Audi ride quality

Author
Discussion

Solor

Original Poster:

3 posts

157 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
I've just spent the last two days as a passenger in an Audi A5 (3.0TDi quattro Sport) and i have to say the ride is an absolute joke.

Seriously how can it be this bad? I'm 26 and i know i shouldn't be bothered about this at my age but you couldn't have a conversation without my voice going up and down and my head bobbing about and crashing over bumps; especially with all the potholes these days.

I defy anybody to sit there as a passenger and put up with that ride...low speed, high speed, cornering, smooth roads, harsh roads..no matter what it was terrible. So disapointing on what was otherwise a decent car; plenty of shove, looks good and this one had plenty of equipment.

I'm sitting here with a bloody sore back

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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I've only ever been in 2 Audis (both family members on journeys so not driven) and they're not that bad, sure it wasn't the roads? dodgy tyres?

I sit through an uncomfy drive everyday so I know one when I'm in one hehe

unpc

2,835 posts

213 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Agreed, every Audi I ever went in was awful. I just don't get the appeal. Their chassis engineers should be taken out and shot.

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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I'm not a fan of Audi (as some of you might know from my previous comments in other topics...) but I don't think they're uncomfy at all. Maybe you're a softy winktongue out

lazyitus

19,926 posts

266 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Mine is brilliant, I have to say. smile

kambites

67,558 posts

221 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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I don't think Audi are much worse than other manufacturers. Most modern "sporty" cars are pretty poor though, especially German ones.

Adam_W

1,073 posts

200 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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I just bought an a6 (2000) quattro 4.2 and sure its not as smooth a ride as say a range rover but its not bad, certainly I have driven cars with a harder ride.

RicksAlfas

13,396 posts

244 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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"S-Line" setups seem to be very harsh, much like the BMW M-Sport settings. I've no doubt on a smooth road or track they are great, and the big wheels/low profile tyres look snazzy, but round town they are much too harsh I think. SE settings might be more appropriate for UK roads, and probably just as fast (or faster) across country.

Pickled Piper

6,341 posts

235 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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kambites said:
I don't think Audi are much worse than other manufacturers. Most modern "sporty" cars are pretty poor though, especially German ones.
You are quite right when it comes to the Germans.. However, if you want to experience a different level of ride comfort, try a Jaguar XF.

pp

Twincam16

27,646 posts

258 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
Only Audi I felt comfortable in was on a German Autobahn, where the rock-hard suspension makes sense.

In this country I really am amazed as to why so many people go for hard suspension and low-profile tyres. The sports and luxury cars designed around British roads - think Lotus and Jaguar - never ride firmly, but use higher sidewalls and longer-travel suspension than their competitors to produce a brilliant ride/handling balance.

They're designed around British roads, which are bumpy and twisty. German cars are generally designed around plate-glass-smooth autobahns and make the most sense there, in the same way that American cars are designed around long, straight roads where petrol is cheap and corners are few.

kambites

67,558 posts

221 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
Pickled Piper said:
You are quite right when it comes to the Germans.. However, if you want to experience a different level of ride comfort, try a Jaguar XF.
Even that can't compete with something like a Citroen C6.

trackerjack

649 posts

184 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Wow what a surprise I have only ever bought one new car and that was in 1986 but before we chose one we tried an Audi 80 GT and it was terrible with horrendous understeer and a crashing ride!
So nothing has changed then LOL.

But do you actually need a decent ride to pull out in front of people and carve them up? or perhaps that is why Audis come straight at you on your side of the road........they are busy fighting to control it!

Jacobyte

4,723 posts

242 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Those with variable air suspension or DRC are absolutely fine and very compliant when in "comfort" mode.

HellDiver

5,708 posts

182 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Twincam16 said:
In this country I really am amazed as to why so many people go for hard suspension and low-profile tyres.
Because to get a car with a decent engine, or decent interior spec, you're stuck with the blingy wheels and rubberband tyres.

Gone are the days of a V6 LX. Comfortable suspension, big tyres go hand in hand with the sub-100hp engines and no spec.

kambites

67,558 posts

221 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
HellDiver said:
Because to get a car with a decent engine, or decent interior spec, you're stuck with the blingy wheels and rubberband tyres.

Gone are the days of a V6 LX. Comfortable suspension, big tyres go hand in hand with the sub-100hp engines and no spec.
Can you really not specify the wheels and suspension separately of the engine on modern cars?

RicksAlfas

13,396 posts

244 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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kambites said:
Can you really not specify the wheels and suspension separately of the engine on modern cars?
Yes you can. Alfa and BMW for instance do Lusso/SE verions of MOST engines.
You don't always need the blingy Imagine.

HellDiver

5,708 posts

182 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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On "premium" brands you can, it seems. The cars most people buy (GM/Ford/Frenchtat) you're stuck with the small engines on the small wheeled cars.

Take a Vauxhall Astra - 16" wheels are on the lower models with the 1.4 petrol and 1.3CDTi engines, neither of which I'd wish on my worst enemy.

The Wookie

13,946 posts

228 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
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Have to say the only modern Audi I've driven was an A3 TDI rental, and the ride was fine, albeit not good enough when you took into account the nose heavy, wallowy handling.

Twincam16

27,646 posts

258 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
HellDiver said:
Twincam16 said:
In this country I really am amazed as to why so many people go for hard suspension and low-profile tyres.
Because to get a car with a decent engine, or decent interior spec, you're stuck with the blingy wheels and rubberband tyres.

Gone are the days of a V6 LX. Comfortable suspension, big tyres go hand in hand with the sub-100hp engines and no spec.
Not with a Jaguar, or anything French.

kambites

67,558 posts

221 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2011
quotequote all
HellDiver said:
Take a Vauxhall Astra - 16" wheels are on the lower models with the 1.4 petrol and 1.3CDTi engines, neither of which I'd wish on my worst enemy.
So you're saying that they wouldn't give you a 2.0 or whatever on 16" wheels if you explicitly asked?