Ride Softness And Tires ?

Huh?

Reply to
Nate Nagel
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Different strokes for different folks! Since I referred to back pain, I must have been talking about back support! I'd like some of what ur smokin'.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

____________________

Oh, I thought there was an issue with a SUITcase here somewhere.

-CC

Reply to
ChrisCoaster

Perceptions are funny -- I lived in Germany for a while and if someone said they had bought a used BMW, the first question a German would ask was "Does it still have the original engine?" -- Beemers are not held in high regard as models of precision like they are here except for some of the high-end models -- And some of their past models have been real jokes -- Like the Isetta, with the whole front opening as a door.

Pete

Reply to
ratatouillerat

Regardless of why they did it (are you saying the Mazda platform was based on the Bronco?), they did it and tires started failing.

How much vertical change would a radial tire get by reducing from 30 psi (Ranger) to 26 psi (Mountaineer)?

Pete

Reply to
ratatouillerat

They sadly still seem to be more durable than your typical American car. My '86 535i threw a rod at about 200K miles and everyone told me that that was unusually young. (I bought the car dirt cheap and an exhaust leak was masking the rod knock.)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Forgot to mention, a BMW rides like a BMW primarily BECAUSE it is lighter than an American sedan. The taut, European ride is not so much because Europeans prefer to feel bumps in the road more, but because that's the best you can do with a lighter car optimized more towards handling than comfort.

I prefer BMW's ride; some people prefer a traditional American car's ride. Neither is "wrong," they are just different. The only thing that I can offer is that you can't get that traditional American ride without a big, heavy car, so I think we will see that become less and less common.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Don't know where you are but, here in my part of the world, there are many English words that have their definition, meaning or other attributes defined by the context in which they are used. Here "case" signified a state of being or condition for the lady with back pain to whom I was referring . And speaking of SUIT, are you referring to a suit of clothes or a law suit? This is similar to another favorite English word, F**k? Or, could this be a French term? Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever met anyone who did not understand this one especially when followed by "you".

Regards

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

Yes, totally agree with the wisdom of form vs. function and all that. BUT! this particular saying is dead wrong. In airplane design, if it is pretty, it /can/ fly. Usually, the best flying are the prettiest, and the prettiest are the best flying. It just so happens in that domain. :)

Reply to
Patok

I think part of this is because the standard of comparison in Germany is a lot higher than it is in the US. People just expect machining quality that Americans don't.

And... I think the Isetta is really cool. It's actually an Italian design that BMW bought manufacturing rights to, and it was what put BMW back into the car business after the war. Considering the competition of the day (check out the Messerschmitt single-seater), it was not so bad.

Well, there is good news and bad news. First of all, the BMWs are getting bigger and bigger. The current 535 is a huge pig compared with your old '86. In fact, I bet the current 135 isn't any bigger than your old '86. And that disturbs me, because making a vehicle light is not only a route to better handling, but it's a route to better efficiency too.

But, on the other hand, American manufacturers are actually trying to make things lighter. Hell, Cadillac is making a light car that actually handles pretty well. Who would ever have expected it?

For the most part, the BMW ride is a lot more pleasant to drive, but the Lincoln Continental is more pleasant to ride in. So from my perspective it depends if I am a driver or a passenger.

You shoulda dropped a new engine in the 535. It's a fun car.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Well, it seems that back in the day Americans tended to buy new cars every 3-4 years because they could, so lasting beyond that was superfluous. You see a little of that mentality with Japanese cars, but with a longer time scale - maybe 10 years or so.

There *were* old American cars that had hell for stout basic mechanicals, but most of those makes either died off by the 70s or else in the case of GM were corporatized and ended up standardizing on Chevy mechanicals. Which really weren't that *bad,* but when it comes to engines, wouldn't you really rather have a Buick? (or Olds, Caddy, Pontiac, etc.) The last few issues of HMM have been somewhat enlightening for me; I have no experience at all with Pontiacs and the series on the SD-455 engines is making me regret that a little.

Even my '86 seemed extravangantly large for me; of course, the few occasions where I was traveling in a group of more than two people, we took my car. I think it's probably more comparable with a current 3-series.

It's inevitable I think.

I actually did; I sold it when I moved from OH to VA because it wouldn't have been financially smart to keep it. It needed pretty much a full suspension rebuild, the driveshaft was clunking, and it always had some niggling electrical issue. Nothing really crucial, but I couldn't see dumping another $2K into a $1K car just to pass inspection. The body was pretty solid though, only one little rust hole in the spare tire well. That's another thing the Krauts got right first and the Americans played catch-up on... rustproofing. I did love that car though, the exhaust sound on hard acceleration was like car-guy crack and the interior was nicer than my living room furniture. If I had it today I'd probably go ahead and fix it up, but at the time I also had an '84 GTI to which I'd already done all the suspension and body work required, so I kept that car instead (until the alternator died, I found a stripped bolt hiding under the timing cover, and I found a more solid Scirocco for $700. Now the Scirocco just might have been the car I most regret selling, but that's another stupid story for another day.)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Airplanes, yes, but some of the helicopters are pretty darned ugly! Esp the older models before they got some aerodynamics into the designs for higher airspeeds.

I once owned a Trabant, which was actually not a bad-looking little automobile, but it was fun to drive -- Not fast, of course, with only a 24-HP two-stroke motor, but on the same scale of fun as a VW beetle. Also had a 2CV6 Citroen with the roll-back roof -- Not much form there except maybe for folks who find pigs cute .

Pete

Reply to
ratatouillerat

Well, yes, exactly! Helicopters don't fly, they hover. Any box can do that. :)

True, but think of the Citroen DS - now there's a beautiful car if there ever was one. And boy did it drive.

Reply to
Patok

On Aug 16, 10:19 am, lugnut wrote:  This is similar to

_____________ Two pieces of advice for you, lugnut: #1. Lighten up.

#2. Learn to spot a JOKE when one is being delivered, especially in that woman's CASE, where I meant no harm.

-CC

Reply to
ChrisCoaster

This is one of my favorite car topics. The trend toward larger rims bugs me. A Scion xD has 16" rims standard. Full size Fords used to have 14" rims at one time. (Not even 15"!) Most cars these days have minimal sidewall. I recently rented a Kia Sedona which had massive

225/70R16 Kumhos which have incredibly tall (at least by today's standards) 6.2? sidewalls. Even with the 16" rims, those tires have plenty of sidewall, and the wheel openings on that vehicle are large enough to where it can accommodate that size tire without any problems.

But tires aren't the whole picture. The suspension on that Sedona minivan is very smooth without being overly soft. It feels very refined. There are plenty of SUVs that have taller sidewall, but ride like crap because the suspension isn't tuned for ride. And there are small cars that have low-profile rubber and ride smoothly. The new Subaru Impreza is a great example.

But generally, all things being equal, a taller tire will give a better ride. Which is why I wish more cars came with smaller rims - at least as standard equipment - and then allowed you to option up to something more aggressive - rather than forcing you into low profile rubber on the base model.

Honda Accords tend to ride firmly. Not overly harsh, but definitely on the firm side. So I'd probably look elsewhere.

If a comfortible-riding, mid-priced, mid-size sedan is what you're looking for, I'd look at a Hyundai Sonata (and Kia Optima), Toyota Camry (but not the SE), Chevy Malibu (but not the LTZ) and Nissan Altima 2.5 (not the 3.5). You may also want to consider the Toyota Prius.

Check out the Buicks too, but pay attention to the seats and make sure they are comfortable and supportive. Don't just focus on ride alone. I agree with what Nate and HLS said about seats. Ideally you'd want a car with both good seats and a good ride. But sometimes that can be difficult to find (or expensive). The LaCrosse may have better seats than past Buicks did.

I'd steer clear of the Mercury Grand Marquis. (Crown Vics are fleet- only now). They ruined the ride on that car a long time ago.

Reply to
toronado455

I dont know about that. Our Avalon rides much better than the Buick LeSabre which it replaced. Better in every way. And the Avalon is not a heavy car.

Reply to
HLS

30 seconds with Google will tell you that the Avalon is somewhere between about the same weight to a few hundred pounds heavier than the LeSabre, depending on the year of the LeSabre. And the Avalon probably has a more advanced suspension and better seats, so of course it's going to ride better. But for those who need the smoothest possible ride for medical reasons (the original poster's concern), neither is even in the same class as a bigger, heavier car.

Bottom line is, if ride quality is a primary concern, test drive a lot of cars and see for yourself, because asking a question like that in a forum like this will get you all sorts of uninformed, subjective opinions.

Reply to
gringomasloco

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