Ride Quality - Tires vs Suspension

[jober03]

I recently purchased a '21 Premium with relatively low miles (25k). I got it CPO from a local dealership. A gross oversight on my part, I didn't realize the dealership had installed a set of what has to be the worlds cheapest set of Chinese made tires until after I completed the purchase.

My question is, how much should I expect ride quality to improve going from these horrible things to a good quality tire? Will I see a significant difference (I know that's subjective), or is it more a matter of the "sporty" suspension?

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[Jeff-NoVA]

IMO, the car is underdamped. It bounces too much - that's not a tire issue, it's poor suspension tuning. Tires can certainly nip around the edges of ride quality, especially things like impact harshness. But they can't fix the bounciness.

Chances are your cheap-o tires will wear out quickly and you can try something better.

 

[jober03]

IMO, the car is underdamped. It bounces too much - that's not a tire issue, it's poor suspension tuning. Tires can certainly nip around the edges of ride quality, especially things like impact harshness. But they can't fix the bounciness.

Chances are your cheap-o tires will wear out quickly and you can try something better.

Thanks. I’m not waiting for them to wear out. Digging through all the good info on the forum to decided what to go with.

 

[Jeff-NoVA]

Thanks. I’m not waiting for them to wear out. Digging through all the good info on the forum to decided what to go with.

Good luck. There are so many threads and opinions out there!

 

[AliRafiee]

Depends on what you consider good ride quality.
Is it too stiff and you want softer or too soft and you want more planted?

 

[jober03]

Depends on what you consider good ride quality.
Is it too stiff and you want softer or too soft and you want more planted?

A little too stiff. I prefer a tighter ride, but I’d like to get rid of some of the bounce.

 

[AliRafiee]

A little too stiff. I prefer a tighter ride, but I’d like to get rid of some of the bounce.

That’s the suspension. You can air down a bit, say to 35psi and get a little help.

 

[EasyPass]

At 20k miles on the OEM Continentals, my dealer selected a BF Goodrich tire as a replacement. I immediately noticed a more planted ride with less sway and tilt in curves and a much better ride quality on rough roads. I'm certain that alternative suspensions could make a big difference as well, but I am convinced that tires are a significance contributor to the overall experience on this vehicle.

 

[HayaCruza]

Out of curiosity, what tire and size are on your MME? BTW, not all Chinese tires are poor quality.

 

[HuntingPudel]

The uncontrolled oscillation is a product of the suspension. There is too little rebound damping for the spring rate and weight of the vehicle. Airing down the tires masks this somewhat, but leads to poor tire wear and energy efficiency. See the thread on installing Koni shocks for a better solution. The rear ”bounce” does cover up a similar but lesser issue in the front, so you may experience this if you correct the rear. ??

 

[AliRafiee]

At 20k miles on the OEM Continentals, my dealer selected a BF Goodrich tire as a replacement. I immediately noticed a more planted ride with less sway and tilt in curves and a much better ride quality on rough roads. I'm certain that alternative suspensions could make a big difference as well, but I am convinced that tires are a significance contributor to the overall experience on this vehicle.

High performance tires really make a difference in the feel of the car through high speed turns with the stiffer sidewall.

 

[jober03]

Out of curiosity, what tire and size are on your MME? BTW, not all Chinese tires are poor quality.

I agree that not all are bad... but these retail for less than $100 per tire. Landspiders.

 

[HayaCruza]

Assuming they are CityTraxx, looks like they are made in Thailand, I know not much better. Reviews show good dry traction but poor wet.
Like someone else mentioned, they will probably wear quickly.

 

[TD1273]

Assuming they are CityTraxx, looks like they are made in Thailand, I know not much better. Reviews show good dry traction but poor wet.
Like someone else mentioned, they will probably wear quickly.

The tires will make some difference in both ride and your range that the battery will go

 

[Eagertrader]

My '21 GT has the original 20" all season Continentals it came with. These show very little wear at 25K miles and handle very nicely on curvy mountain roads or on the highway, both in dry or wet conditions. Good grip on snow as well. Will buy the same when these wear out.

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