Dear Alex,

I am looking to replace my 2005 Hyundai Tucson. I have a fused spine, so ride comfort is of paramount importance. Having driven hundreds of private and commercial vehicles I  find that cars’ suspensions have not improved sufficiently to cope with today’s terrible road surfaces. The most comfortable suspension I’ve ever encountered was a Citroën BX. Is there a modern car that will offer similarly smooth suspension?

– JW

Dear JW,

I’ve owned several Citroën BXs and I’m afraid you probably won’t find much that can match it today; modern fads for large-diameter wheels and stiff suspension, combined with shrinking suspension research, mean that few cars have the sort of ride quality you’d have taken for granted 20 years ago.

However, you could try the BX’s modern successor: the C5 X. It’s undoubtedly one of the softest-riding cars on the market but, cleverly, its softness doesn’t translate to wallowiness. That means it doesn’t lean over in bends as you might expecting a softly-suspended car to do. I’d still rather it had hydropneumatic suspension, but Citroën’s hydraulic bump stops are a decent enough – and mechanically less complex – substitute. 

As an alternative, if you’re buying a new car you might consider the Skoda Superb – but to get the best ride quality in the Superb you absolutely must specify the DCC adaptive suspension. It’s quite an expensive option, but it makes the Superb extremely adept at smothering bumps, especially if you combine it with wheels that measure 17 inches or less in diameter. 

If nothing but the best will do, a Mercedes on air suspension is hard to beat. The S-Class is the benchmark, but you can get much the same effect by choosing an E-Class and ticking the box for the optional air suspension package. 
None of these options will quite match the oily smoothness of your old BX, but they’ll be about as close as it’s possible to get in a modern car. 

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