How do I soften the rough ride of my 2010 Vibe?

[dmgrabow]

Hi, just bought my Ignition Orange Metallic 2010 Pontiac Vibe on 2/9/13. 31,500 miles, brand new tires, certified used vehicle.

QUESTION : Can the suspension/springs (or something else) be adjusted so that the car absorbs more of the road shock? What can I do to reduce the rough ride?

Test drove on nice, smooth roads, so I didn't realize until I started driving on "real" roads that my body feels the shock of every bump, pebble, and crack in the road. I can actually feel my internal organs bottom out every time I drive over the smallest imperfection in the pavement. I understand that this car has a sport suspension and is a stiffer ride, but I'm dreading driving this car like this for the next umpteen years. Tire pressure currently at 32 psi, and I'm assuming that the shocks have been checked out as "good" through the certification process. Not worried about internal noise, that's not an issue. Obviously I'm past the 5 day exchange window, so the car's mine. I love it, but for this. I've tried searching the posts for help, but need a more specific response and direction on what to ask the mechanic to check. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

PS. I'm a 44 year old woman... am I too old to put those killer black dragon decals on my killer orange car??

[SeattleJeremy]

Welcome to GenVibe!

If anyone makes a suggestion about the suspension we'll need to know if you have a Base, GT, or AWD Vibe. What tires are on the car? I know you said they are new, but these are the easiest thing to change when it comes to ride and handling.

You are never too old to have an interesting looking car. I would love to see black dragon decals on an orange Vibe.

[Rayven01]

Definitely check the tires. It's amazing the difference a set of "comfort" oriented tires can make. Especially if you've got a GT with 18" wheels, comfort pretty much gets left entirely behind in favor of handling. 16" wheels with touring tires on my 2009 and my only suspension complaint is the rear torsion beam on the 2WD makes speed bump thumps killer unless you are going ridiculously slow.

[thebarber]

Smaller rims with taller tires. Maintain the same rolling diameter but it'll have a softer ride...

[lannvouivre]

when I went from the Eagle RSAs on my 2006 to Arizonian Silver Editions, my BF even noticed the smoother ride. Similar to thebarber's comment, there was a guy that got Dodge Caravan tires on his vibe that had 15 in wheels with tall sidewalls, and he said the ride was much smoother.

PS: @thebarber, considering lowering on TEIN H-techs now. Hopefully I don't get trapped on a speedbump or in a parkinglot pothole.

[vibolista]

Really need to know what tire/wheel size you're running on your Vibe before we can make suggestions. Like others have mentioned on this post, a tire's size and specific type can make a big difference in ride comfort. A touring tire with a Summer tread and soft sidewalls can ride much smoother than an aggressive high performance Summer tire with a stiffer sidewall. There are a lot of different types of tires.

Might also want to check and see if you actually have the original suspension that came with the car. Sometimes, owners of Vibes have been known to install a sportier suspension set up (harder rate springs and shocks) on their cars to increase road handling performance, usually at the expense of a supple ride.

On the other hand, the original Vibe suspension can be considered fairly taught by some. The car is quite light, so we need to know some of these things before we can suggest anything that might help soften the ride.

Welcome to the Vibe site. And don't worry about sticking killer dragon decals on your Vibe if you want... it's an ageless car!

[beemerphile1]

If you want a smooth ride you will need a different car.

Unfortunately short wheelbase, low ground clearance, and short travel suspension all result in a rough ride.

Some things like different tires/wheels may help a little. The amount of air pressure makes a difference also.

I just replaced the original tires with Firestone Ecopia EP422 tires. The ride is a little softer.

Since you bought your car used it may have been modified. That should be checked but they do have a rough ride from the factory.

[trb]

If yours is a GT, then like others have said, the 18" wheels certainly contribute a lot to the rough ride. There is one stretch of freeway by me that has ruts across it about every 3-4 feet, and I feel every one of them in my car. I hear them in our other vehicles, but don't really feel them. It is just the nature of the beast. It is annoying, but I live with it because I like everything else about my car.

If you do have a GT, then about the only solution would be to try some 16" wheels with taller tires to give you more cushion from the tires. You could run a 205/60/16 tire on 16" wheels. But if you already have the 16" wheels, not much you can do with it.

[Caretaker]

sounds like we have a bunch of Congressmen attempting to answer a question. Here's a more direct answer: Michelin MXV4s. Get them at Costco for the best price. Very soft and makes for a GREAT ride. I yield the balance of my time to those with 6% approval rating.

[ParknVibe]

sounds like we have a bunch of Congressmen attempting to answer a question. Here's a more direct answer: Michelin MXV4s. Get them at Costco for the best price. Very soft and makes for a GREAT ride. I yield the balance of my time to those with 6% approval rating.

I feel her shock! Hard ride and loud road noise is my big complaint as well.

Is the MXV4 an all season tire?

[Kincaid]

I've heard some here say that moving up 1" in diameter for the wheel size made little to no difference in the harsh ride, so it must be more important to get the right tire with a more compliant side wall, which by all accounts seems to mean an all-weather tire.

If you have 18" or 17" factory wheels, you might be able to trade for 16" inch wheels plus some cash with a member here, or sell them out right and get 16" plus softer tires.

My wife's 2001 Honda Accord is positively floaty over speed bumps with her stock wheels and General all-season tires. Personally, I don't have any issues with the Vibe and mine is lowered on H-Tech springs - but suspension harshness is very particular to a person.

[Kincaid]

PS: @thebarber, considering lowering on TEIN H-techs now. Hopefully I don't get trapped on a speedbump or in a parkinglot pothole.

I have H-Techs and only rarely scraped on a speed bump and only when the car was loaded with people. I upsized to 225/50-17 rubber and now I never do, however, the front tires now rub when turning and my mpg has really suffered. Sad thing was I was trying to get a bit more protection from my rims but my oldest child was still able to scrape my rim pretty good.

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! You most definitely have to post pictures of your Ignition Orange Metallic Vibe ! It's a pretty rare color and a very nice one at that! As others have said, let us know which model your Vibe is and what size wheels and tires it has so we can give you better suggestions. Unfortunately, if your Vibe is a GT there's not much you can do about it except get some softer tires. I put 16s on my 2009 GT for the winter months and the difference in the ride is hardly noticeable over the 18s, so even getting smaller wheels wouldn't really make much of a difference. Definitely fill us in with more info on your Vibe and don't forget those picturs !

P.S. Please don't put any decals on your Vibe (unless it's a GenVibe.com decal of course !).

[thebarber]

@kincaid: h-tech's are oem-soft. You should have gone with 235's, not taller tires...

[lannvouivre]

I have H-Techs and only rarely scraped on a speed bump and only when the car was loaded with people. I upsized to 225/50-17 rubber and now I never do, however, the front tires now rub when turning and my mpg has really suffered. Sad thing was I was trying to get a bit more protection from my rims but my oldest child was still able to scrape my rim pretty good.

Well, it's more of a concern about the roads around here, plus I am impatient and scoff at slowing down for speedbumps, unless someone elderly is riding with me.

I told my BF that I don't want him driving my car because I KNOW what new drivers do to wheels. It's not pretty. This was my first car and my stock rims and hubcaps look like my car was driven by a teenage girl that had to park on curbs a lot or something. My new KONIGs are pristine and rash-free, though.

[tpollauf]

Hi, just bought my Ignition Orange Metallic 2010 Pontiac Vibe on 2/9/13. 31,500 miles, brand new tires, certified used vehicle.

Very nice color and the last year for any Pontiac I would have been suspicious as to why the Vibe needed new rubber so soon If properly driven & taken care of, the original tires should have been in good shape and not need replaced. Maybe the dealer (assuming that's where you bought it from) only "upgraded" the tires to entice a buyer. Let's hope that is the only reason

QUESTION : Can the suspension/springs (or something else) be adjusted so that the car absorbs more of the road shock? What can I do to reduce the rough ride?

Unfortunately the answer to this is NO As others have mentioned here, going down to a 16" tire (assuming you have 17" or the 18" Gt rims) would help ever so slightly BUT mostly it would not be noticeable. A major interior ripout & insulation addition would be the only real solution. A few members here have already done this BUT from what I've seen it has only been done to some first generation (2003-2008) Vibes.

PS. I'm a 44 year old woman... am I too old to put those killer black dragon decals on my killer orange car??

Your only as old as you feel. I say go for it and express your individuality. I'm a decade older than you and still a kid at heart Looking forward to pics of your new ride and with those killer black dragon decals You go girl !!!

[09SnowyVibe]

I'm guessing the GT got the mulitlink rear suspension?

Going to the 16's with hankook winter really softened the ride big time. It rides better than my MIL's 2012 sportage, with the tall 16 inch tires!!

[dmgrabow]

FINALLY responding - so sorry for the delay! Can't thank you all enough for your kind and helpful responses, this is a much more positive forum than other sites.

I have the base model 1.8L 2WD (torsion beam rear suspension) with the Sun & Sound package with tires that are M + S 205/55R16 91T-winter, although I can't seem to determine the brand. I have to pick up my plates today so I'll ask for clarification. Since I already have the 16" rims, that eliminates some of the suggestions. The dealer may very well have replaced the tires to entice a buyer; the car had been on their lot for about 3 months before I bought it, and they had also dropped the price by $2000.

Ps. My bright yellow 2002 Mazda Protege 5 was t-boned on the highway on Feb 2, and I dreaded buying a generic silver or tan sedan, so I was thrilled to find the bright orange Vibe! I'll post some pics of the new ride soon.

[tpollauf]

When you finally get possession of your Vibe and post pics, also update your profile showing location. We like to know if you happen to be a neighbor of one of us or not. Can only help & not hurt. Looking forward to the pics soon

[vibenvy]

FINALLY responding - so sorry for the delay! Can't thank you all enough for your kind and helpful responses, this is a much more positive forum than other sites.

I have the base model 1.8L 2WD (torsion beam rear suspension) with the Sun & Sound package with tires that are M + S 205/55R16 91T-winter, although I can't seem to determine the brand. I have to pick up my plates today so I'll ask for clarification. Since I already have the 16" rims, that eliminates some of the suggestions. The dealer may very well have replaced the tires to entice a buyer; the car had been on their lot for about 3 months before I bought it, and they had also dropped the price by $2000.

Ps. My bright yellow 2002 Mazda Protege 5 was t-boned on the highway on Feb 2, and I dreaded buying a generic silver or tan sedan, so I was thrilled to find the bright orange Vibe! I'll post some pics of the new ride soon.

Wow, I thought for sure your Vibe would be a GT since you were saying the ride is pretty rough. I can't imagine a Base model being anywhere near as bad as GT. Your best (and only) option is going to be getting some softer tires and perhaps changing the size of tires. I don't know a whole lot about changing tire size, but there are many others on here who should be able to give you some solid recommendations.

Anxiously awaiting pictures ...

[Rayven01]

Hmm, if you're on the 16s already I can't really think of much else beyond the tires either. Mine has the same suspension and wheels as yours and while it's no luxury suspension, I wouldn't consider it rough. I've driven a Protege before and I would consider it comparable. One thing you might do is go test drive another comparable 09/10 Vibe if you can find one and see if it rides the same. That would at least tell you whether it's something specific to your car that's not right. Also when you post pics some of us might be able to recognize from those whether it's been modified in some way that might affect the ride (strut bar, lowered, etc). Your mechanic could also tell you that of course.

[Kincaid]

One thing I noticed that seemed counter-intuitive, and that softened the harshness a bit (but noticeably) was to increase the air pressure. In the search for better mpg I raised the air pressure in the tires to 44-42 lbs front and 38-40 rear. Not only was the steering easier in slow parking maneuvers, but the harshness over pot holes and the like was reduced. I would have thought the higher air pressure would have made it less yielding, but as it didn't my theory is that it helps to get more cushion between the inflexible wheel and the ground.

[Kincaid]

@kincaid: h-tech's are oem-soft. You should have gone with 235's, not taller tires...

Going for the taller aspect ratio was an attempt to increase mpg - which I admit backfired. I should have done a bit of research first rather than going with my own understanding. After all, I graduated in Liberal Arts, not Science.

If I had the money and could do it all over again I would have gone to an aftermarket rim that was narrower, kept the stock width of 215mm and maybe tried to get an offset too push the wheel outward just a bit more. Then I would have sold off very pristine stock wheels that would have been worth a lot.

[vibolista]

Well, here's hoping those Winter tires aren't set at 50 psi !!! Winter tires can ride a little rougher than a nice set of Summers. Not all do, but some. Brand of tire can make a difference.

Seriously, check your tire pressures.

[dmgrabow]

Thanks again everybody for your feedback and suggestions!! I added air to my tires per a few of your suggestions, now about 40 PSI front, 38 PSI back. I could certainly up it another 1-2 PSI all around, I'll see how it does. I'm located just outside Minneapolis MN and we have some snow coming Monday so I'll see how it handles. Here's a pic of my new Vibe - it really is pretty cool, and the orange sure does pop when it's fresh out of the car wash!

2010 Ignition Orange Metallic Pontiac Vibe.jpg (121.53 KiB) Viewed 5718 times

[vibenvy]

Very nice ! I am so jealous of the color (just don't tell my Vibe that )!

[Rayven01]

Love that color. I'm not usually a big orange fan but there's something about that particular brilliant shade...

[vibolista]

Well, with those snow tires at new pressure, how's the ride? Great color, by the way. Saw an orange on the car dealership back in 2009, but have not seen another since. Rare?

[vibenvy]

Great color, by the way. Saw an orange on the car dealership back in 2009, but have not seen another since. Rare?

Yep, Ignition Orange Metallic was only available on the 2010 Vibes so it is indeed pretty rare. I too have only seen one in person, a 2010 AWD at the local GM dealer a couple years ago.

The other rare color for the 2nd gen Vibes is Mystic Blue Metallic which was only available on the 2009s. I have seen a couple of these in person (both 1.8L Bases IIRC) and just like the IOM, it too is a beautiful color and can only be truly appreciated in person. Pictures don't do either of these rare colors justice.