Ride Moves Around a Little

[Jack15911]

I'm in the market for a new car and drove a 2012 Genesis (and a MB C250, an Audi A4, and a Cadillac CTS) this week. I drove them over the same mixed route - some freeway, some country roads - and noticed the Genesis seemed busier than the other cars.

Texas does have pretty good roads, but they use a composite on them in some places that's very noisy to drive over, at least in my '05 Accord or '08 W Rabbit. In the Genesis and the other test drive cars, it was pretty quiet, and that's what I was looking for.

At least I thought that was what I was looking for... While the Genesis was at least as quiet as the other test cars (and quieter than my two), the ride in the Genesis seemed to transmit the slight bumps more. It wasn't exactly harsh, you understand, but it was there and not in the other cars.

I've lurked here on the forum and learned that folks think that new, quieter tires help with cabin noise, but if there were threads on this little jiggly motion, then I've missed them.

Is this my imagination, or is it real? If it is real, is it a tire issue? I'd hate to spend money to get a worse ride than I already have.

Thanks.

 

[kman]

There could be a few factors. Did you drive the R-spec which has larger wheels and stiffer suspension? The tire pressure could be another big factor, some dealerships pump up the tires way to much, some may have not reduced the pressure from when the car is delivered (60 psi). One thing I do notice in my car, but it is not anything that bugs me, I just notice it, is that over bumps my steering wheel moves more than I was used to while drive my previous car, '09 accord.

The fact that you say the car 'moves around a little' would make me think that the tire pressure is way to high.

 

[Jack15911]

No, it was a pretty base 3.8. I'll take my tire gauge next time and see if that's it.

 

[homeofstone]

The Genesis does have a stiff ride. If you like a soft riding car then the Genesis is not for you. I suggest looking at Ford, Toyota or Honda. Check Consumer Reports for reliablity ratings. I don't care for a soft ride. Even my Mercedes is one with the sport package. My wife and I want to feel firmly connected to the road at 80 mph.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

I have always felt like words being used to describe cars' suspension and ride characteristics have different meanings to different people. A word rarely used in these discussions is "control." That is most important to me personally.

In some cars, comfort sacrifices control - in some, it does not. I like the Genny for that reason.

 

[Jack15911]

homeofstone, as a new guy on the forum, I don't want to argue, but it seems as if you didn't read my post. The Audi A4, the MB C250 I drove have immaculate road-handling credentials and are fine in this regard, and so is the 328i. The Genesis was different, and appeared to me to be bouncy, maybe, and that is not "connected to the road," in my book and the book of those other marques.

I want to find out if it's the same in all Genesis models and whether it can be cured. If it can't, then you're right for sure and the Genesis isn't for me, but until I ask for your opinion on whether the Genesis is right for me, perhaps you would withhold it.

 

[Rey]

I am driving my third Genesis. I have found that ride quality has improved over the years of my ownerships. It appears to me that Genesis is trying to more or less match the handling qualities of German vehicles. Each year they are closer. The differences now are almost marginal, but still distinct.
I test drove an '09 Genesis and a 6 series BMW back-to-back on a bumpy curvy road. The BMW had a bit better road compliance, but not so much as to justify the 2X cost.

 

[Jack15911]

Thanks, Rey, that's helpful. Did you change tires in any of your earlier ones and if so did the ride improve?

Yes, cost is an issue, but I didn't see much difference in cost among the three I drove - mid- to upper-thirties for them all in the option mix I want. I also tried the Cadillac CTS but didn't mention it earlier as some might think it had a more plush type of ride. It was certainly heavier but also okay.

 

[TJPark01]

Thanks, Rey, that's helpful. Did you change tires in any of your earlier ones and if so did the ride improve?

What cars do you own now?

 

[Glashub]

Thanks, Rey, that's helpful. Did you change tires in any of your earlier ones and if so did the ride improve?

Yes, cost is an issue, but I didn't see much difference in cost among the three I drove - mid- to upper-thirties for them all in the option mix I want. I also tried the Cadillac CTS but didn't mention it earlier as some might think it had a more plush type of ride. It was certainly heavier but also okay.

My mother in law (an MB owner) calls the 4.6 ride “buoyant”. I call it bouncy and downright scary if you like to toss a car around or through a curve at 60 mph pushing it to the limits.

Coming from TL-SHAWD and having driven IS-250's, I find the Genesis does not feel planted. The TL rode and handled like it was on magnets. The Genesis has too much body roll and the steering does not communicate.

I don't know why people can't be real about the ride/suspension/handling of the Genesis. It's a great car but it lags behind the Germans and the Japanese. The ride mix seems to be the most difficult for manufacturers to master.

There are those who'll tout the R-spec but it too is unrefined when compared to the cars of manufacturers who have been spending money optimizing suspensions for decades.

I really like the car but would not buy another. I’m not a straight ahead speed guy (Genesis forte). I like to work the paddle shifters through canyons.

The Genny does give me something I really wanted….it is solid, quiet and built like a tank.

Finally, since you live in Texas; check out the air conditioning in 90 degree heat. It might not be up to snuff for you.

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[Crusty Old Shellback]

Here's my honest take on the R spec suspension now that I've had it for 10 months. My previous car was a Pontiac G8.

The Genney rides nice and is comfortable on long straight smooth roads. It does handle well enough for a large car in the turns. But when you hit the rough payvement, expically in a turn, I have notcied a twitching steeringwheel and the car does move around some. But it's nothing that makes the car seem unsafe to drive. At least not for me.

the Pontiac G8 was more stable in the turns on similar roads. I'm used to a little wobble as I come from a background of riding off road motorcycles. Even my Harley wiggles the back end around in turns on rough roads but dosen't bother me.

 

[scottdk]

I would say my biggest complaint with the Genesis is there is too much feedback and movement in the steering wheel with road imperfections, but far from unsafe. I can surely live with it. For me, the Genesis offers a great chassis (stiff!), nice ride, and lot's of power and a high quality interior along with high reliability.

 

[TJPark01]

The next Genesis will most likely come with adjustable suspension. However, they will still probably make the car more luxury than sport, which they should as I don't think this cars mass appeal leans toward sport. More importantly it will have to have AWD, as most people in the snow belt won't even consider a RWD car.

 

[ImInPA]

homeofstone, as a new guy on the forum, I don't want to argue, but it seems as if you didn't read my post. The Audi A4, the MB C250 I drove have immaculate road-handling credentials and are fine in this regard, and so is the 328i. The Genesis was different, and appeared to me to be bouncy, maybe, and that is not "connected to the road," in my book and the book of those other marques.

I want to find out if it's the same in all Genesis models and whether it can be cured. If it can't, then you're right for sure and the Genesis isn't for me, but until I ask for your opinion on whether the Genesis is right for me, perhaps you would withhold it.

Yes, it is the same. Why would you want to buy a car that had to have its ride "cured". The Genesis is obviously not for you. The vehicles you are comparing to are not even in the same class as the Genesis. You seem to be shopping price and status. You are looking at a C250 Vs Genesis? It seems you are comparing the entry level "status" vehicles to be at a price point with the Genesis.

 

[Mark_888]

Yes, it is the same. Why would you want to buy a car that had to have its ride "cured". The Genesis is obviously not for you. The vehicles you are comparing to are not even in the same class as the Genesis. You seem to be shopping price and status. You are looking at a C250 Vs Genesis? It seems you are comparing the entry level "status" vehicles to be at a price point with the Genesis.

I certainly think the Genesis 2012 suspension is acceptable, and even the 2010/2011 suspension is OK (but not the early 2009 suspension IMO). And clearly, the Genesis is in all other regards a larger, more powerful, and has more features than either a MB C250 or Audi A4. So in that sense the cars are not comparable.

But that does raise a legitimate question as to why those "lesser" cars seem to have a better suspension than the Genesis. So I don't think making a comparison of that type is out of line at all. I don't think it is just a matter of size, since the large MB's and Audi's have fine suspensions also.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

More importantly it will have to have AWD, as most people in the snow belt won't even consider a RWD car.

You'd be surprised how many of us in the snow belt are OK with RWD. Snow tires make a big difference, as does weight distribution. My 5-Series had X-Drive, but I had driven the equivalent RWD car and it was OK, as is my Genny.

The real truth is some of us are crazy a lot of the time anyway -- crazy to live here.

 

[Jack15911]

My target is rear-wheel-drive cars that could be had new in the mid-thirties - Genesis, C250, CTS, 328i. (The Audi A4 was an aberration when I stopped for opinions on the local value of my '08 VW Rabbit...) My other car is an Accord, but it's the Rabbit that will be departing for a new garage; it served its purpose by showing me that German cars could be reliable. (That was important to me as a two-time owner of very unreliable Audi 5000's in the 80's.) I was driving RWD cars in snow before FWD was mainstream, and I miss the feel, though I will avoid the snow when I can; there's not much in south Texas, anyway.

As for size comparisons, that's much less important and is why the four are comparable for our needs. My wife and I are free to roam and will be sightseeing without kids or pets, so room for a cooler in the backseat is all we require; that, and a good, responsive, quiet ride.

As for "curing" the ride, I don't think of it that way at all. Tires are expendable items and different ones might even be available as a part of a purchase deal. I certainly improved my Accord's ride, handling, and noise by replacing the Eagle GT's with Michelin MXV4's.

After meeting with a certain level of defensiveness here I searched for ride concerns and found plenty of them, though it wasn't unanimous by any means. Let me suggest that telling me the Genesis is not for me is contraindicated when building a community of interest in a good car... I'll take the positive comments with me when purchasing and forget the ones providing me with what I should do about purchases. Thanks.

 

[Cut-Throat]

You'd be surprised how many of us in the snow belt are OK with RWD. Snow tires make a big difference, as does weight distribution. My 5-Series had X-Drive, but I had driven the equivalent RWD car and it was OK, as is my Genny.

The real truth is some of us are crazy a lot of the time anyway -- crazy to live here.

I live here in Minneapolis as well and have driven RWD cars here since the 60's. In the 60's that's all there was and everyone drove them and most knew how to drive.

We are not crazy to live here 9 months of the year. However, I would not sell December, January and February to anyone. That is why god made Florida, which I go to every winter.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

We are not crazy to live here 9 months of the year. However, I would not sell December, January and February to anyone. That is why god made Florida, which I go to every winter.

Your're right about the nine months during the year. We have 7 kids and 11 grand kids, 9 living within 30 minutes of us here in Prior Lake. We also love Florida (Sanibel, Cape Coral, Naples, Marco), but love the island of Kauai better. We've been alternating between FL and one of the islands every year, but are still working and can't take more than a month off at one time. Now we just have to figure out how to buy something in Kauai nicer than an outhouse.

 

[Mark_888]

No, it was a pretty base 3.8. I'll take my tire gauge next time and see if that's it.

If you were driving a Base Genesis 3.8, then it has the crappy Dunlop OEM tires. All the other Genesis 2012 trim levels have Michelin tires.

If you get a Genesis Base Trim model, the Dunlop OEM tires will only last about 20K miles (sometimes less). If you replace them with Michelin Primacy MXV-4 17" tires (Primacy is apparently not available for Genesis 18" wheel sizes), the ride will be much smoother.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS