There are many who feel the standard 850 has a harsh ride and some who feel it is mushy. Question is then, "What does we define as a smooth or good ride?".

IPDUSA claims that Bilstein will make the ride smoother, but yet to a few who have them on their cars and posted here, the ride is worse than before.

Let's think about this for a minute. Some people like a Caddilac ride and some want the ride you get at a race track---puff pillow versus feel every bump. Many people also say that the stock 850 has a harsh ride (smooth compared to an R & T5-R models--not the wanna be R which is all wheel drive).

I have driven smaller cars, Mazda 626, Honda Accord, etc, and they ride equal to or stiffer than the base model 850 does, and yet people claim these cars have smooth rides and the 850 has a bone jarring ride.

I have owned a 1994 base model 850 5 spd which I thought rode a bit stiff until I bought my 97 850 R which is very stiff in comparison. Now I feel that the base model has a nice ride--not too stiff, not too soft.

I too was considering Bilteins for my R, but after a recent posting, I'm staying put. One of the comments was that BMW's ride isn't that great, but the Mercedes ride is. This is fine, but WHY is that? Is this simply your preference or does one do something to their suspension that you like better?

I would like to hear everyones comments on what you consider a smooth ride.

Thanks for the input!