Adaptive suspension, can you tell yours works?

[Doel]

I was under the impression that our adaptive suspension simply didn't change suspension settings enough to be really noticeable when driving normally. Many reviews I've watched and my own experience indicated this. Switching from comfort to sport, and back, I can't tell any difference at all when it comes to soaking up bumps on a normal road.

Can you? Only the GT1 and GT2 (US Specs) come with adaptive suspension.

 

[SteveCo]

I was under the impression that our adaptive suspension simply didn't change suspension settings enough to be really noticeable when driving normally. Many reviews I've watched and my own experience indicated this. Switching from comfort to sport, and back, I can't tell any difference at all when it comes to soaking up bumps on a normal road.

Can you? Only the GT1 and GT2 (US Specs) come with adaptive suspension.

Yes, I notice a difference during normal driving - the SPORT mode is definitely firmer than Comfort.

Once following a battery discharge, the adaptive suspension was disabled and defaulted to what I can only assume was full FIRM. During the brief period I drove it before having the dealer reset/renable via their diagnostic tablet, it was like driving an unladen 5 ton truck - bone jarringly stiff, and MUCH stiffer than any 'normal' mode selection.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Yes, I notice a difference during normal driving - the SPORT mode is definitely firmer than Comfort.

Once following a battery discharge, the adaptive suspension was disabled and defaulted to what I can only assume was full FIRM. During the brief period I drove it before having the dealer reset/renable via their diagnostic tablet, it was like driving an unladen 5 ton truck - bone jarringly stiff, and MUCH stiffer than any 'normal' mode selection.

Interesting. Wonder if we could invoke such a fault on purpose since most are dissatisfied with the sport stiffness.

 

[DaJackson]

If you drive on a smooth road you won’t be able to tell any difference. Go over a bumpy road and you will be able to tell a difference.

 

[SteveCo]

Interesting. Wonder if we could invoke such a fault on purpose since most are dissatisfied with the sport stiffness.

The fuse for it is in the rear hatch fuse panel, if you're feeling adventurous.

 

[Doel]

If you drive on a smooth road you won’t be able to tell any difference. Go over a bumpy road and you will be able to tell a difference.

I live in Alabama, I'm not sure what a smooth road even is

 

[Dochidalgo]

The SteveCo experience, suggest the the adaptative suspension system could be tune.
Altough, in my personal opinion, I have got what I wanted from the supension performance with the Eibach's springs (in spite of the lowering) and sway bars....a must upgrade for the Stinger...IMHO

 

[Doel]

The SteveCo experience, suggest the the adaptative suspension system could be tune.

yeah this idea has been bouncing around here for a good while now, no tuner has expressed any desire to attempt to tune it though, we've asked many times lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

Roads around here are a mix, with most being pretty smooth (well, after the potholes are filled in that is).

I think that there is a difference between Sport and everything else. There is no difference in anything else, they all feel the same, and I suspect that the only differences are subtle shifting points in the tranny.

I don't believe that I've ever experimented with "hard" cornering in something other than Sport.

 

[PMB]

A lot of early reviews said the car had lots of rattles especially related to the passenger door area and the sun roof. I think there are still some gremlins lurking in the rattle department on 2019's. The point is, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out the SPORT setting has been greatly softened to limit rattles. If the mode is too annoying to use because everything immediately rattles in sport, then nobody would use it anyway, and likely there would be a lot more complaints about quality (A priority for KIA to avoid) and an unusable sport mode.

Just my $0.02

 

[brancky3]

I definitely wish it was more firm in sport mode, but there's a pretty large difference still between comfort and sport for me

 

[Ty Davis]

Interesting. Wonder if we could invoke such a fault on purpose since most are dissatisfied with the sport stiffness.

I tried this and it is not something that is of any real value on the street...
Yes, the shocks default to a very firm mode when you disrupt power to the suspension module.
However, that firm mode is horribly overdamped.

The end result is a jittery, crashy, noisy ride quality, with quick jiggles and bounces that are rough and unrefined. You can try it and see, but I can guarantee this is not something you’ll want to live with for any amount of time.

 

[Ty Davis]

I was under the impression that our adaptive suspension simply didn't change suspension settings enough to be really noticeable when driving normally. Many reviews I've watched and my own experience indicated this. Switching from comfort to sport, and back, I can't tell any difference at all when it comes to soaking up bumps on a normal road.

Can you? Only the GT1 and GT2 (US Specs) come with adaptive suspension.

There is a difference between driving modes. But as mentioned by others, the difference is not as pronounced as it could be. To feel the difference, don’t think of Comfort mode as soft ride and a Sport mode as hard ride.

In reality both modes ride firmness is fairly similar. If someone switched the mode without you knowing, you would be hard pressed to tell a difference in stiffness or softness of the bumps alone. It doesn’t change all that much.

Where you will notice the difference between modes is in “Body Control”.
This refers to how the body of the car reacts to road surfaces and driving inputs.
You will notice a fair amount of bounce at the front and rear of the car over dips and irregularities in Comfort mode.

When you switch to Sport mode, you will notice that the rear suspension bounces less over those same bumps and surfaces. This is the most pronounced effect in my experience. Secondly, you will notice that body roll is reduced in Sport mode (turning the steering left or right causes the body to lean less). Sport mode does also reduce bounce at the front by a slight bit, but not as much as at the rear.

Many people can not detect minute changes in body roll, but most all can feel and notice vertical bounce.
If you want to feel your ECS adaptive suspension working, go down a road that makes the rear of the car bounce/float up and down in Comfort mode. Now go back and try that same stretch of road in Sport mode. The rear of the car will bounce less and stay more level above the ground.

 

[MerlintheMad]

A lot of early reviews said the car had lots of rattles especially related to the passenger door area and the sun roof.

Could you point me/us to even one review (other than wannabe YouTube car "reviewers") that claimed Stingers have "lots of" extraneous noise issues? I'll allow that some do, enough to hear about. But just judging by the relative lack of responses to these complaints made on this forum, this tells me that the great majority of Stingers do not rattle, creak, groan, squeak, crackle, pop, snap or otherwise annoy their passengers with noises that don't belong there. (Maybe it's time for a dedicated Stinger Forum "noises off" poll; sound off about how annoying your Stinger is to drive in because it won't shut up, etc. )

 

[CaliSting]

Of all cars I have driven it’s least noticable

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Could you point me/us to even one review (other than wannabe YouTube car "reviewers") that claimed Stingers have "lots of" extraneous noise issues? I'll allow that some do, enough to hear about. But just judging by the relative lack of responses to these complaints made on this forum, this tells me that the great majority of Stingers do not rattle, creak, groan, squeak, crackle, pop, snap or otherwise annoy their passengers with noises that don't belong there. (Maybe it's time for a dedicated Stinger Forum "noises off" poll; sound off about how annoying your Stinger is to drive in because it won't shut up, etc. )

Mine has none of these issues & I drive bumpy roads to work every day, at times I deliberately mute to radio to listen for any signs of noises etc.

 

[DarthVaderIX]

I honestly can’t really tell a difference. It was feeling extra “crashy” tonight as well. Also, the transmission sport mode is c-

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Of all cars I have driven it’s least noticable

 

[DarthVaderIX]

There is a difference between driving modes. But as mentioned by others, the difference is not as pronounced as it could be. To feel the difference, don’t think of Comfort mode as soft ride and a Sport mode as hard ride.

In reality both modes ride firmness is fairly similar. If someone switched the mode without you knowing, you would be hard pressed to tell a difference in stiffness or softness of the bumps alone. It doesn’t change all that much.

Where you will notice the difference between modes is in “Body Control”.
This refers to how the body of the car reacts to road surfaces and driving inputs.
You will notice a fair amount of bounce at the front and rear of the car over dips and irregularities in Comfort mode.

When you switch to Sport mode, you will notice that the rear suspension bounces less over those same bumps and surfaces. This is the most pronounced effect in my experience. Secondly, you will notice that body roll is reduced in Sport mode (turning the steering left or right causes the body to lean less). Sport mode does also reduce bounce at the front by a slight bit, but not as much as at the rear.

Many people can not detect minute changes in body roll, but most all can feel and notice vertical bounce.
If you want to feel your ECS adaptive suspension working, go down a road that makes the rear of the car bounce/float up and down in Comfort mode. Now go back and try that same stretch of road in Sport mode. The rear of the car will bounce less and stay more level above the ground.

When you say bounce as in, short movements up and down quickly? Looks good going down the road

 

[Ucinn]

I don't notice hardly any difference going from comfort to sport. but if you are pushing the corners, there is a pretty big and noticeable difference between comfort and sport.