I just purchased a certified 2015 ES. I've been looking to buy the ES for years to get the soft and floaty ride. It seemed to feel okay during the test drives, but since then the best word to describe the ride is "jiggly". I can feel every imperfection in the road.

The dealership had the 18" upgraded wheels on the car, so I asked them to swap them out for the 10-spoke 17s so they would be softer. They also put on brand new Michelin Primacy MXV4s. There was 38 psi in all tires, so I lowered that to 33 psi. That's helped a little bit. It does feel softer, but still jiggly.

I don't think there's any issues with the wheel balancing, since there's no shimmy in the steering wheel at any speed. I also don't feel any pulsation to indicate warped rotors. The car drives completely straight on the freeway. But even at low speeds, I'm feeling the jiggle. The only thing left I can think of is the suspension, but I'd be surprised if there's anything wrong with it, since the car only has 27k miles.

Does anyone else understand this jiggle that I'm referring to? Is this the way it's supposed to feel? Thanks for your insight.

 

i know exactly what you mean. it kind of feels like the chassis of the car is shifting a bit when driving. in fact i was scared the first time i drove it on the highway. Coming from german luxury, which stay planted to the floor, the ES felt exactly the opposite. Floaty, bouncy, crazy body roll owhen cornering, etc.

I think this is normal for a ES. I learned to accept it. you can't deny the fact it is a darn comfortable ride.

 

They just don't ride as smooth as they used to, Lexus didn't want the car pigeonholed as a old person's Buick.

I had an '99 ES300 several years ago and it just rode like it was on a cloud. These don't. I've heard people argue that it's not true, but nearly everyone that's owned both generations agrees they gave this model a sportier ride.
Basically every car brand has gone in this direction, Cadillacs now ride like BMWs, etc.

I will say the ES is probably one of the smoothest riding sedan you can buy new without getting into flagship territory. But car companies have decided customers need to feel "connected" to the riad.
But you'll get used to the ES and then you'll notice how rough other cars ride. Going in and out of other vehicles, it's definitely still one of the smoother riding cars.

I would though like it if car companies dropped the really big rims and firm suspension and focused more on ride comfort than impressing car magazine writers about how fast a car can go through a slalom course. People buy luxury cars because they want a smooth, quiet ride. I noticed the same thing with my wife's GX SUV. The previous generation had a more luxury car ride, the new one is much firmer. Not a bad ride, but not ideal either.

 

It definitely rides firmer than my 2007, but by no means is it harsh or floaty.

 

I had a 2006 (Generation 4) ES, and I've had two Generation 6 ESs, a 2013 and an 2017. If the ride quality of the Generation 6 ES is firmer than that of the the Generation 4 ES (and other previous generations), I think that any perceived differences are more the result of two factors than anything else. Those two factors are that the Generation 6 cars have used lower profile tires (especially for those with the 18" wheels) and the recommended tire pressures for the Generation 6 ES are 33 psi and the recommended pressure for the Generation 4 ES was only 29 psi. When I have experimented and lowered the pressure in the tires of my Generation 6 cars to 29 psi, especially with the 2013, which had 17" wheels, I've found the ride firmness to be very similar to that of the 2006 ES.

 

It sounds like maybe I should experiment with even lower pressure in the tires to get the ride I'm looking for. I thought 33 psi was low, but maybe I should give 29 psi a shot.

 

I use 29 psi but got low tire pressure warning. Had to lower the threshold for the warning to 26psi, I think. Definitely rides smoother on 29 psi.

 

Meh9... I can't say I experienced a "jiggly" feeling in my 2013 ES, but I did notice a rougher ride... When I test drove the ES, I test drove one that had 17" rims and Michelin tires.. I was happy with that ride... but I ended up buying my ES off the showroom.. didn't test drive that one and on the way home I noticed the ride was a bit more firm... sure enough mine had 18 in. rims and those dreaded Bridgestone Truanza tires on it... just like you said air pressure was way up.. around 40 lbs in each tire.. I dropped the psi to about 31-32 and switched to pirelli tires and that made the ride soooo much better.. but I can't say I would describe what I felt as a Jiggly problem. I also had a 2007 Avalon... I think it had a better ride than my ES has..

 

If you go back to the year 2000 when you had lots of accidents on Ford Explorers with tire failure you will see that it's not a good idea to lower the tire pressure too much. When you lower the pressure you no doubt get a softer ride, but you are also increasing the heat and that leads to the tire failing at high speeds with often very bad consequences for the occupants and the vehicle.

 

I agree. While I don't think there should be much concern with safety if you run with the tire pressure at, say, 31 psi, I don't think I'd feel comfortable going much lower than that.

Also, while it is not as important as safety concerns, when you drop the tire pressure down significantly from the manufacturer's recommendation, there will be negative impacts on fuel economy and tire wear. For me, I choose to keep the tire pressures in my vehicles at the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

 

The ES and ESH have firm ride. Just get used to it. Not much you can do about it. I keep tire pressure above 33psi. For me the car absorbs road imperfections pretty well at highway speeds. It is at low speeds when I feel the firm ride.

 

i can't understand how anyone finds the ES ride firm...........it's as loose and bounce as it can be. every other car i drove was a heck of a lot stiffer than the ES. only 2 cars were softer, a lincoln towncar and a oldsmobile 88 (which by the way, the front bench seats on the oldsmobile were the most comfortable seats my a$$ ever sat on).

 

Yea nothing firm about this ride even with wacky PSI. The steering and suspension is designed to be floaty. Driving any other car you feel the turns much more. U feel the road much more. Idk I def am in the floaty drive camp

I will admit sport mode helps a bit with that

 

Ha ha...I have to agree with those Olds seats. My father had an Olds 98 back in the day, and I too have never sat in a more comfortable seat. People derided those cars as a land yachts and the front seat was more like a sofa than a car seat....but it was the best seat ever. I also liked the fact that back then you could get your car in many various colours..not like today where most vehicles you are stuck with black. grey, white and maybe 3 others.

I would like a choice more like a Sherwin Williams paint store!