Suspension 200THP and 156THP.

[Anonymous]

Guy's,

Very pleasant surprise yesterday,dropped off the 200THP for a quick warranty issue with the dealer,only 40 mins work,so borrowed their 156THP demo,driven couple of times previously,but after a few hundred yard's noticed how much more forgiving the suspension damping was,it felt more composed and obviously comfortable than my own 200.Then gave it a quick blast to my parent's home which are twisty A class road's,road i use frequently in the 200 so excellent comparison test :eusa-shhh: i will eat my own words and will state i was well impressed :thumbup: no constant thuds,relaxed but firm handling,and i seriously think a tad less understeer into tight bends,the main thing i noticed was far less road noise in the cabin,possibly down to softer damping.
I appreciate the 200 has been produced to be a slightly more focused rigid drive,but a damm shame the 200 is not available with the softer damping,no critisism of the larger hubs and brakes on 200 as they are superb. :thumbup:
Just to add to all you 200THP guys running the sport spec on 18 rimms,reduce your tyre pressure on front to 33psi you will feel less understeer and positive steering. :thumbup:

 

[Anonymous]

I thought the same sort of thing when i took out the GT 200 for a test drive ,before opting for the GT 156.

I still think that even though the cabin of the 156 is quieter than the 200 it is still noisier than a "normal" car. I put this down to the 19" low profile tyres, which i'm thinking of changing to a higher profile to try and reduce the road noise, i'm probably being too fussy i guess.

 

[Anonymous]

I thought the same sort of thing when i took out the GT 200 for a test drive ,before opting for the GT 156.

I still think that even though the cabin of the 156 is quieter than the 200 it is still noisier than a "normal" car. I put this down to the 19" low profile tyres, which i'm thinking of changing to a higher profile to try and reduce the road noise, i'm probably being too fussy i guess.

To be honest Jactac im not convinced you will benefit,and it 's such an expensive gamble,as you know i run 18inch rims but road noise is intrusive that's why i prefered the drive on the 156THP,the softer damping must have a slight benefit,but sad thing is drive a 2010/2011 Audi TT and you can see where some of the extra premium goes :eusa-think:

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah,
it's the expensive gamble thats putting me off a bit. Probably looking at around £750 for a set of tidy tyres !!

I drove my son's Astra sri last night only for a short journey, but what a completley different drive, the Astra just feels so solid and firm yet far far quieter than the RCZ beneath you, none of that road noise and rumble coming through.

I totaly agree that the 200 is an even harder drive and louder in the cabin than the 156 and i agree that if Peugeot addressed these issues then put the added cost on car's price it would make a big difference.

I think over then next week or so i'm going to get out more in the RCZ and do a bit of proper driving, rather than just faffing around back and for work and bloody Asda shopping with Mrs H, maybe i will start to get a better feel for the car.
It could save me £750 or even a possible part-exchange. :eusa-think:

My son's mate has a 2010 TT, which he often has a lift in when they go out, he (my son) reckons that after being in both the TT and our RCZ on numerous occasions, the RCZ wipes the floor with the TT regarding inside style / looks and also legroom / headroom both front and back, however as for that qualty finish and feel, plus the sound inside the cabin, then it's the complete opposite, the TT has it hands down .

The annoying this is that Mrs H wanted to go for a TT, but i convinced her to go for the RCZ, i was purely smitten by it's looks, inside and out, and boy oh boy does Mrs H remind me daily. :?

 

[Anonymous]

Know what you'r saying :eusa-think:

when i took my Peugeot to Bynea for a self inflicted repair (damaged doormirror on reversing out garage) :wtf: the sale's manager confirmed there were complaints about the cabin noise from other owners and he had read this on their bulletin's im just wandering if Peugeot will ammend this in 2012 by increasing sound deafning,or subtle change's to damping,but rest assured whatever Audi bring out as the new (is it third generation) TT it will yet again be the benchmark for other manufactoror's :thumbdown:

 

[Anonymous]

What an interesting discussion. I don't have any problems with the cabin noise on my 200. I find it very quiet in the cruise. I did a 200 mile trip yesterday which is the first long run I have used the car for and found it very comfortable and relaxing, cruise control on at a slightly higher than average speed......

What I find is that around twona nd short runs where I am giving it stick the sound membrane puts lots of throaty noise into the cabin. At cruise this shuts off and the cabin is really quiet. I don't notice any extra road noise over my Audi.

Are people expected Merceds S500 type noise levels (or lack off) from a Sport Coupe?

My 2 cents is that I find the car a real joy to drive and I think the finish is on par with the Audi (we have 2 of them as well).

 

[Anonymous]

The "throaty" noise i've heard and to be honest i rather like, i'm more rattled at the hollow road rumble noise that comes up through the cabin and can even be felt through the steering, obviously some surfaces are worse than others but in general it's nearly always there.

Is it because it's a sports coupe ?
I've said this earlier, i've not owned or driven a car like the RCZ before so is it supposed to feel and sound like this, maybe i'm expecting something that just will not happen.
Is this type of car supposed to be noisier than a normal car ?
There are though owners on here that have owned or have driven cars like this in the past and can therefor speak from experience, and some of them have also commented on the RCZ's poor cabin noise compared to simular marques.

 

[RCZ1]

The RCZ steering is responsive I have found. It does let you know what the front wheels are doing through the steering wheel, which is what a good handling car should do. A lot of cars steering don't tell you anything. They can be very numb.
You should feel involved in the ride and that's what I think the RCZ gives you.

Its actually 2 cars in one, I think. Its great on bendy country roads, gives you total feedback on what the wheels are doing, poised and sporty. On the other hand, its also a great cruiser when you want it to be. As I've said before, this car fits my needs perfectly.

 

[Anonymous]

...but rest assured whatever Audi bring out as the new (is it third generation) TT it will yet again be the benchmark for other manufactoror's :thumbdown:

And all the better for it. The price difference will be even more pronounced then!

However I do expect that the next gen TT will offer the 1.8TSi 160 engine in the coupe.