Which cars offer a magic carpet ride?

[TazLondon]

A few years ago I had a Citroen C5 with the Hydractive 3 suspension. For various reasons, the car became a total disaster. However, the ride quality was unmatched.

I've been in a Merc S-Class, new Jag XJ, new XF and a Phaeton, and the C5 ride was at least as good.

However, Citroen has now ditched its Hydractive suspension.

So, which cars these days offer a similar 'magic carpet' ride? I know that Merc offer an 'Airmatic' option for the E-Class. I'm really interested in cars that can offer a ride quality similar to the C5 with Hydractive suspension.

The new DS range from Citroen appears to have gone to the other extreme and offers a rock-hard ride.

[E65Ross]

Depends on price... The new S class with its trick suspension is very good.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom is also very good!

[gweaver]

How about a new Citroen?

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/uk-excl...

But you'd have to wait for them to finish it.

[Username888]

Lexus LS430, Lexus LS400, - I have a 430 and it makes driving a real pleasure, even in an awful traffic jam on m25.... sound proofing and double glazing is excellent... - arrive at destinations after long haul journeys feeling fresh as a daisy

[TazLondon]

Username888 said:

Lexus LS430, Lexus LS400, - I have a 430 and it makes driving a real pleasure, even in an awful traffic jam on m25.... sound proofing and double glazing is excellent... - arrive at destinations after long haul journeys feeling fresh as a daisy

I bought an LS430 several years ago and got rid of it in 7 weeks as I found it too dull to drive! The interior was from the 70s. I'd prefer an interior that a bit more up-to-date.

[Stickyfinger]

Simple answer is NONE........VHS has won over Betamax again...

I (think) you can just about order a new one still....but you will need to be quick

[Artey]

Stickyfinger said:

Simple answer is NONE........VHS has won over Betamax again...

I (think) you can just about order a new one still....but you will need to be quick

Airmatic is as good as hydropneumatic and not that much more expensive to fix if it goes wrong so there are other options.

[skyrover]

Any car with an air suspension conversion and plenty of sidewall on the tyres.

Body on frame vehicles also ride very well due to the rubber mounts separating the body from the chassis/drivetrain/suspension

Edited by skyrover on Saturday 11th June 15:16

[saaby93]

TazLondon said:

However, Citroen has now ditched its Hydractive suspension.

has this happened

Who was waiting for the DS5 to get it

[TazLondon]

Yeah - the C5 was the last Citroen to have had the Hydractive 3 suspension - but that was phased out last year on cost grounds so the newest C5s have returned to crappy conventional suspension.

As someone else posted earlier, Citroen will launch a new 'magic carpet ride' suspension system next year. But that would mean buying a new Citroen which is financial suicide.

A used Merc E-Class with the Airmatic option might be the best bet for now.

[Stickyfinger]

Artey said:

Airmatic is as good as hydropneumatic and not that much more expensive to fix if it goes wrong so there are other options.

So wrong

But maybe the only alternative now....one I would not choose however.

Edited by Stickyfinger on Sunday 12th June 00:42

[Artey]

Stickyfinger said:

Artey said:

Airmatic is as good as hydropneumatic and not that much more expensive to fix if it goes wrong so there are other options.

So wrong

But maybe the only alternative now....one I would not choose however.

I had 3 XM's and an Amazon LC 100 which had hydropneumatic setup. I was the same as you... until I got my first Merc with Airmatic which was like finding out that there is life after death kind of thing. So I'd suggest you give one a try before you diss it.

[Dabooka]

skyrover said:

Body on frame vehicles also ride very well due to the rubber mounts separating the body from the chassis/drivetrain/suspension

Edited by skyrover on Saturday 11th June 15:16

Yeah, like a Land Rover 110

[e600]

skyrover said:

Any car with an air suspension conversion and plenty of sidewall on the tyres.

Body on frame vehicles also ride very well due to the rubber mounts separating the body from the chassis/drivetrain/suspension

Edited by skyrover on Saturday 11th June 15:16

I recently bought an L322 RangeRover Vogue, the above statement sums up the ride quality perfectly. It's so relaxed a ride it's like driving your favourite armchair.

[jamesh764]

Citroens have many flaws, the biggest being the after sales "service" departments at the majority of the dealers I have tried.

However, when it comes to ride comfort I don't think they have been beaten.

Modern cars I have travelled in that have come close include the Jaguar XF, Lexus GS300h and the Mercedes E class (when the suspension is working properly).

Other older cars which might ride nearly as well (e.g. Lexus 400) don't seem to grip the road as well as a hydractive Citroen does either.

It's a shame that there are not enough customers to make manufacturing a hydractive car financially viable for PSA.

Edited by jamesh764 on Sunday 12th June 08:31

[Stickyfinger]

Artey said:

I had 3 XM's and an Amazon LC 100 which had hydropneumatic setup. I was the same as you... until I got my first Merc with Airmatic which was like finding out that there is life after death kind of thing. So I'd suggest you give one a try before you diss it.

I have done.....on a few occasions. I did not find it as reactive by some margin vrs the HydroActive3+ system on the C5/C6, but yes it was more comfortable than springs.

The XM is a 20+ year old car.....I would say that is not the best car to use as a comparison. (But it says a LOT about the system that you could even try )

[cptsideways]

Landcruisers with the active suspension system

I find the air systems are usually bouncy/thumpy to some degree always easy to tell its air, even the really expensive ones.


For good old springs a Subaru Legacy Outback of the pre 2000 gen probably has the best ride of anything this side of hydromatic

[swisstoni]

I had a C5 for 10 years. It had an excellent ride and nothing went wrong with the suspension. Citroen had perfected the technology over a lot of years.

I now have a 2007 SL55 with a hydraulic suspension which, IMHO, is equal in ride quality to the C5. The Merc CL also shared this setup at the time. I presume the S class did too.

This too was dropped because Merc had very much not perfected the technology
To be fair it was far more complex and ambitious than the Citroen suspension and is sublime when it works.

[legless]

One of the best cars I've driven for a properly smooth ride was a 2008 Discovery 3. Potholes, ruts, ridges and even speed humps appeared to disappear underneath the wheels with no event at all. The D4 didn't seem quite as good for this - I think things had been firmed up as part of the transformation.

Given the weight of the thing though, it was probably rolling the road flat as it went along.

[skyrover]

Dabooka said:

skyrover said:

Body on frame vehicles also ride very well due to the rubber mounts separating the body from the chassis/drivetrain/suspension

Edited by skyrover on Saturday 11th June 15:16

Yeah, like a Land Rover 110

Land rover Defenders do not ride on rubber mounts, the body is bolted directly to the chassis, hence they ride much harsher than a disco or range rover classic despite sharing the same underpinnings

Picture of a Discovery mount



Picture of Defender mount

Edited by skyrover on Sunday 12th June 09:37