test drove about 4 times tls 6speed. at first I thought the seat was too hard, later I felt the ride was too harsh. Am I alone on this? I now drive bmw 528i non -sport suspension 5speed stick, with 225/55/16 tires, handling is great,(front drive bmw
suspensiion) ride is very comfortable. Have any 6 speed owners, or auto noticed this? 6 speed has larger sway bars. might make difference,

 

the tire pressure might have been too high, sometimes the dealers forget to deflate them off the truck; this made our car ride firmer

 

had pdi predelivery inspection, tire pressures were checked, I asked about pressure;

 

As a former non-sport 528i owner I must say that whether the dealer said so or not, the tires were probably overinflated. On my fairly extensive (15 minute) test drive I only detected a hint of harshness on bad roads. I also found the ride to be more isolated yet with less body roll than my current VW Passat.

 

THe ride is firm If your used to a very compliant ride it may seem a little harsh. A more appropriate comparison would be the ride of an M5, not implying the same performance mind you, I'm a Honda freak but 40K more will get you a better Bimmer.

 

I had the same sensation in the 5AT. Compared to my '01 TL this car comminciates a lot more through the steering wheel and the seat - no doubt about it. And yes, I believe the new 530i based on my test drive is a softer sprung car.

But after about 1000kms I have become very accustomed to the ride and its not that bad at all once you're used to it. Its firm, no doubt, but when you get going on the highway its quite nice.

 

I'd think the firm ride is what I'm gonna get from 6spd. Its tires' pressue should never higher than 39/35, and I think that's what I have on my Auto now.

It's always hard to try something new after enjoying/experiencing your favorite cars for months. From the head to the toes, you'd think everything is not right.

Also, the new car's suspension may need to break-in, too. It should go better and softer after thousands of miles.

PS. Before getting my TL, I got chance to test-drive three different TLs, and each ride was all different. Perhaps, you should try another 6spd agian.