[dme330i]

Originally Posted by johnny420

This thread baffles me. Bimmers seem to have very compliant rides, along with their sharp handling. I cannot imagine purchasing an E90 without the SP. I want more handling, not less.

Exactly! Compared to my 05 Accord V6 with 18's, my 330i sport rides so much more comfortably AND handles incredibly better.

Every BMW that I have owned has had SP and every BMW that I will buy in the future will have SP.

[visor]

Did you make sure that the dealer removed all the suspension blocks before giving you the car? They are there for shipping purposes to protect the suspension and are supposed to be removed.

[ward]

Originally Posted by ben1364

The E90 does in fact have a firmer ride than the E36 M3 with either (E90) suspension set up....... .

I'm not sure I'm on board with that statement,
given everyone interprets "ride" differently

but I feel that my M3 had a rougher ride than my E90 with sport

maybe we had different year M3's mine was a 95

[BimmerMan7]

Thanks for all the comments. Great to see I'm not the only one with ride comfort issues. The comment on why buy a sports sedan and then complain about the ride comfort needs some reply. The issue is that BMW's as such are expensive vehicles. Meaning that this is my only CAR and I use it daily to work etc. and "expect" it to behave in a reasonable manner w.r.t. ride comfort. I know it is a sports sedan, but heck, I don't drive "sporty" everyday and those times that you need some comfort it lets you down. In other words the balance is gone between good performance and good ride comfort.
**** However, last night I deflated all 4 tires to 2,2 bar (220 kPa) and the ride comfort is much improved now.

[visor]

Hate to say this, but you should have at least test driven both Mercedes and BMW to compare prior to your purchase. You would be much happier with Mercedes softer ride.

[dlk001]

What are “suspension blocks”?

Hey BimmerMan7, I’m happy that you have improved the situation.

I bet BMW will be revising the suspension further when they released a facelift 3-Series.

[cntlaw]

Not sure when was the last time you bought a car?
The luxury cars I bought/driven in the last 4.5 years.
MB E320 W210
BMW Z3 2.2 Sports Ed. USA version
MB C55 AMG
MB C200 Sports
E90 325i
Audi A3 Sportsback
And... none of them are more comfortable than my cheap Honda Accord.
It's way to go, large rims, stiff suspension, lowered spring...these all are fairly standard sports fetaures.
The reason people have different feels about the same car is because individual road conditions are different.
If you tend to ride on rough roads, you should avoid sports suspension and large rims.
We will never get used to it but will sooner or later , gladly accept the way it is about - performance cars.

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by BimmerMan7

Thanks for all the comments. Great to see I'm not the only one with ride comfort issues. The comment on why buy a sports sedan and then complain about the ride comfort needs some reply. The issue is that BMW's as such are expensive vehicles. Meaning that this is my only CAR and I use it daily to work etc. and "expect" it to behave in a reasonable manner w.r.t. ride comfort. I know it is a sports sedan, but heck, I don't drive "sporty" everyday and those times that you need some comfort it lets you down. In other words the balance is gone between good performance and good ride comfort.
**** However, last night I deflated all 4 tires to 2,2 bar (220 kPa) and the ride comfort is much improved now.

Slightly lowered tire pressure will improve ~10% ride quality.
Just be ware that if you are loaded with passengers you will not speed over 180km/h or at risk.
We will see 'airmatic' / 'active suspension' be implemented to lower end models of MB and BMW cars hopefully soon.

[ON325i]

This is a good read on an invention to deal with pot holes and possibly make any ride much more comfortable!

http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_...8-002/page.asp

[ben1364]

Originally Posted by ward

I'm not sure I'm on board with that statement,
given everyone interprets "ride" differently

but I feel that my M3 had a rougher ride than my E90 with sport

maybe we had different year M3's mine was a 95

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I was speaking in reference to compliance over tar snakes and rough pavement and am confoident that the difference is in the tires. The (early) E36 M3 was equipped with 235/40 x 17" tires hence a lower section height than the E90 tire yet it handled such things on the road better than the E90 with run flops. Further, I was responding to an inquiry about E90 ride. I did not intend to dis the E90 whose ride I am happy with. I test drove cars wiht and without the sport suspension and concluded that for my present purpose the standard suspension was more than adequate for my needs. I probably won't do any track schools with this E90.

[noflash]

It's only SA guys who are suffering from the harsh ride. Maybe they stuck you all with an older generation of run-flats.

The 5 series suffered from a harsh ride when it first came out -- because of the run-flats. I think the newer gen run-flats are more forgiving.

I say get rid of them all together and get some smooth non-runflat allseasons already!!

[fredtoo]

Originally Posted by noflash

It's only SA guys who are suffering from the harsh ride.

E90 Fleet is always talking about how tightly they bolt them together in SA.
Possibley they are bolted together TOO Tightley

[BMW0]

I have a 330i sport package and feel every imperfection, but at the same time it does have a subtle but smooth comfortable side to it. To answer your question "yes" it is a bit harsh even more so, if your used to Lexus or Cadillac suspension.

[cntlaw]

In short, the consumer has changed.
If you car doesn't ride harsh on bumps and have 17/18 wheels, yours' is not an expensive sports car.

[BimmerMan7]

Just one last thing. I logged the hard ride issue in my brand new 325 with my dealer. He (salesman) spoke to various engineers at the factory and nobody was prepared to comment on the hard ride. The only thing he can tell me is that all the guys agreed verbally it was the run-flat tires causing this hard ride. A test was done - they took a 325i and replaced all 4 tires with normal non run-flat tires and the ride comfort then was much like the E46 or even better. The extra chassis stiffness in the E90 model is also contributing to a harder ride for better performance and sportiness. So I don't blame the E90 design, rather the non-flat tires.

[noflash]

Okay, for the third time...

Go buy some non-runflats!!!!

(UHP AllSeasons for ultimate comfort)

[ben1364]

Flash is right. You can make your car's ride softer by switching to all season conventional tires. If you drive occasionally at 9/10ths, you will notice some deterioration in handling performance since these cars' suspensions are tuned for the stiff sidewalls of run flop tires. Most people will not miss the crispness in handling.

[ZenDriver]

I just received my 325i two weeks ago and I'm not impressed with the overall ride comfort.

This is a common problem on newer BMWs. Here is how you cure it.

1- Look at the badge on the hood. Is it round, with some blue and white with "BMW" written in open kerned Helvetica? If it is...

2- Post an ad in the classifides section of the local newspaper. To help, use the other badge on the back of the car to tell people the series and engine displacement.

3- The vehicle will sell VERY quickly. Once this happens, take the cash you got and go to the local Lexus dealership. Procure a vehicle from them.

[sysop]

Originally Posted by BimmerMan7

Thanks for all the comments. Great to see **** However, last night I deflated all 4 tires to 2,2 bar (220 kPa) and the ride comfort is much improved now.

I also run the 320i on 190 kPa and it obviously improves it. I have also had the wheels swapped for the -non-runfalt tyres but the difference was no so marked. The problem lies in the comparatively short spring travel and stiff settings which result in a bouncy ride. I agree that BMW will probably bring about changes in the face-lift, but meanwhile we suffer...

[2006bmw]

It all depends on your perspective. I forgot which magazine article I was reading, but it said that in building the E90 BMW must have made a "Faustian bargain" in order to combine such fantastic handling with such a comfortable ride. I'm very happy with my ride with 18" wheels and SP.

[DTM]

I'm still trying to figure out how somebody can possibly buy a car, especially one so expensive, without test-driving it first.

[nyyankee]

Originally Posted by ZenDriver

This is a common problem on newer BMWs. Here is how you cure it.

1- Look at the badge on the hood. Is it round, with some blue and white with "BMW" written in open kerned Helvetica? If it is...

2- Post an ad in the classifides section of the local newspaper. To help, use the other badge on the back of the car to tell people the series and engine displacement.

3- The vehicle will sell VERY quickly. Once this happens, take the cash you got and go to the local Lexus dealership. Procure a vehicle from them.

Haha