's price point. Tonight I was on my way to work and turned the stereo off because the speakers are trash. I started hearing a new noise and it took me a minute to figure out that I had left some change (2 quarters, a nickel, and a dime) in the center console coin tray. I could hear them clinking together. No road noise, no engine noise... just 4 coins clinking together on a city street with intermittent potholes. I've read the threads about owners going all in on dynamat type products, but coming from my vehicles, it's not necessary.

Cheers back to you, I'll hoist a pint in the morning when I get off shift.
 
The LC and LX are in a league of their own when it comes to cabin noise, but the LX I test drove for a fellow Mudder was quieter than my LC. Similar year with more miles (on the LX).
 
Encouraging! I really thought I was going to hear that LX had a big advantage here. I have been doing a bunch of research and it seams pretty clear that the LX is a better value as they often go for less $ because there are more of them and they have more bells and whistles, I just am not a fan of the look.

Thanks for the quick replies! Love this forum and hope to be able to join the 100 club soon. If anyone is looking to trade a 2003+ 100 for a V6 Rav with 65k plus some cash, let me know:)
 
JonD said:
Thanks for the quick replies! Love this forum and hope to be able to join the 100 club soon. If anyone is looking to trade a 2003+ 100 for a V6 Rav with 65k plus some cash, let me know:)
Click to expand...

You want someone to trade you their 03+ 100 series for your Rav4 AND you want cash in the deal? You do realize the LX470 was more than 3 times the cost of a new Rav4, right? Good luck with that deal.
 
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Sorry I should have been more clear- I was saying I would put in cash in addition to my Rav...
 
Our 06 LX (with more aggressive tires) seems to have quite a bit less road noise than our 00 LC.

I 'm not sure if it is the LX vs LC, 00 vs 06 or both.
 
JonD said:
Sorry I should have been more clear- I was saying I would put in cash in addition to my Rav...
Click to expand...
That makes a lot more sense. Sorry for the confusion.
 
No worries!
 
When I was researching MY 98's to 00's, the LX had a little more sound proofing than the LC.

Regardless, you could always do this:

dynamat-land-cruiser-jpg.718809
 
This is gonna sound bonkers but I recall a thread saying the windshield on the lx was a bit thicker than LC. I also remember seeing someone saying the LX motors were hand picked out of batches of LC motors. I can't back any of this up but those fun 'facts' just stuck in my brain for some reason. I have driven in both LX and LC and they were both ridiculously quiet.
 
n55luvr said:
This is gonna sound bonkers but I recall a thread saying the windshield on the lx was a bit thicker than LC. I also remember seeing someone saying the LX motors were hand picked out of batches of LC motors. I can't back any of this up but those fun 'facts' just stuck in my brain for some reason. I have driven in both LX and LC and they were both ridiculously quiet.
Click to expand...
I heard Chuck Norris can UNscramble an egg. And he built the house he was born in with his bare hands.


...via IH8MUD app
 
Here's my 2 cents.
Bought my 06 LC 3years ago. It had aging Bridgestone Duelers. It seemed OK on the highway, but I was not paying noise that much attention then.
I replaced them with BFG KO's in 2 weeks. It was much quieter. I was surprised by how quiet the KO's were.
So, tires make a big difference. Quieter than my 07 Honda CR-v ( which is known for road noise).
So quiet it was very relaxing on the highway.
I just recently replaced the Honda tires with Michelin Defenders ( had Michelin Latitudes with 40,000) and it is much quieter.
FWIW the Defenders are very nice road tires.
Also improper windshield installation can cause wind noise as noted in many threads here.
Tires are a major factor, but the LC can be very quiet on the highway.
 
FWIW, my '99 LC with 160k miles is much quieter than my '11 Tacoma was with 35k miles.

I also did what SmoothLC did and it definitely improved it.

Either way, I'm sure you'd be pleased.
 
I own both, the LX is quieter than the LC at any speed. The LC is excellent however, it's quieter than my friends 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee at 75mph.
 
I own a 2006 Land Cruiser and a 2006 Rav4 (my daughter's). The road noise at 70mph is equal... if you open all four windows in the Rav4. Seriously, I was stunned how loud and tinny the Rav sounded compared to the 100.

Now, on the LX vs LC... I do think my friend's LX470 is tiny bit quieter. It's very subjective... but it seems like 5-10% quieter... maybe.

But, even with 33" ATs, the 100 is by FAR my favorite road trip car I've ever owned.
 
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