Harsh ride over potholed roads

[whiten]

When I bought my XC60 I preferred the styling of the R Design but wanted the ride quality of the SE. Vanity won I’m afraid, but I slightly regret it now. The now available adjustable air suspension would have been the answer though...

[Zigster]

Originally Posted by canis

Lowered suspension, firm shock absorbers, massive wheels with pathetic elastic band tyres ...

This is what happens when form is put before function. This car vanity is what gives you an uncomfortable ride. Probably really useful on a racing circuit, where you're either flat-out or braking, but do you really drive your car right on the limit of it's performance that these things become necessary? I mean, you wouldn't want to arrive thirty seconds late for ASDA car-park, would you?

Think of the time these performance enhancements save you! You might have had to set off a minute earlier if you had one of those n00b cars with actual rubber on their wheels and suspension that actually can make it over a speed hump at more than three miles per hour. Oh, how you'll fly across town with your 18" rims, braking at the very last second for every red light confident your lowered suspension will maintain the car's poise and posture because, y'know, don't want to lose any momentum to the springs for the red light you're stationary at.

It really makes me laugh how people keep adding all these performance bits to make it go faster. Then they moan about speed cameras and enforcement.

The sleek lines, the shiny paintwork, the confident stance on the showroom floor ... but in the real world it's a folly. But, people buy with their eyes.

It's all styling. It's why indicators are almost invisible these days. Impractical, but it looks so good. Shame about the ride quality.

I completely agree. Before I bought my XC60, I demo'ed a Q5 and was appalled at the ride on the sports suspension and low profile tyres. That was one of the key reasons I looked at the XC60 instead.

I might lower the pressure on my XC60 a bit from the 39 psi I currently run them at to see if that improves the ride - the potholes where I live are shocking at the moment.

Bear in mind that 18 inch wheels on an XC60 are still 60 profile tyres - not exactly rubber bands. Although I do sometimes wish I had gone for the no cost "downgrade" to 17 inch wheels.

[airbrass]

Originally car set up at 39 psi and although a far better ride than my Audi A4 I set the pressure to 37 psi. Which I think is a good compromise.
I regularly drive 100 mile trip half on motorway half A roads best mpg was 63 with a tail wind in the summer. Colder temps reduce mpg I regularly get 61 on the trip driving sensibly. This time of year April I’m getting 55

[JRL]

Ah, the roads in Edinburgh! Was over visiting my daughter in Leith last week, went for a run in her recently acquired Nissan Almera and broke the driver's side coil spring within ten minutes on a cobbled patch. Not a happy girl!

[PJordan]

Oh dear! Not good but so easily done in Edinburgh!!