Suspension very hard with 17 wheels?

Reviews / Comments about the 2014 QashQai
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FoxE
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:44 pm
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Post by FoxE »

Greetings from New Zealand.My QQ is about 2 weeks old. After having traded a 2011 (facelift) QQ and enjoying the ride comfort, immensely, with that model I expected similar from the new QQ. Unfortunately it seems that is not to be. It is very hard riding. The 2011 model was shod with 16" wheels and 215/65/16 tyres as OEM. The current model has 17" wheels shod with 215/60/17 tyres. Now that doesn't seem enough of a difference in wheels size to alter the level of comfort too much - but it certainly is a much harsher ride with the new model's 17" wheels and new suspension system. To date it is spoiling my experience and has my wife wanting to ditch the car (she has a bad back and feels the bumps a bit more than I do) and getting the old one back! I'm done with the days of hard suspension to appease the racers enthusiasts out there - I have been through that phase and after 3 years of the luxurious feeling suspension in the Mark 1 QQ I am really missing it. Does anybody else have a similar experience with moving from the older model to the new one and finding the suspension significantly harder? I acknowledge that most owners will have 19" wheels which are a different kettle of fish altogether. I have checked and rechecked the tyre pressures with good quality gauges (not service station ones) and they are set to 33psi for the front and 30psi for the rear - as per the Nissan recommendations for that tyre (Continental Conti Eco Contact). So... any comments from owners of the 17" wheel variants who may have owned the lower spec'd Mark 1 QQ (which had the 16" wheels) as to the difference they are experiencing in the suspension?
2014 Nissan Qashqai ST (J11) | 2 litre | Ivory Pearl (QAB) | Xtronic CVT | New Zealand

andrewjoseph
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:38 pm

Post by andrewjoseph »

This is my first Nissan, but the 19 " wheels and low profile tyres are giving a much more comfortable ride than my old Renault scenic with smaller wheels and larger tyres.
tekna cvt mag red
Donkey
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Post by Donkey »

Im unfamiliar with the road surface in New Zealand butt you are the only one thats mentioned the QQ is stiff, have you driven another one to make sure your cars ok?Ive not noticed any diffrence in the 16 or 17 and to be honest the 19 feels almost exactly the same as wellThe car should be stiffer with larger wheels but ive not been able to detect it,even the seats feel the same although the new model I feel are just a tad more supportive i notice in your signature you guys have a 2.0That said ive only ever driven the new and old 1.5 and the new 1.2 and 1.6, I notice in your signature you guys have 2.0 never heard of that so maybe you guys have a diffrent suspension set upthe sidewall on the tyre size does make a lot of diffrence (more diffrence than the overall size as it goes) with the larger sidewall bieng more flexible and comfortable and a lowerside wall bieng much stiffer
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FoxE
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Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:44 pm
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Post by FoxE »

Thanks Donkey. You may well be right in that NZ (and Australia) have a different suspension set up. Both countries opted for the 2 litre petrol and the 1.6 diesel. But, somehow I think it would be unlikely given that with shipping to this side of the globe the car is still comparable in price (or even slightly cheaper) than in the UK. The local reviews talk about the double piston shocks etc., as well so sounds like the standard suspension of the new model.The 2 litre goes well with the new CVT and feels a bit more punchier than the old model 2 litre (although I think it is just a retuned version of the old motor). The new model is an improvement in most respects to the old but the hard suspension dampens (no pun intended) the enjoyment of the car for us. It may be that ours is an oddball because I haven't heard/seen anyone else having mentioned the firm (overly in my opinion) suspension set up - with the exception of a couple of moans about the 19" ride being a bit firm(ish) which can be expected given the 45 profile tyres. But a 60 profile tyre on a 17" rim should be fine - except it isn't and I have had other cars on 60 profile tyres that have been fine. The new model has only been on the NZ market for about 2 months so maybe time will tell. One other factor is that I live in rural Canterbury (near Christchurch) which had some big earthquakes 4 years ago and the roads still aren't all that great in some places but the old car still managed the dips and humps with aplomb up until we traded it a couple of weeks ago. I will take a loaner out when I get a towbar fitted early next month and see how that compares. I may also pick up a set of 16" alloys and put Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport 215/65/16 (same as Mark 1 had on the 16" wheel version) tyres on them - but that will be last resort material ($$$$!!!!).
2014 Nissan Qashqai ST (J11) | 2 litre | Ivory Pearl (QAB) | Xtronic CVT | New Zealand
Donkey
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Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:43 pm

Post by Donkey »

Great to hear from people around the world and see what changes are in the carsNow your used to your car it might be worth taking a demo out again on a test drive so you can compare themin Europe the main engine is a 1.5 dci engine (diesel) and the 1.6 diesel although they do a 1.2 petrol engine which is suprisingly good for a large car and tiny engine, our main problem is the exhaust emmisions levels we have to comply with so all engines nowadays are almost strangled to emit very low volumesOff topic do you guys have a long wait for your Qashqias? in Uk especialy for the CVT some have waited over 9 months and still no confirmed date
supergrover
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Post by supergrover »

My test drive before ordering was in a Tekna with the 19 inch rims, and as far as I can remember from that hour's drive, the ride was no different to that of my Acenta with the smaller rims. But as Donkey wisely says, before considering any change it'd cost nothing to request a test ride in a car on different wheels and see what you think.
1.5dci Acenta Black with Smart Vision and DIY Chrome Pack
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FoxE
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Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:44 pm
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Post by FoxE »

[quote="Donkey"]Off topic do you guys have a long wait for your Qashqias? in Uk especialy for the CVT some have waited over 9 months and still no confirmed date[/QUOTE]
No wait - just walk in and buy any of the options available here. Although I do know that since buying mine the ST variant (sort of a slightly higher spec Visia from what I can tell) is now not available for a couple of weeks. We get the CVT option only over here.
2014 Nissan Qashqai ST (J11) | 2 litre | Ivory Pearl (QAB) | Xtronic CVT | New Zealand
DaveBerlin
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by DaveBerlin »

FoxE, sorry to hear of your problem with an uncomfortable ride . I have relations in Auckland and time to time they mention the road conditions. We have the QQ Tekna with 19" Wheels and we tested the Acenta / Visia with 16" / 17" wheels and found the 19" better but again it is a personal choice.In NZ I believe that as you mentioned the ST has the 17" but the other variations ST-I / TI / TS have the 19" wheels. I have attached a Nissan Spec & a Road Test from NZ on the 19" wheels for your ref. Do not forget the 17" tyres are not as wide and the section is higher than the 19" which could tend to cause more flexing. Take a look at the Topic "Chassis / Wheels / Tyres" as there has been a lot of input by Forum members here and comments also on the Ride Quality.http://www.nissan.co.nz/passenger/2014- ... page/2/Now one other point that might cause the problem could be the new Nissan "Active Ride Control" take a look at this writeup even if this is not the problem it might give you a better understanding of its functions :

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Realizing a more comfortable ride
When driving, a vehicle will encounter large and small bumps on the road. As
the vehicle passes over certain bumps, passengers may feel a fore-aft pitching
motion. The Active Ride Control moderates this by controlling the engine and
brakes, delivering a smoother driving experience.

Technology Functionality
When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal and engine torque is increased,
the front half of the vehicle rises up slightly. Conversely, when the foot is
taken off the accelerator pedal and engine torque is reduced, the front of the
vehicle lowers back down. The raising and lowering of the front of the vehicle
results in the vehicle exhibiting pitch behavior.

Active Ride Control takes advantage of this phenomenon to counteract the
pitching caused by bumps. The engine torque is varied slightly according to the
bumps in the road surface, which decreases the pitching motion of the vehicle
and allows the vehicle's occupants to have a more enjoyable driving or riding
experience.















































































































































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In addition, the vehicle suspension is fitted with
shock absorbers which dampen the vertical and pitch motions of the vehicle.
When dampening is strong, the motion caused by bumps on the road surface is
quickly reduced. Conversely, with weak dampening, the motions caused by bumps
can continue for a long time.

Nissan discovered that when the brake is applied, it has the effect of
strengthening the dampening of body motion. Active Ride Control includes
technology developed to reduce vehicle pitching when passing over a bump by
automatically applying a very small amount of braking. The amount of braking is
not enough to slow the vehicle down appreciably, but still results in faster
dampening of the pitch motion than the vehicle using shock absorbers alone.
With Active Ride Control, the pitching that follows when a vehicle passes over
a bump is decreased in amount and duration, and the driving experience becomes
more comfortable.

Technology Configuration
When a vehicle passes over a bump, the wheels speed fluctuates slightly when
compared to the same vehicle driving on a flat surface. Using sensors to detect
the change in the speed of the wheels, the system determines when the vehicle
is moving up and down.

When the pitching is minor, ride quality can be improved by increasing or
decreasing the engine torque. When the pitching is greater, the system applies
the brakes and this helps minimize the body motion of the vehicle. The engine
torque variations and the brake applications are small and smooth. They calm
the vehicle body motion but do not result in appreciable increases or decreases
in vehicle speed. This allows drivers and passengers to simply enjoy a more
comfortable driving and riding experience.I hope this is of some interest to you and welcome to a Very Good Forum - Dave















































































































































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FoxE
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Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:44 pm
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Post by FoxE »

Thanks DaveBerlin for your time and effort in responding and the enclosed links. Yes, I was aware of the new suspension 'tricks' in the new model QQ and harbour some concerns about how well the system actually works (in comparison with the comparatively simpler suspension in the older QQ). It seems a very complex solution and one that I hope doesn't come back to bite Nissan or more likely the car's owners down the track. I cannot see how applying the brakes to smooth out pitching motion from road bumps is going to work well for the longevity of the brake linings either. I had never subscribed to my father-in-law's claims that the more complex a vehicle the more things are likely to go wrong (he drove one of the first VW Beetles in NZ - not much to go wrong in those as there wasn't much in them to start with!). But now I am thinking that this might be true in the case of Nissan designer's opting for this latest suspension 'improvement'. I certainly don't classify myself as a Luddite and love new technology of any sort - but I digress....I acknowledge that I am probably being hyper sensitive about the situation but my wife has a very fragile back condition and she suffers in the new car even though she loves everything else about it. In my opinion the suspension in the older base model QQ was far superior to the current base model - unless, and it is a possibility, something is not set up right in my particular car. In earthquake hit Christchurch (two significant earthquakes followed by around 12 thousand aftershocks over the last 4 years) the roads aren't that great and probably won't be for a few years to come. But my Mark 1 QQ traversed those same roads up until 2 weeks ago with finesse and a compliant ride which was a dream compared to the new model. I had owned my first QQ for around 3 years from new and had done 33,000kms and the ride was sublime from the start. I had to purchase the new car from a rural area some 130kms away and the roads for the test drive were pretty good in that area so the suspension, although feeling a little firmer than my first QQ, was OK. I will take another car out for comparison purposes when I visit the dealer in a couple of weeks but I will definitely be looking for some 'rockier' roads to compare apples with apples this time. I think maybe only someone who has owned the earlier base model QQ could truly compare with the base new model and there may not be too many, if at all, of those owners in these forums at the moment (get the whip out Sunderland!). All else is great with the car except for what seems like the engine 'hunting' at around 85-90kmph - but that is a completely separate issue for later and I don't want to go there yet (just let's say I am monitoring, with interest, another topic in a similar vein in these forums which give me the willies!) Thanks again! The input to my seemingly isolated problem has been great in this forum and I do appreciate the input to date.
2014 Nissan Qashqai ST (J11) | 2 litre | Ivory Pearl (QAB) | Xtronic CVT | New Zealand
Donkey
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Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:43 pm

Post by Donkey »

Although EU cars have a slightly diffrent spec the older QQ I feel was a slighly better handling car and I agrea nowadays the braking system is used too much for not only braking but stability, long term running of the car will tell the truth with replacement brake pads and discs now surely a annual replacementThe new QQ has a downgraded suspension set up compared to the older one, not sure if that was a money or weight saving issue or wether the new system works better with electronicsInteresting you mention the hunting around 85-90kmph as this is something reported here on totaly diffrent engines, this is a remark from around the world commented on, not a fault or a glitch but again something that is worth mentioningAs an Englishman I had the impression of New Zealand having nice long roads so maybe us Europeans will be looking at you guys as clearly you will be putting the miles down faster than we will
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