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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