| Traum | 11-30-2018 11:22 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by !Aznboi128
(Post 8930683)
Finally, we come to the rear suspension. We were surprised to see the Mazda3 abandon a multi-link rear suspension in favor of a torsion-beam rear end. Torsion beam suspensions are generally considered less capable and refined since it ties both wheels together. Sometimes it's used because it's cheap to develop, or because it's easy to package. Everyone we spoke to at Mazda said that this design wasn't chosen for those reasons, but rather because they were able to make the car ride and handle better. The company found that the design offered more natural reactions to bumps for the passengers inside, and the company was able to really dial in every single part since it was a simpler suspension with fewer variables to worry about. For example, one of Mazda's engineers mentioned that each side of the multi-link suspension had 10 bushings to mess with, and the torsion-beam setup has just one on each side for the trailing arms.
| The engineers weren't lying, but I am still calling them BS on the rear beam axle. It is there because Mazda needed to cut costs, and that is kind of ironic since they are also trying to move up the market a bit. The rest of the car is nothing short of a home run, and you can tell they are pulling out all the stops to make it good. However, they also had to find chances and places to offset the increased costs, and the rear suspension was the thing that got hit.
Fortunately, Mazda is one of the few manufacturers that really knows how to fine tune the suspension settings on a car, and I trust that their expertise here will make the rear beam axle perform well enough for pedestrian / street use. It'll even seem sporty and fun. But make no mistake -- had it been an IRS, the car would have handled better and be even more fun. | 