Can I lower my tyre pressures to soften the ride?
I purchased a new VW Polo Match a couple of months ago. I'm finding the ride is much harder than the VW Golf Mk7 I had before. The tyre pressures for the new Polo are 36PSI all round. The Golf had tyre pressures of 30PSI all round, even though it was a slightly larger car. I think the wheel and tyre sizes are the same on both cars. My question is why does the Polo have such high tyre pressures ? I think this is what makes the ride feel so hard. The suspension copes with big bumps and dips in the road quite well, it just bounces and jiggles around a lot on the smaller road imperfections. This suggests to me that the tyres are too hard. Would it be alright if I was to try lowering the tyre pressures, perhaps to 33PSI? I realise that I would have to reset the TPMS accordingly.
Asked on 19 November 2025 by Alan Fleet
Answered by
David Ross
We would not recommend reducing the tyre pressures below the recommended levels as dictated by the manufacturer, as this can increase wear, affect grip levels or increase the likelihood of a puncture or blowout. Most vehicles are provided with two or more recommended tyre pressures to account for the vehicle load, so you may wish to try lowering it to the lowest suggested pressures based on your tyre size. Although the wheel and tyre size may be the same as your Golf, different tyre brands or specifications can behave differently and may require different tyre pressures which could account for the difference.
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