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Telegraph

How can I make my car feel softer over bumps?

Dear Alex, I bought a used Ford Ecosport, but my wife and I find the ride very harsh after my Ford Kuga Titanium, due to the low-profile tyres. Can I simply change the tyres for ones with a taller profile, to improve the comfort, or would this affect the suspension and/or invalidate my insurance? Would it also affect the speedometer reading? –SW Dear SW, The short answer is that while it is possible to simply fit tyres with deeper sidewalls, it's not advisable. Doing so will increase the rolling radius of each wheel, which, as you suggest, will not only affect the speedometer calibration but could result in the tyre fouling suspension components or even the wheel arches. It will also result in a slight increase in ride height, which might make the car more prone to leaning over in corners. One potential solution is to find out whether there's a smaller wheel and tyre option for the Ecosport than the size fitted to your car. If you can drop from, say, 17in wheels to 16in items with a deeper sidewall, you'll naturally gain profile while retaining the same rolling radius. You will, of course, have to inform your insurance company, which may result in a slight increase in your premium – so get a quote first. But most insurance companies have no issue with allowing alloy wheel swaps if they are original equipment items. One other thought: are summer tyres fitted? If so, changing to all-season rubber may help. These usually have a slightly softer compound, so they offer more give over bumps. The difference in suspension feel will probably be minimal, but every little helps. Of course, you could do all this and find the ride quality still isn't great. The Ecosport wasn't well received by the motoring press, its firmness being a consistent criticism. There's only so much you can do with the wheels and tyres to mitigate a car that is fundamentally choppy over bumps, after all. So if it's really bothering you, it might be worth considering switching to a different model that's more pliant. None of these small SUVs is exemplary in this regard, but you should find the Skoda Kamiq to be a little softer.