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      08-05-2012, 11:56 AM   #1
biologic
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Wind noise, poor radio and BMW's response

I went to my dealer, complaining about wind noise over 50-70mph and poor radio reception.
We drove my car for a listen and the technician said the wind noise was normal and it was not about poor isolation or any faulty part/work. I couldnt believe
and he offered me a compraison ride with the test-drive car.
We drove the test car and it had the similar wind noise and poor radio reception.
He commented
So this is what 1-series is as I understand;
Cheapest BMW and it feels that way

But another comment, I rented an A3 for a few days lately; and wind noise was same if not worse. So I guess in this car segment if you want a premium feel and a silent ride, wait for the new A-class.
I do...
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      08-05-2012, 12:03 PM   #2
ovekvam
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But what about premium steering feel with front wheel drive?
If you want silence, you might also want to consider the coming BMW i3.
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      08-05-2012, 12:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
If you want silence, you might also want to consider the coming BMW i3.
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      08-05-2012, 04:00 PM   #4
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The Mini Cooper S proves that "Freude am Fahren" is possible even with FWD. But it's obtained in spite of and not because of the FWD. And even the Mini shows typical handling weaknesses, especially during heavy accelleration.
BMW have to prove that they can do even better with the new 1'ers than with the Mini. Especially because a large part of the gocart feeling in the Mini is due to the compact format of the car, which will not be the case with the larger BMW.

A FWD car will reach a broader market and please he shareholders. Let's hope it will not lose it's identity and please the enthusiasts as well. I am skeptical and BMW has a lot to prove.

Please don't make another Golf Plus or a B-class with a blue-white badge
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      08-06-2012, 02:39 AM   #5
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A major reason for the wind noise is the size to the door mirrors....they are huge (compare them lets say to the side mirrors of an E46), due to EU safety regulations. They generate loads of wind noise.
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      08-06-2012, 03:21 AM   #6
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Yes, mirrors do play a big part in generating wind noise.
Sound waves have a habit of making you think the sound of the wind is coming from the closest thing to you (the door frame or glass).

In reality, it is the wind sheer effect and vortexs (low pressure) around the wing mirror and adjasent A pillar that you hear as it can be at much higher noise that the air around it.

You also have to consider what head wind you are driving into, as the air travelling past you could be at a much higher velosity than your car's speedo indicates.

As far as the new A class Merc having lower wind noise, I very much doubt it.

It is the base model Merc so do not think it is going to have the quality of a S Class.
I currently own a 2010 C Class and at 120km (zero head wind) it has wind noise.
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      08-06-2012, 06:26 AM   #7
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The new A class is a valiant attempt by Mercedes to make their cars edgier and attract a younger clientele. But if early automotive media reports are to be believed, unless you opt for the larger engines, the Peugeot diesels in the new A class don't match the looks and the wind noise is as bad if not worse.

The Lexus CT200h has a silent drivetrain but tyre and wind noise from those massive wing mirrors are by no means absent.

It may mean adjusting your expectations, no car is silent but as you trade up, NVH tends to get better.

If it makes you feel any better, the SatNav and radio reception in my Maser is horrible .
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      08-06-2012, 07:28 AM   #8
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Noise

The real problem is not the size of the mirror, but it's distance from the car body + the quality of the door and window sealing in that area.
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      08-06-2012, 08:32 AM   #9
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Noise canceling head phones

I was driving my A3 yesterday (patiently waiting for the 120d to arrive in the US) and thinking they should incorporate noise canceling head phone technology on these cars.
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      08-06-2012, 08:43 AM   #10
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if noise is so important for you, you can buy some dynamite plates and install them.
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      08-06-2012, 10:07 AM   #11
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Door mirrors are certainly an issue. I had that too on my motorbike.
The solution was to go faster than anybody else, so nobody will/can overtake....then you can do without the mirrors!
Hmmmm. When I came out of hospital, I had a little rethink of that plan....
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      08-06-2012, 03:13 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick BMW
Door mirrors are certainly an issue. I had that too on my motorbike.
The solution was to go faster than anybody else, so nobody will/can overtake....then you can do without the mirrors!
Hmmmm. When I came out of hospital, I had a little rethink of that plan....
Lol
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      08-07-2012, 11:18 AM   #13
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I have to say that I consider my car very quiet. I hear very little outside noise, even when wet. The demo car they had was a lot noisier, but it also had 18" rims (less side wall to dampen things). For this reason I went with 17" ones, and I'm now very confident that was the right choice.

The only time I get any substantial noise is on very rough roads, and then I'd still say it's quieter than other cars I've driven, main comparison being my old E39.
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      08-07-2012, 04:15 PM   #14
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Dawned on me

This is a vaguely pointless thread

The F20 is what it is.

Out of tens of thousands of new cars finding owners, for some The headlights are bigger than you expected, the road noise is shatteringly loud, the radio reception is poor, there is some rattle in the AC and some wipers fail. It's not as good as you expect.

We get it, we still want a BMW over the Audi and Merc.

I guess we have a choice. You made yours. We will make ours.
(PS Replace 'BMW' with 'iPhone' and post to the Samsung Galaxy forums.)
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      08-09-2012, 04:40 AM   #15
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I realize my post is taken as a Merc Ad over BMW forum but it is not.
It contains my actual thoughts, feelings.
It might feel somewhat vague, maybe I should explain further;
Actually I am very impressed by the engine and transmission of F20
but what I can not accept is BMW doing the tough work of doing
these right and then failing in small things like door/window isolation or a radio antenna for god's sake.
I want BMW to realize that they need to push their general understanding of quality up a bit.
In the end, I accept your comments that it is a matter of adjusting/managing my expectations.
I realize a FWD A200 won't be a match for this one in terms of handling but
I still feel closer to having a more refined car and giving up some of the "fun to drive".
ty all for feedback. (Specail thanks go to Spokenhands, for the lovely compliments. )
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      08-09-2012, 06:31 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biologic View Post
I went to my dealer, complaining about wind noise over 50-70mph and poor radio reception.
We drove my car for a listen and the technician said the wind noise was normal and it was not about poor isolation or any faulty part/work. I couldnt believe
and he offered me a compraison ride with the test-drive car.
We drove the test car and it had the similar wind noise and poor radio reception.
He commented
So this is what 1-series is as I understand;
Cheapest BMW and it feels that way

But another comment, I rented an A3 for a few days lately; and wind noise was same if not worse. So I guess in this car segment if you want a premium feel and a silent ride, wait for the new A-class.
I do...
you assume the new A-class wont have the same problems
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      08-09-2012, 06:57 AM   #17
biologic
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I have watched a few reviews of A-class on youtube and all reviewers unanymously praised the silence in the cabin despite having a diesel engine.
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      08-09-2012, 10:09 AM   #18
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we shall see

having owned an f20 for just over 3 months now, i can say i dont even notice it?
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      08-10-2012, 04:12 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iBeech View Post
we shall see

having owned an f20 for just over 3 months now, i can say i dont even notice it?
Yeah, because we're too busy enjoying the fantastic handling and seat-of-the-pants performance

If I had to put on my critical-hat though, my F20 does have more road noise than my previous Renault Megane had. This is probably just due to the fatter tyres though (225 vs 205 on the Frenchie). Definitely not more engine noise though, that aspect is great at speed...
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      08-10-2012, 04:50 AM   #20
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I also put it down to the tyres. My other dd is a jeep wrangler rubicon....lifted, winched, snorkelled and big fat mud terrains.....noisy, you have NO idea....in comparison, my 125i is as quiet as a mouse
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      10-09-2012, 11:05 PM   #21
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118D - not worth the cash

Quote:
Originally Posted by biologic View Post
I went to my dealer, complaining about wind noise over 50-70mph and poor radio reception.
We drove my car for a listen and the technician said the wind noise was normal and it was not about poor isolation or any faulty part/work. I couldnt believe
and he offered me a compraison ride with the test-drive car.
We drove the test car and it had the similar wind noise and poor radio reception.
He commented
So this is what 1-series is as I understand;
Cheapest BMW and it feels that way
I have the same problem. They've replaced the aerial and done some tinkering but they say it works as per manufacturer spec and that interference is normal. The radio and the response has been a disgrace. They told me the issue was localised to Australia. Apparently not.

In addition to that there have been all these little issues with the car. It's been back at least once a month for things to get fixed for the last 6 months.
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      10-10-2012, 03:56 AM   #22
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I also notice wind noise above 100km/hr, but it feels like it is coming from the top of the A puller, not the mirror though..
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