Ride quality worries.

Just got the car yesterday and whilst it really is exciting in so many ways, I am quite ill at ease with the hard ride.
I wonder if anyone else feels this ? I traded in a Freelander which was a big old tonka toy but wonderfully smooth and fluid.
I wonder if my car has damper problems (or shock absorbers, is that the same thing ?) .. we drove a Dynamic for a whole day as a test car on 20” wheels (mine are 19”) and I don't remember the ride being jiggle until down one of our country roads.

For example with this car, the is a lot of thumping and jumping around on cement laid dual carriageways, like parts of the A1 and A52. Plenty of road noise too. Lots of jiggle on obviously bad surfaces.

I’d appreciate anyone views or ideas as a plan of action ?

Thanks
Richard

My car has none of the 'thumping and jumping around' you describe - on 20" too - but has the Adaptive Dynamic suspension. I would expect that the Dynamic test car you drove had this too...so this could be the difference between the two driving experiences you have had if you didn't opt for it since AD does make for a smoother ride on all surfaces and at the same time reduces the body roll. If you do have AD then there might well be something amiss.

Have you checked the tyre pressures?

Coming from an Audi A5 S-Line (Sport suspension) the ride isn't as firm as the Audi - but it handles a lot better (I'm on 19" wheels too) with a really flat cornering. I like it - lots.

The car is absolutely planted, but the I also have the Dynamic with AD. If you're not happy with it take it back and see if you can explain it to them and maybe get to take another car out for a test drive, but use one with the same suspension package otherwise you may be fooling yourself, I certainly dont have any thumping or jumping around. Only the other day someone I took out whos an ex racing driver said how amazing the ride quality was, when driving for comfort and throwing it round the lanes.

I agree with sarcatix the tire pressure on my was set 5psi lower that then plates recommendation which gave it a softer ride but sacraficed MPG

No disrespect, but is it in the correct drive mode? (not sand/mud etc).

We have none AD car and 19" wheels and I find the ride harsh, not what I was expecting but it's ok.

As for people saying the handling is Hot Hatch like, What have you People been driving previously!!!! You must have been driving Jellies on wheels!! The Evoque is anything but Hot Hatch like!

Thanks folks, will def check the tire pressures (fingers crossed for a cock-up here).
I thought the AD actually firmed up the suspension for faster sport driving ?

The garage are going to loan me a similar sprung E to compare.
@ THEMACS .. I guess you are feeling the same as me, on a smooth road, it’s just fine but a poor surface it’s quite bad.
Also I don’t feel the power delivery is hot hatch like, our other car is a Mini Cooper, now thats point and squirt !

(20-05-2012 09:19am)THEMACS Wrote:  ...As for people saying the handling is Hot Hatch like, What have you People been driving previously!!!! You must have been driving Jellies on wheels!! The Evoque is anything but Hot Hatch like!

The RRE with AD and Sport and Dynamic Mode engaged too is kinda 'hot hatch' like though. Certainly it is impressive for an SUV. But let's caveat that by stating it is not Focus RS-like or anything of that ilk and it most definitely does need to have AD and ideally needs to also be the petrol version since the Si4 does go and feel better in the corners.

My wife previously drove an E91 BMW 325i Auto (Touring) and my RRE comfortably matches that car's performance in pretty much every way apart from economy. She now has a 2011 Mini Cooper S and I can tell you that back to back drives up and down a certain steep twisty road in Wycombe shows that the little 'hot hatch' is not far ahead of my RRE.

The RRE's cater for an array of preferences and there is quite a difference between, say, a Pure TD4 and a Dynamic Si4 - not only in speed but handling too. It all depends upon what people want/desire/need from the range of options offered.

My own recent 'sporty' car's include a BMW Z4M and a modified BMW 335i; I would say the Z4M blew the RRE away on the twisty stuff but not so much the 335i...

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(20-05-2012 10:20am)Belvoirbloke Wrote:  ...I thought the AD actually firmed up the suspension for faster sport driving ?

No.

AD provides a smoother ride over all terrains - from tarmac to the rough stuff. The Magneride continually adjusts to ensure that this is the case. AD is always on in cars so equipped - it can't be turned off.

However - and this is where a lot of confusion has crept in with Reviewers etc - cars with AD also come with an additional driving mode that is driver activated (in the same way you would activate mud/ruts, sand etc). This is Dynamic. Engage this and apart from your instrument panel lights turning red, the suspension and steering stiffens up. This is great on tarmac as it definitely allows you to throw the car around more with less roll and wallowing. Dynamic mode is not so great for comfort however over undulating surfaces....