E46 Suspension

Thanks for the input.  I would broadly agree with you !

The single biggest problem for me with the Sports setup is not body roll - you can't exactly say it rolls that much - its the fact that its bouncy.  Especially at the rear.  The fron of the car is almost perfect but its the rebound on the rear which is just too agressive I find.

The Alpina has the same lowering as the Sport but just has more initial give without inducing too much roll so all the expansion joints and lateral gashes in the road which start the Sport hopping at the  back just disappear.  ITs a much better setup and I just hope BMW understand British roads a bit better next time.  Most people buy the Sport because it looks better and has better residuals and for the hardcore drivers its not good enough anyway.  So it doesn't serve either community well.  The current SE is still the best all round suspension if you live anywhere in the SE of England  where the roads A,B or anywhere are just the worst anywhere.  I'd love to see F1 around London streets - the cars would take off !

Scarface

You have answered my prayer !! 

I drove an Alpina and yes, the suspension is so much better than the M-Tech on the standard Sport. More compliant yet handling is still great.  I approached Alpina HQ and they said that it could be done,but my local Sytner dealer in Gerards Cross has been so unhelpful I feel like writing to BMW.  Where did you get yours done?

Would be great if you could email me the details.  Thanks in advance.

HMmmm....the missus is probably getting a 320d Sport saloon as her next co. car. Is the suspension on these as hard as, say, my CTR? We've not had time to test drive one yet ( Sytners have only got the Coupe version as a demo). We really like the look of the Sport over the 318 SE she has now, so hoping the ride is almost as compliant although she does mainly motorway miles. Also, she quite fancies the Imola Red paint but I havn't seen any Saloons in this colour ( I know the Sport can have it)- does it look any good?

Cheers.

Hi Tony,

Just checking what car you have.  Well the coupe has standard 'sports suspension' but this is not the 'full Mtech' which you only get when you order the sports model of the car as denoted by the different air diffusers, body fit, and steering wheel.

The original coupe I drove back in 1999 on 18's was pretty good I thought and my 323 on MY2000 was a great car with good handling although if you really really pushed it on a dippy road, you would get suspension wallow.  But I would swap it everytime for the MTech setup which is just far too harshly damped at the rear on the rebound.  A quick drive in a 206 shows hows how a car can have a fantastic ride yet still handle. Ok the 206 does roll a bit but it still handles and thats the point. The Mtech Sports version makes the sophisticated E46 suspension feel like cart springs for no real gain in grip and most of the added response which is there from OCt 2001 onwards (ie latest shape) is from the faster rack, tougher standards bushings and the smaller wheel.

Still investigating options, but think I will either have the Hartge suspension fitted or the current standard SE retrofitted.  Its cheaper than changing the car and I really like the rest of the sports package. Although I would prefer the 17's over the 18's which are so easy to damage on kerbs....

Simnew,

Absolutley spot on   you have summed it up perfectly.

Will get some more quotes from BMW Dealers about retro fitting the suspension. The quote I previously mentioned was from Fairfield in Southend but other peolpe have said that their labour rates can be bettered. I will post the cheapest quote when I get it 

Skull,

I appreciate your input on this topic but I guess it would depend on what you want out of a car. But personally, I'm not going to shell out nearly 30 grand on a car that will only be at its best when driving the nuts off it and the rest of the time watching my passengers flinch every time I hit a bump . As regards a ST220, yep your right about them, no way worth the price. My company car is just 1.8 litre which, probably due to the lower engine weight, manages to feel well balanced if a little tardy in the performance stakes ( no bloody torque what so ever! )

Not sure about the race training though, can't see the need to be michael schumacher when the wife and kids are on board and say "stop moaning, this is how you're meant to drive it!" 

You do not have to have rock hard suspension to have a sporty drive. If anything, if you have confidence in your cars ability to not skip and fidget on a bumpy road when your pressing on a bit, you'll probably find that your able to corner that bit harder/faster. There are currently some great handling saloon cars out there yet they still manage to have entertaining handling without comprimising their ride comfort too much, take a look at a picture of an evo 8 cornering hard and you'll be suprised at how much body roll there is.

The problem as I see it is that most BMW's have to be much more than just a sporty car. Because of their excellent design, build quality and prestige status, they also have to be capable of being a refined and luxurious mode of transport which ever model you choose, which is a contrediction in terms I know but other manufactures have managed it far more convincingly

If you just want a car that handles like a go kart you'll buy a impreza or similiar but then thats all they can do. These cars are incapable of being anything else other than road legal racers where as a generally a BMW has do do all the above things very well which it should do when you consider the price you have to pay. 

Hi Skull,

I understand and appreciate what you said but I drive my car pretty hard as well - thats why I bought it, but the ride is pretty awful. Its bouncy and doesn't even attempt to iron out minor ridges or drops in the road surface.  I test drove several before I bought it and although I noticed the difference I didn't get a chance to drive it on more urban roads as BMW dealers don't exactly lend you the car.  You are lucky if you get an hour to drive the car.

The sports pack is more than just the suspension - it gives you a better look, more equipment , better seats, and a much nicer steering wheel. This in itself provides much of the extra alertness (plus the faster rack intro'd in Oct 01).  The suspension is just fine on fast A roads which are smooth and do not have manhole covers.  Drive on one that has deep manholes, drops in the road surface, expansion joints and you will be thrown about the cabin.  Its all so unnecessary.  With variable rate damping, you can iron out a lot of the initial reaction allowing for a hardened response as you near the limit.  That is how the suspension geometry works on the E46 anyway.  Initial neutral to slight understear and then when you press it a bit more  - you get more rear steer and better turn in.  You get this on the old SE, current SE and on the Sport.

Good handling is about more than a hard ride and not having to correct the car (this is part of the fun of a rwd car anyway).  Sure the old SE could get floaty but as a compromise between ride and handling, the new SE is better in my opinion.  I never had to apologise to passengers in the old car - I do in my current one.

So relieved that other people are finding the Sport suspension fitted to the Sport models so poor.

If the roads are very smooth its fine but the rear damping is far to aggressive for British tarmac with its expansion joints and sharp dips. I nearly always end up apologising to fellow passengers or driving around the road surface trying to stop myself getting thrown about the cabin.

I also investigate the Birds Hartge suspension which uses variable rate gas dampers to achieve a softer initial response followed by hardened damping on compression. This may well fix the problem but I haven't been able to drive one of their cars yet.  Will report if I do.

I would be very interested in getting the standard suspension fitted as this still offers a very good handling ride compromise.  Sure its a little more floaty on the limit, but bumps that really affect you in the Sport and simply dismissed in the SE and the drip in my experience if the same. I have had both MY2000 SE, MY2003 Sport and I reckon the latest SE suspension is very good indeed.  Where did you get the quote for having it retro fitted ?  Any news on this - I would love to know. Thanks

Yep i own a 2002 325ci sports, the suspension is just to

hard, Its feels like my old Ford Xr3 at times, On a car that costs £28.000

I thought it BMW would get it right. Is there any kit i can use to make the car feel like a £28.000 car..

Tony,

Cheers for the reply, thank god I'm not the only one who thinks the M Tech is not that great. Got to admit, I thought the suspension felt over damped but then I'm no expert when it comes to these things. Might have a word with some after-market suspension makers and will post any replys worth mentioning. Congrats on the baby news and don't panic about getting all the gear in, I've recently become the father of twins (Now 5 months old) and I can still get a double buggy in the boot...................just!

(Thank god I didn't have to sell it)

One last thing, it seems that I'm winging about the car but I can definatley say its is the dogs danglys and I'm a convert

Dear Mr Bangle - Don't bugger up the new one!