S3 Adaptive or Standard Suspension?
Discussion
Hey Guys
I'm considering buying a year old S3 (the face lifted version) but am unsure whether to look for a car with the adaptive suspension or go with the standard passive set up - there don't seem to be too many around with the adaptive.
The car will be on 18s and mainly used by the Wife for daily shopping / around town duties so ride quality is a consideration as it won't just be me hacking around B-roads all the time.
Has anyone got any practical experience of both set ups or read and good reviews that they can help opine please?
thanks in advance
I'm considering buying a year old S3 (the face lifted version) but am unsure whether to look for a car with the adaptive suspension or go with the standard passive set up - there don't seem to be too many around with the adaptive.
The car will be on 18s and mainly used by the Wife for daily shopping / around town duties so ride quality is a consideration as it won't just be me hacking around B-roads all the time.
Has anyone got any practical experience of both set ups or read and good reviews that they can help opine please?
thanks in advance
Hi, I’ve just take delivery of a 6 month old S3 with 19s and mag ride. I don’t have any experience of a non mag car but I think the ride quality in comfort mode is surprisingly good and then you can firm it up in dynamic mode. If you go for 18s then I don’t think mag ride is a option but I may be wrong. Great car though and I’m really pleased with mine. Surprisingly fuel effiencient as well.
We’ve got a Golf GTI PP and drove with/without adaptive suspension before deciding. Went for adaptive and leave it in comfort 95% of the time. Stops our son feeling car sick as it’s never floaty but does take the edge off the dreadful roads round us. Ours is on 18s. Am sure S3 would feel very much the same
Yup - the stiff setting is unnecessary on the road but the comfort setting does a really good job of settling the jitter that you can often feel on our broken/crumbly roads.
If you did plan on doing a track day or two there is a fair bit of body roll on initial turn in (without mag ride) that having it resolves really well in the dynamic setting. Not that that's remotely relevant day to day mind.
It's a good system.
If you did plan on doing a track day or two there is a fair bit of body roll on initial turn in (without mag ride) that having it resolves really well in the dynamic setting. Not that that's remotely relevant day to day mind.
It's a good system.
Adaptive suspension on the Golf is a slightly different system although it provides the same function.
VW system uses electronically controlled valves whereas the Audi system uses magnetic particles in the oil. I'm led to believe the Audi system is superior.
My Scirocco came with it as standard and prior to having it, I thought it was a gimmick however, it is very good and would probably miss it now if I didn't have it.
If you have never had it, I don't think you would miss it therefore if a car pops up without it and otherwise ticks all the boxes. I would say don't let it's omission hold you back.
VW system uses electronically controlled valves whereas the Audi system uses magnetic particles in the oil. I'm led to believe the Audi system is superior.
My Scirocco came with it as standard and prior to having it, I thought it was a gimmick however, it is very good and would probably miss it now if I didn't have it.
If you have never had it, I don't think you would miss it therefore if a car pops up without it and otherwise ticks all the boxes. I would say don't let it's omission hold you back.
Thanks for the replies guys
As pointed out, there don't seem to be any cars around with the adaptive suspension on 18s. The thing that concerns me is that over tyred 19s on adaptive will still be very crashy around town and the 18's on standard dampers have a bit of a pogo nature due having underdamped rebound (so I read/hear).
Perhaps I should get out and drive both to see how they feel, but appreciate anyone's previous experience.......
As pointed out, there don't seem to be any cars around with the adaptive suspension on 18s. The thing that concerns me is that over tyred 19s on adaptive will still be very crashy around town and the 18's on standard dampers have a bit of a pogo nature due having underdamped rebound (so I read/hear).
Perhaps I should get out and drive both to see how they feel, but appreciate anyone's previous experience.......
Whilst mag-ride was available solo I've never seen it specified this way.
It was usually put on cars because the buyer wanted 19s and you couldn't order those without it.
It's an option that's hard enough to find without hunting for it in a way that nobody ordered. Buy one on 19s and swap them or you're never going to find a car in a specification you're prepared to buy.
It was usually put on cars because the buyer wanted 19s and you couldn't order those without it.
It's an option that's hard enough to find without hunting for it in a way that nobody ordered. Buy one on 19s and swap them or you're never going to find a car in a specification you're prepared to buy.
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