Wind Noise other nuances

[MercedesOwner]

I am a little disappointed in the amount of wind noise the Equus generates especially above about 80 mph. Not sure if it is from the A pillars, door seals or mirrors. I do notice a bit more "draft" from window/door seals at speed than my prior Mercedes. If Hyundai really wants to compete in this segment they need to address these issues as it personally is very bothersome to me.

Also need to schedule a service as my rain sensor wipers have never operated and gas door is a bit balky to release.

I am also a bit disenchanted with the sound system. Sound is thin and the granularity of the volume control is just crazy, need much finer increments as the volume from 2 to 3 is quite a jump and can't get the right low level sound I sometimes desire.

Other nibbles: Ashtray ??? I need more storage for coins etc. Compartment for phone is too small. Road noise a bit much, lack of low-end torque (may be fixed in 5.0) Power trunk should be standard on Signature, watch curb heights with that front apron

Likes: 6 speed ZF is SWEET, smooth shifting and never hunting. Mid to upper power of the 4.6. General fit and finish is quite good. Alanctra headliner . Overall appearance. Kids love the rear stereo controls.. me well..

Overall a very nice vehicle but frankly the wind noise above 80 would prevent me from buying another if not addressed. I don't remember the last vehicle I had that was that noisy at speed, will have service check doors and window seals but I think it is a design issue.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

I am a little disappointed in the amount of wind noise the Equus generates especially above about 80 mph. Not sure if it is from the A pillars, door seals or mirrors. I do notice a bit more "draft" from window/door seals at speed than my prior Mercedes. If Hyundai really wants to compete in this segment they need to address these issues as it personally is very bothersome to me.

Also need to schedule a service as my rain sensor wipers have never operated and gas door is a bit balky to release.

I am also a bit disenchanted with the sound system. Sound is thin and the granularity of the volume control is just crazy, need much finer increments as the volume from 2 to 3 is quite a jump and can't get the right low level sound I sometimes desire.

Other nibbles: Ashtray ??? I need more storage for coins etc. Compartment for phone is too small. Road noise a bit much, lack of low-end torque (may be fixed in 5.0) Power trunk should be standard on Signature, watch curb heights with that front apron

Likes: 6 speed ZF is SWEET, smooth shifting and never hunting. Mid to upper power of the 4.6. General fit and finish is quite good. Alanctra headliner . Overall appearance. Kids love the rear stereo controls.. me well..

Overall a very nice vehicle but frankly the wind noise above 80 would prevent me from buying another if not addressed. I don't remember the last vehicle I had that was that noisy at speed, will have service check doors and window seals but I think it is a design issue.

I had wind noise at 75-80 also. Was the B pillar outside plastic covers being loose. Replaced (under warranty of course), and no more noise.
Fuel door has a TSB, known issue. Should've been fixed prior to delivery. Mine took 2 tries, been fine for months.
As for sound system, what source causes this? All? I wouldn't tolerate anything less than perfection from the Lex. But if you're talking about XM that's another thing. "Fixing" means putting lipstick on a pig.
As for "if Hyundai wants to compete", that's clearly an opinion. Are all Mercedes owners totally satisfied?
One question though:
Did you test drive extensively before buying? Granted, balky fuel door wouldn't have been noticed. Shitty sound and wind noise though?

 

[homeofstone]

How did these issues that you listed escape notice during test drives and your delivery inspection?

 

[MercedesOwner]

Did not test drive at 80 mph. Sound system is not bad just wish it had a little more depth. Granted I am picking nits here so keep that in mind.

 

[MercedesOwner]

No Mercedes owners are not completely satisfied, but at least the dealer did not put plastic lettering on the back advertizing their dealership That was taken care of the first day with very careful razor blade and goo be gone !

In truth I love the value proposition of the Equus and thus may be a little harsh in my nit pics but I hope that some changes are made in future models that will make it even better than it already is.

 

[Richard Ft. Lauderdale]

"Also need to schedule a service as my rain sensor wipers have never operated and gas door is a bit balky to release."

Do you have the wiper lever in the right position? It has to be two clicks up from the all the way down position.

 

[MercedesOwner]

Yeah, I double checked that didnt want to look foolish when I made my service call.

 

[Magoomba]

I've noticed a slight wind noise at 80+, but nothing I'd consider offensive. It's hardly noticeable with the radio on at a low level. I DID test drive it at that speed (and higher) and noticed it then, too, but again didn't find it offensive. Are the rest of you saying that your Equus is literally dead silent at that speed? This is my first luxury car so my expectations may be off.

I agree w/ the ash tray...Why bother? I've not had to fuel up yet; only about 250 miles on mine so far. Nor has it rained, but my wipers are set to auto for when it does

I thought the curb height issue when parking could be improved by using the air suspension to raise the car. I found out the car lowers itself a while later while parked. Fortunately, I happened to be working on a project in my garage and saw the car lowering itself some time after I had parked it and used the air to raise it up, just for giggles. It was probably 20-30 minutes later that it dropped back down on its own. Good to know instead of learning the hard way.

The 6-SP tranny is indeed buttery smooth! I find the audio system to be very much to my liking, but I've only listened to music/talk via my iPhone so far. This morning, I thought the car was making a very subtle funny noise. When I muted the podcast, it went away, then came back when I unmuted. The sound system is so clear that I was hearing imperfections in the recording. Music has been very rich in sound, particularly at elevated volumes.

 

[jgriffter]

On the stereo comment, I also find it to be a bit subdued sounding but have found that it is more lifelike if you adjust up the treble about three/four notches, mids by one or two, and bass by about four. This is listening to good sampled iPod MP3 files.

When I first got the Equus I also thought the stereo did not sound as lively as even the same stereo in my 2010 Genesis. Tweaking it a bit brought more life to the music. Perhaps it was the different acoustic environments of the two cabins. Give it a try and see if that helps.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

On the stereo comment, I also find it to be a bit subdued sounding but have found that it is more lifelike if you adjust up the treble about three/four notches, mids by one or two, and bass by about four. This is listening to good sampled iPod MP3 files.

When I first got the Equus I also thought the stereo did not sound as lively as even the same stereo in my 2010 Genesis. Tweaking it a bit brought more life to the music. Perhaps it was the different acoustic environments of the two cabins. Give it a try and see if that helps.

I think you're right about the acoustics. The Alcantara headliner is like having curtains instead of a bare ceiling, much more subdued than the Gen.

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

I've noticed a slight wind noise at 80+, but nothing I'd consider offensive. It's hardly noticeable with the radio on at a low level. I DID test drive it at that speed (and higher) and noticed it then, too, but again didn't find it offensive. Are the rest of you saying that your Equus is literally dead silent at that speed? This is my first luxury car so my expectations may be off.

I agree w/ the ash tray...Why bother? I've not had to fuel up yet; only about 250 miles on mine so far. Nor has it rained, but my wipers are set to auto for when it does

I thought the curb height issue when parking could be improved by using the air suspension to raise the car. I found out the car lowers itself a while later while parked. Fortunately, I happened to be working on a project in my garage and saw the car lowering itself some time after I had parked it and used the air to raise it up, just for giggles. It was probably 20-30 minutes later that it dropped back down on its own. Good to know instead of learning the hard way.

The 6-SP tranny is indeed buttery smooth! I find the audio system to be very much to my liking, but I've only listened to music/talk via my iPhone so far. This morning, I thought the car was making a very subtle funny noise. When I muted the podcast, it went away, then came back when I unmuted. The sound system is so clear that I was hearing imperfections in the recording. Music has been very rich in sound, particularly at elevated volumes.

Next time you have a spare hour or two, search for the thread called "Music For the Lexicon" and discover the joys of DVD-A.

 

[homeofstone]

Next time you have a spare hour or two, search for the thread called "Music For the Lexicon" and discover the joys of DVD-A.

Using a usb with mp3 recorded at 320 is very good also.

 

[ImInPA]

While the OP does not say what MB he had, I can say that I find the Gensis/Equus to be at least as quiet as my 2011 E class. As the OP does later admit these things to be "nits", perhaps he is experiencing "prestige remorse". As a current MB owner, I have not noticed any of these issues in my test drives. I always include a slow run up to about 90-100 during a test drive of any car so get a feel for how the engines powerband is. I personally like vehicles with lots of torque down low. I have not driven a 5.0 yet, but find the low end grunt acceptable.

 

[Magoomba]

On the stereo comment, I also find it to be a bit subdued sounding but have found that it is more lifelike if you adjust up the treble about three/four notches, mids by one or two, and bass by about four. This is listening to good sampled iPod MP3 files.

Coincidentally, that's right where I ended up on my settings. I've still only used the iPod function on the iPhone for my audio source.

I will check out the DVD-A as suggested. Thanks for that tip.

Can someone please reply to my question on the wind noise? Should only absolute silence be deemed acceptable, or is a faint amount of noise the norm?

Thanks.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Coincidentally, that's right where I ended up on my settings. I've still only used the iPod function on the iPhone for my audio source.

I will check out the DVD-A as suggested. Thanks for that tip.

Can someone please reply to my question on the wind noise? Should only absolute silence be deemed acceptable, or is a faint amount of noise the norm?

Thanks.

No car is "dead silent" at 80 MPH or faster. You've already said it was tolerable, I agree.
(To answer your question with an opinion.)

 

[jgriffter]

For me, the wind noise at high speed is not nearly as loud as the road noise coming from the tires. In South Texas the roads seem to be a bit noisier in other areas I have driven the car where the noise is not so pronounced. I would live with the wind noise gladly if i could reduce the road noise. That being said, the car is not dead quiet at 80+.

 

[MercedesOwner]

Well I discovered that my precious little kids had monkey pawed the treble setting. Once I got that turned down it was much better. The XM is still a bit thin but I think that is just the nature of sat radio. My first experience with Sat radio.

 

[Dr_jitsu]

I traded in my AMG for the Equus, and I also own a Porsch GT2, a BMW M3, and once had an E350.

The Equus holds its own, my only complaint would be a little more grunt down low (w/ will by taken care of by the new 500 hp motors, no doubt) and the sheetmetal.

I have barely touched my Equus w/ my M3 door a few times and it has left indentations.

Otherwise phenomenal car/value.

 

[Dr_jitsu]

Well I discovered that my precious little kids had monkey pawed the treble setting. Once I got that turned down it was much better. The XM is still a bit thin but I think that is just the nature of sat radio. My first experience with Sat radio.

You will never get audiophile quality sound from radio, or an MP3 type player as the bitrates are compressed.

That is why I still listen to CDs in my HT system and the very high end custom system in my M3.

The stock Levinson system in the Equus is really about the best you will get unless you go aftermarket and start spending upwards of $5k.

Try playing a flac/lossless quality CD and it will sound much "fuller".

 

[LordHenry]

I am a little disappointed in the amount of wind noise the Equus generates especially above about 80 mph. Not sure if it is from the A pillars, door seals or mirrors. I do notice a bit more "draft" from window/door seals at speed than my prior Mercedes. If Hyundai really wants to compete in this segment they need to address these issues as it personally is very bothersome to me.

Also need to schedule a service as my rain sensor wipers have never operated and gas door is a bit balky to release.

I am also a bit disenchanted with the sound system. Sound is thin and the granularity of the volume control is just crazy, need much finer increments as the volume from 2 to 3 is quite a jump and can't get the right low level sound I sometimes desire.

Other nibbles: Ashtray ??? I need more storage for coins etc. Compartment for phone is too small. Road noise a bit much, lack of low-end torque (may be fixed in 5.0) Power trunk should be standard on Signature, watch curb heights with that front apron

Likes: 6 speed ZF is SWEET, smooth shifting and never hunting. Mid to upper power of the 4.6. General fit and finish is quite good. Alanctra headliner . Overall appearance. Kids love the rear stereo controls.. me well..

Overall a very nice vehicle but frankly the wind noise above 80 would prevent me from buying another if not addressed. I don't remember the last vehicle I had that was that noisy at speed, will have service check doors and window seals but I think it is a design issue.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I traded a 2006 Mercedes S-65 for a 2011 Equus Signature, I love the car but agree the wind noise is driving me crazy. Of course the handling couldn't possibly match that of the S-65 but now that I am older I have slowed down.