My first vette was a new '89 vert. Loved the looks but fortunately in my 20's I wasn't concerned about a soft ride...It wasn't exactly a rattle trap but you deft felt every bump and pothole much more than today's vettes. Each generation was a vast improvement over the previous generation and the C7 compared to even the C6 is no exception. Deft more refined, planted at least in tour mode with mag ride...very smooth. It makes for a much more enjoyable experience. When I want to feel the road, just a dial turn away is sport and track so you get the best of both worlds.

 

The thing is, with the C7, I can get a smooth ride while at the same time having awesome acceleration, handling and excellent fuel mileage. Nothing wrong with having it all.

 

I have to say that I find the car's ride in Sport to be firm and planted. I don't have the mag-ride "upgrade" and don't plan on getting it. I came from a long line of modified Mustangs and a couple other GM hot-rods (a 4th gen Fbody and an LS2 GTO respectively). I daily drove a '13 BOSS 302 for two years with its adjustable suspension dialed all the way down to 5, which should tell you something about how I prefer my cars to ride.

The C7 Z51 rides like an absolute dream in comparison. The smooth ride in touring is actually more floaty than I prefer, so I hardly ever use it unless I'm driving over a badly cratered surface. In fact, if a smooth ride had been on the top of my list of needs/wants, I can tell you that I wouldn't have bought a Corvette.

 

Compared to my old C5, our base C7 vert is a much smoother ride. Long trips or short runs are even more enjoyable. After I had back surgery a couple of years ago, I'd have to take more frequent breaks in the C5 on long trips- no need in the C7.

 

Need to do your homework and understand the different suspensions.

For the 2014 Tadge Juechter (Chief Vette Engineer) answered ride softness this way:

1. Softest Ride - Base C7 (logical as it has softer springs, a small front sway bar and NO sway bar in the rear with 36 mm shocks
2. Next Softest - Z51 with MRC set at Touring Mode (stiffer springs, larger front sway bar and one in the rear)
3. Next Softest - Z51 without MRC (same stiffer springs, sway bars front and rear and performance 45 mm Bilstein shocks) My 2014 Z51 did not have MRC
4. Next Softest -Z51 in Sport Mode (same stiff springs, front and rear sway bar.)
5. Stiffest - Z51 in Track Mode (same stiff springs and sway bar. Best description I read was you can feel if going over a dime!)

Some folks buy the Grand Sport because they "liked the look!" My 2017 has a vey large front sway bar, stiff springs and for a year I had to drive in Touring Mode to get a comparable ride to my 2014 Z51 without MRC! Did not have the other benefits I had in my 2014 which I always drove in Sport or Track! The faster Throttle Control I had in my 2014 (so installed a Vitesse Throttle Controller) and Nannies came in too soon. I bought the MRC upgrade and now drive in Sport mode with a ride about like my 2014 Z51 without MRC. Harshness over bumps is gone. I no longer need the Vitesse throttle controller. Have the nannie control I want. In Track mode still can feel if going over a dime!

If you get the Z07 performance package with a Z06 it has polyurethane sway bar bushings. Added those to my modified S10 truck that I bought with every HD option, including HD springs, HD shocks and HD sway bars. Ride was stiffer but transient handling better. Have added large sway bars to a number of cars as well as polyurethane sway bar bushing and HD shocks. Great for handling BUT makes a stiffer ride! MRC can make the system "stiffer" but NOT ride like a Cadillac with the other HD "stuff!"

Only a "young 76," perhaps when I get "old" I'll want a softer ride!

 

I love the fact that my C7 has such a comfortable and quiet ride for long trips, it's such a big improvement over my C5 and C6 (especially the C5, as it rode terrible) I plan on putting hundreds of thousands of miles on my C7, so that's why the base model worked out best for me, as it has the most comfortable ride of the bunch. It's even more impressive to me considering that it also handles much better than my C5 and C6 ever did, and even with the Z51 tire/wheel package (which came standard on my 2018)

 

I have a base C7 Convertible which we use for road trips so ride quality is a factor for us. We sometimes drive 200 miles on a road trip. The ride quality is OK on the C&, but road noise on some roads is a little excess. We plan on adding insulation to our car to mitigate this issue.

We are not all racers, so what is import is different for different Vette owners. Luckily, the Corvette lineup offers something to satisfy most if our needs.

 

I agree... and I fixed this myself by moving down to 18/19 with normal rubber. The difference was pretty dramatic - Sport now almost feels like Tour. I mainly did this because of rubber choice and cost for tracking the car but the improved ride was another bonus.

After my Nissan experience the C7's mag-ride settings seemed more like "Mush", "Soft" and "Normal" ...so yeah everyone is going to have a different take on how it feels. This why its so important to test drive and feel out the differences. I test drove three C7s (base, Z51 and Z51 mag-ride) to understand how each felt. Then it became apparent that a Z51 with mag-ride was the car for me since its track mode felt very similar to my 350Z. Yet a quick twist of the dial calmed it down to an excellent daily driver with a comfortable ride

 

Smoothness of ride was never a consideration for me when buying a vette. I have spent a lot of time in the passenger seat of new at the time C3's and C4's. My first vette was a C6, with mag ride. I never had any expectation of a smooth ride, especially when I moved to a Z06. So when I got a 2017 Z06 I was impressed with how it rode in Tour mode. I never got the MRC upgrade done to it. Now I have a 2019 Z06, and it has an even smoother ride in Tour mode. Personally I prefer the ride in Sport mode, unless I am on a road with lots of bumps. With the wife along, in Tour mode, she has mentioned how nice the ride was. So, smoothness of ride is not one of my criteria for a Corvette, but it is a nice bonus feature. To each their own.

 

1. Softest Ride
2. Next Softest
3. etc.

This is the logic I used when I ordered my 2016 Base Convertible. I assumed that the Z51 upgrade with stiffer springs & bigger sway bar would equate to a stiffer ride, even with all the different ride settings/adjustments. My original intent was to have a daily driver with no track time....I have a '96 for the track.

I did not think the stock MRC could make stiff springs feel softer (would like comments if I am mistaken in this belief). But, lately I have been reading about this after-market controller referred to as "DSC" that greatly expands the capability of the stock MRC. Again, is it possible that this new controller could actually make stiff springs feel softer? In other words, could the new controller actually operate in such a way as to make a stiffer suspension FEEL softer/smoother whenever the need arose?

I routinely take 6-10 hour trips across the Southwest on I-10 cruising at 80-90 mph, so there are times that the softer ride (handling never seems to be comprised) is welcome, while still having the ability to dial in better handling if I ventured into 2 lane twisty mountain roads..

 

I do enjoy the smooth ride but ride quality was not the deciding factor in my purchase. Looks and performance did it for me. Luckily GM built such an amazing car that I ended up with the best of both worlds.

 

Although a shock cannot make a stiff spring softer it can, as you say make the suspension feel "less stiff!"

Shocks add force in compression and rebound to wheel movement. One main function is to control a spring so the car doesn't continue to oscillate up and down after you hit a bump! Stiffer springs need stiffer shocks. But it is controlled in both directions. For example you can buy "90/10 drag shocks" that have very little rebound control and a lot of compression control. So at launch, the front end will move up very quickly and stay there longer to put and keep more weight on the rear wheels.

In fact all quality shocks, like the 45 mm Bilstein's on the non MRC Z51 have valves that manage the amount of control based on how fast the tire is trying to move. For minor movement it allows a "softer control" for less extra force. The MRC operates in less than 10 milliseconds.. It gets signals from position sensors on each lower "A" frame so it can be set for very little "compression" if it hits a sudden bump making the suspension "feel softer." That is what the GM MRC update accomplished. It's available for 2014 MRC through 2018. The 2019 C7s with MRC already comes with the upgrade.

Before buying a DSC controller, that costs ~3 times as much, I'd give the GM upgrade a shot. I found when set at Sport my Grand Sport felt harsh over minor bumps and I drove in Touring Mode for about year to get about the ride I had in my none MRC 2014 Z51. I got the GM MRC upgrade and now drive all the time in Sport for the throttle and nannie control that provides. The ride is about what I had in my 2014 none MRC Z51.

Now if you want to "play" race car shock engineer the DSC allows adjustment and tuning. Like a race car you can set compression and rebound forces and rates as in race car handling management for a particular track!

 

I am really a big fan of the ability to tweak the ride. On bad roads, Touring is pretty amazing for a sports car. On decent roads Sport feels perfect. While ride was not even a consideration when I bought my C7, I would say I am pleasantly surprised!

 

Fixed it for you. Hopefully, no one wants their C7 to break.

With a ‘19 GS and Mag Ride, I can dial in the desired stiffness, which most often is in Sport mode and the occasional Track mode. The other factors you mention are the key to the C7, and the GS feels very well planted on the road.

 

I had a 79 and a 68 in the 90s and was vetteless until 2015. I decided on s new C7 as opposed to a mid year which I really wanted for 2 main reasons—-today’s technology and reliability. The ride was not even in the equation. My base C7 rides as smooth as my old hairless legs.

 

My C7 Stingray provides an amazingly smooth ride along with very comfortable seats, excellent driving position and very good visibility. Zero complaints.

 

My 19 Z06 M7 is my very first vette but I have plenty of sports car experience. I am getting ready to write up a 2700 mile review and one the areas I am so impressed with is the the comfort of the ride and the seats. I have a bad back and am floored with how comfortable I am even after a pretty long ride , I am always in sport mode...................................

 

There are as many "expectations" of a sports car as there are potential buyers... of course. That said, I think "we" have become indoctrinated to expect all things from all products, realistic or not. Certainly, current tech allows potentially self-contradictory desires to be met better than ever. But, some might be better served by other vehicles who have extreme expectations, and I've suggested that to some newbies.

Btw, when you said, "...more about the acceleration, handling, breaking..." You may have spoken better than you intended if one were to take many of the threads here as representative of the current model Vette.

 

I went with the C7 and smooth ride wasn't a big criteria for me. I was more focused on performance, styling and electronics (I like modern cars).

- Paul

 

I didn't really look for a smooth ride, but find that my 1lT C7 is quite comfortable on the road. it's a little bouncy around town (nothing really objectionable) but extremely comfortable on the interstate. I suppose that makes sense as it was designed to go fast.