I just purchased a new 2015 mustang eco boost with 19 inch rims 5 days ago. My previous car was a 2013 dodge charger with 17 inch rim.There is a noticeable difference when I’m driving on the road. When I’m driving the mustang its a lot bumpier as opposed to the Charger I don’t know if its suppose to be like that because of it being a smaller car or if there is something wrong with it.
You’ll notice that the tires are skinnier as well, giving much les flex in absorbing bumps.
That’s the price you pay for “performance tires” on sporty cars.
19 inch rims may be a mistake. Hit any pothole and you have to buy new rims.
Did you not test drive? And yes the 19 inch wheels are the problem.
What size tires on the Mustang and the Charger? Likely lower profile on the Mustang, instant bumpy ride. If it bothers you your dealer may be willing to swap them out for 18" or 17" rims, assuming they fit. Other folks love the big wheel look.
I’ll echo everyone else here: The 19 inch wheels are the problem.
Different size wheels, different size/type/construction/brand tires, different suspension stiffness/dampening. It should not be a surprise the car rides different.
I strongly suspect the guy did not test drive the car
Or if he did, he only took a short ride, on smooth roads
Try it before you buy it . . .
Ford lists 17" and 18" for it, so I bet the 17" would give a better ride.
But just to eliminate the easy stuff, have you checked that the tires aren’t over-inflated?
I like it . . . most manufacturers overfill the tires, before shipping the new cars to the dealer, I believe
During the pre delivery inspection, the mechanic is supposed to set the correct pressure. It usually means lowering it to the correct pressure
Sportier car, 19 inch wheels, lower profile tires, turbo 4 cylinder… Yeah it is going to ride bumpier/stiffer/firmer.
Let me guess, you test drove a V6 car, right? That is the “Secretary’s GT”, tuned softer with less aggressive tires. You bought the budget 'Boy Racer" model. Good choice IMHO, but it will ride harder.
The optional 19" wheels are shown to have 40 series tires; a.k.a rubber band wrap. The ride is gong to be harsher than the Charger which you were acclimated to.
The flip side of the coin is that someone who drives around on 40 series tires for a while will hop into a Charger and then wonder why the car feels much softer; assuming the Dodge hasn’t been pimped out.
Avoid potholes or pay the price.
I test drove the the same model with the 19 inch rims, but I didn’t drive it very long. I really like the look of the 19 inch. The car included the wheels and stripe package, so thats where my 19 inch rims came from. It really only bothered me because I was paranoid that my car might have been defected.
This is the one I took home
http://www.carprices.com/specs/New+2015+Ford+Mustang+EcoBoost+1FA6P8THXF5371397
Nice looking car. I wouldn’t worry about any defect. Have you checked that the tires are at the proper (on the doorjamb, not the tire) inflation pressure?
Thanks so much for everyone’s input. As for the potholes mentioned, it is a problem because I have the 19 instead of the 17 inch rims?
"As for the potholes mentioned, it is a problem because I have the 19 instead of the 17 inch rims? "
Only if you mind having to spend the money to replace both a tire and a rim every time that you hit a large pothole…
“most manufacturers overfill the tires, before shipping the new cars to the dealer”
Yes, I took delivery of a new Forester last June, and after driving a while, discovered that the tires were at 45 PSI, enough to set off the warning light on a hot day.
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I agree with everything here except the use of the word “skinnier” by texases. Perhaps it’s a regional difference, but where I’m from skinnier means narrower. I greatly respect texases, but I had to laugh when I read that.
Tires have three major size characters, the section width, the aspect ratio, and the rim size.
has an excellent technical section that describes what they mean, and I’ve attached another link
http://www.carbibles.com/
that also has a great primer on tires including their size designations.
The one thing I’ve never understood about tires is how it evolved that tire manufacturers use three totally different measurement systems together to designate a tire’s size;
a linear measurement in millimeters, followed by a ratio (the aspect ratio), followed by a linear measurement in inches. If there were a fourth measurement, they’d probably use square roots of cubits.
Anyway, visit the links. You’ll enjoy them.
I presume OP test drove the car and didn’t notice the extra bumpy-ness of the ride until later, after a few drives as owner, probably driving it on roads not tested on before. Anytime you switch cars there’ll be a bunch of differences you’ll soon discover, esp things like the suspension characteristics. Often, upon reflection, it isn’t that the new car is worse, just different. I think OP that you will quickly get used to the new cars suspension and this is something not to be overly concerned about. Give it 6 months. If still a problem come back and the experts here will offer some tips on ways to quiet the ride down a bit.
Not too many years ago I stopped at a mall to hit the Radio Shack up and noticed a very slick looking and modified black Nissan Sentra. It caught my eye because it had been tastefully done instead of riced out with garbage.
As I walked by it I noted that it had custom wheels with very low profile tires on it. Every single one of those wheel rims was mangled completely around the edges from sinking into potholes and so on. They may have been half flat due to bead leakage as far as I know. With a stiff and practically non-existent sidewall it’s difficult to tell but the wheels looked horrid and potentially unsafe if any cracks were developing.