B class short term review:

[television]

The other thing is the BlueEfficiency models are supposed to have low rolling resistance tyres. In fact most are fitted with Continental Premium Contact which were fitted pre-BlueEfficiency and are a 'comfort' tyre rather than having any special eco properties.

The Premium contact tyres are special ECO tyres and have been tested as such and came out top from the ECO point of view

 

[st4]

I wonder how many of those press reviews actually tried the same car with the same suspension but with different wheel/tyre sizes? Unless it was a specific review on ride quality I doubt very much the manufacturer would supply multiple variations of one model..

My point was that Rolls Royces do not have the ride quality you'd expect, given the advances in suspension technology, why is that? Its down to the fashion for every larger wheels and lower profile tyres.

PS quite a few, as I've seen printed, "rode better on the standard wheels". Top Gear ran a Renault Megane and upped the rim size and noted the ride deterioriated. BMW owners note an improvement in ride quality when swapping out of run flat tyres as normal tyres have soft side wall. Tyre and rim diameter very much play a part in ride comfort.

 

[whitenemesis]

My point was that Rolls Royces do not have the ride quality you'd expect, given the advances in suspension technology, why is that? Its down to the fashion for every larger wheels and lower profile tyres

They do have the ride quality I expect and that's because they have designed the suspension with the wheel/tyres in mind.

 

[st4]

They do have the ride quality I expect and that's because they have designed the suspension with the wheel/tyres in mind.

To give a jarring and fidgetting ride?

 

[television]

They do have the ride quality I expect and that's because they have designed the suspension with the wheel/tyres in mind.

Then how on earth could they do that ??

 

[whitenemesis]

To give a jarring and fidgetting ride?

Then how on earth could they do that ??

I refer you both to post #78 (a post you thanked Steve)

I believe Rolls do have the required sophistication. And those I have ridden in seem to bear this out.

 

[television]

I refer you both to post #78 (a post you thanked Steve)

I believe Rolls do have the required sophistication. And those I have ridden in seem to bear this out.

The fact is that the RR still does not have rubber band tyres as such, they may look like it but in proportion to the size of the wheels they may look narrow.

It is the same as on my car where they have at least 100mm of sidewall the minimum that you can have to lose the road surface feel.
The sound damping and cab isolation plays a big part in the RR much more than one can do with springs and dampers as there are limits on these things.

 

[whitenemesis]

The fact is that the RR still does not have rubber band tyres as such, they may look like it but in proportion to the size of the wheels they may look narrow.

It is the same as on my car where they have at least 100mm of sidewall the minimum that you can have to lose the road surface feel.
The sound damping and cab isolation plays a big part in the RR much more than one can do with springs and dampers as there are limits on these things.

I did exaggerate the RR tyre description in my original post Malc, to stress a point. I think you have the best of current systems on the SL. The ABC is very responsive. I believe MB are now working on a system using lasers that monitor the road surface some distance ahead so to adjust the damping before the car hits the bump, rather than react to hitting the bump. No doubt it will appear on the S class in the near future!

 

[television]

I did exaggerate the RR tyre description in my original post Malc, to stress a point. I think you have the best of current systems on the SL. The ABC is very responsive. I believe MB are now working on a system using lasers that monitor the road surface some distance ahead so to adjust the damping before the car hits the bump, rather than react to hitting the bump. No doubt it will appear on the S class in the near future!

Thanks Peter, the problem on all of these post is that we are all different in what we feel, hear or see, or come to that expect.

Who is the judge ?? I can only base my findings on cars that I have owned or driven, and my findings can be completely different to those found by others. New car design has moved on masking some short comings on the suspension / noise issues.

I can recal my DS back in the 60's or my CX's that I had in the 70,s and were by far better than anything else on the market, and Yes the ABC is a brilliant set up, so well done to MB for that.

Many experiments have been done using air and apposing magnetic poles, but again who is the judge on all of these things.

I have a friend that had a new Jaguar and he asked if he could drive my car, he drove it for about 2 miles and said thats it and went out and bought a late SL and loves the ride.

Though my V70 goes like a bat out of hell the ride is blöödy awful, to get into the SL is a dream, sadly the noise inside is higher owing to the open rear end and a CL must be the best of all worlds, but again its only what I think., not easy these discussions.

 

[whitenemesis]

I think the future lies in the predictive suspension, rather than the current reactive systems. How good they are, only time will tell.

One thing is for certain, personal preference will always predominate in "what is the better ride!"

 

[television]

One thing is for certain, personal preference will always predominate in "what is the better ride!"

I do not even have phone numbers now to pass on and answer that one

 

[st4]

I refer you both to post #78 (a post you thanked Steve)

Yes as I believe it refers to the fact that cars are designed to run on a specific wheel.

The M3 was designed with the standard 18inch wheel in mind. Not the poser 19 which everyone specs. The car handles better and rides better on the 18inch one.

The 211 sports was designed around the 18inch wheel, its good for what it is, as thats what it was engineered for that, if I were to stick on 19s etc I would ruin its ride/handling balance.

Thats why I thanked the post.

In Car magazine an Aston Martin engineer was on about how he said how their cars were designed for the wheels etc then its all ruined by the obligitory Khan accessories.

The RR Ghost will work best on its standard wheels, the larger ones and lower pro tyres would not be so good if all the suspension setting stay the same.

Too many modern cars are critised for poor ride quality these days.

There has to be something in that

I believe Rolls do have the required sophistication. And those I have ridden in seem to bear this out.

Have you been in the new Ghost?

 

[whitenemesis]

Yes and post #78 mentions "intelligent" suspension? I believe these are able to compensate for wheel changes. If one sticks with the options offered by the manufacturer, all will be well.

It is all very subjective. I prefer a well controlled 'taught' suspension. I actually felt car sick in a Jaguar!

I have ridden in the Ghost and found it most acceptable

 

[television]

I have ridden in the Ghost and found it most acceptable

Nah I do not believe in them

 

[rhud]

The Premium contact tyres are special ECO tyres and have been tested as such and came out top from the ECO point of view

You may well be right Malcolm - though my understanding was that Continental Eco-Contact are in fact Continental's principal low-rolling-resistance tyre.

 

[television]

You may well be right Malcolm - though my understanding was that Continental Eco-Contact are in fact Continental's principal low-rolling-resistance tyre.

Thank you, I would say that my remarks could be based on a 2 year old test and things have moved on quite a way, and were probably the first of their kind.

Time does fly by and easy to forget that things are moving on all the time

 

[daveyjp]

Our Aygo had Continental Eco Contacts - they were swapped front to back as I was alarmed at the wear rate. After just 13,000 miles all four needed replacing.

Had I not swapped the fronts would have done about 8,000 miles. £65 each after 8,000 miles for a low weight, low powered car doing local trips is scandalous.

I swapped for much harder compound Toyos at £30 each and the car does the same mpg as on the Contis - about 45mpg round town.

The Contis had a wear rating of 180, but Michelins eco tyre has a wear rate of 400.

So does a hard compund or a soft compound improve mpg? It seems even the tyre manufacturers can't decide.

 

[rhud]

Our Aygo had Continental Eco Contacts - they were swapped front to back as I was alarmed at the wear rate. After just 13,000 miles all four needed replacing.

Had I not swapped the fronts would have done about 8,000 miles. £65 each after 8,000 miles for a low weight, low powered car doing local trips is scandalous.

I swapped for much harder compound Toyos at £30 each and the car does the same mpg as on the Contis - about 45mpg round town.

The Contis had a wear rating of 180, but Michelins eco tyre has a wear rate of 400.

So does a hard compund or a soft compound improve mpg? It seems even the tyre manufacturers can't decide.

All very bewildering, and to some extent subjective. My first A Class came out of the factory on Kumho tyres and they did not suit the car at all ride-wise. Swapped to Continentals and much better. Having said that I did not keep the car long enough to discover what the wear-rate was like.

 

[st4]

A hard compound should improve MPG as its rolling resistance is better at the expense of traction

 

[television]

Thank you, I would say that my remarks could be based on a 2 year old test and things have moved on quite a way, and were probably the first of their kind.

Time does fly by and easy to forget that things are moving on all the time

I made an error there and this tyre was next to the bottom of the list on economy, this was on 08-08