Driving in Kampala – Stiff or Soft Suspension?

Your vehicle’s suspension is what stands between your butt and how comfortable it will be in your car. The type of suspension on your car will determine the handling and drive quality.

As car owners in Uganda, today we’ll explore the two suspension options you can choose from, and which one is most appropriate for our roads.

Stiff Suspension:

These are good for speed. They offer your car a more grounded and less bouncy feel when you drive and hit bumps. They enable your car to handle well and the grip is more firm. You can thrust your car in corners more aggressively and it’ll comfortably take it with just a nudge.

These are however not very comfortable as they are firm and not bouncy. They offer more stability but given the stiffness, they don’t soak/absorb bumps too well.

These are recommended for anyone that values speed over comfort. Cars with stiff suspension are more fun to drive because of the incredible grip.

Soft Suspension:

These are good for comfort. They offer your car a more “cushiony” feel when you hit bumps. Soft suspension from the point of impact have larger travel that enables them to absorb the vibrations from the bumps without letting you feel the impact too hard.

They sacrifice aggressive driving and grip to offer more comfort. In case you hit a pothole or go over a speed bump, soft suspension absorb the impact in bounciness leaving the occupants comfortable. It’s like sitting on a water bed.

Soft suspension, however, has a very irritating body roll sometimes, especially when you make an untimely swerve or aggressively thrust the car into a corner.

These are recommended for anyone that values a comfortable ride over speed. Cars with soft suspension are the most comfortable for long distance travel and daily usage for people that don’t really care about fun driving.

What’s good for our roads?

Our roads are bad. Very – very bad. Soft Suspension is the way to go.

Also read: Tips On How to Survive Kampala Traffic Jam