How Is Wind Noise Inside The Car??

[hogmeat]

I've thinking about purchasing a 2006 LGT Sedan; but there is one thing that concerns me...the fact that the windows are not supported by it's own seal and pillar...

I guess I'm just saying that, since it just pushes up against the door seal, does it have any wind noise when at fast highway speeds? It seems like it would!

 

Also, is the window extra fragile, or loose? Lets say the window is UP, and when getting out, you bang a backpack up against it, that's not gonna knock it out of the track or anything, will it?? It just seems like a much better idea to have the metal sill and seal all around the window....

 

thanks!

[firedawgs]

Compared to what? I had a 04 WRX and the Legacy is more quiet. I think it is tollerable, but not a mercedes/BMW.

[Purpleorchid]

My two cents are:

 

The wind noise is non-existent. The Legacy is much quieter than my previous Honda CR-V.

 

I was a little apprehensive about water getting in the window if high pressure water was aimed at the seal, but I figured if Subaru has been making cars like this for a long time without any major customer complaints, the design must be fine.

 

A bonus is that with the rimless windows, you won't get your hand smashed by the upper half of the car door. A couple years ago, a Subaru salesman asked me to put my hand on the seal while he closed the door on my hand to show me the safety feature of the rimless window and I refused....of course. Then he did it to his own hand and he came out unscathed.

[inthedeck]

No, never had an issue with windnoise from the windows. The seal is pretty tight..otherwise, we would have people complaining about water getting into the car all the time.

 

There is a bit more noise from the front/windshield area...but the Cd of .29 is pretty nice. With the stereo on, and not too high, it basically drowns everything out...and you can have a nice quiet conversation with people in the car.

 

There is also a bit of noise, when running the wipers, at speed, and you can hear the air being moved by the wipers, when they go back and forth...but it's not annoying. It's a 'nice' kind of noise.

 

Basically, there's enough sound deadening in the car, which makes it really pleasant.

 

Good luck on your decision, but I would say test drive one...or find a member that is close by, and take a ride in one. That's the only way to tell whether YOU will like it or not.

[melayout]

The car is very quiet. Test drive one and you'll see.

 

9 months, 30k miles, and a few bumps against the driver's window later and nothing. They are built to withstand a lot of abuse. Subarus are excellent in accidents.

[Subie13STI2.5GTltd]

Regarding the wind noise, I would say it is less noticeable than you might be expecting it to be... but if you want to be sure Subaru is offering this 24 hour test drive thingy! Take one out and get it up to speed and see for yourself! I typically don't notice the wind, because the stereo is up too loud... but wind noise shouldn't be a real factor unless you are talking about going in excess of 80mph, which I would call normal or regular highway driving. As for the strength of the window, I have actually knocked my bag into or caught it on the window while exiting the car and most every time freak myself out, but have yet to knock the window out of the track. I have also learned to be more careful whilst exiting the car. I did get up to about 105mph today, with the radio off and don't remember thinking that it was suddenly very windy sounding or loud... it really is just smooth and effortless. Now I did have and 04 STI, and with that huge air scoop on the hood and that ginormous wing on the rear.. well in that car I did notice the wind noise at speed, which was a lot of the time! What can I say, bad cars make me do bad things! I have grown up... a little... Good luck with your decision, but if you do decide to go with the Legacy GT I don't think you will regret it!

 

These opinions are not necessarily the opinions of Subaru of America... blah blah blah!

[jj808]

I get more noise fm the horrible RE92s than fm the wind. With the windows up and the AC on low i can set the radio at 6 and hear it just fine.

[melayout]

^^^ +1, I concur.

[firedawgs]

My 3 cents; Take advatage of the subaru 24 hour test drive and try it for yourself.

[firedawgs]

the RE92s are a quiet tire compared to many High performance tires out there. I have the Pirelli P7000SS and they are much more noise. Can't have the cake and eat it too.

[melayout]

It also depends on how much pressure you run the tires at.

[firedawgs]

True. I am running 40 front, 43 rear on the Pirelli (51max)

[TSiWRX]

I agree with all of what's said above by fellow LGTers.

 

The OEM RE92s do produce their share of road noise, varying by road surface and inflation pressure, definitely, but they're certainly not the quietest tires overall, by far.

 

As for overall cabin noise levels, this is something that's going to be very hard to qualify. Certainly, you can quantitate with a dB measurement, but to me, that's still somewhat meaningless as we each, as individuals, perceive different sounds, well, differently.

 

Additionally, our individual backgrounds as car-owners will affect our attempt to qualify cabin-noise, too. As a former import sport-compact tuner, Harley lover, and a lover of that deep roar which old Detroit Iron makes, I can pretty much say that the LGT is, like, the quietest ride that I've ever been in. But at the same time, I'll also hark back to memories of both being in as well as driving my parent's Lexus....

 

Best option, as many have recommended, IMveryHO, would be to take advantage of Subaru's current 24-hour test-drive offer. Failing that, a traditional test drive while asking the salesperson and any passengers to simply be quiet, having the radio and A/C down, should give you a reasonable idea of what to expect, provided that you do get the car out on to the highway as well.

 

Best of luck!

 

-A

 

PS: To address some specifics

 

- Yes, the frameless windows can let in a bit of moisture, but from both my near 10K Winky as well as from the lack of complaint of actual ingress of rainwater/pressurized water from car-washes, I would definitely wager to say that this is NOT an issue with our LGTs. Similarly, having performed top-speed runs on my as-yet-stock Winky, I know that for a fact, at the point which the LGT's governor cuts in (between 130-140 mph, indicated - actual is debated), there is virtually no "pull away" at the window seals.

 

- Although frameless, the window and its internal mechanicals are not fragile by any means. A knock hard enough to the head to bring stars to one's sight (uh....don't ask....) might feel like you're bending the window back beyond its breaking point, but rest assured that the tempered glass will not fracture, and the window will not be knocked off its tracks.

 

- There is a definite trend of "mentions," if not exactly complaints, also for wind-noise from both the windshield wipers as well as from the rearview mirrors (possibly at the point where the "stalks" join the A-pillar). The former seems to be noted during usage of the wipers, and the latter, at cruising between 45 to 75 mph. Neither is intrusive if either the audio system or the A/C are being run at even reasonable levels.

[sjg]

Wind noise in the wagon isn't a problem. The car is very quiet in terms of wind and engine noise. Road noise however is a factor at higher speeds (at least with the 17 inch wheels and stock tires). I also notice some minor wind noise from the wipers when they're running.

[pdw]

I get more noise fm the horrible RE92s than fm the wind. With the windows up and the AC on low i can set the radio at 6 and hear it just fine.

 

Agree. I notice a lot of road noise.

 

I had some pretty bad wind noise when I picked up the car. The problem was the rubber seal for the driver's window was pulled out of the black trim piece (in between the two windows) a bit. I pushed it back in with a flat head screw driver and problem solved.

[raz-0]

I'm coming from 8 years of driving a 2nd gen eclipse, which has the same pillarless window deal on the doors. It didn't leak ever, and fit and finish on the LGT is better than it was on that car. Most common problem with a door without pillars and tracks around the whole window is having a hiss after rolling it down and up at speed. I haven't gotten that on the LGT (only 1800 miles so far though).

 

Interior noise with the windows up is very tolerable. Much better than my 97 eclipse. About on par, maybe better than my friends 2000 accord, but a bit more road noise from the tires.

 

Try a test drive, what I experienced with 50 miles on the car is basially the same as with 1500.

[hogmeat]

WOW!! Thanks for all the replies guys!!

 

I'm pretty much set on getting the LGT, I just have to finish up with this lemon of a Pontiac GTP I have. (a 2004, and been in for A/C problems 4 times now...they have 1 more chance to fix it before lemon laws kick in...)

 

Anywho, I'm sure the ride is very quiet as everyone says. No dealers around me do the 24 test drive (since the nearest one is 40 miles away (dang Iowa)). I simply live too far away. BUT, they did say I could have it for the entire day, just return it before closing time. So, same thing basically!

 

I know I know, I havent even test driven it yet, but i love the Regal Blue, the exterior, the interior ('cept the fact that NO MP3's (without $600 swap), and no steering wheel remotes) but I can get over that. I'm also in love with the AWD and manual. Will be glad to get back to my manual roots; this past year with an auto, it's just not the same. The lightly modded GTP ran high 13's, so i'm sure this will be similar in quickness, especially with 1.8 60's not 2.3's (damn FWD).

 

Look forward to become a postwhore here!

[melayout]

RBP is teh wInNaR.

[Gire]

the RE92s are a quiet tire compared to many High performance tires out there. I have the Pirelli P7000SS and they are much more noise. Can't have the cake and eat it too.

 

+1. I find the RE92's very quiet. Compared to some Kumho's I've owned these things are like riding in a Buick.

[IwannaSportSedan]

 

Anywho, I'm sure the ride is very quiet as everyone says. No dealers around me do the 24 test drive (since the nearest one is 40 miles away (dang Iowa)). I simply live too far away. BUT, they did say I could have it for the entire day, just return it before closing time. So, same thing basically!

 

I know I know, I havent even test driven it yet, but i love the Regal Blue, the exterior, the interior ('cept the fact that NO MP3's (without $600 swap), and no steering wheel remotes) but I can get over that. I'm also in love with the AWD and manual. Will be glad to get back to my manual roots; this past year with an auto, it's just not the same.

Look forward to become a postwhore here!

 

Welcome to the board, from another Iowa potential Legacy GT owner.

 

Regal Blue Pearl 5MT GT Limited Sedan with a black interior is right up my alley. I know how hard those are to come by in Iowa. I test drove that very car at Ramsey in Des Moines, about 3 months ago or so, and it sold, and I think I saw it driving around the other day again. I couldn't buy it, cause the wife and I are still under a couple of loans right now, too.

 

I did notice that it was much quieter that I am used to, but that isn't saying much between a pickup and a convertible.

 

What part of Iowa do you call home? Are you shopping Subies in Omaha, Des Moines, or the Quad Cities?

[hogmeat]

Hey, I'm in Marshalltown. Working at Lennox HVAC.

There are 3 subie dealers within range;

Ramsey Auto, Des Moines

C+S Auto, Waterloo

Something Something Auto , Cedar Rapids

So, within 40-50 miles either way for me.

 

Where are you located? I tell you one thing I'll miss about my GTP, is the clubs. I mean, there are "clubgp" groups in every state, some states with multiple ones. Went to racedays quite a few times with IAClubGP.

We need a subaru club in Iowa....and challenge them to racedays....they got some fast 12sec GTP's...and turbo GT's....so it would be a race, for certain....

 

I know there is one Subaru driver in Marshalltown, but he is a sissy! I couldnt believe it....driving a blue WRX STI with a radar dector. I've seen him tooling around town, and one day I finally got the chance to line up at a stoplight with him. I rev best I can with my auto, and he looks at me....I blast out of the hole with my Supercharged powa...and he doesnt even hardly move....damn.

 

He would have won, cause my GP only does about 13.8-13.9 @ 100; but I just wanted to see how fast they really were....

[TSiWRX]

 

Sissy - or just not a fan of street racing?

 

-A

[melayout]

hogmeat - you should post your story on www.nasioc.com, but make sure you've got a flame suit.

[mpetty]

Hogmeat,

 

There is a thread in the North Central forum for Iowa LGT's - we have a few, but not many. There has been preliminary talk of a meet, but nothing concrete as of yet. I do auto-X with the Des Moines SCCA - we have one this weekend at DMACC in Ankeny. I don't autocross the GT, at least not yet, I have a MR2 i use for that.

 

I have only seen one other LGT in the DSM area - a silver one that belongs to "Wildstang".

 

Keep us posted!

 

Morgan

[Slickvic]

This type of window is known as a "Sashless" window. The rubber seals around the window perimeter do a very good job. Last month I took a 5 hour road trip at around 80mph most of the way with no wind noise. Of course you want to use common sense and not manhandle the window when openning or closing the door. Use the door for that. Also high pressure water spray does not get past the seals when washing the car or when using a touchless carwash.