The question is in the title. I’m aware that this may depend on the driver and how sudden the acceleration/retardation is, but certain luxury buses are for instance way smoother and softer than other. Obviously, this depends on the cost and quality of the engine. But what exactly makes it smooth?
In: Engineering
Four factors help vehicles drive “smoother” than others:
1) wheelbase, the longer the distance between the front and back wheels, the less that riders will feel bumps hit by the wheels furthest from them
2) wheel size and tires, the bigger the wheel, the more you will feel each bump in the road. The more of the wheel that is tire vs wheel, the softer the ride is.
3) mass, the heavier something is, the less it will be impacted by lighter things
4) most importantly, the suspension. Suspensions are made up of two things — shocks and springs. Shocks stop bouncing, springs absorb bumps. Ride comfort comes at the expense of handling (how much control and precision you have when driving). The more precise you want your control, the stiffer your springs have to be. The more comfort you want, the less precise your steering will be. Buses have incredibly soft suspensions for passenger ride comfort.
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