A thought crossed my mind today about length of wheelbase and it's affect on ride quality. I remember a long time back, I think it was LJK in one of his essays said the longer the better. His class standard was the Peugeot 505 or similar (handsome beast especially GTI).
Being the driver of a new shape Fiat Panda which has a tendency to 'pitch' and be affected by undulations in the road at higher speeds I did a bit of research on the web and was horrified to find out (if the figures are reliable) that it is not very well endowed and has the second shortest wheelbase (2299mm) apart from the Smart Four Two (1812mm). Other similar cars have more to brag about down below (C1 2340mm, Picanto 2370mm, Charade 2375mm, Matiz 2345mm). Might this explain it's lack of stability coupled with light kerb weight?
I had a quick glance at the big boys before I finished - (Fiesta 2486mm, Focus 2640mm, Mondeo 2754mm, Skoda Superb 2803mm!!).
So there you have the holy grail of ride quality and composure- find an oldish barge with enough weight to stop and bounce and plenty of length to iron out the undulations. Considering the poor state of UK roads it's the only way to go. Omega anyone?...
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