2014 Avalon XLE stiff ride

[harkauto]

I have been driving a 1999 Toyota Camry LE 4cyl for the last 13 years and have logged 217,000 miles on it.
I recently inherited my dads 2014 Toyota Avalon XLE V6 that has only 34,000
miles.
Compared to my 99 Camry dads Avalon rides like a lumber wagon. A very stiff suspension that I swear you can almost feel when you run over a cigarette butt on the highway. My Camry's ride is much softer and still a pleasure to drive.

I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to soften the Avalon's ride. First off I hate these skinny, (I call them bicycle tires) on an automobile. For one thing I hate the appearance of skinny walled tires. Being old school, I love the looks of the wider walled black rubber with Mickey Thompson mags. Now THAT'S A WHEEL!. In my mind, that skinny walled tire is part of the reason for the stiff ride.

I'm wondering....I believe the car has 17" aluminum wheels on it. Could I soften the ride by replacing the 17" wheels with a 15" wheel and then make up the difference in the overall wheel radius by putting on a tire with wider side walls? So that they do not affect the rotation dynamics of the speedometer. If not I think I'm going to sell it and get a Toyota with a softer ride.

[Brian R.]

If you modify your wheel/tire combination, I think the best place to start is one that is standard on the V6 Camry or Lexus ES300 of a similar year. One thing that is important to check is there may be interference between the wheel and the brake caliper or dust shield. Compare the offset of the new rims to the old and make sure the offsets are very close. I think the lug patterns will be the same, but it is worth making sure.

[CapriRacer]

According to Tire Rack, you can put 16" wheels with P215/60R16's on the vehicle. That will open up a whole range of tires that have higher aspect ratios and many will be better riding than the 17" you have now.

But be aware that to get the change you are looking for, you need to be careful selecting tires as the range in performance of tires is much greater than the change in tire size.

Further, you should look very carefully at your shocks. They can become harder riding with age.

[harkauto]

Originally Posted by CapriRacer

According to Tire Rack, you can put 16" wheels with P215/60R16's on the vehicle. That will open up a whole range of tires that have higher aspect ratios and many will be better riding than the 17" you have now.

But be aware that to get the change you are looking for, you need to be careful selecting tires as the range in performance of tires is much greater than the change in tire size.

Further, you should look very carefully at your shocks. They can become harder riding with age.

Thanks for the advice.
I would think that since the car has been garaged in an underground 70 degree controlled climate all of it's short life and has only 34,000 miles and is only five years old that the shocks should still be like new.