gitnby

I was curious if anyone has made any mods to soften the ride?

Obviously, tires could be one.
I have the 17" Michelin Pilots and I keep them at recommended PSI. Not sure if there is another tire that would help all that much?

What about suspension-shocks, struts?

Doesn't bother me that much, but my wife likes the softer ride she had with her Avalon.
Test-ride seemed much smoother, but it was same tires and same model.
Maybe it will loosen up a bit, only have 1400 miles on it now.

PetesTL

The TL is a sporty sedan not a luxury car. It you want anything softer, trade it in for a Caddy or a Lexus.

gitnby

Wow!

Were all of your 1500+ posts this helpful?

Pete2010

It's true though... Anything other than the 17's (ie, moving to 18's) are just going to make the ride stiffer feeling. You could probably try to find some different tires... but if you're on 17's (which means you have a FWD TL), then I don't know if it's going to get softer than that. The suspension in the AWD & 6MT models are even stiffer, but they bring that much better handling to the game.

Key point... if you want a soft ride, the TL is not the car for that, get a Lexus. But then you'll be totally disconnected from the road in your Lexus bubble.

PetesTL

It never ceases to amaze me how some people can make a big purchase like a car and then bitch and moan about how it's not fast enough....not soft enough....not luxurious enough...not sporty enough. Geezus, do some research people.

gitnby, you should check to see what the tire pressues are in your car.....if it's over-inflated, it can cause a slightly stiffer ride.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

PetesTL- relax. The OP asked a legitimate question and wasn't bitching and moaning. If you got nothing to add, keep out of the conversation. We don't treat new members like this.

gitnby

My family used to own a tire dealership. I am familiar with tire pressure and it's effects. I simply asked if anyone had experience with different tires or shocks/struts than what I have.

gitnby

[quote=PetesTL;11723111]It never ceases to amaze me how some people can make a big purchase like a car and then bitch and moan about how it's not fast enough....not soft enough....not luxurious enough...not sporty enough. Geezus, do some research people.
quote]

I am very happy with the vehicle, BTW. And I did a ton of research!

No different than you making all the mods on yours. I'm sure you asked questions before you spent the money?

drjack

Thanks for the moderation ggesq. As a newbie I've stayed on the sidelines on this site so as to "savor the tone" which is generally quite helpful.

Gitnby - I love the ride of the FWD TL on 17s, but can't stand the look of the wheels/tires - have ordered 20 x 8.5s this week and will post pix and review my 17 vs 20s ride in the near future.
Happy trails!

bw5556

Pete2010

You could also possibly look at getting some coilovers for your car, assuming you have the FWD version, Tein finally has a set of the superstreet model available for your car. With those you can adjust height and damper, to make the ride softer or firmer.

http://www.tein.com/products/super_street.html

Jay J

Try some KW's or Tein CS's..They're pretty soft..or even Tokico struts on full soft..
The PS2's are really soft tires to begin with I can't imagine what some Nexen's or Falken FK452's would do

bagbklyn

The avalon is the poor man lexus. My father has one you can't compare the avalon to the TL. Correction you can't compare a toyota or a lexus to a TL. The ride of the avalon is like you're on a pillow, it will be very difficult for you to replicate this feeling for you wife. Coming from the avalon to this car you will feel the ride difference. I think with time she will get used to it I wouldn't spend the extra money. the car isn't even fully broken into yet.

prepreludesh

I've only had two personal experiences with aftermarket suspensions, one is the coilovers on my prelude and the other is my sisters Koni Yellows and Ground Control Coilover sleeves on her Prelude. Aftermarket suspensions are not designed to give you a ride that is softer than stock. They are built for the purpose of increasing handling performance. I've got my KSports on the softest setting right now and they still will punish you over any kind of uneven road surface.

If your car was older, and you thought the ride was harsh, then I would say have the dampers looked at. They're "supposed" to be replaced every 50,000 miles anyway, so you'll find decreased comfort as they approach that mark and beyond. But that doesn't appear to be the case with yours.

I disagree with PeteTL's comment that you should replace the TL with a Toyota or Lexus, obviously you should've replaced your wife with one who is less sensitive to a firmer ride

gitnby

Now have over 3000 miles on vehicle. Ride has definitely softened with some breaking in of suspension. Keep tires at 30 all-around and 32 for the highway trips. Big difference!

Something interesting about tire pressure monitor?
Running on highway, all 4 tires showed 37(started at 32) on a 60+ degree day.
Ran into some rain, and they all immediately dropped to 34.
Amazing how the rain cooled the road and tires so quickly?