Next step for me would be to call tirerack, see if they have some ideas.
Hereās the customer survey results for the Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires. While the ride is good, there are better riding tires at the top of the survey.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=CSTAS
This is an old post but I just bought a 2013 Venza LE that has 19 inch wheels. I can confirm it has a firm bumpy ride. I did notice a significant improvement over the bumps the other day when I loaded 300 pounds of vinyl flooring into it. The suspension compressed a bit definitely rides better. So even though it has a bumpy ride, it does not have that tippy top heavy instability that all the other SUVs I drove have when doing an emergency maneuver at 70mph. So it handles better on curves. My wife has a 2006 Camry and riding in the passenger side will shake ones teeth loose. I am constantly grabbing onto the handle as the Camry shakes me around. So the Venza is better than her Camry.
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Welcome to the forumā¦
Nice testimony, chrisdomres425_191599.
I once had a 2003 Camry LE ( same design as your wifeās) and it was the smoothest vehicle Iāve ever owned. Iām surprised at your description of your wifeās car ride quality.
I wonder if the suspension is worn out? High mileage ?
Iām thinking something is wrong with it-suspension, shocks/struts, but the first thing Iād check is tire pressure. Make sure it matches the sticker value, not the number on the tire.
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I also think there is a vehicle problem that needs to be addressed because this is not a normal condition.
One question - what size tires are on the Camry? Are they a stock size or are they aftermarket on bigger wheels?
The 2013 Venza is based on the same platform as the 2006 Camry. Same suspension, same strut design, same control arms. The struts and springs are likely stiffer and the stabilizer bars are larger. Both likely made in Georgetown, KY. The taller SUV needs those stiffer springs and bars for safe stable handling.
Tire Rack sells wheel and tire packages with 17 inch wheels and taller sidewall 17 inch tires. If a softer ride is desired, that is where to start.
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Same platform and factory, a taller Camry wagon for those who wanted one instead of a Highlander.
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The tires on my wifeās 2006 Camry are the same size as the original tires. One odd thing is that when driving that Camry it does not seem as bumpy and hard a ride as when I am in the passenger seat. The shocks have been checked. I think maybe it it the brand of tire. Before that she had a 1994 Camry and I could easily sleep while in the passenger seat on long drive in that year Camry.
Maybe Toyota is just seeking a stiffer (& better cornering) ride quality. The 2018 Corolla definitely has a stiffer ride than the 2004. The early 90ās version was a little too soft.
I had a 2001 Camry. You are right. The car felt like a ship. Very soft ride compared to what we get today.
I totally forgot I had a 2001 Camry. Smooth ride.
Could be. Make/model/size/tread left/age? My '96 ES300 (Camry-based) would ride rougher when the tires were worn.
Tires ride very differently from one another in the same size and even the same brand. Tire Rack rates ride comfort, wet traction, ect. for the tires they sell. It is a great resource. Even some expensive tire might not ride as well as others.
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Do they test all tires? I havenāt found that to be the case in the past. They have owner ratings, but Iām not sure how those can be accepted as unbiased. What do owners compare their tires to? If they compare the new ones to the old, that isnāt valid IMO because worn ties are noisier and have poorer handling. I do pay attention to their comparison tests, and will look at them soon since our Odyssey needs now shoes in the next 10,000 to 20,000 miles. I also need to decide whether to buy the tires from Tire Rack and have them mounted by our regular shop or buy them from Costco. Iāll look at what Costco has for us, ask the shop what they will sell us, and what TR has. Iāve used TR in the past and Iām very satisfied with the results.
A couple years back, I replaced the tires on our 2012 Ody. I am pretty much a Yokohama customer for the last 15 or so years. Having several sets of their Avid tires, a couple of sets of the Geolanders and the last set I got for the Ody are their Tornante series. Been very happy with them. They are quiet, sure footed and seem to be holding up quite well in the wear department.
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I donāt believe they do. And youāll see some tires lacking test results. There is a test facility on-site and they do test a lot of tires but I canāt imagine they test all. And their test car may not perform as well as your car! Different cars react differently to the same tire and that would be especially true for ride comfort. One carās 9 for ride comfort may be another carās 7.5.
I use Tire Rack as a resource since it is the only one to test tires and post this data besides Consumer Reportsā¦ and I donāt subscribe to CR. Plus, CRās reviews are directed at the ācar as applianceā consumer while TR is directed at enthusiasts.
The owner reviewsā¦ wellā¦ I always look at the car they drive and how they describe their driving style for generalizations. I know there is a wide range of human perception, especially ride comfort, so I read those reviews with that in mind.
As for purchasesā¦ I have been using Samās Club lately. Same price as TR for what Iāve been buying. I just ordered a set of Michelin PS4 All-season for my wifeās Audi. I took it on a trip of 1200 miles and broke a belt in the only tire on the car that was 9 years old, the others are 7.
Iāve been wracking (sic) my brain trying to envision what could do that in a 2006 anything, let alone a Camry. I had a 2003 and it was pretty cushy riding car considering. I wonder if the cause is frozen control arm bushingsā¦ I had this happen before. It didnāt result in teeth jarring rides but certainly much rougher than designed. Itās harder to diagnose without taking things apart and trying to move the arm up/down. I suppose one could jack up under the arm while observing the bushingsā¦ The other thought is the arm is regularly hitting the bump stops. That should be pretty easy to see if itās sitting way lower than expected.
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