Lateral Rocking Motion

Pitter

Pitter
Contributor
:
2020 CX-5 Signature Azul Metalico
"...except for the occasional lateral rocking motion over uneven pavement."

That from Consumer Reports test drive of the CX-5. The lateral rocking motion occurs not only over uneven pavement but to a much greater extent on rough surfaced dirt roads, a condition I face daily for some kilometers. It was one of the first things I noticed driving the new car home. The car I traded in, a Renault 4x4 SUV had side to side rocking under much better control. It is unpleasant enough after a big lunch but the other day I sprained my back and while the up and down motion wasn't too painful that lurching from side to side was really killer! After 5000 kilometers that and one other issue are my only complaints. The other being the horn can't easily be reached with both hands on the wheel. While probably a non issue for North Americans and especially Canadians in whose countries courteous driving is more the norm than the exception, here in Colombia it is the other way around and the car horn is likely to get frequent daily use so ready access would be appreciated.
 
Agreed, the thumbs needs the power to communicate easily.
That must be one hell of a rough road. You can be the 2020 torture tester. We'll see how it holds up.
You could try some heavier aftermarket anti-sway bars.
 
The electric power steering will compensate for any amount of feedback from the steering column and you should get just as much assistance by using one hand as two. I think that*s a confidence issue maybe.

The suspension set up will be different than a Duster. If it*s the model I*m thinking of it*s made under license in Romania by Dacia and they*ve got a lot of dirt tracks too. The down side is, by comparison on paved roads the handle like an ox cart. One thing you may find is that the shock absorbers will get extremely hot on rough roads so may need changing periodically but it looks like you change cars more frequently anyway.
 
Can expirenent with unhooking the front sway bar end link. Or even the rear too, at the expense of added body roll in high speed
 
Agree...lateral movement is caused by roll stiffness, so stiffer/bigger sway bars will only exacerbate the problem. Can disconnect sway bar as mentioned above and itll help, at the expense of increased body roll. Id be wary of disconnecting only the front and not the rear, unless you like oversteer. Adding a rear sway bar to my older work truck made it handle a lot better with decreased understeer, but has also greatly increased lateral body movement oven uneven pavement.
 
I doubt aftermarket sway bars are available here and you're not allowed to bring in auto parts in your luggage. And I have almost three years to go on the warranty so wouldn't want to make any modifications that would void it. My solution is to eat smaller lunches and take very good care of my back. I just thought it was interesting that it wasn't something I imagined but something noted by Consumer Reports in their test. Anchorman the main reason I traded in my Renault/Dacia Duster is that I wanted more power. It came with Renault's 2 liter 138 hp motor which was perfectly adequate but like I say I wanted more.The handling was fine on highways but I've never driven an oxcart so can't confirm the comparison. I will say though that the ride in the Mazda apart from side to side is noticeably smoother on the rough road, a real plus for old me.
 
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