Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination?

casnov · 24th March 2021, 12:21

I would also add Ford Freestyle to this. I have had Punto MJD 75bhp, Fiesta new model and currently own Jetta. All these 3 cars are as good at handling as they with their ride quality.

chinmaypillay · 24th March 2021, 15:54

My humble two cents would include the 800 and Ignis also to the list. The former was a raw rocket car without any gizmos, and the setup was good too. As many have said and having owned one, the original Figo/Fiesta has the best balance of handling + ride.

Punto and Polo would come next for the fun factor. Have heard the Altroz also having a good setup of handling and suspension, with lots of potential.

carthick1000 · 24th March 2021, 16:51

This is a very interesting vehicle dynamic topic. This is much overlooked when people select a car and I am all in for good vehicle dynamics. So instead of picking a car from a segment, I will give my perspective on my selection criteria if i want to have a balanced car ie. which is fun to drive and also has adequate comfort

Pure fun
Double wishbone front and rear

Pure comfort
Air suspension front and rear

Tradeoff between both
Front: Double wishbone or McPherson struts with Control Arms
Rear: Independent Multi-link

Most premium segment cars sold in India fit the last criteria. I like the tuning of BMW, Mazda (unfortunately not in India) and Porsche in the tradeoff type setups.

I will personally keep away from cars with Rear beam axle type suspension. Though it is one of the basic, economical and omni-present setup, it will neither be fun nor comfortable.

adneo · 24th March 2021, 17:05

I would just say that I was absolutely blown away by the balance a last Gen Skoda Yeti struck between comfort and performance. Just mind blowing.

venkyhere · 24th March 2021, 18:08

Humble request to members who are going to be posting here :

We all bought our cars for whatever reasons we did. However, please don't try to 'fit in' your car into this list, to give you a sense of justification for your purchase. Many such Tbhp threads have gotten diluted because people wrote in with their own car as the 'definitely should be considered candidate' and before 2 or 3 pages get over, the thread has all the cars ever sold in India forming the 'list'. Already there are a few entries here, which, honestly, you yourself (the person who posted) knows that it doesn't "fit" with the subject matter under discussion.

Kindly understand the purpose of the thread and post with due diligence.

It's a request.

keroo1099 · 24th March 2021, 18:59

The one car that really surprised me was the old Captiva. Felt really planted at speed on a road trip to Rothak which included some really rough patches. Ride quality at the back was brilliant, and I don't remember getting tossed around even once.

pritishekka · 24th March 2021, 22:48

Duster 2wd is superb in its segment and Duster AWD is even better as it has independent suspension in the front as well as rear. Its ride quality is something which can be experienced only in premium cars. Apart from that it has good driving dynamics and provides slightly higher than average feedback. Feels good when you are driving aggressively but you might not like it while driving in a relaxed fashion.

apachelongbow · 25th March 2021, 02:16

The previous generation discovery sport is one such package. The suspension irons out all kind of roads, one really doesn't feel/know the kind of terrain one is on. There is ample ground clearance, enough electronic aids (landrover modes), a comprehensive all wheel drive and a stonker of an engine/gearbox combination in the 180 ps/430nm and 9 speed auto. It's a rare SUV that can carry 7, has a sub 9 second 0-100, is fun in corners and can gobble vast distances at a high clip.

starke · 25th March 2021, 08:59

Renault Duster is superior to all others under 30L considering it as a whole package that can tame Highways and bad roads to magic carpet level. Jeep Compass is also one great package but it isn't a VFM product.

Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination?-a77221531c01066323443d149ff0ed939cb9f39f.jpeg

car_guy1998 · 25th March 2021, 21:07

For me, it is VW Polo. God, I'm impressed with its dynamics and this is surely the best hatch within Rs.10L of budget and the 1.0 TSI MT simply blows the AT version out of the water though I felt AT not bad to drive but the MT version gave me lots of fun while driving and can easily touch 80 Kmph in 2nd gear without any efforts.

The other one which offered fun as well as comfort is the Kia Seltos. In one word, I can say that the suspension is quite stable at high speeds and didn't feel floaty at all while doing high speeds. The Seltos has better steering feel and it becomes hard on its own when turned on to sports mode, which offers better steering feedback but it's available only in DCT and I've done some corners on this as well and man, I loved the way it handled and it has almost car-like dynamics.

I've driven 1.4 Turbo MT/ DCT along with Diesel MT/ AT but 1.4 Turbo MT and DCT offered me more fun while driving.

IMO, Seltos offers good ride+handling package and suitable for enthusiasts, who just love driving over comfort.

Even Honda City Petrol MT also offers good ride+handling package and 1.5 iVTEC engine is the big plus point in the City.

GeneralJazz · 25th March 2021, 21:31

I'd like to nominate the Baleno to this list. It has an excellent combination of comfort and high speed stability. Modern cars like the Polo are way better, but the old girl can hold her own among the new kids.

Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination?-dscn6465min.jpg

evil_grin · 26th March 2021, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankitsharma

3. Skoda Rapid: I recently became an owner of this one and I am in love with the ride + handling + suspension package.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Mass market sedans? The Rapid. Old is truly gold in this case. The ageing warrior has the best engine + ride and handling balance in the segment.

Among new cars in that segment, my personal choice would be the Vento. Here's why
1. Rapid's ride quality over bad roads is much worse than Vento's. Vento's handling isn't as much worse than Rapid's.
2. Most of us encounter way more bad roads than curvy, smooth, empty roads.
So when it's a close call, I'd choose the one with the better suspension. Unless of course, I have another comfy car and am looking at a fun 2nd car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaceHorse

I would say Honda City MT, it offers best ride comfort both in city and on highways. Strong chassis and good handling capabilities are bonus.
.

Quote:

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

Even Honda City Petrol MT also offers good ride+handling package

The 3rd and 4th gen had great handling, no doubt. If upgraded with Teins suspension they are way more fun to take curves in than a stock Octavia!

But their ride quality on bad roads is quite harsh. You guys must be talking about the 2nd or 5th gen that have better ride quality on bad roads.

car_guy1998 · 26th March 2021, 09:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by evil_grin

The 3rd and 4th gen had great handling, no doubt. If upgraded with Teins suspension they are way more fun to take curves in than a stock Octavia!

But their ride quality on bad roads is quite harsh. You guys must be talking about the 2nd or 5th gen that have better ride quality on bad roads.

Well, I myself own a 4th gen City albeit a Diesel one and I can say that the handling of the 4th gen is as good as a Vento/ Rapid but IMO the ride quality of 4th gen is quite decent, at least for me. And, coming to 5th gen, I felt the ride quality is much better than my 4th gen City.

Axe77 · 26th March 2021, 09:20

I have not driven enough cars to comment with authority or information but I really like the ride quality of my 3 GT. I know the BMW purists will balk and put it down as not fun enough compared to a regular 3 but I love the quality and comfort the GT offers across a really wide range of roads including some really bad roads.

The other car that I have only briefly driven but I think will offer a great balance (more comfort than fun but still very satisfactory overall) would be the Citroen C5. The ride was absolutely plush and I look forward to some longer drives to confirm this view.

aryayush · 17th September 2023, 08:37

I know I'm digging up an old thread (and am happy to post my query as a new thread if asked to) but I thought this was a brilliant thread and deserved to be updated.

I'm looking for exactly the kind of car being discussed in this thread. We currently have an Ecosport (fantastic to drive but really hard on your bones) and an XUV700 (great suspension but a noticeable step down from the Ecosport in terms of driving pleasure, despite the powerful engine).

Can we have an updated list of cars that offer a very comfortable suspension setup and are corner carvers to boot?

24th March 2021, 12:21	#16
casnov BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Bangalore Posts: 62 Thanked: 344 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? I would also add Ford Freestyle to this. I have had Punto MJD 75bhp, Fiesta new model and currently own Jetta. All these 3 cars are as good at handling as they with their ride quality.
	(1) Thanks

24th March 2021, 15:54	#17
chinmaypillay BHPian Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: BLR/CBE Posts: 146 Thanked: 248 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? My humble two cents would include the 800 and Ignis also to the list. The former was a raw rocket car without any gizmos, and the setup was good too. As many have said and having owned one, the original Figo/Fiesta has the best balance of handling + ride. Punto and Polo would come next for the fun factor. Have heard the Altroz also having a good setup of handling and suspension, with lots of potential.
	(2) Thanks

24th March 2021, 16:51	#18
carthick1000 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: CJB-Driel Posts: 696 Thanked: 2,906 Times View My Garage	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? This is a very interesting vehicle dynamic topic. This is much overlooked when people select a car and I am all in for good vehicle dynamics. So instead of picking a car from a segment, I will give my perspective on my selection criteria if i want to have a balanced car ie. which is fun to drive and also has adequate comfort Pure fun Double wishbone front and rear Pure comfort Air suspension front and rear Tradeoff between both Front: Double wishbone or McPherson struts with Control Arms Rear: Independent Multi-link Most premium segment cars sold in India fit the last criteria. I like the tuning of BMW, Mazda (unfortunately not in India) and Porsche in the tradeoff type setups. I will personally keep away from cars with Rear beam axle type suspension. Though it is one of the basic, economical and omni-present setup, it will neither be fun nor comfortable. Last edited by carthick1000 : 24th March 2021 at 16:54.
	(4) Thanks

24th March 2021, 17:05	#19
adneo BHPian Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: BLR/CCU Posts: 154 Thanked: 583 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? I would just say that I was absolutely blown away by the balance a last Gen Skoda Yeti struck between comfort and performance. Just mind blowing.
	(2) Thanks

24th March 2021, 18:08	#20
venkyhere BANNED Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: hump city Posts: 1,293 Thanked: 5,893 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? Humble request to members who are going to be posting here : We all bought our cars for whatever reasons we did. However, please don't try to 'fit in' your car into this list, to give you a sense of justification for your purchase. Many such Tbhp threads have gotten diluted because people wrote in with their own car as the 'definitely should be considered candidate' and before 2 or 3 pages get over, the thread has all the cars ever sold in India forming the 'list'. Already there are a few entries here, which, honestly, you yourself (the person who posted) knows that it doesn't "fit" with the subject matter under discussion. Kindly understand the purpose of the thread and post with due diligence. It's a request. Last edited by Sheel : 24th March 2021 at 18:39. Reason: Please start your para / first letter in capital letter and please capitalize where necessary, For eg - India. Thanks.
	(32) Thanks

24th March 2021, 18:59	#21
keroo1099 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 613 Thanked: 1,815 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? The one car that really surprised me was the old Captiva. Felt really planted at speed on a road trip to Rothak which included some really rough patches. Ride quality at the back was brilliant, and I don't remember getting tossed around even once.
	() Thanks

24th March 2021, 22:48	#22
pritishekka Newbie Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 5 Thanked: 5 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? Duster 2wd is superb in its segment and Duster AWD is even better as it has independent suspension in the front as well as rear. Its ride quality is something which can be experienced only in premium cars. Apart from that it has good driving dynamics and provides slightly higher than average feedback. Feels good when you are driving aggressively but you might not like it while driving in a relaxed fashion.
	() Thanks

25th March 2021, 02:16	#23
apachelongbow Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 2,133 Thanked: 3,012 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? The previous generation discovery sport is one such package. The suspension irons out all kind of roads, one really doesn't feel/know the kind of terrain one is on. There is ample ground clearance, enough electronic aids (landrover modes), a comprehensive all wheel drive and a stonker of an engine/gearbox combination in the 180 ps/430nm and 9 speed auto. It's a rare SUV that can carry 7, has a sub 9 second 0-100, is fun in corners and can gobble vast distances at a high clip.
	(2) Thanks

25th March 2021, 08:59	#24
starke BHPian Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Tokyo Posts: 274 Thanked: 1,117 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? Renault Duster is superior to all others under 30L considering it as a whole package that can tame Highways and bad roads to magic carpet level. Jeep Compass is also one great package but it isn't a VFM product.
	(2) Thanks

25th March 2021, 21:07	#25
car_guy1998 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: TG08/New Jersey Posts: 814 Thanked: 1,514 Times View My Garage	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? For me, it is VW Polo. God, I'm impressed with its dynamics and this is surely the best hatch within Rs.10L of budget and the 1.0 TSI MT simply blows the AT version out of the water though I felt AT not bad to drive but the MT version gave me lots of fun while driving and can easily touch 80 Kmph in 2nd gear without any efforts. The other one which offered fun as well as comfort is the Kia Seltos. In one word, I can say that the suspension is quite stable at high speeds and didn't feel floaty at all while doing high speeds. The Seltos has better steering feel and it becomes hard on its own when turned on to sports mode, which offers better steering feedback but it's available only in DCT and I've done some corners on this as well and man, I loved the way it handled and it has almost car-like dynamics. I've driven 1.4 Turbo MT/ DCT along with Diesel MT/ AT but 1.4 Turbo MT and DCT offered me more fun while driving. IMO, Seltos offers good ride+handling package and suitable for enthusiasts, who just love driving over comfort. Even Honda City Petrol MT also offers good ride+handling package and 1.5 iVTEC engine is the big plus point in the City.
	() Thanks

25th March 2021, 21:31	#26
GeneralJazz BHPian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: TN38/KL58/KL07 Posts: 693 Thanked: 5,123 Times View My Garage	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? I'd like to nominate the Baleno to this list. It has an excellent combination of comfort and high speed stability. Modern cars like the Polo are way better, but the old girl can hold her own among the new kids.
	(3) Thanks

26th March 2021, 09:20	#29
Axe77 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 9,022 Thanked: 28,304 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? I have not driven enough cars to comment with authority or information but I really like the ride quality of my 3 GT. I know the BMW purists will balk and put it down as not fun enough compared to a regular 3 but I love the quality and comfort the GT offers across a really wide range of roads including some really bad roads. The other car that I have only briefly driven but I think will offer a great balance (more comfort than fun but still very satisfactory overall) would be the Citroen C5. The ride was absolutely plush and I look forward to some longer drives to confirm this view.
	(2) Thanks

17th September 2023, 08:37	#30
aryayush BHPian Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Siliguri Posts: 239 Thanked: 433 Times	Re: Which car's suspension offers the Fun + Comfortable combination? I know I'm digging up an old thread (and am happy to post my query as a new thread if asked to) but I thought this was a brilliant thread and deserved to be updated. I'm looking for exactly the kind of car being discussed in this thread. We currently have an Ecosport (fantastic to drive but really hard on your bones) and an XUV700 (great suspension but a noticeable step down from the Ecosport in terms of driving pleasure, despite the powerful engine). Can we have an updated list of cars that offer a very comfortable suspension setup and are corner carvers to boot?
	() Thanks