Most Comfortable Car below $120,000

[Mockngbrd]

13 minutes ago, louisbosco said:

 

you can get air suspension in almost any car. those are aftermarket product. but you will need to sacrifice boot space for the tank in the boot. most people do it for show because it allows you to get the stance look for car shows and then raise to normal to drive off later. 

Air suspension is not more comfortable 

[louisbosco]

7 hours ago, Mockngbrd said:

Air suspension is not more comfortable 

surprising. on paper it does sound like it, especially given it's wide spectrum of customisation you can set from the air bags. in my head, i feel like air suspension is geared more towards comfort than sporty setting but also allowing the user to have the wide range of choice..

[Toeknee_33]

On 1/5/2020 at 9:03 PM, Solar said:

Does the comfy equate to more bouncy ride? Thought it should glide thru humps yet not give the boat in the waves feeling?

When I switch on the 'normal' mode in my car I don't like it.  It's rather bouncy especially over humps.

The hard dynamic mode feels harsh. 🙄

When talking about ride comfort, there are 2 parameters: primary ride and secondary ride.

Primary ride refers to how a vehicle manages big amplitude road irregularities at higher speeds, like highway dips and crests. The vehicle suspension shouldn't bottom out in a dip or run out of travel on a crest. After taking a bump, the vehicle should settle down quickly and not bounce down the road, or have unnecessary lateral and longitudinal movements. A vehicle with good primary ride typically has stiffer springs and dampers to control the motion of the vehicle. Occupants should not feel tossed around. 

Secondary ride refers to how the vehicle deals with the smaller, higher frequency road surface imperfections, like badly repaired roads, speed restriction strips and potholes. A car with good secondary ride typically has softer springs and dampers to absorb the impact of the bumps. Occupants should not feel jolted.

Obviously these 2 parameters require 2 different opposing suspension set ups. A German car on the smooth autobahn needs a firm suspension to give comfort, while an Jap car deals mainly with broken city roads and needs a soft suspension to give comfort. 

So suspension tuning depends on the vehicle model's intended market segment, and the condition of the roads in that market. You can't really say BMW's MSport hard suspension is good, nor can you say a Citroen 2CV's rolly polly ride is bad. It's about what you want in your car, and also your personal preference.

Finding a good balance between comfort and control is an automotive art. And we haven't even started on how different suspension tuning affects vehicle handling characteristics in a corner. 😅

 

 

[Nutty]

@Toeknee_33 Thanks. Looks like it's hard to achieve and attain the best of both worlds. 🤔

[DK3410]

15 hours ago, Toeknee_33 said:

When talking about ride comfort, there are 2 parameters: primary ride and secondary ride.

Primary ride refers to how a vehicle manages big amplitude road irregularities at higher speeds, like highway dips and crests. The vehicle suspension shouldn't bottom out in a dip or run out of travel on a crest. After taking a bump, the vehicle should settle down quickly and not bounce down the road, or have unnecessary lateral and longitudinal movements. A vehicle with good primary ride typically has stiffer springs and dampers to control the motion of the vehicle. Occupants should not feel tossed around. 

Secondary ride refers to how the vehicle deals with the smaller, higher frequency road surface imperfections, like badly repaired roads, speed restriction strips and potholes. A car with good secondary ride typically has softer springs and dampers to absorb the impact of the bumps. Occupants should not feel jolted.

Obviously these 2 parameters require 2 different opposing suspension set ups. A German car on the smooth autobahn needs a firm suspension to give comfort, while an Jap car deals mainly with broken city roads and needs a soft suspension to give comfort. 

So suspension tuning depends on the vehicle model's intended market segment, and the condition of the roads in that market. You can't really say BMW's MSport hard suspension is good, nor can you say a Citroen 2CV's rolly polly ride is bad. It's about what you want in your car, and also your personal preference.

Finding a good balance between comfort and control is an automotive art. And we haven't even started on how different suspension tuning affects vehicle handling characteristics in a corner. 😅

 

 

Very good illustration of how, in engineering, almost everything is a compromise, never a best of both worlds.

[Toeknee_33]

1 hour ago, DK3410 said:

Very good illustration of how, in engineering, almost everything is a compromise, never a best of both worlds.

Apparently it's possible to have the cake and eat it with modern technology. The Bentley Bentayga (and some others that I can't recall) has an adaptive air suspension system that continually adjust air spring and damper and even anti-roll bar stiffness to match road conditions. So it's supple one moment and firm the next.

Only negative from what I read, is a certain aloofness or disconnect from the road surfaces that enthusiastic drivers may not like. That is actually a characteristic of most air-sprung cars.

When will this tech be reliable and cheap enough to filter down to BnB cars? Dunno whether I still around or not..haha! 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Toeknee_33

[inlinesix]

2 hours ago, Toeknee_33 said:

Apparently it's possible to have the cake and eat it with modern technology. The Bentley Bentayga (and some others that I can't recall) has an adaptive air suspension system that continually adjust air spring and damper and even anti-roll bar stiffness to match road conditions. So it's supple one moment and firm the next.

Only negative from what I read, is a certain aloofness or disconnect from the road surfaces that enthusiastic drivers may not like. That is actually a characteristic of most air-sprung cars.

When will this tech be reliable and cheap enough to filter down to BnB cars? Dunno whether I still around or not..haha! 

I think someone mentioned before about air suspension.  He mentioned it last about 5 years.  Just need to change whichever strut that fail

[Nutty]

Thanks everyone. Learnt a lot from you, especially on air suspension system. Here's an article from Torque. 

https://www.torque.com.sg/features/air-suspension-how-does-it-work/