The best car for comfort

[andrewlya]

Hi all, ive mainly had Japanese cars like Suzuki and Mazda 3 and 6, I have chosen reliability. However, Mazdas are great cars to drive but the drive is on a firm side.

In the future I am thinking of 3 choices either Ford Mondeo, Passat or Insignia Grand Sport, can you tell me which car would have the best suspensions that would iron out and absorb any dents on the road and in general have a good, comfortable, soft and smooth ride? I am not too bothered about sporty handling, I am more into smooth and soft ride. What would be my best choice? I guess no one has yet driven Insignia Grand Sport so I guess we can only go off the current Insignia drive..

Thank you for your answers

[andrewlya]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 09 May 2017 at 06:52

[smn159]

You need something big / longer wheelbase with comfy seats.

I've gone for a Volvo V70 and I'm very happy with it.

[MarshPhantom]

Bought a 2006 Nissan Primera Estate recently. Good value and super comfy.

[Matt UK]

A slightly older model Mercedes in SE spec with the smallest wheels is a nice ride.

[njw1]

A mk5 Mondeo with the 16" wheels has a very, very comfy ride and still handles exceptionally well. I drove my boss's one the other day after driving his boss's 4 series gran coupe and the Mondeo was far more refined and comfortable.

[Drclarke]

We had a Lexus LS a few years ago. It was five times more comfortable than the S Class we had straight afterwards.

I would imagine you could buy one now for £1000.

[anonymous-user]

I've not found anything that rides as well as an 80s/early 90s Jaguar Sovereign, however I have found that Volvo seats are superbly comfortable for long journeys and they ride about as well as anything does these days. Having now had to suffer Skoda church pew seats I truly appreciate the value of well shaped, supportive seating in a car you're going to cover long distances in.

[MarshPhantom]

Matt UK said:

A slightly older model Mercedes in SE spec with the smallest wheels is a nice ride.

A friend's Dad used swear by Volvo 7 Series, he had a V Bad back.

[equallytempered]

In my quest for comfort (I cover a relatively high annual mileage) I found that a facelift W211was pretty much spot-on - long wheelbase, nicely insulated, making it a rather relaxing drive. I no longer own it, but it soaked up 22k miles in 6 months without trying.

Edited by equallytempered on Monday 8th May 21:32

[Muddle238]

Citroen C5/C6

[smn159]

Bentley Mulsanne.

[Casa1862]

Try a Lexus IS300h or GS300h.

[Debaser]

Drive them all and see which you like best?

[andrewlya]

A bit expensive for me...I cant really afford premium brands...so thats why I have the choice of those 3..

[Vitorio]

Id look for a big french barge

Going purely on my experience with small(ish) hatches and estates (fiesta/polo v clio, focus v megane), the french option is always the most comfortable one, the megane in particular was an excellent cruiser

[Monkeylegend]

Dents in the road, I love it, sorry

[Krikkit]

Of your choices, Mondeo.

Of all cars, something with air suspension or designed for waft - Citroen C5/C6, Lexus LS400, Mercedes S-class (W140), Jag XJ (40/300/308)

[andrewlya]

Is new Mondeo more comfy drive than Passat??

[a]

andrewlya said:

Is new Mondeo more comfy drive than Passat??

Which model years are you considering?

I had a 2012 Passat B7 which I replaced with a 2008 Mondeo Mk4.

In terms of ride/handling, the Passat wins hands down. It is an uncompromised waft-mobile. There are no sporty pretences. It's not bad on twisty roads, but it feels "bred" for ride comfort/smoothness/waftability. Sound deadening was far better in the Passat. Even the steering felt better (despite being EPAS compared to the hydraulic system in the Mk4 Mondeo) - not as much feedback but in terms of comfort it was spot on.

The Mondeo Mk4 still attempts to be a decent handling car - but it's simply too big. It feels agile for the size, but the size is so vast that it can't possibly feel fun. The suspension is a compromise. Too hard for ultimate comfort, too soft for fun. And road noise was quite a bit more intrusive than the Passat.

At least the Passat knows what it's about. Ride comfort, waftability, smoothness.

HOWEVER

The Passat's seats and driving position were nothing short of horrific. They seem to be a bit 'Marmite' on VW forums, but for me they were hateful things. It would cripple me after 30 minutes. I suffered leg/back pain for the entire year I had the car. Everything was wrong - my whole body felt twisted. The seat base was flat and unsupportive and far too narrow.

In contrast, the Mondeo's driving position was perfection. The seat (Titanium X model) was an ergonomic work of art. I have had several big Volvos before and none of them had a seat base as good as the Mondeo. The backrest was merely "good", but the base was spectacularly comfortable.


So there you go, if it's a choice between a Passat B7 or Mondeo Mk4... If you happen to be one of the people who find the Passat comfortable, then it's easily the winner. But make sure you go for a long test drive - mine was about 20 minutes and was too short to notice the comfort problems.