330Ci Harsh Ride

[codex57]

Just get 17s. My friend got the optional 18" wheels on his car. It's noticeably harsher than mine. Not too bad, but at the upper limit of what I consider acceptable in a car that's known to strike a good balance btw performance and comfort. My 17s are great.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

Re: Re: 330Ci Harsh Ride

You should have bought a Buick.

Can't top Buick's senior citizen styling and ride quality.

 

[MyHarley]

My car has the 18" Style 72 Wheels with Dunlop tires............the pressure stated in the door is 32 psi and 36 psi................yes its a harsher ride, but I have gotten use to them now after 7 months............my tire guy checks the air every Friday and balances the tires every 3000 miles (free I might add)..........this maintenance is very needed in my opinion........each week the tires need a little bit of air..............the wheels are also so delicate........if you're behind me on the road, get prepared to stop for every little hole, crevice, etc................

 

[Bryan330i]

In the end if you want ride comfort buy a buick if you want a sports car stop complaining.

Very well put.

This is a review I found on my car:

"It's no four-door M3, but the deal is certainly sweet"
by Jared Townshend

"So I decided to put the more aggressive sport suspension though the paces. Overall, the suspension provided great feedback through the pedals and steering wheel, instilling confidence in the twisties. However, the first bump I hit made me re-evaluate my confidence."


He obviously did not like the ride so much but I think it is great. I like the feeling of being glued to the road even in rain and would not change anything. It just depends on what you are looking for in a car.

 

[MrElussive]

Hello,

I need advice. My new 330Ci with 18" Wheels, Dunlop Tires(225x35 and 225x40's), Sports Package and Premium package has a much harder ride than I expected. Can anyone give me some advice on how to make the ride more compliant without sacraficing much of the handling? It seems that 2 things are at play. The slightest road irregularity seems to upset the car and set it bouncinig. This is either due to the fact that the springs are too short since this is a stock lowered coupe or maybe the shocks are the problem. When I get up to 80 the vibrations are so strong that it isn't fun to run at that speed for long on California's very uneven pavement freeways.

The dealer told me I can run my tires at 5 psi less than recommended I don't see how that can help but maybe. Or maybe I just need a better shock, something adjustable maybe.

Thanks for any replys.

Dude your car should be buttry smooth at 80mph, and after you hit a bump, you shouldn't be bouncing up and down. The car should absorb the shock instantly! I think the dealreship might have forgotton to readjust your shocks/springs when they received the car !! During shipping, BMW tightens all their cars so they don't wiggle around too much (and possibly get damaged). My uncle's 745Li was delivered to him like that !! He kept complaining that the shocks were making his car bounce up and down for like 2 minutes after he went over a bump. He took it to the dealership and that was exactly the case...they fixed it and now his car is running perfect.

 

[Railguy]

Interesting! My car is smooth at 80 but only on very smooth pavement. If any unevenness occurs I feel strong vibrations. And after I hit a bump its like the suspension has no give to it at all. Maybe something is amiss. Let me bug the dealer about this and see what he says.

If i inflate the tires to standard specs, 32/38 if I remember right, on uneven pavement its like a jack hammer.

I am not complaining about the handling but something seems wrong to me. Or maybe I'll get used to it after a while.

 

[MrElussive]

You should take a drive with a BMW mechanic and see what he thinks. Keep the tires inflated to regular settings...if you dislike the ride quality as much as you do (and there is nothing wrong with the suspension), then decreasing tire pressures won't change your opinion on the ride much and will just negatively affect handling, tire wear, and gas mileage.