I used to have an 06 enthusiast package which now belongs to my mom. I now have 03 base myself... and let me tell you the ride quality is night and day...the 06 ride is alot more comfortable and smoother. Now this is very counter intuitive because the 06 has 18inch wheels with lower profile tires and the 03 has 17 with a taller tire wall. The 06's has dunlop direzzas(stock tires on 03) which I beilive have a softer sidewall, but solely wouldn't make all the diffirence in ride because like I said -- its huge. So I'm guessing it would come down to springs/shocks and whatnot. I just want some confirmation and feedback. Also what would be an inexpensive solution aftermarket or OEM?

This is very irritating because my other car is a 240sx with c/o's which are set up for drifting and I need a car to relax in more or less.

Thanks in advance.

 

There was a revised suspension used on the 2004.5 models and beyond. It's a well known fact that the 03's rode pretty bad.

Shocks and springs can be replaced to correct the ride issues (based on what I've seen people post).

 

wow, 03's ride bad? damn. I must drive an 04.5 + now....I like how my 03 rides. hrmmm....

 

Thanks DavesZ, I was aware there were some changes wasn't sure what exactly those addressed. I'm gonna find out what the particulars are however. It's just hard to beilive the quality of dampeners was changed so much...and no way in hell other changes in susp. geometry would be such a huge factor :/

Has anyone here changed their setup for this reason with good results?

 

mid 2004 oem suspension revisions effecting all trim levels
Different shocks, less stiffness (compression dampning) and more rebound
Revised rear shock dustshields/bumpstops (added a soft foam rubber insert)
Stiffer rear springs +25% (342 to 427)
Stiffer front sway bar +17%

Gotta love the 'black art', makes sense tho.

 

"bad" is relative. You might not find it a problem whereas others hated it.

 

I had an 03 Track and IMHO it was pretty bad. The shocks were just not tuned correctly for the springs. I switched to Koni Yellow SA shocks and it pretty much fixed the problem. My 07 Nismo Z rides & handles much better than the 03 Track did from the factory.

 

indeed. I thought it was a bit squishy w/ the factory 17's. felt more luxury than sporty to me....funny how that is. but to put things in perspective my last car was a track setup Miata. so it was quite firm, and sometimes not street friendly.

 

remember too that if there are different tires from one car to another, ride quality can be greatly affected. Also, consider that all the rubber bushings in the car will deteriorate over time as well, which also can impact ride quality, noise, harshness, etc

 

It's funny you think its more 'luxury', because I think just the opposite. To me luxury would be an equiv. of a german car(i've had a couple). It's proven they make the best shocks in the world and they also match their shocks/springs very well from the factory. Spec Miatas can be pretty rough lol but my 240 comes close in harsh ride...

 

Yeah, i think direzzas are rated more comfy on tirerack, gonna double check. As far as bushings...the 03 has 40k miles and 06 just hit 50k. Altho aging could be a factor...or different bushing material.

 

luxury=squishy, almost numb, may or may not handle well.

sportlux = firm, but comfortable, no jarring shocks. (some German cars fall here, but I've found quite a few that belong in the luxury category.)

thats the best I can do at describing the 2.

NOTE: this is my own arbitrary definition based on my views....so everyone may think its wrong. and that's okay too.

 

anyone selling 05 and up shocks/springs? or what is a good aftermarket alternative? i wouldnt mind a mild drop...but ride quiality is the top priority.