I have had my TL for a little over 2 years and generally love it except that it is just not comfortable! I am 6'3 235lbs and every bump just seems to pound into me. I drove to Charlotte on Friday (About 110 minutes) and my right leg and lower back were killing me. My passenger (5'9 160 lbs) also had back aches after the drive.

It was almost like all the grooves in the pavement radiated across the entire car. The dealer said the shocks are fine and the tires are close to needing repair but not quite there yet at my last service date (About 3 weeks ago). The car has always felt this way but since 99% of my driving is less than 30 minutes it hasn't been an issue but that is changing and it is close to pushing me to get a new car!

I have a call out to the service center, but is there anything they can do? Is it possible to tune the suspension and can I purchase tires that are softer?

Thank you!

 

I am guessing you have the AWD version of the TL?

 

Sounds like you should have bought an RL instead of a TL!

 

I do not, I have a non-awd Tech

possibly, but others who have ridden in my car have commented on it as well so it does seem rougher than what I would consider normal...

 

The suspension on the TL is factory tuned this way, due to the fact that the TL is designed to be a sport sedan, not a luxo cruiser.

The Lexus ES may suit you better with a more lame suspension tuning.

 

The TL is definitely on the harsher side when it comes to the suspension, and the AWD is worse than the FWD, this is why I didn't get the AWD.
But I knew it was sporty the day I first test drove it. Compared to the more plush riding cars, I prefer the sport tuning of the TL, a car like the Lexus ES is just too floaty for me.

Have you tried a lower tire pressure? And if its time for you to get tires, get some touring tires like the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity or Michelin Primacy MXM4, I've had experience with both in the past and they are quiet, smooth riding tires.

But just to be clear, a more "comfortable" tire and lower pressure will just slightly alter the ride quality, its probably not going to make a huge difference.

 

I don't seem to have this issue with a BMW 3-Series or an Audi A6 (ridden as a passenger in both) I was under the impression that the suspension was tuned in a similar manner. Is the TL's suspension "rougher" or closer to the road than comparable cars?

I really don't want to switch cars (Though maybe that is necessary) so I was hopeful that it could be tuned somewhat... I am not looking for a cruiser sedan, just less rough. I was hopeful that it could be tuned in some way (Different type of tires even?) to make the ride more comfortable on long trips.

Excellent information thank you! I honestly love everything else about the TL so I don't want to change cars so I will try new tires first before I do anything else.

 

Agreed - These tires will give you a better ride that you will be able to live with.

 

You may want to look here for a product to sit on.

http://www.relaxtheback.com/back-lum...-cushions.html

http://www.relaxtheback.com/back-lum...-supports.html


Some of these are a little pricey. But.. I bought one of these for work. I had some lower back problems. Sitting on one of these cushions (memory foam) helped but it was $130. Small price to pay for comfort. Not sure if this will help you or not but if there is a store near you check them out. The guy I bought it from said I could return it if it didn't help.

 

TL is a sport luxury vehicle , so the suspensions will certainly be harder than some of the other middle size sedans out on the market. especially with the sh-awd, the springs got less travel in them. i personally don't mind the hardness of the springs, i think i am more connected to the roads that way, and gives me confidence when cornering. i just wished that the TL came with the damping control unit that has been put in the zdx.

 

If your tire treads are very low it can feel like riding on bricks especially with a car that has an agressively tuned suspension. You probably need new tires and as noted, switching to a more comfortable type will really help. Also check your tire pressure. Cold fill them a few psi lower than recommended, 1 or 2 can make a difference you can feel but I would try to not go lower than 5 psi less than recommended.

 

^Not sure of the reason for the duplicate posts, it was completely unintentional on my part but in any event, my apologies. Mods, if you could take the necessary actions, it's much appreciated. Thanks.

 

Don't forget that both the 3-series and the A6 have sport suspension as a package option. You may have sat in those without the sport suspension option, thus the lamer ride.

Some years back, I had test driven an A6 with sport suspension, and oh boy, it was rough, but the handling was really, really good.

 

The times I've had the 4G TL as a loaner car, I haven't noticed it overly rough in terms of ride, and I'm a fat dude that had back surgery. lol. Of course driving my 3G TL around like a maniac probably has numbed me to the pain.

 

Not sure how much dough you're willing to drop to correct this issue, but a couple people on here have installed Tein SS on their 4G's (AWD though) and stated they are softer than the stock shocks. Potmilkz & Nexson may be able to comment on this as I believe they have them.

 

I Have the same issue as i am 5'11" 230 lbs, I think it is due to the seats. I have a very wide back as i am not a fat 230 and since the side roll in to give side to side support my back isnt fully seated and supported. i find the seats in these cars are made for little people.

Its not the harshness of the suspension at all just the lack of support in the mid to lumbar section of the seats due to the fact my back wont or barely touches.

 

i think it depends on how you set the edfc. if the damper is at its hardest setting, the suspension can be very firm, and firmer than the stock i think.

 

^^^^^

If the damper is set to the softest setting (even softer than stock), will the damper hit the bump stop and the car bottoming out frequently on less-than-perfect roads ?

 

That might be the issue for me as well... I wonder if maybe some of the back support options that someone mentioned earlier in the thread would help with that...

 

Try a higher side wall profiled tire..but your car sure won't handle as well if that is important to you..May help with the intolerable road noise in the cabin as well

 

This makes sense to me. I just got a CPO '09 TL (FWD) with the OEM Turanzas <cough, wheeze>. I tried lowering the (cold) pressures to 30psi x4 and ride quality was only marginally better than 32psi, while steering feel was marginally worse. In short: no net gain.

I have ordered a set of Primacy MXM4s to replace the stock tires ....

Anyone else happy with their new Michelin shoes?

 

Turns out that the dealership gave me the wrong wheel lock key with my CPO TL! They had to match my lock with one of their master keys and order a new key. Meanwhile, my Primacy MXM4s are sitting in the tire shop and I'm bumping along with the stock Turdanzas.

I noticed that the new TLs are getting Pilot HX MXM4s. My impression is that the all-season Primacy is a bit of an upgrade from Pilot HX--is that right?

 

I guess it depends on what your previous ride was. My 47 year old aunt sweats that my 2012 AWD TL is much more comfortable than my 2008 Base TL. I didnt feel much difference in the ride after I adjusted the tire pressure. Initially, when I bought the car, the tires were inflated to 40 - 42 psi, the ride was bumpier and a bit harsh. I dropped it down to 33 - 34 psi (the recommended psi) and the ride was almost as my 2008 Base TL.

wrm140 >> yes you are absolutely correct. Mine did come with Pilot MXM4s.