Cars for bumpy lumpy northern roads

[DickP]

Hi,

I have two cars but seriously looking at reducing to one. They are a grandad spec X-Type Estate for my 80 mile round commute and work, and a Renaultsport Clio 182 that I've owned since 2016.

I used to live in Yorkshire with good access out into some amazing driving roads. About two and a half years ago I relocated to the north east outskirts of Greater Manchester.

I have consequently rarely used the Clio as apart from lockdown it is often very wet and worse the roads are so bumpy the Clio just skips about. I can easily make more progress in the X-Type!

Are there any half decent fun cars with long travel suspension for dreadful roads like these? Or do I give up on fun performance cars for the foreseeable?

Thanks,

[Roboticarm]

SE spec 3 series might be a good shout.

330 or 335i is quick enough to be fun and in SE spec handle the bumps alot better than the m sport. I personally prefer the se spec, especially since it's now the rarer one as everyone goes for the m

[Roboticarm]

Gen 7 Toyota Celica on a stock suspension is a good mix of balanced handling too

[The spinner of plates]

Suzuki Swift

[DickP]

Hi,

To moderators this isn't a what car thread in the normal sense. It's just many cars appear set up for a race track surface when we don't necessarily have that as public roads.

Thanks,

[Bill]

How fresh is the Clio suspension? I thought they were meant to be good on B roads??

[richs2891]

Robitcarn has it right in my eyes with Japanese stuff, they seemed to make certain cars of a certain era that had lots of long travel suspension that just dont see anymore

Subaru WRX would be my first thought, possibly Forester, Mitsubishi Evo

[Dave.]

If you still like the Clio, you could always get some new shocks/springs or even a set of (decent, not £250 eBay) coilovers.

Keep them at the same height at the standard ones, or at the top of their adjustment, set them at the softer side, and you can even spec your own spring rates.

[NGRhodes]

DickP said:

Hi,

I have two cars but seriously looking at reducing to one. They are a grandad spec X-Type Estate for my 80 mile round commute and work, and a Renaultsport Clio 182 that I've owned since 2016.

I used to live in Yorkshire with good access out into some amazing driving roads. About two and a half years ago I relocated to the north east outskirts of Greater Manchester.

I have consequently rarely used the Clio as apart from lockdown it is often very wet and worse the roads are so bumpy the Clio just skips about. I can easily make more progress in the X-Type!

Are there any half decent fun cars with long travel suspension for dreadful roads like these? Or do I give up on fun performance cars for the foreseeable?

Thanks,

Sounds like you live somewhere between Rochdale and Rawthenstaw, know the roads well, I am not too far away in Bingley and have very similar moor roads.

Roboticarm said:

SE spec 3 series might be a good shout.

330 or 335i is quick enough to be fun and in SE spec handle the bumps alot better than the m sport. I personally prefer the se spec, especially since it's now the rarer one as everyone goes for the m

My brother has an 3 series SE spec, as long as you dont have big alloys it will be fine, in a similar vein, my SE A4 with 16 Alloys (but XL tyres) handles poorly surfaced moor roads well .I've seen sportier suspension stuff like Audi TT and Civic Type R many a time skip a few inches out on a corner, where mine stayed planted.

Many moons ago I had a 2000 Corolla that was too soft for the moor roads and would bottom out on occasion and loose composure over some of the undulations, I can see a sportier spec Jap car being decent.

[DoubleD]

Dave. said:

If you still like the Clio, you could always get some new shocks/springs or even a set of (decent, not £250 eBay) coilovers.

Keep them at the same height at the standard ones, or at the top of their adjustment, set them at the softer side, and you can even spec your own spring rates.

This is what I would do. It would also be cheaper than getting a new car.

Other than that I think a light car would help.

[ZX10R NIN]

It depends on how much you want to spend there's lots of choice out there.

[fredd1e]

My 1st Mistsubishi EVO, a 9 GT on factory option bilsteins was phenomenal on the cross county moorland roads when I owned it over 10years ago, it had the sensation of floating but remaining in control over the whoops and dips . Over the same roads a Bim 123M coupe would porpoise (tankslap on occasions!) though the bim was undersprung and damped from the factory.. My current 9 GT wagon is less composed but I attribute this to the additional 60K+miles its has on its billies as these are now clunky. I aim to swap to fresher stuts and bushes when time and funds permit to restore the pace and grace a 9GT can have on stock 17" wheels with decent sidewall tyre depth. For similar and probably more comfy pace a Forester STI may be a better option for the ripples and potholes (not sat in or peddled one so its a sweeping assumption on my side).

[Glenn63]

What bumps...

[marksx]

If the roads are anything like Wakefield's, a trophy truck would be ideal.

[ZX10R NIN]

For me if you want to combine the two look for a XF S preferably in Portfolio trim, these ride roads really well:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010175...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010165...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010034...

[DickP]

Hi,

NGRhodes said:

Sounds like you live somewhere between Rochdale and Rawthenstaw, know the roads well, I am not too far away in Bingley and have very similar moor roads.

Yes I'm roughly in that region although a little further south and east of Rochdale, but use the same roads.

I particularly liked the Trophy Truck comment!

The Clio suspension is quite fresh and it's okay but as some of you have alluded to, it can skip because it's too stiff sometimes. Not considered other suspension so would need to do the sums.

I also like the XF. Not that I'm in an immediate position to change as plan to purchase a house Q1/Q2 next year, but aren't the V6 diesels a liability for spinning bearings and snapping crankshafts?

Thanks,

[TheDrownedApe]

I can echo other posts. Had both a 330d touring Luxury then Msport. We used to drive straight across Wales very two weeks and the lux (with softer sus and smaller wheels) was the better companion for the "lumpy, bumpy" roads