Fellow Toronto area dweller here 👋

The GRC isn't so much stiffly sprung as the dampers are "crashy", so to speak. It still rolls a lot in a corner but bumps are transmitted into the cabin quite prominently, and the relative lack of sound insulation also transmits the sound of the road surface accordingly.

It's definitely not a dealbreaker by any means. I'm fairly young so it doesn't bother me as much, and the body of the car itself is delightfully stiff, befitting of a sportscar. My 77 year old father does carpool with me quite frequently and it's does get to him at times. I'm very keen to see what Öhlins will offer for this car in the next quarter or so, as I would like just a tad more compliance in the dampers.

Hope this helps!


EDIT: if you do pick up a GRC, make sure to remove the rubber shipping block on the factory springs!

 

This is a good description!
The car will soak up minor imperfections pretty well, but you will get a BANG on potholes and bumps. And in my opinion, the audible feedback will make you think the ride is rougher than it really feels.

 

And deflate the tires to spec. 55psi when we left the dealership

 

They had mine at 54 all around I was pissed. Told them I wasn't coming there for service if they couldn't get simple tire pressures right.

 

Coming from a Mazda 2 on lowering springs and stock struts the GRC rides like a Bentley.

 

I remember people saying the Fiesta ST was harsh stock but I never felt uncomfortable. The GRC is similar, i've heard people say things about stiffness but it feels plenty fine to me.

 

The FiST is stiff stock but I too felt it was not absolutely horrible. That said the minute I tossed coilovers on it, it rode great. I definitely feel the GRC ride is much softer . It’s true that the dampers due kinda suck but because we have more tire with the GRC it soaks up bumps and potholes much better than the FiST ever did. Thats why going to 16’s on the FiST was so nice ride with stock suspension or coilovers . It just soaked up bumps better.
My friend who also bought a GRC and is another FiST owner is worried he will lose his nice ride feel in the GRC if he goes coilovers yet he will most likely do it for the sake of performance.

 

There are owners with thousands of miles on the car before they realize the shipping spacers are still on the front springs.

 

so just in case... what do these spacers look like 😅

 

I had an ND2 GT, so same suspension as the club. It riders much nicer, mostly due to the longer wheelbase. I am not sure why it is referred to as harsh. I was worried too, but it is not bad at all. Much, much better than my VA STi I had. I do not understand all the criticism on the ride.

 

Thanks - having a common shared experience with the ND as a frame of reference makes it much easier to interpret what you're trying to communicate!

 

Toronto Owner here. Ride is closer to sports car ride than family sedan type ride. My 2015 GTI definitely handled our shitty roads better for comfort and long distance drives but not by much. Love this thing, feel special everytime i get to drive it. GTI definitely did not feel that way.

 

once you do the PDI techs job and remove the shipping rubber from the suspension, as well as make sure the tires aren't inflated to 55psi, the ride is surprisingly supple.

 

supple and i have absolutely no roll. hugs corners like crazy

 

Coming from FEW lowered cars, The GRC doesn't ride that bad. I mean going down a street rough street you will feel some things but all in all its not bad. On the highway its really really smooth.

 

Took a test drive in a Core model with the optional front and rear diffs yesterday on various road surfaces (highway, potholed back streets etc) and actually found the ride pretty compliant and not punishing at. Your glutes may vary.

 

2010 XRS was a soft, bumbling mess as delivered, about the same as a base corolla.
The effective spring rate/frequency on my XRS that had a third of it’s springs blocked out with rubber, was about the same as what the GR comes with. No rattles, no crashing over bumps, etc., just a little jiggly depending on the road surface.

Regarding the life expectancy of the sidewalls, If there are lots of potholes in your area, a set of 17” wheels will really make a difference, and still handle great.

Also a set of the popular top tier, all season tires vs the summer tires can help too for comfort.

 

Also a set of the popular top tier, all season tires vs the summer tires can help too for comfort.

Yes I was thinking PS A/S or the Conti equivalents, mainly to avoid the hassle of changeover twice a year and the cost of storage. I won't be commuting with it so can avoid serious snow.

 

Mine is a Morizo so it’s a bit more hard core. It definitely rides stiffly (I’m in northeast USA so the roads are not too pretty). I also own a FK8 CTR (both my cars are stock) and the FK8 in Comfort suspension setting is a Cadillac compared to my Morizo. In Sport setting it’s still significantly more comfy than the Morizo. In +R mode they feel pretty comparable (but the Morizo feels like its shocks are controlling the spring rates better than the CTR in +R and the Morizo is less pogo-y than the CTR).

as an aside I also own the American bruiser equivalent to the GRC Morizo; a ‘20 Camaro ZL1 1LE 6sp manual. Completely bone stock. And let me tell you, THAT f’ing car is bone jarring / spine snapping / head bouncing off the roof stiff when driving the rougher back roads. Insanely stiff ride (it literally feels like one of my track-only road race cars). The Morizo is NOTHING like that whatsoever. And I’m sure a Core would be a Rolls Royce in comparison.

 

I'm in Toronto and I drive my newborn around in mine. No complaints from him yet .

 

I'd say the ride is lively. But I don't care, I love it!

 

After driving my Tacoma and the hopping into the GRC with a couple of kiddos in the back seats, there is a noticeable difference. The GR does IMO have a stiff ride. But I only really notice it when they're in the back seat and sleeping and I drive over any broken pavement and the car just crashes. Otherwise the stiffness makes up for it when driving by myself on any twisty road.

 

For the first year and a half or so, I didn't really think too much about it, but just in the last 2 months, after the heat wave, the bumps caused by pavement expansion are very annoying. Not so much that I don't enjoy the car, but definitely noticeable.

 

Higher tire pressures in the hotter times of the summer days contributing also, perhaps?

 

I am in Florida, so roads are pretty good. With that said my last car was a Lexus RCF. While my GR doesn't ride as well as the RCF i drive it in the Sport mode 100% of the time and i find the ride comfortable enough for our roads, which have bumps and transitions going from new construction to old pavement constantly present wherever you go.

 

I came from a 2014 BRZ on lowered springs, and other lowered cars. Also a 2019 Crosstrek at the moment, and I have zero complaints on ride quality compared to any of them.

 

I came from an Accord on Tein coilovers, which I thought rode pretty well. By comparison the ride in the GR is fantastic and I have no complaints. Rides better than my RX8 and WRX did also.

 

I picked up a GRC 2 weeks ago and the "harsh ride" is vastly overstated. I came from a 2018 Civic Sport 6MT and found it to be slightly stiffer but fine. The road noise however can be a little grating at times but tolerable.

 

I don't think it rides that harsh but I am someone who appreciates a stiff chassis and firm handling so I may be a bit bias. I live in North Jersey so the roads are usually pretty bad in my area, potholes galore. However when the road is smooth or only has minor imperfections, the car's ride quality is outstanding. You would think you're just in a normal car and I love that about it. Sure you do feel the bumps and potholes but not as bad as I thought it would be. My old 2011 WRX on stock suspension rode a lot harsher than the GRC does, and out performs it by a mile. Think they did a great job.

 

On the harsh side, but that was what i expected when i bought the car.

 

Nearly everyone who has swapped the OEM summer tires for a set of all-seasons have reported "not much difference" in ride quality, but... When I did the swap it was NIGHT and DAY different. Huge improvement, would recommend if the stock ride quality is irritating you.

Bottom line, I think most people are just not very discerning. Like, in general. With everything. All the time. This is why we can't have nice things...

 

When I did the swap it was NIGHT and DAY different.

What tire did you go with? And what size? OEM wheel?

 

@DevonK I went from the stock 235/40/18 Michelin PS4 to 245/40/18 Bridgestone RE980AS+, on the stock 18x8.5 wheel. In hindsight I think I could have fit 245/45/18 but I didn't want to risk the diameter being too large.