# LS rough ride?



## beachbum1970 (Feb 3, 2011)

Hello everyone, I'll be posting a 6000 mile owners report here in a few weeks on my 2012 Cruze LS. In the mean time I was wondering if anybody else out there with an LS thinks that the Cruze has a rough uncomfortable ride. The roads here in the Denver area aren't the smoothest, but they aren't the worst either. It just seems like I can feel every bump/crack/hole on the road. Sometimes it seems like I can "hear" the bumps more than feel them actually. I'm getting lots of suspension noise, and now rattles are starting to creep up in the cabin too. I checked my tire pressure, they all at the recommended 35 psi. As a test, I lowered the psi to about 30, and the ride does feel a little smoother, but I obviously don't want to be driving around with under inflated tires. Now I know this is an "economy" car so I shouldn't be expecting an Impala ride, but I'm sure my 2009 HHR I traded in didn't ride this rough, and that car was based on a Cobalt! And many car reviews on the Cruze praised its "smooth ride". So is it just me (or just having a small car) or could it be "something"? Suspension problem? Shocks? Bearings? Tires? I'll be bringing in the Cruze for an oil change/tire rotation/recall later this week and was wondering if this is even worth bringing up to my service advisor. Thanks!


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## coinneach (Apr 10, 2012)

I have no problems with the ride quality on my LS, even with the tires maxed. Everyone who's ridden with me has commented on how nice it rides.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

coinneach said:


> I have no problems with the ride quality on my LS, even with the tires maxed. Everyone who's ridden with me has commented on how nice it rides.


My ride is fine with my 2011 LS also. I have my tires set at @35. My wife commented on our trip to Chicago about how smooth and quiet the ride was and she hates long trips in cars.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I've got an Eco with lower-profile tires inflated higher than yours, and a slightly stiffer suspension. It doesn't ride roughly. 

I'd bet the tires are the culprit. Lots of noise/vibration/harshness issues can be traced to tires. The OEM tires on an LS aren't exactly the highest-quality, either. They're rubber, round, have legal tread depth, and that's it. They get the car down the road for a year or so.

If you have the coin, I'd spring for a set of non-OEM touring tires noted for good ride quality like Goodyear ComfortTreads or similar.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

Sometimes I think my ride is a little harsh and I've also experimented with tire pressure. It didn't make much of an improvement but the handling was worse, so I put the tire pressure back. One item you might try is a gel seat cushion pad because the Cruze has some hard seats. It gives the entire car a different feel - kind of hard to explain. I got my gel cushion at Walmart and I think it was $20.

What I think might be the real problem is if you have rattles (I've had several). When you hit a bump and the car makes a sound you perceive the bump as being much harsher than if you went across the same bump in a quiet car. Getting rid of the rattles will make the entire car seem smoother. I wish I could tell you how to fix them. I had a loose Onstar mike in the overhead light console and a tick in the little hood over the instrument cluster and fixed them. The dealer found the triangular trim panel behind the rear doors had some broken clips and now that's fixed but I still have a tick in the dash near the center A/C vents. I've taken that central "horseshoe" out but I can't figure out what's ticking. But the basic ride is pretty good. 

I guess you're aware of a TSB for popping sounds from the front struts.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

sciphi said:


> I've got an Eco with lower-profile tires inflated higher than yours, and a slightly stiffer suspension. It doesn't ride roughly.
> 
> I'd bet the tires are the culprit. Lots of noise/vibration/harshness issues can be traced to tires. The OEM tires on an LS aren't exactly the highest-quality, either. They're rubber, round, have legal tread depth, and that's it. They get the car down the road for a year or so.
> 
> If you have the coin, I'd spring for a set of non-OEM touring tires noted for good ride quality like Goodyear ComfortTreads or similar.


I have the same tires and suspension on my LT, and I think the ride is one of the smoothest cars I've ever driven, even pumped up at 40 PSI. I agree with what someone said above, though - the tires (and suspension going over bumps) are a bit loud - probably because the rest of the car is so quiet, and noise makes you feel like the ride is harsher than it is.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

beachbum1970,

I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment with the ride quality of your 2012 Cruze LS. I would definitely bring up your concerns with your service advisor at the dealership. Be sure to keep us updated and feel free to contact me directly with any additional questions!

Thanks Ashley (assisting Stacy) Chevy Customer Service


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## rustinn (Jun 7, 2012)

I happen to have a 2LT with the "sports suspension" which includes stiffer springs and a lowered body, and it's not bad at all for its size. Of course, I come across my share of rough clunks and chunks on the road here in the Energy Corridor. Great place, terrible roads. I'm pleased with my suspension overall though.


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## Mikeske (Jun 19, 2012)

Our 2012 LS rides really quite well for as small as the car is. This is my wife's car and it does ok in my opinion, not as good as my Buick Park Avenue but that was expected as the car is a thousand pounds lighter then the Buick. 

One thing I did notice and I have a tendency to over correct in the Chevy as the Buick does take a split second longer to respond to imputs as it is so much bigger. It only takes me a couple seconds to get used to the tight and responsive steering and I am fine.


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## coinneach (Apr 10, 2012)

Mikeske said:


> One thing I did notice and I have a tendency to over correct in the Chevy as the Buick does take a split second longer to respond to imputs as it is so much bigger. It only takes me a couple seconds to get used to the tight and responsive steering and I am fine.


Same. I came from a 1997 Crown Vic with 230K+ on the clock. The difference in handling was pretty amazing and took some getting used to.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Mine rides about 393848392947 times better than the Volvo I had before. Steering is much more responsive as well, but I don't like the electric steering in that you can't feel the road in corners through it. 


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app


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## cornbreesha (Apr 29, 2012)

coinneach said:


> I have no problems with the ride quality on my LS, even with the tires maxed. Everyone who's ridden with me has commented on how nice it rides.


^ same. my tires are slightly over the recommended psi. I get the same comments from people


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## Jaycruze (Jul 11, 2011)

in my opinion the Cruze has the best ride for its class.

but if you think its too bumpy, what did you drive before? if it was a big ass Impala or something else the size of a boat then ya the Cruze will feel more bumpy.


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## beachbum1970 (Feb 3, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I had the service tech guy take my car for a spin and he said everything felt and sounded normal. I still think my 2009 HHR had a smoother ride but had more road/wind/engine noise. So I think it's just the rough roads here in the Denver, plus the VERY quiet ride of the Cruze that brings out some suspension noise.

I got the recall fixed and a free oil change and they rotated the tires. I'll have a 6000 miles owner report coming up soon!


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## gunner22 (Nov 20, 2010)

My 2011 LS for some reason had issues with the OEM firestones. The chassis would transfer every road imperfection into the interior. Almost like the chassis was hyper sensitive to the road condition. Very annoying. After confirming the issue with a ride along and checking the wheels, struts, hubs, allignment, the service manager authorized putting some BF Goodriches on instead. Same size and profile as the Firestones, but it worked. Smooth as silk on the few nice roads left here in Minnesota. Maybe trying some higher quality/rated tires would help your ride issues as well??


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

Yeah, I want to try different tires. I was thinking about the Goodyear comfort tire. As soon as I get to 20,000 miles I'm going to get them, even if the Firestones aren't worn out by then. The basic suspension is pretty comfy but certain situation where both front tires hit a crack at the same instant can be sort of harsh.


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