What shocks for softer ride?

[Buckminster]

Unlike most of the posts, I don't want to lower my SE, I would like to have a more plush and forgiving ride even if it rides a little higher, I don't mind. Would anyone be able to suggest a type of shock that is more touring oriented than street/sport tuned?

[Whisper]

What do you have right now? Stock ones? They're supposed to be pretty soft.

You could look into softer springs in addition to softer shocks, but it seems like both would be custom.

[Buckminster]

I don't know if they are stock. I just bought it and the shocks are a little tired at the rear but they are quite firm yet. I think I will add some sound dampening material under the carpet and maybe the extra weight will help a little. I thought maybe some later model protege shocks would be more cushy.

Thanks for the reply.

[ElectricEnergy]

What tires do you have right now? I notice a huge difference between my summer tires and winter tires in terms of comfort regardless of pressure. A higher profile tire will add a lot more give and should dampen the imperfections in the road.

[Buckminster]

Good point. The car came with good snow tires on the front and some slightly used rear tires that are lower profile performance tires. What I want to use it for is longer driving trips. Like a touring car. I have to buy a new set of tires, it has the stock SE rims- 15". Any suggestions for dimensions or brands? I drive pretty conservatively around 110- 120 most of the time but passing three semi's sometimes requires a blast up to 160 or so. I don't do any stoplight stupidity on the streets. I would like the larger diameter tires to bring my top speed RPM's down a bit. Right now at 4000 rpm I am doing about 122 kmh in fifth. I feels like it wants another gear.
It will be sitting on blocks for the winter now anyway, but I'd like to find the right tires before spring.

It probably rides the way it was designed, the passenger side door post badge says sport type suspension. I wonder if there were softer suspensions in any other models.

Is it the summer tires that ride softer or the winter in your experience?

[ElectricEnergy]

My winter tires definitely ride a lot more softly than my summers. If you've already got winters on their I'm not too sure how much more comfort you'll be able to get out of it unless they are fairly low profile. I'm not certain how large of a tire you can go with before it starts rubbing. I THINK my winters are 195/60/15s. They rubbed a little bit for the first week but it went away on its own. Keep in mind though, my car is 1.5" lower than stock.

[Buckminster]

Mine are 195 65 15. Michelin x something. They don't rub but they do whine and transmit surface breaks right through the car. On smooth surfaces it is very sweet but on older roads with potholes or railroad tracks I have to slow down to a crawl or I would need to visit the dentist.
You can't have it both ways.
I live in the north of Ontario where the roads are seriously neglected so I'll probably go for a 70 sidewall and a wider tire around 205 if possible. I'm going to put a second layer of floor insulation down and insulate the doors and the hatch/ tire area to help the situation. Then I'll get the seats reupholstered with some fresh materials.
If my car was 1.5 inches lower then I could grind the front lip off in most of the parking lots around here.

[Nd4SpdSe]

I'm not quite sure but I think there's a few varients in the suspension packages, even between countries. Someone pointed it out a few years ago, I don't remember the details. There was a code hey pointed out in the car, I think it was on the door panel and said which one it had. I think overseas they got stiffer than we did here if I remember right...

How about the RS struts? Aftermarket there wouldn't be a difference, but what about OEM? You could also try some OEM struts from maybe a light car like a 323, but you may need to keep the stock springs to handle the weight since the V6 weighs more than the 4cyl, and of course the Mx-3 weighs more than a 323/Protege.

Try lowering the tire pressure, that would help. New seats with new foam would give your bottom more cushion.. Maybe even experimenting with adding some bushings where the seats mount to the rails and/or where the rails mount to the body.

The Mx-3 was designed to be sporty from the get-go. If you want something more comfortable, you may need to look into a sedan like the 626, or even like a Millenia or 929

[Buckminster]

I had an RS before and it did ride abit better. I know the GS was meant to be a bit sporty, but like some guys who want to push the performance limit on a relatively tame car, I want to see if it can have a bit more forgiving ride because I love the shape and size and the economical performance.
I notice that other folks are not entirely pleased with the skate board style suspension either. I am over fourty, I am sure when I was nineteen I wouldn't have minded too much.

Thanks for your thoughts