What Is Magnetic Ride Control, and Do You Really Need It?

If you’ve ever been driving, you hit a bump in the road, and suddenly your vehicle started bouncing almost uncontrollably, that’s a sign that your dampers (or shock absorbers) are too loose. When you go over a bump or pothole, the springs in your vehicle absorb that shock and, as a result, begin to bounce. Dampers are in place to control how much the springs bounce. Nobody likes a bumpy ride (unless you’re at an amusement park), which is why Chevrolet offers a system called Magnetic Ride Control, which is designed to ensure a smooth ride and more precise handling.

As a Chevy dealer, we love to learn the science and engineering behind the innovative features of the vehicles we offer. We know many of our customers do, too. However, we’ll admit that if you look to the engineers and scientists behind some vehicle features, their explanations can be difficult to understand. Since we get a lot of drivers asking us what exactly Magnetic Ride Control is, we decided to break it down in a way that’s easy to understand. This feature is available on several Chevy models, after all, including some generations of the Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, and Camaro. Many of our customers purchase a vehicle with Magnetic Ride Control, and we think it’s time we describe it in plain terms so you can know what’s at work inside your vehicle.

Why Do Vehicles Need Any Sort of Ride Control?

Vehicles have long had some system for adjusting shock absorb response. However, traditional systems relied on mechanical parts like valves, shocks, and ports. Parts like these wear down over time––particularly in sports cars and similar vehicles that are used for some serious performance driving.

As a driver, you’ve probably experienced that bumps in the road feel even more extreme when you’re going fast (it’s why they put speed bumps on residential streets––they know that the disdain drivers have for being shot up in the air over a bump is enough to make them slow down). So, dampers have to work extra hard when a driver is going fast, which is why on some models (like Corvettes), these components can wear out quickly. Going over a bump in the road, when going fast, can also be dangerous to passengers and damaging to the vehicle, so it’s important that something reduces the bounce. That’s where Magnetic Ride Control comes in.

What Exactly Is Magnetic Ride Control?

Magnetic Ride Control (also called MagneRide) is a chassis and suspension technology that reads the road and adjusts the vehicle’s shock absorbers in response. In other words, it knows how aggressive dampening must be following bumps in the road. As we mentioned previously, traditional shock absorbers use mechanical parts. Magnetic Ride Control differs in that, instead of the usual parts, it relies on a special fluid containing iron particles and magnets.

The long explanation of how the system works gets pretty science-heavy. But, put simply, Magnetic Ride Control has sensors that read the road every five milliseconds. From there, an electronic control unit takes the information provided by the sensors and tells the appropriate dampers to stiffen or loosen depending on the road conditions. As a response, the particle-containing fluid either hardens to create a stiffer suspension or remains fluid to create a softer suspension.

What Are the Benefits of Magnetic Ride Control?

Magnetic Ride Control reads the road much faster than a regular dampening system. That means it can almost instantly react to changes in the road for a completely smooth behind-the-wheel experience. The rapid nature of this system makes it very appealing to drivers who like to take their sports car on the track because they can’t afford to have an unexpected bump send their vehicle into a nose dive or spinout.

Overall, this system creates a really precise dampening reaction on the part of the vehicle, which results in a great hug-the-road feel for the driver. The Magnetic Ride Control system also boasts low-speed damping, which prevents the vehicle from moving around too much when you hit a bump at low speeds.

The Freedom to Adjust to Your Needs

Sometimes as a driver, you know what sort of driving you have planned. Maybe you’re about to hit the track for laps, and you know you’re going to reach top speed, so you need that stiffer suspension to reduce bouncing. On some Corvette models, you can actually switch to “sport” mode and tell your vehicle to prepare to keep the suspension stiff. Or, if you know you’ll be doing some serious performance driving, you can switch to “track” mode and get an ultra-stiff suspension.

If you know, you’ll be enjoying a joy ride on a lazy Saturday afternoon; you can switch to touring mode for a softer suspension. Traditional dampening systems do not allow you to communicate with your vehicle’s shock absorbers this way. However, when you can, the result is a really smooth drive with few surprises. With a traditional dampening system, you have to hope your vehicle detects the change in driving conditions. With these selectable modes, you can tell your car before you even begin driving.

A Brief History of Magnetic Ride Control

Magnetic Ride Control was first called MagneRide and was developed by a third-party GM supplier that eventually filed for bankruptcy and was bought out by Beijing West Industries. The first car MagneRide appeared in was the 2002 Cadillac STS Seville. Eventually, GM wanted to put the system in its larger vehicles, like its SUVs, so they redesigned MagneRide to have heavier-duty components. Throughout the years, its response time has become faster, and its precision tuning has improved. Today, the technology is used across GM vehicles, and other manufacturers have also adopted it. In fact, it’s a standard feature among major sports car brands today.

Magnetic Ride Control Means More Control for More Fun and Safety

We know that when you visit a dealership, sometimes the salespeople start listing off fancy-sounding features so quickly that you don’t have time to stop and ask what they mean. We want to make sure you fully understand the nature and benefit of every feature in any car you’re interested in. A vehicle is a major investment, and if a special feature or package costs more, we think you deserve to know exactly why and what it does.

Magnetic Ride Control might sound complicated at first, but it’s ultimately just the current best-in-class damping system that will prevent those annoying and sometimes dangerous vehicle bounces that occur when you go over a bump in the road. This is a beneficial feature to have in any vehicle. If you’re driving a family in the Tahoe or Suburban, Magnetic Ride Control can keep your passengers stable and safe when you hit a bump. If you’re enjoying speed around the race track, the system can prevent dangerous surprises if the track hasn’t been well maintained.

We at Chevyland are always here and ready to answer any questions you might have about a unique feature like Magnetic Ride Control. We carry new and used vehicles that have the feature, so you can explore plenty of models and price points that offer this ride-enhancing system. Contact us or come by for a visit and check out all of the vehicles that boast Magnetic Ride Control and see for yourself how it improves your driving experience.