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Is FL5 suspension too firm for daily driving (in comfort mode)?

Kfo_cpa

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I’m concerned the suspension on FL5 might be too firm for daily driving.

Can anyone comment on daily driving and using comfort mode?
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Ministry

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No issues whatsoever. Comfort is softer than my 11th gen Si, and a tad firmer than a base Sport. It's a brilliant daily driver.
 
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Kfo_cpa

Kfo_cpa

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No issues whatsoever. Comfort is softer than my 11th gen Si, and a tad firmer than a base Sport. It's a brilliant daily driver.
Thanks Ministry! Overall are you glad you upgraded to R from Si?
 

Ministry

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100% with the caveat being I was able to get into an FL5 with extremely reasonable markup for my area.

The Si made a great commuter/fun car with outstanding mpg but felt underpowered. I was at the xroads of dumping money into it to beef up the performance (wheels, tires, tune, bbk, dp, cai, fp, ic, catback, etc.) vs starting fresh with something better out of the box.

I was about to trade it in for a manual Supra when a boost blue FL5 (only color I would consider) was scheduled to arrive at my local dealer with 5k adm and some forced accessories but had 12 people interested. They did something similar to a lottery and I ended up at spot #2. # 1 tried to make the deal but it didn't work out (heard he was unhappy with trade in) and I swooped in. Had the markup been like 10k or more I would have likely gone with the Supra or RS3 I still have on order.
 
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I’m concerned the suspension on FL5 might be too firm for daily driving.

Can anyone comment on daily driving and using comfort mode?
Make sure they took the transport blocks off of your civic. They had left mine on which made it a little bit stiffer than I expected. Once I took them off and drove around in comfort mode it felt almost exactly like my SI from a suspension point of view.
 

Cornercarver

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Glad to hear they got it right on the FL5. I rarely use comfort mode on my FK8. It is softer, but has a less controlled feel than Sport or +R. Not terrible in any setting, but the default Sport Mode seems to work just fine, and even +R is not all that punishing - much less so than reviews would imply. I disagree on the 'track only' use of the +R mode - it is fun to select when you have some demanding curves ahead, or on the highway when you need the best response to safely thread your way through traffic.
 

notthatlargo

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I've only driving the FL5 for 400km or so, but living in Ontario, Canada, we do enounter some terrible roads. On smooth roads it's no issue, even in Sport and +R, the car is great. On bumpy roads you certainly feel the bumps even in comfort. But the car doesn't float or bounce, like a lot of modern cars are tuned to do. In other words, you always know you're in a "sporty" car. I think a big part of it is the wide 19'' wheels. But I don't find it uncomfortable or annoying, because the bumps are dealt with quickly and the car feels very solid and buttoned down.

Of course comfort is subjective, so you'll have to judge for yourself. The problem of course with this car is you kind of have to commit to buying before driving right how, so there is a bit of risk I guess. I would say if you dig the feel of a 90s Cadillac going down the road, don't do it, but if you want a car that feels a bit sporty, but still rides well, then go for it.
 


ElDuder

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Oh, but it is. Good or bad, that is how it works.
You’re incorrect. Shocks don’t have a break in period and are fully operational out of the box. Springs on the other hand do ‘settle’ after a short period tho.
 

Florence_NC

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You’re incorrect. Shocks don’t have a break in period and are fully operational out of the box. Springs on the other hand do ‘settle’ after a short period tho.
You are incorrect.

Shaft seals develop leaks. Metering orifices erode. Hydraulic fluid loses viscosity. Shim stacks weaken. Control springs creep. Gas charges deplete. So, despite what you believe, shocks absolutely do lose their dampening capacity with cyclical age. If someone told you shocks don't wear out, stop listening to them. About anything.

And for the record, I never said shocks "break in". Those are your projected words.

BTW: You should also know that I am a JRi shock dealer, and there is a shock dyno sitting in the shop with me as I type this. Unlike most people on the internet, when I say something it is because I actually know what I am talking about.
 

Cornercarver

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As long as the alignment holds, and I don't damage a wheel, I don't mind a stiffer ride. It is not that bad, very controlled in Sport, or +R. The surprise to me is how livable +R is on the FK8. At least on the '18, I can't speak to later versions.
 

s2kdriver80

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I ran on the S2000 CR dampers (made by Showa?) for about 200k miles (street only) and I only had them replaced because I just wanted to drive on a fresh set. The new CR dampers felt only marginally firmer after the install.

I expected more from these ZF Sachs units. And they only have to deal with soft stock springs on the CTR too.
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