Looking for a soft riding car

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What car out there is the softest, cushiest riding car, handling and sportiness be darned? Budget, about $10,000, plus or minus. Sedan, 2 door and manual would be nice though I know those are usually "sporty". No Crown Vics, and hopefully no suggestions to just buy a Buick or Cadillac. Does not have to be large or a so-called luxury car.

For reference, in May I bought an '04 Lexus ES 330 and I am very disappointed in the ride quality. I've replaced all struts with Monroe inserts (ya I know, "Monroe is junk"), new LCAs, and lower BJs, but still not a dreamy-riding car.

I'd be buying from Florida because the market is large there for such cars considering the demographics and there also are a lot of old cars (like my Lexus) that are pristine, rustwise.
 
More than anything else, tires, tire quality and tire pressure affect the ride.

A relatively narrow and tall tire with soft sidewalls and modest pressure will reduce the harsh ride of any vehicle.

I rent cars all the time and tend to like responsive, sporty and capable vehicles. So I don't pay much attention to a mushy ride.

However, the current generation Impala comes to mind as a car with a very comfortable ride.
 
Sticking with Lexus, the LS430 is a pretty nice riding car. Customers really liked them.

We used to have a 2002 Mercedes E320 that I thought rode pretty nice. I agree with the others though, tires, and pressure can make a big difference in how a car rides.
 
In your price range, a couple of good used, older cars come to mind:

Lexus LS.

Mercedes E class (but with regular tires, not AMG or sport package models)
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
In your price range, a couple of good used, older cars come to mind:

Lexus LS.

Mercedes E class (but with regular tires, not AMG or sport package models)


Well if you push the E class, E class with airmatic. That would be the E500. People seem to love the airmatic for being soft, but expensive when it breaks. That would go for the S class too, the older S430's had ABC which was active body control. Those tended to leak though and needed constant repairs. Newer models are even fancier, they have magic body control which uses cameras to scan for bumps in the road so it can automatically adjust the suspension as you go over them.
 
Tire pressure is at 29. The dealer did put a cheap set of Falken Ziex which really don't flex much judging how stiff they are in the showroom display. I wonder if putting a set of soft tires like Walmart's Viva 3 or Douglas would help. Those really flex when trying to push down on them (again, dismounted and from a showroom display). Maybe I can find out what they used when the car was new.
 
This.....
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It might be a bit out of budget, but the Ford F-150 Raptor with the OE Fox Shox is about the smoothest riding vehicle I have ever been in. I was riding with a customer who took a bunch of speed bumps at 70mph+ and we couldn't feel them.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Astro14
In your price range, a couple of good used, older cars come to mind:

Lexus LS.

Mercedes E class (but with regular tires, not AMG or sport package models)


Well if you push the E class, E class with airmatic. That would be the E500. People seem to love the airmatic for being soft, but expensive when it breaks. That would go for the S class too, the older S430's had ABC which was active body control. Those tended to leak though and needed constant repairs. Newer models are even fancier, they have magic body control which uses cameras to scan for bumps in the road so it can automatically adjust the suspension as you go over them.


My S600 has an incredible ride. Smooth. Plush. Controlled.

Handles incredibly well.

All due to ABC (Active Body Control, available on all W220 as an option, standard on the W220 S600 and S55 AMG).

It is a complex system and requires maintenance. I hesitate to recommend the S-class, of any vintage, because of the maintenance cost, even though my S-class has a truly incredible ride...
 
With all of these Lexus and Mercedes recommendations, remember that the OP stated a budget of $10,000. Are you posters recommending 15 year old luxury sedans with high mileage? Expensive to maintain and repair.
 
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