Car people like you, me, and the rest of the Jalopnik staff and readership, have a special connection with our cars. Not in a creepy way, hopefully, just in a sentimental way. The thought and energy put into not only finding, but also saving money for the perfect car can sometimes be a long and arduous process, so once you finally find the right car, it can be difficult to admit that it’s not perfect. Nobody is perfect though, and vulnerability is so in right now, so let’s see how it feels: what’s one thing you would change about your car?
Maybe you love everything about your Mustang GT except paying to keep it fueled, or you feel like your Wrangler TJ is the greatest four-wheeled creation ever made, except for how much road and wind noise you endure on the highway. They’re clearly not dealbreakers, just little things that you might change if you had a magic wand. Head down to the comments section and share with the class.
The one thing I would change about my car is the harsh ride
As I may have mentioned previously on this website, I drive a 2017 Mini Cooper S, and I love my car very much. I’ve had it for almost six years now, and it’s proven to be a versatile, exciting, spacious, efficient, fun, and dependable car. There is one thing that I would change about it though, and that’s its stiff, sometimes harsh, and occasionally crashy ride quality.
It’s not as bad as it could be — the ride was even worse when I still had the OEM runflat tires — but it’s still bad enough that I constantly scan the road ahead for large bumps or cracks and swerve around them when I can to minimize impacts. Last week, I somehow didn’t see a rather significant bump, and when my front right tire hit it, I pulled up my TPMS screen to make sure I didn’t get a flat. That giant bump was a slightly recessed manhole cover. And that’s not even the stiffest setting; my car has the adaptive suspension that becomes even stiffer in Sport mode. It takes the firmness to the next level, somehow jiggling every ounce of fat on your body on a seemingly smooth road surface.
So, yeah. I’d change my car’s harsh ride in normal mode, though I do like the option of flicking it into the ridiculously firm mode to feel alive every now and then, so I’d keep that setting as is. What would you change about your car?
