The streets in New York City – where I drive 75% of the time – are so bumpy, potholed and rough. Is my suspicion correct that the bounce and bump here causes many other problems and needed repairs in a car?
Are there cars that handle this kind of bad road better than others? Can I order special shock absorbers before I buy a new car? Is this the same issue as having a “smooth ride,” or is that just a comfort question? Before I shop for a new car, I want to figure this out.
I have driven NYC and it is not much worse or better than most northern cities.
With one exception I would say cars as they come from the factory are up to handling the problems.
The exception are those cars with the extra large wheels and extra thin tyres. They tend to get their rims damaged. Your tyres need to be sized to absorb those larger potholes.
Good Luck
You can preserve your car’s suspension by not applying the brakes while going through a pothole. If you can’t avoid that, then don’t be applying the brakes heavily at such a time.
Don’t feel alone. I live in near an upper midwestern city and often wonder if road construction technology will improve one day to withstand auto traffic, salt, freezing and especially trucks. I’d like to see a law too, that specifies that when a road is opened up for utility repairs, the original contour of new pavement must be restored.
I have never heard that there are special shock absorbers for bumpy roads. Bumpy and potholed roads can be anywhere.
Look around in NYC to see what the taxi drivers use.
Yes, bad streets do that. Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis handle that kind of streets quite well.