Bring back ride quality!!
Discussion
Maybe its because having turned 43 yesterday I am moving into middle age, but all the modern cars I go on, I find way to firm in the ride department. Basically Im just trying to think of a car on sale today that doesnt cost a fortune that could be sold on great ride quality, rather than sport handling? Is Ride quality dead and buried? Certainly a ride in my father in laws new Jag XF diesel makes me wonder....In the meantime, I shall just put on my slippers and pipe and go off in my motorised sofa, i.e. my 9 year old Passat!!
Good to have opened up a popular topic. Personally I think James May is right, its the bloody Nurburgring!
you CAN have good ride and handling. the 306 GTI-6 was beautifully supple, ditto the original Elise, the Mk1 Impreza Turbo and remember the CX GTI? supposedly one of the fastest A to B bumpy road cars ever made.
trouble is, for track days, you need low roll rates, low profile tyres and massive grip and rigidy above all else. Hence all manufacturers are chasing lap times, rather than something that is comfortable on british back roads. Glad so many of you are fellow grumpy old gits like me who also agree that we need to ressurect a decent ride quality. BTW, father in laws Jag is 19 inch wheels, hence firmer ride than normal..>!
you CAN have good ride and handling. the 306 GTI-6 was beautifully supple, ditto the original Elise, the Mk1 Impreza Turbo and remember the CX GTI? supposedly one of the fastest A to B bumpy road cars ever made.
trouble is, for track days, you need low roll rates, low profile tyres and massive grip and rigidy above all else. Hence all manufacturers are chasing lap times, rather than something that is comfortable on british back roads. Glad so many of you are fellow grumpy old gits like me who also agree that we need to ressurect a decent ride quality. BTW, father in laws Jag is 19 inch wheels, hence firmer ride than normal..>!
Re Audis, I entirely agree. I had an S Sport A4 courtesy car about 7 years ago and it was truly awful.
TBH, you're much better off in a Passat TDI 170. Much better ride, same performance and build quality, cheaper and handles just as well. Of Course, the Passat has a boring middle aged man image, unlike the Audi.....
Which is nice coz Passats tend to not get bought by pushy image conscious management accountant types, but nice people like me (a-hem...) so they make a great second hand buy as they havent been thrashed.
TBH, you're much better off in a Passat TDI 170. Much better ride, same performance and build quality, cheaper and handles just as well. Of Course, the Passat has a boring middle aged man image, unlike the Audi.....
Which is nice coz Passats tend to not get bought by pushy image conscious management accountant types, but nice people like me (a-hem...) so they make a great second hand buy as they havent been thrashed.
Hmm, I love those Masers.....
just to confirm how bad things have got, my wife's 205 GTI 1.9 was less crashy down our potholed bumpy main road last year (before it got resurfaced) than our friends 308 SW HDI and a friends Accord 2.2 CDTI. In fact the GTI is amazingly supple really, but it is a very light car and has tiddly 15 inch wheels!
So everyone's agreed that ride quality is bad, so you are all going to tick the "standard wheel" box when you purchase your next car are you??!! -
just to confirm how bad things have got, my wife's 205 GTI 1.9 was less crashy down our potholed bumpy main road last year (before it got resurfaced) than our friends 308 SW HDI and a friends Accord 2.2 CDTI. In fact the GTI is amazingly supple really, but it is a very light car and has tiddly 15 inch wheels!
So everyone's agreed that ride quality is bad, so you are all going to tick the "standard wheel" box when you purchase your next car are you??!! -
Coming home from Oxford last night with the family on board, Had to take a back road route for the last section across the new forest, as the A31 to Bournemouth was shut. My passat is normally like the Qe2 if you gun it on fast wide smooth roads, but across a couple of sub B Road wickedly surfaced minor roads, it was awesome!! Just flew over all the bumps, pot holes,road repairs and yumps.....again proving the point that ride quality is important for making progress on UK back roads...
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