To soften the ride....

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Ken2

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I want to soften the ride of my Volvo. I have the choice to buy 205/60-15 or 205/55-16 tires (both size OEM wheels are in my garage). I'd prefer to use the 16" wheels, but if there would be a noticeable difference in ride quality, I'd use the 15's. Anyone know which will feel softer (I know that the 60 series ought to feel softer than the 55, but does it really?)

Both tire sizes have an O.D. and weight rating that works for this car. In 16" I'm thinking of Hankook Optimo H727. In 15" (no H727 this size) I'm thinking of maybe Michelin Harmony or GY Assurance ComforTred Touring. Other tire models are possible. I don't know much about Cooper CS4 Touring T, and no Cooper retailers nearby except maybe Discount Tire. I'm not a big GY fan...my GY trailer tires and GY TripleTred tires both had out-of-round issues. I'll probably buy from Discount Tire. Comfort, noise, wet braking and price matter more than tread life or handling.

Any info on aspect ratio and tire model to meet my needs would be appreciated.
 
Of the same tire brand 205/60-15 has softer ride than 205/55-16. Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum has very good/soft ride and price is good too at $73 at Tirerack. You should search to get the lowest price + shipping and get Discount Tire match that price.
 
When I had my 04 S60 I swapped out the 17 inch alloys for a set of 15 inch steelies, and BOY did the ride soften up and because I went with a narrower tire (I think 195's), i was able to shake that elusive "hard left" grind you get when making hard left hand turns as well as get better winter traction AND slightly better fuel economy.

Sidenote: to this day, I still dont' know why Volvo would build a car that would be incapable of making turns without the inner side of the front passenger tire rubbing against the chassis, a problem that many S60 owners were faced with.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Stanley Rockafeller
Sidenote: to this day, I still dont' know why Volvo would build a car that would be incapable of making turns without the inner side of the front passenger tire rubbing against the chassis, a problem that many S60 owners were faced with.


Its even worse on the R cars. Mine has the 18" Pegasus wheels and have 235/40/18 tires stock. Literally my mom's Grand Marquis has a tighter turning radius.
 
You want the regular GY Assurance Comfort Tread. Softer and more quiet than the Harmony. The GYCT Touring is not as quiet or as soft riding as regular CT. The Harmony has the more noise,at speed,than the Goodyears.
 
Going to the smaller wheel and higher aspect ratio will definitely soften the ride - as well as give you better foul-weather traction. You will lose a bit of steering response and a bit of cornering capability as well...but there are times when I wish I had the 16s on my T5...I have the 235/45R17s and the ride is harsh. My wife's XC-70 has a far softer ride with its 215/65R16s...45 series to 65 series is a huge difference...

And yeah, the tire rubs on the fender liner too...

Check out www.tirerack.com for their surveys on the ride quality of different brands/models. There are some quantifiable differences...
 
Thanks for the comments. I don't think the 205/60-15 will have any different foul weather traction than 205/55-16; same footprint on the pavement. The old GY Assurance ComforTred might be getting phased out, anyway tirerack didn't show the sizes I need. I'm leery of trying to compare tirerack's customer comments of comfort, etc., across different categories of tires, although I'd be hard pressed to give definitive explanations of the difference between passenger all season, standard touring all season, and grand touring all season. Thanks for the Kumho suggestion, but its winter traction is poor, and that is a concern here.

Onlinetires.com has the Cooper CS4 205/60-15-T for $73.50 +$59 freight, $353, plus local mount/balance/disposal. THAT will be the price I try to get Discount to match. The advantage of getting the tires from a local shop at that price is they can deal with a defective new tire and it is only a minor headache for me.
 
Onlinetires.com shows 2 Cooper CS4 205/60-15, $73 for H rate and T rate at $73.5. If tread life of H rate is close to T rate I would pick H rate for better construction.
 
Go for the Cooper CS4 T rated in the 205/60R15 size for the most compliant ride over bumps. It will still give you decent handling response, too, and has an 80,000 mile tread life warranty.
 
Looking at tread life and warranty on cooper website, I agree with jjjxlr8. UTQG of T rated is 780 A A with 80k miles tread life warranty, while H-rated is 560 A A with only 60k miles tread life warranty.
 
The higher aspect ratio will ride softer.
In tires, non-performance Michelins are generally pretty soft riding.
We had the Harmony tire on the Aerostar, although it was a 70 profile, and it seemed to ride okay.
The Michelin Primacy is pretty soft riding, if it comes in a size you can use (I think it does).
I have a set on the '99 Accord, in a 65 aspect ratio, and they are smooth and quiet.
The only set of Coopers I ever had were on the '97 Accord, 195/65/15.
They had a very soft ride, and also wore pretty well, considering that they were a pretty cheap tire.
 
From my experience, the Michelin Primacy MXV4 is harsh riding. Quiet, yes (and they'd better be as they are quite new), but they are definitely the harshest riding of the three sets of tires I've driven on my 1997 i30. This is the standard size 205/65 R15 94H.
 
You two guys have me questioning the calibration of my buttometer.
I think the Primacy is pretty cushy, but maybe the previous two sets of Michelins I had on the car were simply less compliant?
 
Depends on the specific car and the condition of your streets. The Primacys were quiet and ok on my highways but very harsh over potholes and road imperfections. My 02 Accord V6 is a stiff riding car. I'm negotiating lot's of potholes in the city. Here's how I rank the tires on my car,in my driving. Most comfortable... best to worst. 1. GYACT...2.GYACT Touring...3. Mich Destiny...4.Mich Primacy. Most quiet...1. GYACT...2. Primacy...3. GYACT Touring...4. Destiny/Harmony.
 
Try the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. Just switched to that from defective Michelin Primacy MXV4s. Yes I agree with others that over potholes and bad roads the Primacys were very rough. The Pilots ride great, quieter than Primacys, and good on gas too. They are also high performance tires as well.
 
I have Bridgestone 960s on both my BMW 530i (has sport package) and wife's Volvo S70 for the non-winter tires. The 960s provide a comfortable ride but still give good handling. The Volvo has 15 inch wheels; the tire size is 195/60/15. I really like these Bridgestones.
 
I just got rid of a set of Bridgestone Re960's. They lasted about 29,000 miles. They perform very well during high speed maneuvers. Only problem was after 5000 miles they do get very loud. It gets worst when you have concrete freeways or roadways. The Michelin Pilot Exaltos are much much quieter. The sidewalls are stiffer than the 960s too. You will be able to turn corners quicker at higher speeds, even though both tires are H rated. My tire size is 195-65-15. Warranty for Bridgestone Re960 is 30,000 mile, Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 45,000 mile warranty.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 190E26FTW
Try the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. Just switched to that from defective Michelin Primacy MXV4s. Yes I agree with others that over potholes and bad roads the Primacys were very rough. The Pilots ride great, quieter than Primacys, and good on gas too. They are also high performance tires as well.


As I said in other related posts I now have the Pilot Exalto A/S 205/60/15 on my Contour and they ride great. They are quiet and handle great on wet or dry roads. Right after I got them I went on a 3400 trip from NJ to Key West. I encountered heavy rains multiple times but they gripped extremely well.

I'm pleased with them, more so than the Michelin Pilot XGT H4's they replaced. Those were good tires, these seem better.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted By: Whimsey
Originally Posted By: 190E26FTW
Try the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. Just switched to that from defective Michelin Primacy MXV4s. Yes I agree with others that over potholes and bad roads the Primacys were very rough. The Pilots ride great, quieter than Primacys, and good on gas too. They are also high performance tires as well.


As I said in other related posts I now have the Pilot Exalto A/S 205/60/15 on my Contour and they ride great. They are quiet and handle great on wet or dry roads. Right after I got them I went on a 3400 trip from NJ to Key West. I encountered heavy rains multiple times but they gripped extremely well.

I'm pleased with them, more so than the Michelin Pilot XGT H4's they replaced. Those were good tires, these seem better.

Whimsey


Wow way to break in some new tires!! 3400 miles is a great test to see how they are.

I had Michelin Pilot XGT H4s on my 1991 BMW 325I. They were so so and cracked after some exposure to heat parked outside all summer.
 
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