Small & smooth

I’m driving a Volvo and a Buick. I bought a Honda Accord and it rides very bumpy and shaky. Is there a small car that rides smoother?

Many people accustomed to larger vehicles make the same complaint when they shift to smaller cars.

The first thing to know is that a longer wheelbase will provide a smoother ride than a short wheelbase. Period.

That said, it’s probably worth having a mechanic check out the suspension on your Honda for any issues and make sure your tires aren’t overinflated, out of balance or misaligned. Correcting any of those matters would almost certainly improve the ride.

Even if your tires are OK, you might consider getting a new set, which definitely can affect the quality of the ride you’re getting, and tire folks can give you advice on what might give a smoother ride. I hated the replacement tires I put on my RDX a few years ago, and was actually relieved when they wore enough that I could justify buying new ones!

As for small cars with the smoothest rides: I cannot attest to these personally but reviewers tend to zero in on the Honda Civic EX, and, to a lesser degree, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte.

Readers: got any smooth-ride smallcar suggestions? If so, please email me. In my younger years, diesel fuel cost much less than regular fuel. Now it costs a lot more (which is influencing my decision to buy a diesel-powered car in the next couple of years). What happened?

For 13 years, prices for diesel fuel have been higher than gasoline prices. Among the many reasons, according to the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, is an ever-escalating demand for diesel fuel in foreign countries, where diesel has long been more popular than in the U.S. Moreover, demand for diesel in this country is growing. Why? Many of the nation’s buses, trucks and farm equipment rely on diesel, not to mention the cars that are powered that way as well lately.

Greater demand means, yup, higher prices. Finally, the phasing in of ultra low-sulfur diesel beginning in 2006 required costly modifications to pipelines, tankers and terminals, and that’s been passed on at the pump.

What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.