Aron9000

Big distinction here, not the smoothest car you have ridden in, but one you have actually drove. I feel like driving a car, seeing the bumps, feeling the steering, makes much more of an impression on ride quality.

Two cars have really stood out to me on the ride quality spectrum.

#1 is a 2005 Lincoln Navigator SUV. Pretty advanced suspension setup, independent at all corners, air springs, man that thing was whisper quiet, tight as a drum, felt like a tomb riding over bumps.

#2 was my old 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood, if you liked traditional big car ride. Any small imperfections, hell even huge potholes and ****ed up pavement, you didn't feel a damn thing. Only time you felt anything was on those bridge expansion joints, where **** dipped way down before going up, yes you might have felt a bit of up/down bobbyness/float. I must say that Navigator did eliminate any sort of float on those really big heaves that made the Cadillac feel a bit nautical. Of course I fixed the Cadillac's ride problem with Impala SS springs, Blistien shocks, eliminated the rear air ride shocks, Impala SS sway bars, and 17" Impala SS wheels with 255/40/R17 low profile tires. Funny thing was the car didn't ride that much worse after all that, but man there was ZERO body roll and that 4300lb whale would actually like to turn into a corner and not understeer like a total pig mid-corner/exiting.

#3 Honorable mention goes to a buddy's 1963 Impala. It was a 4 door, that weird 1960's green, but man he had the shocks, springs, and sway bars tuned to perfection, that car rode fairly smooth, but never floaty like you'd think in a big 1960's car. He had rebuilt every single bushing in the suspension to his spec, rebuilt the power steering pump, the steering box, all those linkages, car just drove stupidly good, just as nice as my 1995 Fleetwood with all those suspension mods, hell way nicer than my stock Fleetwood.

Main thing I thought about while I hustled that power steering rack through the curves, other than it being super light, no feel and a lot of spinning of the wheel, hell I could tell what that car doing, it was very easy to place on the road, the body didn't roll over on its door handles, hell I felt like I could actually hustle this big car on a curvy road.

Fizzboy7

That's a good question. My mom had a 1987 Nissan Maxima SE that actually road quite smooth. This was the car I learned to drive in, so I had a lot of time behind the wheel before I got my own. What I remember is it was smooth in Normal mode, floaty and cushy in "Soft" mode, and choppy in "Sport" mode. Everyone at my school was all over that car. It was black on grey, black Enkie rims, rear spoiler, had the talking voice computer, and my mom got the plate "BLK MAX." I guess it was a Miami Vice thing at the time. Simple times back then.

mmarshall

Absolute no-brainer for me....the 1969 Lincoln Continental. Weighed over 5000 lbs., with the pillow-soft suspensions and soft-riding high-profile tires of the period. Would have probably satisfied even Donald Trump LOL.

My (late) dad was not a fan of 60s luxury cars....he liked the durability/economy of the Dodge/Plymouth Slant Six and the Chrysler torsion-bar suspension. But, after he retired from the Army, he went to work for the (then) Philco-Ford corporation. He'd bring home big Mercury Park Lane/Marquis company-owned cars at night, and, because I was a generally careful teen-ager (and didn't do stupid things behind the wheel), he'd toss me the keys and let me sample the ride and comfort...I liked luxury cars as well as the muscle-cars of the period. Well, one night, he brought home the company VP's Lincoln Continental, tossed me the keys, and said "Mike..I don't have to tell you.....be careful". Oh my gosh, that car was something else. Driving it was like piloting a cruise-ship, with a ride fit for a king. I put in some 100-octane leaded gas in it to feed the 460 ci (7.5) V8, which got about 5-6 MPG in stop/go traffic, took it out on the D.C. Beltway and Dulles Airport Access road, and just reveled in the comfort it gave.

However, don't even ask me about its handling LOL.




A couple years later, in college, I had a used (and somewhat worn-out) Buick Electra 225, which had a smoother automatic transmission than the Lincoln (arguably the smoothest automatic transmission then in existence...the Super Turbine 400), and was probably just as quiet (except for a few rattles), but even its living-room ride could not equal that of the big Lincoln. My great-uncle had a 1967 Cadillac Sedan DeVille that, again, was close, but not quite.

Toys4RJill

By far the body on frame Lincoln Town Car from the early and mid 90s

mmarshall

Interesting that you would pick what is essentially a decked-out version of a traditional body-on-frame truck. Few, if any, of those were ever noted for a smooth ride. But, since you were the one doing the driving (and evaluating)...I'll take your word for it.

(And, I'll stand at least partly corrected.....recent Dodge Rams, particularly in the 1500 series, have had an exceptionally smooth ride by pickup standards. It's a shame that Chrysler won't do an SUV version of it to compete with Tahoe/Suburbans and Expeditions)

ArmyofOne

I would have to say the 2005 LS430 UL.

oldcajun

My Mom's 1961 Lincoln Continental.
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pbm317

My Uncle's 1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. Had an air suspension that floated down the road. 5.0L V8 shared with Mustang GT. So much fun, but you'd always be driving much faster than it felt due to that pillow soft ride.

mmarshall

Well, folks, it looks like one particular brand, here, has been getting most of the votes........

Och

iTrader: (3)

Just because these old Lincolns and Cadillacs are perceived as smooth, doesn't mean they were comfortable. They didn't have much thought put into actual ergonomics, and their spongy ride often caused motion sickness.

I don't think anything comes close to the S class when it comes to smooth, comfortable and confidence inspiring ride.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

The effortless and serene LS600hL if we're talking 'smoothest riding car' I've driven. But I'm sure any S-Class short of an AMG does the same with it's 'magic carpet' ride.

Diesel350

I'll put in another vote for the S class. Nothing rides like an S Class.

Coleroad

1976 olds 98. Between the soft cushy suspension. You also had soft pillow top seats that were softer than my sofa.

situman

1996 Camry V6 LE. I literally got motion sickness driving my own car.

pbm317

Agree. The criteria and my personal response, were only as it applied to "smooth" I wouldn't choose it dynamically or for actual comfort.