X3 Ride Improvements

[chuck abbott]

I was wondering if there is any body out there who is taking a good look at improving the standard ride of this vehicle?(God help those who bought the sports package) I would think that there is a small fortune waiting for an enterprising knowledgeable engineering outfit, who can soften up this ride and still retain the good handling that makes this vehicle so desirable.

How about variable spring rates and some good adjustable shocks?

Anyone out there with any input on this? Has anyone tried anything yet?

 

[Rob V]

I would like to know what it is about the X3 in particular that makes the Sport version so rough. I've personally never tried it but I haven't heard the same complaints about other BMW models. I don't have my X3 yet but in driving a non-sport version on a test drive I can say that it rides softer than my current Freelander which has almost 30k miles on the suspension so the Sport version must be a huge difference from the standard suspension.

 

[Average Jae]

you have a suv, sav whatever you wanna call it, which sits higher, and may even weigh more. (not sure of hte specs) and you want it to perform as well as a regular sedan/coupe. you'll have to stiffen up the shocks.

one of the big reasons why SUVs are prone to rolling over is having soft shocks. (well besides the whole high center of gravity deal) but to improve on the shocks, you'll end up w/ a rough ride. imo, you'll have to choose one or the other.

i'm not sure about the individual per say, but it seems the general notion of the SUVs are that they are a nice ride w/ a great view. did anyone ever sit in a SUV before buying one? the rides on those things are terrible to begin with. only one i really liked was the land cruiser/LX 470, but it was way cushy and not really sporty.. (then again, it is a freakin 3 ton truck. and not every suv is a cayane or the x5.. both with harsh rides btw.)

so i think you'll have to choose one, great handling SUV or a cushy ride SUV, its hard to get best of both worlds.. well i suppose you can always get the variable shocks, but i don't have a clue when it comes to that..

 

[chuck abbott]

You may be right but I still feel the ride could be softend up a bit without compromising the handling too much. A SUV type vehicle is a big improvement over a standard car when driving in the snow belt.(Right now it's comming down pretty good.) and thats what this type of vehicle should do best. Ride high with very good visability, have good ground clearance, four wheel drive, and in this case being a BMW, better road handling. However if I wanted a no compromise road handling vehicle I would have bought a M3 or a M5. So in my opinion thats what BMW should be aiming for. I feel that the emphasis has been put on road holding and handling rather than the ride of a good SUV.
Of course the madness for extreme large wheels and low profile tires does not help either.
I read somewhere in the posts(I think it was by Big Daddy) that the 05 X3 has a softer ride but it would be nice to hear from anyone if this is correct and what the changes are. It realy pisses me off that I can not get info on this vehicle from BMW in the form of a shop manual. I would realy like to know what the spring rates are and info on the shocks. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[rexdiamond]

I read somewhere in the posts(I think it was by Big Daddy) that the 05 X3 has a softer ride but it would be nice to hear from anyone if this is correct and what the changes are. It realy pisses me off that I can not get info on this vehicle from BMW in the form of a shop manual. I would realy like to know what the spring rates are and info on the shocks. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

I have been trying to get the same information. It seems to be a big secret, as I have not gotten any answers.

 

[MrElussive]

The low-profile wheel setup provides you with a stiffer ride, but much better handling. One thing that confuses me is that when I test-drove the X3 3.0i non-Sport Package, I thought it drove extremely well. I thought it had a really smooth and soft ride, while still offering really solid handling in the turns. This X3 had a balance unlike any other SUV I've been in, and I think what helps the X3 out a lot is its lighter weight than most other SUV's.
In any case, chuck is this your first time owning an SUV? Are you familiar with how other SUV's out there drive? Have you considered that maybe the vehicle's all-season tires (as opposed to performance tires) are holding the vehicle back a bit in handling?