What's the best riding car you've experienced?

[Londonscottish]

Back in my 30's I was driving around in a rock-hard poly bushed Nissan 200SX as I'd decided that a track-biased car was the answer to my needs.

Then speed bumps and a family came along and as I entered my 40's my priorities changed and I started looking for some more suspension travel and less brutal spring rates. And since 2010 I've been cosseted by an Airmatic 211 followed by an Airmatic 212. I like the fact I can switch it to Comfort round town than have it in Sport as I barrel along A roads and motorways. The best of both worlds.

Anyway, over the years, I've been in and/or have driven some great Merc's - 126's, 140's, 220's and 221's and all the E's from the 124 all the way to the 213 I drove yesterday.

Three stand out; the 124 I was loaned in the early 00's when my C43 was having it's wheels refurbed. Amazing over potholes and speedbumps. The 220 with it's ABC and small wheels that did an incredible job smoothing out the cratered roads on a Greek island. This after two weeks in a Suzuki Jimny hire car.... And the 213 I drove yesterday with it's astonishingly-good Airmatic/active damper set up.

I don't know it's using cameras to scan ahead but I suspect it might be because it's got rid of the one drawback of Airmatic; it's ability to absorb sudden shocks.

The only non-Merc I'd add to my list is the Volvo XC70 hybrid I passengered in the other day. For a tall, bulky SUV with huge wheels it rode really well and yet didn't roll - I looked into it and it turns out they have air suspension as standard.

Anyway, for those of you interested in ride quality, what cars have stood out to you in the past and which do today?

 

[Martyn_n]

As a kid I remember my uncle's Austin Ambassador Vanden Plas being a nice smooth ride. Not sure it would be up there with Airmatic though.

 

[KennyN]

My present one , 3rd gen Cayenne , even with the 35 profile rubber it rides superbly on its air suspension in comfort setting - sport setting is a bit skittish but being a 3.0D it isnt in sport often.

Complete contrast is my 4 series running M Sport suspension / 19`s with runflats , fine when you are in the mood but a bit crashy especially compared to the Porker.

K

 

[Londonscottish]

As a kid I remember my uncle's Austin Ambassador Vanden Plas being a nice smooth ride. Not sure it would be up there with Airmatic though.

I remember them. My mate's dad had a CX then a 2.2 Princess. Both had soft, long travel suspension and deep-sidewalled tyres.

Great primary ride but the body control was a bit lacking in the Princess, anyway. The Citroen used to get a but floaty at times but this was before computer control, of course.

 

[190]

Of my own cars the W201 had the best ride, I used to wonder why more modern cars slowed down for speed humps. Ride comfort is a subjective assessment of softness vs control and the trend towards control has meant stiffer springing for each successive model of C class cars. I don't have figures but the subjective difference in spring rates between my W201 and W204 was huge. When I press down on the front wing of a W204 it hardly moves at all.

The silly fashion of ultra low profile tyres and early run flats compounded the modern trend towards a harsher ride. The worst car I've ever ridden in was the original BMW 1 series coupe. It had a ride so hard the driver actually had to slow down on moderately bumpy roads which defeated the object of a sporting car. In my mind it's unfathomable how a manufacture could have designed a car so badly.

 

[Londonscottish]

My present one , 3rd gen Cayenne , even with the 35 profile rubber it rides superbly on its air suspension in comfort setting - sport setting is a bit skittish but being a 3.0D it isnt in sport often.

Complete contrast is my 4 series running M Sport suspension / 19`s with runflats , fine when you are in the mood but a bit crashy especially compared to the Porker.

K

I remember the press marveling at the gen 1 Cayenne turbo with it's ridiculous blend of suspension travel and flat cornering. It was a milestone at the time, a proper breakthough.

It's interesting how manufacturers are getting air to work with very low profile tyres these days, too.

I'm too old for runflats and I'm surrounded by a sea of speedbumps. I suspect that whatever I get next will have non-runflats and air.

 

[Londonscottish]

Of my own cars the W201 had the best ride, I used to wonder why more modern cars slowed down for speed humps. Ride comfort is a subjective assessment of softness vs control and the trend towards control has meant stiffer springing for each successive model of C class cars. I don't have figures but the subjective difference in spring rates between my W201 and W204 was huge. When I press down on the front wing of a W204 it hardly moves at all.

The silly fashion of ultra low profile tyres and early run flats compounded the modern trend towards a harsher ride. The worst car I've ever ridden in was the original BMW 1 series coupe. It had a ride so hard the driver actually had to slow down on moderately bumpy roads which defeated the object of a sporting car. In my mind it's unfathomable how a manufacture could have designed a car so badly.

I think part of the problem is that German roads are amazingly smooth.

I once test drove an R53 Mini Cooper S on 17's and runflats. It took less than 30 seconds for me to think "NOOOO!!!!".

To be polite, I kept going for a bit but I couldn't cope with slowing to 3mph for every speed bump and every bit of broken tarmac.

I was hugely disappointed as, up to that point, I'd always lusted after one.

 

[chic0821]

In the mid 70's ( I'm quite old) I was on a business trip & went out to dinner with the MD who picked me up in his Citreon DS. I will never forget how smooth it was. Never felt any bumps in the road. My S class Mercs were very good, but nothing like that Citreon

 

[Bellow]

Citroen BX.
Citroen 2CV.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Some 30 years ago I remember the sublime ride in my dads Citroen BX. At that time it was like riding on a magic carpet.
Of my cars I always liked the ride in 124, don't know why but 124 always felt different to any other cars. W215 with Airmatic was a step further but is now overshadowed by my current XF Portfolio, it is just ubeliveably good in soaking any road imperfections, bumps and potholles.

 

[KennyN]

I'm too old for runflats and I'm surrounded by a sea of speedbumps. I suspect that whatever I get next will have non-runflats and air.

The runflats will be getting ditched when they need replaced , seemingly it "transforms" the ride of the car.

Was a bit skeptical (worried) about the reliability of the air suspension initially ,but in the last 18 months it has been fine and would be on my list of preferred options when i replace the vehicle , possibly next year.

K

 

[Londonscottish]

In the mid 70's ( I'm quite old) I was on a business trip & went out to dinner with the MD who picked me up in his Citreon DS. I will never forget how smooth it was. Never felt any bumps in the road. My S class Mercs were very good, but nothing like that Citreon

Back in the day, Citroen had something truly unique with their Hydropneumatic system. Decades ahead.

 

[Londonscottish]

The runflats will be getting ditched when they need replaced , seemingly it "transforms" the ride of the car.

Was a bit skeptical (worried) about the reliability of the air suspension initially ,but in the last 18 months it has been fine and would be on my list of preferred options when i replace the vehicle , possibly next year.

K

I've managed 11 years on air and in that time I've replaced one pump and two rear bellows. Not a bad run.

I think the trade are much less scared of air these days and parts prices have also tumbled, which helps.

 

[Londonscottish]

Some 30 years ago I remember the sublime ride in my dads Citroen BX. At that time it was like riding on a magic carpet.
Of my cars I always liked the ride in 124, don't know why but 124 always felt different to any other cars. W215 with Airmatic was a step further but is now overshadowed by my current XF Portfolio, it is just ubeliveably good in soaking any road imperfections, bumps and potholles.

124's are amazing for ride. Jag's, traditionally, have been too. Even with conventional steel set ups.

But I'm assuming an XF Portfolio has air suspension?

Hopefully, Mactech will be along shortly to explain how some car manufacturers seem to be able to make cars that both ride well and corner well on traditional set ups. It's an art. A much forgotten one, too.

 

[KennyN]

Back in the day, Citroen had something truly unique with their Hydropneumatic system. Decades ahead.

My shift partner 27 years ago had a couple of BX`s over five years , unfortunately he didn`t know a cam shaft from a calm day so muggins here was involved in keeping them on the road. It was mainly suspension work which was a nightmare as the first one he had non coated hydraulic pipes and we changed loads of them which was a bit tricky especially around the steering rack as it was a bit of a birds nest in that area , second one he had had coated pipes and was a bit less work.

I remember , as he was leaving for work, he had a hydraulic leak on the rear pipework that supplied the rear caliper , he just cut the pipe doubled it over and bashed it flat with the heavy end of a shifter then drove to work with three brakes , it was only 60 miles on the motorway so nothing too dangerous

K

 

[Ted]

Citroen CX without a doubt. I was driving a lot of different Mercedes at the time and the S class was good but not in the same league as the CX.
The XM was very very good too.

 

[SpikyMikey]

I 'inherited' a CX as a temporary company many moons ago. The ride was incredible (although it could get floaty at times) and the amount travel from fully down to fully up was giggle inducing. The most difficult thing to get used to was the fully powered self-centring steering and fully powered brakes.

 

[Stratman]

A Citroen DS and my old Series 1 XJ6.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

There's a theme emerging here.

The Austin Princess was a standout car for suspension in the 1970's. The default choice for a British salesman doing 50k a year. It's a shame that Red Robbo called 523 strikes, and destroyed British Leyland.

I was amazed by a friend's Citroen DS21 Safari. A most peculiar thing, like a very soft sofa on wheels.

In the last decade only two have stood out: the E500 and the W221 S500L. I would have another S500 in a shot, but it's needlessly long.

I've run a series of BMW's as runabouts these last fifteen years, with always the same routine: buy and SE spec car and remove the runflats.

Every time I come back from the Continent, I curse British roads as soon as I leave Dover. Even on motorways their quality is appalling compared to France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

 

[GeeJayW]

Had access to an Audi A8 some years ago and that had a very smooth ride. Also had a brief go in an Aston Vanquish round Millbrook, and that was pretty impressive too.

I’ve never like Citroen.