Rough ride on the stock 20” with low profile tires?

Jalbert300 said:

The amount of “feedback” or subtle vibration coming thru steering wheel is driving me crazy.

I find the vehicle utterly exhausting (mentally) to drive on short highway trips because of the “feedback”.

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Do you mean actual "vibration"?

SoundsGood said:

Do you mean actual "vibration"?

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Not a visible vibration, feels more like a subtle massage. It’s as if I feel every subtle change in the road ( I think)

Part of wonders if part of it is engine vibration.

Jalbert300 said:

Not a visible vibration, feels more like a subtle massage. It’s as if I feel every subtle change in the road ( I think)

Part of wonders if part of it is engine vibration.

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I should note, I like to drive with hands at 10 and 2. I’m fully connected to the steering wheel most of time.

Welcome...! I don't notice anything like that on my Touring model (same rimes & tires), could a tire or two be slightly out of balance?

If it is that noticeable, perhaps you should mention it to the dealer...
(And let us know)

Jalbert300 said:

I should note, I like to drive with hands at 10 and 2. I’m fully connected to the steering wheel most of time.

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Also, I have test drove identical model at dealership yesterday. Far as I can tell it felt the same.

Service looked it over and said all is normal.

What vehicles have you driven previously? That would help to understand your point of comparison. By design (for most Honda vehicles), the Passport has more feedback to provide improved road handling. There are other factors that affect steering feedback.

• Tire Pressure - Check the tire pressure versus recommended (label on the driver's door frame).
• Tire Aspect Ratio (amount of sidewall versus wheel size) - Moving to a small wheel size (eg, 18") while maintaining the same wheel diameter (245/60R18) would provide more comfort. The compromise would be slightly less responsive handling.
• Tire Tread - Large/aggressive tread blocks make for more noise and more feedback in the steering. A less aggressive (touring) tire may help.

Could be right Dude, my last car had 19" super low profile tires, so the Passport ones feel fine to me...

My long term plan would to transition to either 17" or 18" rims when the stock tires wear out and then get some beefier tires

DudeCS said:

What vehicles have you driven previously? That would help to understand your point of comparison. By design (for most Honda vehicles), the Passport has more feedback to provide improved road handling. There are other factors that affect steering feedback.

• Tire Pressure - Check the tire pressure versus recommended (label on the driver's door frame).
• Tire Aspect Ratio (amount of sidewall versus wheel size) - Moving to a small wheel size (eg, 18") while maintaining the same wheel diameter (245/60R18) would provide more comfort. The compromise would be slightly less responsive handling.
• Tire Tread - Large/aggressive tread blocks make for more noise and more feedback in the steering. A less aggressive (touring) tire may help.

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My last vehicle was 2001 forester with 220k. I drove it happily for 10 years ( when it wasn’t in the shop, lol).

Tire pressure is set properly at 37 psi cold.

i have no issue paying for new rims and tires, but only if going to make very noticeable difference. Slight handling decrease shouldn’t be an issue for me. This is just around town and highway cruiser for me.

Jalbert300 said:

My last vehicle was 2001 forester with 220k. I drove it happily for 10 years ( when it wasn’t in the shop, lol).

Tire pressure is set properly at 37 psi cold.

i have no issue paying for new rims and tires, but only if going to make very noticeable difference. Slight handling decrease shouldn’t be an issue for me. This is just around town and highway cruiser for me.

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Jalbert300 said:

My last vehicle was 2001 forester with 220k. I drove it happily for 10 years ( when it wasn’t in the shop, lol).

Tire pressure is set properly at 37 psi cold.

i have no issue paying for new rims and tires, but only if going to make very noticeable difference. Slight handling decrease shouldn’t be an issue for me. This is just around town and highway cruiser for me.

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Oh, wheels on forester were stock, with plenty of sidewall height. I think wheels were 15 based on tire rack.com

Jalbert300 said:

Oh, wheels on forester were stock, with plenty of sidewall height. I think wheels were 15 based on tire rack.com

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Not to denigrate Subaru or other brands in this segment, some brands and vehicles in this segment have numb steering feedback compared to Honda. Steering feedback and handling are high on my list, so I like what the Passport offers. Steering in the Passport (and many new vehicles) have electric assist vs hydraulic assist. Amount of steering feedback is baked into the system (software).

A higher profile tire (-2" wheel) along with a touring/highway tire will improve ride comfort, but don't know if it will mitigate the electric steering feedback. Try driving a Pilot with 18" wheels as a comparison (however, it is tuned differently than the Passport)?

The Passport does have a 2-stage shock to deal with small vs large bumps. However, this does not seem to be your problem?

Yea, I don't think the shocks bother me at all.

I will say I'm not a fan of the steering all that much. Can't quite pin point it, but to me steering feels like it has a mind of it's own. Ecspecially when making a turn, feels like the wheel is always pulling against you. Even feel like it sort of skips a bit sometimes...

Anyway, I did just get back from a drive, and think part of what I'm feeling is engine vibration.

So I think wheels, plus engine vinbration, and quirky steering (to me at least) all add up.

Jalbert300 said:

Can't quite pin point it, but to me steering feels like it has a mind of it's own. Ecspecially when making a turn, feels like the wheel is always pulling against you. Even feel like it sort of skips a bit sometimes...

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Are ya sure you're not referring to the Lane Assist / Lane Departure feature? If you start going out of your lane without signalling, the car will attempt to keep you in your lane and it WILL vibrate the steering wheel.

SoundsGood said:

Are ya sure you're not referring to the Lane Assist / Lane Departure feature? If you start going out of your lane without signalling, the car will attempt to keep you in your lane and it WILL vibrate the steering wheel.

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Yep, not the lane keep assist, I always love that off.

Go drive another passport at the dealer and see if its got the same feeling you describe.

Well took for a longer drive, maybe the balancing made a difference?!?!?! Shrug, lol

Guess I'm just going to keep driving the thing as is and try to forget about it.

Could be the roads around here to, although smooth, it's very hot in florida, and lots of semi-trucks traveling the roads I use most. Maybe they are warping the roads, lol

If you have ruled out the other issues (tire/wheel balance, alignment, air pressure, etc.), it may just be the increased steering feedback vs your previous vehicle. Over-boosted steering assist will result in a numb feel and isolation from the road. Honda tend to tune for more steering feedback, less steering assist. Have you driven a car without power steering or one that failed?

I have not drive a car without power steering.

Jalbert300 said:

I took to Discount Tire today and had all 4 balanced. Only drove short ways home, so not sure if resolved my complaint yet.

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Did they say they were out of balance? Did they have to add additional weights?

On my prior vehicle I had "tried" Continental tires and gave up after a few weeks of trying to get them balanced. If you're still having the problem I'd try the dealership and ask to have the tires replaced. It could be a bad set.