1st off, thanks to all who answered my past question about my new (used) '03 P5 possibly being lowered as it was scraping the parking curb. It turns out it wasn't but it did need new tires. After I got them (16") it doesn't do that anymore - hooray! BUT, I thought the car would ride a lot smoother with new tires and it doesn't. I even opted for the more expensive choice of tires for this reason. It bounces ALOT and I feel every speck in the road. Am I asking too much for a smooth ride? Should I investigate new, better shocks or is this the way it is? I know this sounds kind of wussy, but this is the newest, most expensive car I've ever had and it feels like I'm in an old VW bug.

 

Stock suspension should not bounce as much as you're describing. These cars are not very bouncy on stock struts, springs, and tires ... my 03 P5 felt like it was gliding.

How many miles are on it? Have you noticed any leakage on the tires from the struts ... if so then they probably need to be replaced. Are you absolutely positive the car does not have aftermarket springs installed? Also, what is the width/profile of the tires you most recently got .. low profile tires will make you feel the bumps more.

 

I dunno if I agree with you on this one 100%. Yes, it could be a mechanical problem.
But honestly I think the P5 and ES especially have a pretty firm ride if you are comparing it to say, a Corolla or Sentra. That's part of the better handling.

What you and I find more appealing is something others don't.

Also, what kind of tire? Did you replace with 195/50/16? A 195/55/16 would help soften the ride and be less expensive. There aren't a lot of choices in the 195/50 range.

 

Well you do make a good point there ... everyone has their personal tastes and opinions on what fits them. I guess the stock suspension felt really nice to me because I switched to it from Skunk2 coilovers that were KRAYZIE bouncy!

But do let us know what size of tire you installed, there just might not be enough tire to absorb the impact.

 

Thats why I went to 205/50

 

hard suspension is for REAL men....it puts hair on your chest.

 

Well, that would explain a lot since it was 'Christine' that asked, LOL.

 

chirstine to me isn't a girls name...it's a killer cars name! And those thing have *****!

 

lmao

 

Haha I saw that movie about Christine the killer car, and liked it, especially the transformation of the geeky owner into Elvis Jr. I am a woman though (with no hair on my chest) and after I look I will post about my current tire size. God help me if I've bought the wrong tires for my (desired) smooth ride - they were pricey! Thanks for the suggestions.

 

OK, here are the tires I just bought: BF Goodrich, Traction design, Size 205-50-R16.
I'm going to take the car to a mechanic to see about changing out to better shocks for a smoother ride.... any suggestions there? Help! I don't want hair on my chest!

 

Well, those tires shouldn't be too bad, although going to a higher aspect ratio, say 55, would help. So it's not that.

When you say the ride is bouncy, do you mean the car actually bobs up and down when you go over a bump, or do you mean that the ride is too frim for you, and you feel every bump?

If it's the latter, I'd say you are still within the limits of the stock ride. If the former then I would have your struts checked.
And to follow up with what KrazieFox suggested, what color are your springs?

 

^ If they're anything but black, then they're not factory springs. So if you see red, green, blue, yellow, etc. then it means they were "upgraded"

 

I will have to check on that spring color (they have colors ???). I will ask the mechanic about struts as well as shocks. We are scheduled for a test drive too.

By bouncy, I mean I feel every uneven part of the surface of the road.... it's very noticeable on less than perfect roads which is 99%. It jars and bounces me and my steering wheel. I've been driving Subarus for the last 15 years and never had this issue. My friend has my old Subaru and I rode with her last night to make sure I wasn't going nutty - the ride was way smoother. I really want to love my little silver bullet, and it has so many of the features I was looking for: good gas mileage, hatchback design, zippy drive etc... but I'm starting to look longingly at Buicks.....

 

Yes, they come in different colors. If you just take a peek above your tire inside the fender you will see the spring .. it looks .. well just like a spring should. Normally all aftermarket springs come in different colors so they can be distinguished easier, and the factory springs are black. And just have your mechanic check the struts, our cars don't have shocks. Even though the terms are used interchangably for the same part, they are slightly different and the P5 has only struts.

First let us know about the spring colors though so we can figure out if they have been replaced with anything aftermarket, since that will obviously be the culprit if that's the case. If it turns out they haven't been replaced and you do go to a mechanic to get the struts checked out, have him give you a quote on parts and labor first. More than likely we can find you cheaper parts online so have him quote parts and labor separate if it comes down to it.

Good luck, let us know what you find out.

Here's a picture of what color your springs should be.