comfortable ride automobiles
 

Folks my back is in bad shape and my wife is in much worse shape than I. bought a 2016 Ford Escape for her, because is sits at the right height for her to get into and out of and it has enough head clearance for me.

So after owning the Escape for 3 yrs I have learned that the large OD rims with low profile tires allow you to feel a grasshopper, when you drive over it. Maybe it is the all wheel drive, but I suspect it is the SUV suspension that is quite stiff. In short its ride is stiff as any sports car I ever owned. On top of that the seats will make your but hurt in a couple hours and the lack of lumbar support sucks. It does have power lumbar adjustment, but it hits too high for me (and I have a long body with shorter legs). Although it is easy for my wife to get into and out of. Our Grand Marque she can hardly get out of without help.

The 1992 Crown Vic that I owned, road better than my father's Cadillac, and he stated that almost every time he road in it. My 2001 Grand Marque doesn't come close to the 92 Crown, but the 01 has low profile tires. It seems everything does anymore. I expect to get better MPG.

I would like something to take medium to longer trips in that doesn't leave us crippled up for a week, after.

Any opinions on what would be the ideal automobile based on what I have said?

I would start by looking at Cadillac. Long time reputation for a cloud like ride. The smaller SUV's like the XT5 could be what you're looking for.

Had a buick Lacrosse which was smooth as well.

Thanks guys.

I was looking at the air suspension for my Escape. Looks like they are all geared toward performance and an even stiffer ride. At least most retain the original springs.

I may look at taller profile tires that have a softer side wall. I doubt the rim OD can be reduce much, as the rotors are quite large.

So in short I cannot do much with the Escape without spending a bunch of money that could go to another automobile. I realize the seats leave a lot to be desired for long travel, but I thought it worth a look to make it better for short trips.

I think you are correct. You can make changes to the Escape to increase comfort, but it's going to cost you. And everything you do will be a compromise. Sometimes you're better off starting fresh with something that's designed more towards your actual goal from the beginning.

Have you looked into air seats? Truck drivers love 'em and even the biggest pot holes don't kill your back.
Bill

Take a look at a Nissan crossover - perhaps a Rogue if you're looking as an alternative to your Escape. Nissan generally gets good reviews for their seats. I recently drove rented a 2019 Altima and drove it for 10 days or so and was quite impressed. Some don't like CVT transmissions that Nissan uses, but we got excellent fuel economy.

Avoid big wheels and low profile tires - they give up sidewall height for better handling - though I suspect most just like the looks of the bigger wheels. S and SV trims have 17" wheels. SL trim has 19" wheels, but I suspect a dealer could be convinced to swap 17" wheels and tires in their place, only because they can upcharge somebody else on a lower trim model for the 19" units.

My 015 Mercedes ML 250d rides like a log wagon with huge 20" rims. I can go down to 18" and save some unsprung weight but that is costly. New shocks might be in order too at 101K miles.

It is ok to get in and out of (I'm 5 8" the Mrs is 5' 3).

The best for getting in and out was her old PT cruiser. l One of the suvs built on fwd chassis might be pretty good for you.

The low profile tires really suck imho.

According to one of the car magazines the Audi Q3 has the best ride of all the SUV, if you trust a magazine.

I agree with the comments on low profile tires. My Escape has the P235/45 x 19" wheel. The S model came with P235/55 17" wheels, which would help, but how much? My Marque has P235/60 16" wheels. I do not know if they will fit on the Escape and clear the rotors. If they would fit, it would allow a cheap, quick test.

I have definitely considered better seats, but never thought of air ride seats. I have only seen them in large trucks. I have driven dump trucks with air seats and they are a great ride.

All things to consider. Hmm.

I bought the Escape with the intention of keeping it at least 10 yrs. I was not sold on the Turbo longevity, so I purchased a factory power train extension to 10 yr 100K miles. I really hate to waste that money, not to mention the depreciation factor. This is not a good time to trade it off, financially. On the other hand, with my Liver disease and only a 50% 5 yr survival odds, having what I need is paramount to finances.

Short trips the Escape if OK, but longer trips, it sucks. I have been considering a 32-34 Ford with independent suspension all the way around, built for maximum comfort. Letting that be my long trip car and keeping the Escape. Truth is I don't have a clue what I'm going to do. I'm just mulling all the ideas over right now.

Have you looked at Tire rack for wheel and tire options? l

My Honda Pilot is very comfortable, with its leather seats and 70 series tires. I have also done a lot of very comfortable miles in a Chevy Tahoe. Just my 2¢ worth and a couple other options.

Good plan, as the tires are about the same diameter. The problem is the Marquis has a 5x114.3 mm bolt circle, while the Escape is 5x108 mm.

tirerack.com has a good tool that will allow you to select 'minus sizing' to go to smaller wheels, and it looks at factors like brake clearance. I just took a look and it shows plenty of 16" and 17" tire and wheel package options.
Select 'Shop by vehicle' at https://www.tirerack.com/content/tir.../homepage.html

Depending upon your Escape's equipment, you may also want to look at different / softer shock absorbers, as large wheel packages often include firmer 'sport' shocks.

Thanks for the bolt circle. That saved me an aw $hit moment.

Yes someone else mentioned tire rack, and I did look at the wheel options. They had a 16" on clearance that I liked for $68. Great I'll buy a set. Dang there is only one in inventory. So much for that.

I hate sinking a grand or more into a set of tires and wheels, with no idea how much it would improve the ride. I'm sure it would help, but maybe not enough. I may go test drive an Audi. I'm not sure yet.

PS
I did order a couple orthopedic seat cushions. They should arrive Thursday. I want to see what they do.

Well, I probably would not buy the new tires unless they are needed for wear reasons. I have found in several cases the shorter wheel with the taller tires are significantly less $ or about equal to just buying the new very low profile tires. On my VW sportwagen they were also 4# lighter per wheel. That is significant on a car that light. I had similar results with my old pt cruiser. On that thing the oe wheels were tremendously heavy! The improvement in ride and handling was noticable because of the weight and of course new tires always feel better.

Sounds like you need an early 70's Lincoln. I has a 72. You couldn't even feel the bumps. Felt like you were riding on marshmallows.

Fred

I would definitely go for a 2017 Chevrolet Impala if we are talking about a long trip here. My brother has one of these and two years ago we took on three days of a trip from my brother’s real estate in Cannes to a city in Germany to catch my sister's wedding. At first, everyone was laughing at us because no one believed that we could complete such a long journey as we both are grumpy old-farts. However, at least from my angle, it was the most comfortable trip I’ve ever taken. Thanks to the car’s soft and heated seats I felt like riding on a warm cloud.

Ditto on the Cadillac ride quality. I recently owned a CTS and it rode way more comfortably on our often bumpy roads than my buddy's Audi A4

I had an '87 Mark VII LSC for 20 years. Best riding vehicle I've ever been in.

I have been a big fan of Lexus LS series for years. I am on my 3rd LS. I have had a SC (too low for you) and also have an ES series, it is an OK ride, but not as good as the LS.

When I travel and rent cars, I always compare them to my LS- its like comparing a wood wagon to a limo! Seems every mfg tries tomake its car a smooth ride, but always compromise for costs.

And the LS series with the V8 motors go forever! My 1st one(93) had 169k miles on it and I traded it in because it needed a power steering pump- its 1st repair. The next one (1998) had 214k on it when I traded it in with it needing only one repair- a starter motor.

My current one has 126k miles with only an AC leak developing that they repaired 3 yrs ago and no repeat.

Thom