Is 330Ci ZHP harsh

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

nope... .girlfriend just brought hers home and it makes my sport package CI feel like a waterbed....it's aaaaaaaaawessssssooooommmmme.

I'm ordering one next week

It's all a mater of opinion. I don't find my performance package equipped 330 to be harsh at all.

I think this topic has been beat to death.

I have an '03 330i/ZHP...the way it was explained to me before I bought my car was that it rides firm, but never harsh. I have 10k miles on it & I think that is the best desciption. Hope it helps. I think Imola Red rides the best Good luck in your purchase.

Majdi E.

I have a ZHP sedan that came with the Bridgestones, and the ride didn't seem harsh to me -- especially compared to how things felt after I put snows on

Check the air pressure in your tires. If you are at or near 40psi, that could explain the harsh feel. I don't think there is supposed to be any difference in the feel of the ride between a 330i and a 330ci with the ZHP option.

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

There is no difference in suspension calibration between the sedan and the coupe.

Check your tire pressures. The factory recommended pressures for a load of up to 4 persons is 32 F and 38 R.

Oh yeah, welcome to the club and post some pictures!

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

What kind of roads are you typically driving on and what tire pressure are you running? What were you driving prior to the 330?

Here's my take: You'll feel most bumps on the road, but none of them will feel harsh. It's something that BMW does so well. It gives you great road feedback without being too punishing.

Yes, the ride of the ZHP package is firm but far from harsh. Want to know what harsh means? Go test drive a 350Z (preferably with the track model), then you'll know how comfortable your 330Ci is. If you find a noticeable difference in ride between two ZHP cars, it must be due to the difference of tire pressure.

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

I have a 330i with the regular sport package, it's soft as a pillow. If you want to trade let me know. I'll even throw in some extra cash to sweeten the deal.

Harsh? Only on the competition.

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I just got my 330Ci ZHP delivered two days ago and the ride is very harsh. Test drove 330i ZHP last year but the ride was not that harsh compare to 330 Ci ZHP. Could it be the tires? the tires came with my car is not Michelin pilot sport. is Bridgestone. Also, I feel the stearing wheel is kind of tight.

Hi,

The tire pressure is crucial to the handling / ride quality balance. At manufacturer spec (32F/38R), the car will feel softer, although understeering. I have usually 38 all around and it feels more balanced and not any harsher. Reaching 40 all around, it is harder and above, it is harsh.

One important thing I noticed on mine is that it was feeling very tight and somewhat on the harsh side when brand new. The ride got more compliant after a couple thousand miles. The same holds true for the shifter and clutch that need the break in phase to feel good.

Originally Posted by Gabe

It's all a mater of opinion. I don't find my performance package equipped 330 to be harsh at all.

I think this topic has been beat to death.

i'm in the too soft category on my 330i zhp.

no, it's not

My 330i ZHP rides better than the 02' 325i SP PP I just got rid of.

The ride in my CI zhp is stiffer than that of an equivalent SP. I dont think its harsh at all but then again, I am coming from an Acura Integra

I run 41 all around and think it is too soft suspensionwise. And that's on the world crappiest roads otherwise known as the streets of San Francisco. But I just love how E46 chassis takes in and absorbs the bumps. I have yet to see another car do it better.

I called service manager at my dealer and He told me that 330Ci ZHP is little stiffer than 330i ZHP even though they both have same suspension. Ci ZHP is little better at handling.

Originally Posted by cheng6991

I called service manager at my dealer and He told me that 330Ci ZHP is little stiffer than 330i ZHP even though they both have same suspension. Ci ZHP is little better at handling.

Make sure to tell everyone what the dealership is so that none makes a mistake of ever servicing their car there...

Like others have mentioned, a lot depends on tire pressure as well as what car you drove previously. I came out of a `99 528i SP, and immediately felt that the ZHP was about 20% stiffer in jounce & rebound, torsional stiffness was about the same. With the Pilot Sports, tramlining in the truck ruts was definitely more noticeable. My car is a year old today (Yow! a year already...) and the suspension bushings seem to have softened up a tad (or maybe I`m just used to it now). Jersey roads are in pretty rough shape right now, so I`m running 36 front, & 38 rear, it feels well-balanced at this pressure. Anyway, you`d be hard-pressed to find a better handling ride....just drive it and enjoy!

Regards,
Bob