My parents are contemplating buying a new car (well one a year or so old) but due to my mother having back problems they are after a 'soft' ride. How/Where can I find out which cars may provide this - without having to read every review? They are looking at Ford Focus type cars
Thanks
Jibergurt
|
|
My 05 Focus Grandad, sorry Ghia, is definatly on the firm side of average. Nice to drive though. Most of the VW related cars I have owned have had hard seats.
Edited by Old Navy on 10/01/2009 at 18:57
|
|
In the old days french cars were always the best but I don't think that is the case anymore. The smoothest car I have been of late is the Skoda Supurb but probably far big.
|
Thanks for this info - he's got a Skoda at the mo, so have to look into a superb - never heard of it...
Jibergurt
|
|
They are stretched version of the VW Passat so its probably far to big for his needs. They are mini limos basically, so ride is setup for softness more than anything else. They are E class size though.
|
|
|
A bit outside the normal zone. They are Focus sized. Dodge Caliber 2006 onwards - lots of Chrysler Dodge bargains at the moment. It's designed in the EU, so not too American, but worth a look and test drive. Don't be too put off by web images as teh American versions usually come up and they look brash.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/...g
Edited by Hamsafar on 10/01/2009 at 19:32
|
Dont get them to buy a caliber. They will hate you for the rest of your life and cut you out of the will.
|
|
Something French - 307 or a Megane ?
|
|
As someone who suffers from a back injury i would recommend a Citroen Picasso as not only has it got good seats and has an excellent ride, but the seats are higher so you dont have to get "down" into it !
|
|
|
>Something French - 307 or a Megane ..
.. and petrol rather than diesel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
but due to my mother having back problems they are after a 'soft' ride.
I think in this case, good seats are probably just as important, along with ease of access. For ultimate comfort and ride quality, you'd probably need a big saloon like a volvo S60/S80 or Saab 9-5. However, as size and ease of access are important too, I'd recommend a small MPV of some sort. Try a Renault Scenic or Citroen Picasso, the are probably the most comfortable in their class. I also wouldn't rule out the Vectra or C5 either if you can live with the size as they are very comfortable and as cheap as chips these days.
|
I think many cars can be softer riding in their more basic forms, its when you start going up in model which is usually accompanied by ever decreasing aspect ratio's on the tyres as the wheels become ever larger that the ride becomes really hard.
For real comfort i'd get them to test drive the new berlingo, i didn't really think they'd be able to improve on the old one, but the new one is lovely to drive, and effortless to get in and out of.
It's not got the silly electric handbrake that the new shape picasso has too.
Just out of interest, the old shape picasso has apparently finally stopped production (so i'm told) and you can get a brand new one of those for £9K, its still a very competent vehicle, especially for that money, and a lot smaller vehicle outside.
|
My golf MK 5 has an excellent ride with lovely supportive seat. It also has sensible 195/65 tyres on 16" wheels.
Steer clear of any car that purports to have a sporty suspension or lowered bodywork within a manufacturer's range. Avoid like the plague very low profile tyres that look like elastic bands.
|
The Golf GTi has a fails my speed hump test - these are the cars that passed and failed.
Passed.
Pug 306
Honda Civic
Vauxhall Monarvo van (honestly magic carpet ride)
Failed
Everything else I've ever driven !
|
|
Ressurecting this thread as I am thinking about a new car due to problems with my 10 year old 306 HDi Meridian, which has a terribly firm ride which I am sick of. The best ride I've experienced in a small car was in my ex girlfriends 1998 Petrol Renault Clio. The car has very soft suspension too LOL. But seriously the car was very good over our crap UK roads. Though according to which magazine, the newer versions of thr Clio have poor ride confort so it seems the French are not as good anymore when it comes to ride comfort
Also I noticed as a passenger, a VW Passat taxi was also very good.
Has anyone got any recommendations for a small or medium size car which copes with the rubbish UK roads better than most?
|
|
Small car: Chevrolet Spark..
Large car: Citroen C6.
|
|
The C6 would be great if it weren't so ugly. And the Spark although soft springs is noisy. theres nearly always some compromise when it comes to cars
|
|
A C5 Exclusive has the liquid suspension so should be quite soft in Comfort mode.
The Toyta Auris is reputed to have a soft ride.. but I've never driven one.. See the roadtests.
|
|
Citroen Dyane was the best ride for me. The 2CV was designed so a farme rcould carry a basket of eggs in his car across a ploughed field without breaking any.
A few months back I was chatting to 'the old couple'. The husband is a KIA (Know It All), who reckoned that due to the law of physics its impossible to make a small/light car ride well. I told him that was codswallop. I't's not often he doesn't respond but there was deathly silence.
|
|
Hydraulic Citroens are still soft relatively speaking.
Not what was asked for but the GS was supposed to be the best riding small car. I liked my C5 but my current XM is better still. I had a ride in C3 that was quite supple.
Steve.
|
|
My little 2005 Berlingo has a relatively plush ride, for a glorified van. It's not jolty over speed bumps anyway.
|
|
My old Kia Pride has very soft suspension and light damping, it wallows like a pig, but takes speed humps in its' stride.
It means it doesn't want to go round corners on tarmac.
Everything's a compromise.
|
Everything's a compromise.
I had a bit of a surprise on that score when doing some test drives a couple of years ago.
Tried the Mondeo. Many rave abou the handling and it does what it says on the tin. The drawback was that I found the ride rather harsh. I remember thinking at the time that this was probably something unavoidable with handling that taut.
Then I tried an Alfa 159. Wow. Every bit as good in terms of handling dynamics (if not better) and a ride like a magic carpet. I wonder how they do it? I wish the company hadn't dropped them off the fleet list before I ordered, I'd have had one. The seats were infinitely better than the Ford ones too, but then I've never sat in a Ford seat that I didn't hate....
|
|
Current (square) shape Citroën C3 Picasso, (note C3 not 4!) the softest ride in its class by miles, very practical, fuel efficient, nice high seating position making entry/egress easy for people with limited mobility, good value too. Unlike the comfy Citroëns of old, It has conventional steel sprung suspension, but is still very supple. I think it's the best looking car of its type too.
Excellent car - do not be put off by the badge.
|
|
I was surprised at the inclusion of the Daewoo Kalos. These guys have a completely opposite view http://www.autocar.co.uk/daewoo/kalos/.
|
|
If you compare pictures, the Raod test car has spoilers and looks a GTI type!
|
|
As Steve implies above, the comfort of the seat is at least as important as the car's ride. If you have a bad back or arthritis anywhere, what you need most of all is support in the right places.
Fortunately I don't have those ailments (yet), but I know that although the ride in my Octavis vRS is firmer than in other versions, the sports seats in the vRS are far more supportive.
|
|
madf, you went one photo beyond me........................well, spotted. That probably explains the appalling ride for Autocar's summary. Apologies to HJ.
|
|
thanks Trology.
Demnetia deferred for me - by one day at least :-)
|
|
The best ride I have had in recent cars has been an X-Trail (2004). This I replaced with a C Max (old model) which was at best very poor. Then came a Grand Scenic which which was one of the better ones. That was replaced with a Peugeot 3008 in 2011 which is the most aweful ride of any car I can remember having and is going to have to go with only 3,000 miles covered. Now, (and I have back problems) I don't know where to look, Renaults are certainly not the armchair comfort they used to be, I fondly remember the 16TX, maybe a test ride in one of the new Grand C-Max, but I don't hold my breath.
|
The best ride I have had in recent cars has been an X-Trail (2004). This I replaced with a C Max (old model) which was at best very poor. Then came a Grand Scenic which which was one of the better ones. That was replaced with a Peugeot 3008 in 2011 which is the most aweful ride of any car I can remember having and is going to have to go with only 3,000 miles covered. Now, (and I have back problems) I don't know where to look, Renaults are certainly not the armchair comfort they used to be, I fondly remember the 16TX, maybe a test ride in one of the new Grand C-Max, but I don't hold my breath.
Already given the answer, Citroën C3 Picasso on the standard rims. Untouchable for comfort in its class given today's overly-stiff cars.
|
|
