Ride comfort on 3-series M-sport / SE

[BBYeah]

I'm thinking of getting a 335d M-Sport or SE for long motorway drives and occasional 2hr A road trips. I'm sold on the performance of the 335d but people seem to often complain about ride comfort.

My main car at the moment is a mk5 GTI which I find a bit tiring on long trips. Is the 3 series going to be much more comfortable or will there not be a lot in it?

[NLB]

Not very familiar with the Mk 5 Gti (one short test drive only), but to me, the M-Sport E9X BMWs on run-flats have very poor ride quality indeed. Might be bearable on a motorway, but it was bad enough all round to put me off buying one. I was firmly told it was because I was old/a wimp, on here though - that's ok, I am...

Do drive one for a while, on a bumpy road as well as a motorway though. You might like it, but I really didn't.

Oh, and PS: The SE I tried, also on run-flats, was better but still not great, much stiffer than my old E39 Sport for example.

Edited by NLB on Friday 24th June 15:58

[gizlaroc]

What age?
This makes a massive difference, also what shape, again big differences.


Most coupes come with sport suspension anyway aprt from some very early ones and then the later facelifts.

The pre sept. 2007 cars rode far harder than the post cars, and then the LCI cars ride even better.

The m-sport suspension actually soaks up poor UK roads better than the SE pre LCI, nice Bilstein and Eibach set up, compared with a really cheap boge/sachs set up on the SE.
Tyre and wheel size make the difference, get in a nice M-Sport on 17's with proper tyres and it is actually too soft, 18's on proper tyres are perfect.
Get in an SE on 17" proper tyres and although wallowy it doesn't soak up poor surfaces as well as the sport.

Then you have tyres, Michelin Pilot Sports in 18" are good run flats, and quite comfy, better than the bridgestone and pirelli's even in 17".

You need to try a few out and decide.

[gizlaroc]

I looked at an ED30 GTi on 18's and I found that as hard or harder than my 3ers on runflats btw.

[BBYeah]

Thanks for the info, very helpful. I will go and drive a few asap.

[edc]

The longer wheel base helps hugely compared to a golf type car. I have an 11 E90 m sport on RFT and 17s. Car rides fine. My comparison basis is a 59 golf on 17s an A3 on an 07 plate on 17s an E46 on 18s and various A6 S line / le mans spec and, a 60 TT on 19s. My E90 rides better than all of them.

[Crimp a Length!]

Think i'm qualified to answer this.
I own a 2011 3 series M Sport with 17's and runflats, lovely drive handles fantastic, far better than my A3 Sline it replaces
I also own a 2007 3 series M Sport tourer with 18's & run flats, also nice drive and better than the GTI Mk 5 it replaces.
Out of the 2 the M Sport with the 17's is the nicer drive and actually the wheels appear wider and more aggressive looking IMO

[NLB]

HHmmm... This is useful information for me, too - it sounds as if the later ones are better. I have shelved changing the E39 for the moment, but will try a late E9X when the issue comes round again.

[S3_Graham]

My 130 M-Sport has the same ride quality as my E36 328 and is better than my GF's MGTF. Im pleasantly suprised.

[theboss]

I had an LCI 330i for a year, M-sport with 18" and Bridgestone RE050 RFT. Brilliant car in general but I swapped it for a diesel E65 because I couldn't hack the ride. It may have been cheaper to ditch the RFT but we make our choices...

[gizlaroc]

theboss said:

I had an LCI 330i for a year, M-sport with 18" and Bridgestone RE050 RFT.

Quite simply the most awful tyres I have ever had the mispleasure of using, they are like rocks!

Friend had them on his 535d touring, they went on at 36k miles and he said straight away it was shocking, worse than that though all his bushes were gone on the rear some 12k miles later. I am sure it was those Bridgestones. He nearly sold his car, but I insisted he put some proper tyres on, 4 years later and he still has it and still loves it.

[Crackie]

Tyre choice is a big factor ~ I have an early 335i (E92) SE and had to bin the 19" Bridgestone run flats late last 'cos the combination was useless in the snow and they felt like they were made from granite. Its on Falken 452s now and the ride is leagues ahead of the Bridgestones and not too far from the soft 17" Dunlop winters that were on until May.