Comfortable EV

ver01@

ver01@

ver01@

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I am sure the extra weight has something to do with this but even SUV type EV's - which you would expect to have softer suspension - still feel quite firm and I find myself being bounced around over the same roads that my old Volvo and Citroens glided in comparison. I've tested about 10 different EV's and probably the EX30 and the e-C4 were the ones that didn't make me feel that my fillings would fall out, but still light years away from the comfort drives I enjoyed with the older cars.
Unfortunately there is no EV with hydropneumatic suspension, so is the only option an EV with adaptive suspension? Who would have though that the French build their cars with our roads in their mind :0
 
SUVs typically have worse comfort levels due to high CofG, without trick suspension.

I would expect BMW i7 etc to have good suspension, although of course on the high end of pricing
 
I've only tried 2, iPace on ballon tyres, 17" wheels and springs - that hard a harsh ride. Q8 Etron with air suspension which is much softer.
 
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Suspension needs to be firmer to better control the additional weight.


SUVs are worse still because of the higher centre of mavity.


Smaller (lighter) car + smaller rims is a good place to start.
 
ShivP said:
SUVs typically have worse comfort levels due to high CofG, without trick suspension.

I would expect BMW i7 etc to have good suspension, although of course on the high end of pricing
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Never came across a BMW with soft suspension. Would have thought that SUVs by having higher profile tyres and suspension that has more "room" to absorb bumps would be more comfortable.
 
I think comfortable cars in general are difficult to find now! It’s a lost feature due to focus on handling, SUV aesthetics and big bling wheels over comfort. Not tried a Rolls-Royce yet though..!

I have a new Kuga Active X (softer model) that I specified with the smallest possible wheels for exactly this reason and it’s pretty good but since it’s a PHEV still fairly heavy. The platform has a great handling front-end so still feels ‘sharp’ compared to alternatives I think.

Yet to drive a BEV that is ‘comfortable’ although I do remember the Renault Zoe (original model) that I had being pretty smooth on the ride front. It was just obviously a compact car built to a budget so lacked the full refinement for comfort and pleasant NVH (despite being EV). The original one was probably lighter with just a 22kWh battery (IIRC) and certainly had a very low CoG. Go French would be my best advice, they have always been good at this.
 
Taycan with its triple chamber air springs is very good. Although sporty it’s compliant.

EQS SUV was immense but it’s huge cost. Honda e maybe?
 
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ver01@ said:
I am sure the extra weight has something to do with this but even SUV type EV's - which you would expect to have softer suspension - still feel quite firm and I find myself being bounced around over the same roads that my old Volvo and Citroens glided in comparison. I've tested about 10 different EV's and probably the EX30 and the e-C4 were the ones that didn't make me feel that my fillings would fall out, but still light years away from the comfort drives I enjoyed with the older cars.
Unfortunately there is no EV with hydropneumatic suspension, so is the only option an EV with adaptive suspension? Who would have though that the French build their cars with our roads in their mind :0
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It’s not an EV thing, it’s an older car thing. Most modern cars have a lot more safety tech (a very good thing) and as such are considerably heavier. Add the fact that most modern cars have silly low profile tyres and that does not help. SUV EVs in comparison to ICE counterparts are maybe ~250kg - 300kg heavier.

That sounds like a lot until you consider that even a mid sized diesel SUV can be 1700 - 1800kg. The ICE version is about 2000kg. Older cars were generally less than 1000kg.

I had an E-Tron SUV EV and it was very comfortable, yet for me I prefer my I-Pace on coil suspension. It is more jittery but less wafty and boaty, so leaves me a lot less queasy.

Our Volvo C40 (an EV) on 19” wheels is also very comfortable. A lot more comfortable than our older BMW X1 M-Sport on 19” alloys. Despite the C40 being almost 300kg heavier.
 
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alex24 said:
I think comfortable cars in general are difficult to find now! It’s a lost feature due to focus on handling, SUV aesthetics and big bling wheels over comfort.
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that's basically why when I was looking at ID3's I was looking for 'smaller' 18" wheels with more rubber (or similarly bmw/audi ice no M/S line w/o adaptive)
the mokka-e I had for a week with small wheels didn't feel too vertaba unfriendly on pot-holed roads of Cambs.

thought the megan e-tech (maybe scenic too) was an exception being more lithe/lightweight - but never driven one - maybe OP has.
 
jpaul said:
that's basically why when I was looking at ID3's I was looking for 'smaller' 18" wheels with more rubber (or similarly bmw/audi ice no M/S line w/o adaptive)
the mokka-e I had for a week with small wheels didn't feel too vertaba unfriendly on pot-holed roads of Cambs.

thought the megan e-tech (maybe scenic too) was an exception being more lithe/lightweight - but never driven one - maybe OP has.
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That’s your daily allowance of forward slashes used.

Also, who’s Megan?
 
For comfort you need small wheels and light weight, which then means you can have soft suspension without it handling like jelly. The French (mostly Citroen) are about the only ones still making cars like that and they are very smooth, much more so than cars costing far more.

Most SUVs are quite harsh, especially in the back.
 
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ver01@ said:
Never came across a BMW with soft suspension. Would have thought that SUVs by having higher profile tyres and suspension that has more "room" to absorb bumps would be more comfortable.
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Not at all. It is much harder to control mass that is higher up, so you need harder suspension to compensate for all that leaning
 
Or stiffer roll bars which doesn’t effect primary ride… a lot of SUV have the active anti rolls systems for example.

Basically try some.

SUV roll centres are negated to a degree on EVs then the higher presence of air suspension, longer travel and larger side walls is all benefit to ride. EV tend to also have longer wheelbases which helps with pitch control.
 
I test drove a BMW iX3 M Sport Pro recently and was quite surprised by how comfortable that felt given it's size/weight! I was expecting far more roll in corners than it had and it seemed to just flatten out most potholes and uneven surfaces with little drama inside. As I understand, they all have adaptive suspension fitted as standard and perhaps the location of the batteries helps keep the centre of mavity lower for better handling? The only other EV I've driven to compare this to is the Audi Q4 and I didn't like that anywhere near as much.
 
Jonnycoupe said:
But you haven’t driven one, so it’s not even an opinion
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If you've driven any car 4/5 up and see how it responds to bumps/pot-holes in the road, mid-bend etc. then you know what 2T of weight, like Ipace feels like -
mokka-e apparently 1600kg explains why it wasn't too bad. (boats excepted)

e: this quote comes to mind Made you feel it, did he? Well, you needn't worry. The second is...
 
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jpaul said:
If you've driven any car 4/5 up and see how it responds to bumps/pot-holes in the road, mid-bend etc. then you know what 2T of weight, like Ipace feels like -
mokka-e apparently 1600kg explains why it wasn't too bad. (boats excepted)

e: this quote comes to mind Made you feel it, did he? Well, you needn't worry. The second is...
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It was designed for that payload. Spring rates, damping roll centre and etc.

Don’t reference a car close to it GVM as some sort of benchmark! Mokka-e would feel like a tonka toy in comparison! It’s got a rear beam suspension. Unfortunately this has further took any credibility away from your recommendation.

I’m telling you now my ipace is more comfortable than my 835kg Honda!

Irony here is the heavier cars are less effected by extra passengers as the payload increase is less of a %
 
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