Ride Comfort vs Handling

[Toeknee_33]

This article is taken from Autocar UK and reproduced here: 

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/new-cars/opinion-ride-comfort-new-handling

 

Opinion: ride comfort is the new handling

Car makers should prioritise ride refinement in their latest models more, and reducing wheel sizes is key to that

by Lawrence Allan

9 April 2019

 

I, like everyone else who writes for this esteemed publication, can still fully appreciate and enjoy driving a car with a well-sorted chassis in 2019.

 

Even accepting the ever-growing traffic levels and ever-increasing war on speeding, sharp handling can still be appreciated. Living in leafy Berkshire, I don’t have to drive far to find a quiet, entertaining piece of road where I can stretch the legs of whatever I’m in, while most of Britain’s B-roads can still expose flaws in an overly soft set-up. 

 

But - and this is perhaps where I distance myself from some colleagues - the quality of a car’s ride is of greater significance to me. Even on the aforementioned B-roads. 

 

My patience has been tested by a number of cars recently. One in particular stands out: the new Renault Mégane RS 300 Trophy. For the 10% (or less) time behind the wheel where I could actually enjoy its super-tight body control and prodigious grip, the other 90% of time was spent being jostled around like a wallet in a washing machine. 

 

As road tester Simon Davis noted in our UK drive of the Trophy, the stiffness and crashiness of its ride (it gets the Cup chassis as standard and no adaptive dampers) borders on absurdity. It picks up bumps you never knew existed on your favourite roads, and you spend more time looking out for the next pothole to swerve around than you do pinpointing the next apex. In fact, on my commute down the recently resurfaced M3, the constant up-and-down bobbling motion left me feeling a bit sick. 

 

And such issues aren't exclusive to performance models. Far from it. I’ve recently taken delivery of a DS 7 Crossback as my long-term test car. This is a model that's marketed as very much a comfort-focused SUV, yet it has been specced with 20in wheels, like the car pictured below.

 

Stylish it may be, and the ride is a long way from being as uncomfortable as the Trophy’s, but the reduced tyre sidewall makes low to mid-speed surface disturbances more apparent than they should be, given the brief. Mid-corner potholes also throw the car off your chosen line significantly. I’m expecting to encounter more trim rattles as a result, too.

 

These experiences are echoed across almost every SUV I’ve driven in the past couple of years. The bulky side profile forces designers to spec ever-larger wheels to fill the arches, adding to suspension settings that are often already stiffer than those of a normal hatchback or saloon in order to mask the higher centre of gravity. It has an effect on every segment, though: the ride of my old Kia Ceed long-termer was a great deal more settled on 16in wheels than 18-inchers.

 

This wasn't an issue 20 years ago. The E39-generation BMW 5 Series, known for its excellent dynamics at the time, featured 15in or 16in wheels in many specs; 18in wheels were only reserved for large 4x4s, supercars or the most sporting variants, unless you fitted them yourself. Now you can get them on a boggo Volkswagen Polo from the factory. 

 

Unlike, say, fiddly infotainment or even a lacklustre powertrain, a poor ride isn't something that annoys you a few times on every journey. On lumpy British Tarmac, it's all-consuming for every mile covered; I simply can't ignore it or tune it out. It can make or break a car, in my view. 

 

It’s a well-worn subject, I’m aware, and we can’t lay all of the blame with manufacturers when it’s what buyers supposedly want. But why must moving up to a higher spec almost always mean larger-diameter wheels, adding road noise, reducing ride comfort, adding expense to tyre replacement and, in many cases, reducing fuel economy?

 

This is a plea to buyers, then. By all means spec those lovely, easily kerbed alloys with liquorice-thin rubbed draped around them.  The trade-off might be worth it, in your eyes. But try the specs with smaller wheels, too. It could transform the car. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Toeknee_33

[Ody_2004]

Yes i prefer comfort over firm ride.

 

The most memorable ride in term of comfort and handling for me is the Merc W124.. till today i cannot find a ride that match it.. 

 

Currently driving the Skoda Superb.. soft and gentle with 17 inch rim.. i even think to go 16 inch but guess too small for the body.

 

At 1.7 tonne i quite surprise it can handle well for daily drive.

[Toeknee_33]

I resonate with the writer of the article. The need for better handling cars and ever bigger rims/tyres has been oversold by car manufacturers. 

 

Today, in the age where makers are pushing the envelope, ride quality seems to have taken a back seat, no pun intended. And car buyers don't seem to pay much attention to that aspect. Arguably, most of today's buyers don't have the luxury of knowing what a 'magic carpet' ride means.

 

In the Singapore context, we are dealing with pockmarked urban roads and expressways 98% of the time. We are left with perhaps 2% of the time where we can really enjoy carrying a little extra speed through a corner safely. With the dense traffic conditions, and the need to look left / right / centre / front / back for pedestrians, PMDs and PHVs, there is really not much scope in a firmly-suspended, good handling car in Singapore.

 

I practice what I advocate. In my current car, I swopped out the firmer, lower spring/dampers for a softer set. In my previous car, i downgraded the rims from 18in to 17in. In my Citroen days, I fitted the larger, softer suspension spheres from the XM to my Xantia. All in the pursuit of a more cushioned ride. I feel calmer, less frazzled, as I dash from one meeting to another (my annual mileage is 28-30k km). My pals and acquaintances think lesser of me as I am doing something quite opposite of what other people would do to their cars.

 

Of course it is an engineering challenge for car firms to make cars that handle and rides well at the same time, few have managed this feat, but I feel we must stop thinking that "harder is better".

 

What do you guys think? 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Toeknee_33

[Blueray]

Handling FTW.

 

Ride comfort secondary.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Blueray

[Toeknee_33]

Yes i prefer comfort over firm ride.

 

The most memorable ride in term of comfort and handling for me is the Merc W124.. till today i cannot find a ride that match it.. 

 

Currently driving the Skoda Superb.. soft and gentle with 17 inch rim.. i even think to go 16 inch but guess too small for the body.

 

At 1.7 tonne i quite surprise it can handle well for daily drive.

 

I test-drove the Superb L&K few weekends ago. Everything was great with the car, except the noise and roughness transmitted by the 19in wheels. 

[Ody_2004]

I test-drove the Superb L&K few weekends ago. Everything was great with the car, except the noise and roughness transmitted by the 19in wheels.

If confirmed is the wheel can always downsize

 

As one bro mentioned as our age number goes higher; the rim size goes smaller

 

No doubt pple did goes 20 inch for the Superb

[theory_87]

Agree. The primary reason I love my Citroen C5 Exclusive. Supple ride and good isolation is very important to me. Most car manufacturers and reviewers nowadays prioritize sporty handling over comfort which over the years indirectly alter car buyers mindset that sporty handling is the new cool. Also it's not true that comfortable riding car means bad handling. Else most towkay are driving a lousy handling limo.

[Roborovskii]

I guess it's a matter of mood, but for daily driven cars, comfort is probably more important. For those who can afford, it's usually 1 comfort car and 1 performance car for days when the mood is a little zippier.

[Toeknee_33]

Agree. The primary reason I love my Citroen C5 Exclusive. Supple ride and good isolation is very important to me. Most car manufacturers and reviewers nowadays prioritize sporty handling over comfort which over the years indirectly alter car buyers mindset that sporty handling is the new cool. Also it's not true that comfortable riding car means bad handling. Else most towkay are driving a lousy handling limo.

 

Agree about the perception that sporty is the new cool, and agree that motoring journalists have a role in this new perception.

 

Like the new G20, it handles better than the old F30 3-Series but according to what I have read and heard, there's an harder edge to the secondary ride that wasn't there before. But all the motoring hacks hail it as a better car just because its the new handling king.

Edited April 10, 2019 by Toeknee_33

[Thaiyotakamli]

I test-drove the Superb L&K few weekends ago. Everything was great with the car, except the noise and roughness transmitted by the 19in wheels.

Last time my bmw f10 was on 20 inch rim its tough and quite noisy

 

But after changed to 17”, its completely a diff world. Very comfy and quiet. I think the most quiet car ever owned, more quiet than my f02 with 18 inch rim.

[Hamburger]

Present car with fat side wall.

 

245/50/18

 

Now I sit every other car like so jittery.

[cmcex]

To me, tyres play a part of comfort. Softer sidewalls means more comfy ride.

 

COILOVERS are meant to be spat on, for daily road use is rubbish. I would take a better shock and better springs anytime if i need to give it better handling and lessen the body roll. I would change out stock ones to Bilstein Shocks and Eiback springs combo. It last longer too... from my experience.

 

Ultimately is the "tight" and "firm" feeling and not jumping all over the place. If need to drive a harsh ride everyday, might as well take public transport.

 

This is my opinion :)

Edited April 10, 2019 by cmcex

[Alfc]

Bigger rim is also about the overall look. I cannot take the look of a 16" rim on a 2.0 car size body. It just look so disproportionate with the fat tyre sidewall. Just have to balance out and not go too low profile for tyres when choosing slightly bigger rim

[Mockngbrd]

Agree about the perception that sporty is the new cool, and agree that motoring journalists have a role in this new perception.

 

Like the new G20, it handles better than the old F30 3-Series but according to what I have read and heard, there's an harder edge to the secondary ride that wasn't there before. But all the motoring hacks hail it as a better car just because its the new handling king.

I actually find the g20 rides better than the f30, less noisy too.

 

But yes comfort is also the main reason why we chose an xc40 over any other car in the same segment. And volvo is to be commended for making a comfort based car when all other manufacturers are pretending to be bmw.

[Vratenza]

This topic makes me think of this car...

 

 

 

IMHO....comfort vs handling, it's personal preference just like car models and colour choice.

 

If you don't like the stock 18", just downgrade to 16" when you roll out from the dealer. You might even take some cash back. 

 

If you want that 21" monster rims, by all means budget for it when you place your order for the new car.

 

Trying to convince others that your choice of comfort is smarter or better than another who chose handling is like trying to convince other that your boxers are better choice compare to the thongs the others prefer wearing.

[theory_87]

Agree about the perception that sporty is the new cool, and agree that motoring journalists have a role in this new perception.

 

Like the new G20, it handles better than the old F30 3-Series but according to what I have read and heard, there's an harder edge to the secondary ride that wasn't there before. But all the motoring hacks hail it as a better car just because its the new handling king.

 

I read G20 is stiffer and more compose on the road. I can't comment on this since I haven't drive both F30 and G30. From memory, Opel Astra H suspension is one of stiffest car I ever ride on. To the point I'm about to vomit. R56 Mini Cooper and DS5 suspension is pretty stiff too.

I actually find the g20 rides better than the f30, less noisy too.

 

But yes comfort is also the main reason why we chose an xc40 over any other car in the same segment. And volvo is to be commended for making a comfort based car when all other manufacturers are pretending to be bmw.

Pretty sad that most reviewer put down brands like Volvo and Citroen for making comfort car. Even Lexus, Toyota, Honda and Mercedes are now making their suspension stiffer.

[Soya]

Car cannot look under-tyred lah.

 

Comfy oso no use coz each time see car n it look comically under-tyred oso sian liao. Drive pull long face. Hahaaaa

[mersaylee]

This topic makes me think of this car...

 

BE7GEJ.jpg

 

 

IMHO....comfort vs handling, it's personal preference just like car models and colour choice.

 

If you don't like the stock 18", just downgrade to 16" when you roll out from the dealer. You might even take some cash back.

 

If you want that 21" monster rims, by all means budget for it when you place your order for the new car.

 

Trying to convince others that your choice of comfort is smarter or better than another who chose handling is like trying to convince other that your boxers are better choice compare to the thongs the others prefer wearing.

The very first hardtop convertible.