grand touring 20": a rough ride?

F

fraochdha

Member
Sorry for my ignorance in wheel technology and cause and effect, but Edmunds.com states "Ride comfort is generally well-damped, though the 20-inch wheels on the Grand Touring trim transmit some chop when driven over the expansion joints of concrete highways. If Michigan's Interstate 65 or any freeway around Los Angeles is a part of your daily commute, you may want to consider one of the other trims or fitting smaller rims to your Grand Touring. "

Wouldn't a smaller wheel make for a more bumpy or jolt felt ride? If I am wrong, would you all be so kind as to point me towards the right size of wheel for a smoother ride?

thx
 
Since both the 20" and 18" tires have the same outside diameter, the difference is in the sidewall height. Since there is more sidewall on the 18" tires to flex and absorb impacts, the ride over small sharp impacts (e.g. expansion joints) should be somewhat more comfortable. There will be less of a difference on bumpy roads, as larger impacts must be handled by the suspension anyway.

That said, I have the 20" wheels/tires and have no complaints. I have a set of the 18" wheels that I will be mounting winter tires on. If I suddenly find a huge difference in comfort, I will let everyone know.
 
I would classify the ride as "sporty." You definitely feel the road imperfections more since there is less sidewall.
 
I would descibe the ride as "very European."

The ride with 20s is firm but nowhere near harsh.

Running down I-5 into Seattle right before 405 it is expansion joint hell. You notice it on the 20s, but it is far from annoying. My 05 LGT with COBB springs was super harsh over this stretch of road.
 
Swapped my factory 20" wheels / tires for factory 18" wheels and snow tires for the winter. No difference in ride comfort. Noticeable difference in handling precision and tread noise. I suspect that more of that is due to the snow tires than the 18" wheels.
 
IanKen said:
I would descibe the ride as "very European."

The ride with 20s is firm but nowhere near harsh.

Running down I-5 into Seattle right before 405 it is expansion joint hell. You notice it on the 20s, but it is far from annoying. My 05 LGT with COBB springs was super harsh over this stretch of road.
Click to expand...

You notice that stretch in any car/suv....
 
Just got my CX-9 GT and the ride is very comfortable with the 20" wheels/tires. It isn't much different than the Nissan Murano SE I had with 18".
 
Aint harsh at all, I think is very well calibrated and delivers a sporty, firm, stable ride, that gives me confidence and those 20inch alloys look great, even better at night!!! (alright)
 
i just rode in the 3rd row of my parent's cx9 from san diego to l.a. and back. not harsh at all. as the others stated, the ride was sporty. this was on the 20" wheels.
 
Between the ride of a Honda mini-van and a BMW X5. It's not distracting.
 
Rubber makes the difference in the comfort of a ride. An 18" wheeel will allow you to get a tire with more side wall and a tire made from a softer rubber. I swapped out Michelin MVX4's for a Goodyear VIVA 2 on my other car. The VIVA 2 was cheaper and had softer rubber. O yeah the ride was quieter and smoother! Be advised though. Softer rubber means squishy ride, ie worse sport handling. I prefer the sporty feel vs. the comfort.
 
Don't get me wrong. I think that the CX-9 bumps a bit, but it is way quieter than my VW. I love the sport feel of the of the low profile tires.
 
I just picked up my CX-9 GT AWD today. The dealer had loaned me a CX-7 to use for 4 weeks (700 miles) while I waited for my vehicle to arrive. IMHO, The CX-9 with 20" rims at 38psi is a much, much smoother ride that the CX-7 was with 18" rims.
 
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