Can't find anything with a smooth ride these days!

is there a car today that does not ride like a washing machine? This terrible stiff, bumpy ride in every car made today is getting worse. They are all beautiful and with lots of safety cadgets but not a pleasure to ride in. Please name one because I have been trying to buy a new car for a year now and they all ride with a bang, bang, knock, knock, shake, shake

I have no idea what the problem is . I have driven many different vehicles in our recent search for a vehicle and none of them made me think of a washing machine .

What model cars have you tested?

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And, this thread causes me to wonder about the condition of the roads in the OP’s area.

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The Rolls Royce Phantom has a great ride.

In other words, we need more details. What’s your budget? A lot of the smooth-riding cars cost a lot of money, and if you can’t afford them there’s no point recommending them.

Also, tell us what you’ve been test driving so that we get an idea of what your idea of “riding like a washing machine” is.

In any of these, You can cross a frozen, plowed field without noticing it:

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Also this one is very, very comfortable:

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You might find, though, that there are some other setbacks, compared to new cars.
But You are right. Cars of these day does not have a comfy ride. :wink:

If your budget is unlimited have you looked at like a Buick Lacrosse or Lincoln Continental. If you are talking lower end then yes I will agree with you they make the rides too stiff now. For some reason they think you are supposed to feel every imperfection in our oh so nice roads and take a corner at 70 mph .

Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon have smooth rides, as do most, if not all, minivans. The Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey are smooth-riding minivans. You will spend $30,000 to $40,000 for any of them, depending on trim level and options. Actually, these vehicles can cost more than 40 grand for the top trim levels. One important factor is long wheel base.

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I rented a Buick that was pretty smooth and a Malibu. Nothing like my Riviera was but better than my bone jarring Acura. Actually VW was pretty smooth too. It’s the stiff suspension that they think people want like in Europe. But in Europe they drive on cobblestone streets.

One more thing: stay away from low profile tires. Manufacturers can fit different wheel rim sizes into the wheel wells. They do it by decreasing the sidewall height. Greater sidewall height provides a smoother ride because it can flex more than a shorter sidewall.

Oh, and white sidewalls provide the smoothest ride of all. :wink:

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No comprende. Did you mean sidewalls or sidewalks? I don’t think anyone sells whitewalls anymore.

Coker Tires has them for Classic vehicles .

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I suggest you read Consumer Reports’ car reviews. They always evaluate ride comfort, seat comfort, noise/vibration/harshness along with MPG, acceleration, transmission performance, braking, etc.

Sidewalls. Spellcheck, it its infinite wisdom, changed it to sidewalks. Thanks for the catch. I corrected Spellcheck. Again.

Find an old full size versions of a caddy or Lincoln from the 1960’s or early 1970’s. Repair or replace all chassis & steering components back to OEM standards. Put on the OEM sized tires.

The result will be what you are looking for. Those were smooth riding cars that were a pleasure to drive. The vast, vast majority of driver’s today prefer performance (quick acceleration, handling, etc.) and the trendy look of low profile, wide width and large circumference tires over a smooth ride.

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Smooth, yes. But I didn’t get much pleasure out of driving them.

… as long as you only want to drive in a straight line, and as long as you never encounter a need to do a panic stop or evasive maneuvering…

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