I'm in the process of "soundproofing" my XB2, it'll add some weight to it but it will quiet the ride...

Next: What can I do suspension/spring wise to give it a less feel-every-bump, more comfortable ride? I don't know anything about suspension/springs, and doing searches on this form for "comfort" or "comfortable ride" hasn't found me anything.

I don't want to lower the XB or anything (it's low enough for me), I just want to maximize the comfort of the ride, I know it'll never feel like a high-end luxury sedan, but what can I do to make it ride smoother/more comfortable than it does now that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg?

Thanks in advance (and if there are threads covering this already please direct me to them, I really did try to search the forum first before posting this and didn't find much).

 

Rather than telling you to search, it'll be a lot easier to answer your questions directly.

1. Soundproofing: I hope you're not into Dynamatting everything in your xB. Dynamat is designed only to stop panels from vibrating - it won't soundproof your car. Get some legit stuff to soundproof it and then make sure to address your creaks in the car, too.
http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com is a great site with resources for silencing the car.

Further, you'll want to look into the resolutions for the infamous A-pillar, B-pillar, and windshield creaks. Luxury cars don't creak. You'll need to knock this part out quickly. As far as wind noise, it's hard to stop it as the xB is not aerodynamic. You can definitely minimize a lot of it, as long as you don't waste money coating everything with Dynamat.

2. If you choose not to lower your car, you'll have a very comfortable ride based on the suspension system the xB is designed with. If you choose to lower your car just so that you can drive and feel more planted to the road, the only springs you'll need to go with are Tanabe NF210s. They have been proven countless times to lower the car while still keeping a very comfortable ride.

3. Wheels. If you want to stay comfortable, don't get any higher than 17" wheels. Keep the stock 16s on there or if you do get wheels, upgrade to alloys so that you can have light weight wheels.

4. Suspension. There's nothing you can do to increase the comfort of the suspension in this car. Luxury cars are designed with luxury suspension, so Lexus, Cadillac, etc. will feel very good. For the xB, you'll have to rely on the sidewalls of your tires and your shocks. If you upgrade to sport shocks (e.g., TRD Shocks), you'll get a sporty ride, but it'll be stiffer, too.

If you want to invest the money in it, consider getting coilovers. They're adjustable and supposedly give you a really comfortable ride. I've never been in a car with coilovers, so I don't have any personal experience. Although many on ScionLife have testimonials for these suspension system.

5. Interior. Do some comfort modifications to make your interior feel more comfortable. Get leather seat covers (e.g., Clazzio Leather for about $450), a leather steering wheel. Get comfort arm rests, etc.


To re-cap:
- Little bit of Dynamat. Invest in better soundproofing.
- Stay at 16-17" wheels, possibly upgrade to alloys and look for comfortable tires (e.g., Falken)
- Tanabe NF210 Springs (lowers ride slightly, makes it more planted, and feels just as good as stock springs. Plenty of testimonials on here)
- Do some interior work.

That's really all you can do. You can't turn a $16,000 car into a $30,000 Lexus. But you can take some steps to get closer to there.

 

Trade it in on a 2 year old C350?

 

secondskinaudio.com

They have everything you need to make your car quiet as a tomb. As for a comfortable drop, I would say try out or talk to someone who has some Tanabe coilovers.

 

Not made for the 2008+ xB.

 

selling it and buying a luxury sedan.

 

^^I've been trying really hard not to go there, but now that somebody else has, I'll say x2.

 

Air bag system and taller tires. Lowering springs and TRD shocks will usually make the ride "worse".

 

I just had a thought, would any of lexus' suspension by chance bolt up?

 

x2 on the air bags. I recently converted a Subaru Legacy from air bags to springs and it rides a lot harsher.

The ride was great with air bags but it needed 4 new air struts at $400 each so I converted to springs with new struts for $500 total instead.

 

X2 ^^^

Air bags with soft shocks will do wonders for comfort. You'll loose some handling as a trade off but you will get a very smooth ride.

 

You can upholster every interior part with soft-touch leather.

 

http://www.garson-usa.com/

If you want vip luxury style.

 

While I was on a quest to make my car feel like a 7 series, I did a lot of research. The answer is as follows:

Agreeing with pyroman131: - Little bit of Dynamat. Invest in better soundproofing. This is where noticed THE BIGGEST DIFFERNCE IS MADE..
- Stay at 16-17" wheels, possibly upgrade to alloys and look for comfortable tires (e.g., Falken). Agreed. There is a new "sound proof tire" I was reading about. I will try to find the link on my next post. On top of that, always check tire pressure. Running at max psi will stiffen the ride the tiniest amount if you're that sensitive.
- Tanabe NF210 Springs (lowers ride slightly, makes it more planted, and feels just as good as stock springs. Plenty of testimonials on here). Agreed. What I have
- Do some interior work. Next step on my end. Just tinted all windows and windshield strip. Makes a huge DIFFERNCE in simply driving comfort.

I will post photos of how I sound proofed the floor and doors. What I used, and the reality of how much better each modification had on driving quality.

Needless to say, I would enter a comp against my friends 7series. @75mph on the highway, all I can hear is the wind hitting the windshield. NOTHING from the floor and mmaaayyybbbbeeeeeee 5%from the front tires. Excited to join scion and share my ride and experiences. Been a scion owner since 2004. . First and second gen xb's

 

Look into peel and seal for deadening, I used it. And it worked really well, it's also cheap

 

To build on what has already been said, You can try running your tire pressure 2-3 psi lower. Should soften up the ride quite a bit.

If you're getting new tires, stick with an all-season/grand touring. The sidewalls are much softer than a sports tire. And DO NOT get a run-flat tire. Those ride like rocks. I would say look up your tire size on tirerack and read the reviews on the different all-seasons that are available and look for something quiet.

As far as tire sizing, the biggest sidewall and the narrowest diameter will ride better. The wider the tire, the more road you will feel(not what you want in this case). So for example, if you have 235/40 17, try running 215/45. Not sure if you have upgraded wheels and tires or not.

 

Peel and seal is garbage. I would never recommend that to anyone. Absolute garbage.

Glad that someone figured out how to make thier econobox feel more 'luxurious'.

 

Well I've used it and about 3 other people I know personally have used it and it has done its job. Don't hate it until you try it

 

I have. It's garbage.

 

Cool story