snowchaser

I finally got my hands of a 2014 TDI Audi Pre Owned Certified, Prestige, S-Line, Driver Assist, LED package and 19 inch wheel package. I love this car in every way except for the ride stiffness and bottom bolsters on the prestige seats. Does anyone feel that from going to 18 inch wheels from 19 will smooth up the bumps or ripples on the highway? Could this car accept 17 inch wheels as an option? I may be one of the few to complain about the bottom bolsters on the prestige seats but on long drives they seem a bit uncomfortable. I don't think the driving modes change suspension (Only steering and shift points) correct? S line package on the 2014 should not have stiffened suspension (Cosmetic) correct? I would imagine Sport package is even stiffer?

Most of my issue here is only on longer drives. My neighbor has the last generation Allroad and complains about the same issue on seats (Long drives).

I'm in Boulder or Salt Lake so maybe there is reader that wants to swap out 18's for 19's.?

John Simcox

Both 17" and 18" were offered as standard fit in Europe. (17" tyres are 225/55/17 and 18" Tyres are 245/45/18). You should also check the tyre pressures as the A6 has proven very sensitive to pressure and it may be that the car is running with maximum load pressure and you are driving around just on your own. Driving mode does not affect suspension just steering weight, throttle sensitivity and shift points and in the case of Eco mode the drain the AC system puts on the car. Not sure if S-Line in the US added the S-Line suspension that we get in the UK or not. In the UK there is a further suspension option called Sport which drops the ride by a further 10mm and stiffens the suspension even more

DB22

KevinGary

DB22

KevinGary

snowchaser

Thanks everyone for chiming In. I guess I am not alone on the comfort issues of this car. I will drop to 17's and see what happens for the winter (Blizzaks). I definitely do not have the sport package (Just S Line). I wonder if the A6 "Comfort Seats" would make a difference from the standard Prestige seat? I think the long ride discomfort stems from the bottom bolsters that are fairly useless. Otherwise great car and I look forward to many miles (I only have 4 hours logged in the car thus far).

logger77

My car come with 19" wheels and the sports suspension. The ride is comfortable enough when the road surface is smooth (like in Germany and virtually all of Europe) but not on some urban road surfaces which are in need of resurfacing. I was quite 'ticked off' with the sharp jarring shock to my body over these ruts, potholes, whatever, very uncomfortable,.especially after a BMW e39 540i Sport (loved this car - especially how it rides, takes on poor road surfaces and the linear surge of power). I bought a set of 18" for my winter tires (Sottozero 3s) and the ride is much improved, which I find very acceptable. I'd even consider 17" if they would fit over the brake assembly. Quite pleased with this car overall though I would consider the S4 next for its smaller size.

Chiclet11

We currently have both a 2014 and a 2016 A6, both TDI. The 2016 has the sport package/20 in wheels, and the ride was definitely firmer and more jarring than the 2014 with 18 in wheels. The 2016 OEM summer tires were swapped for Conti DWS 06 tires, and there was a noticeable improvement in the ride quality. However the sport suspension definitely still gives a much firmer ride than the non-sport (as expected).

Regarding the seats - I think the bottom cushion on the seats is very firm and flat. (Same for both the 2014 and 2016. Not the worst seat, but not the best either IMHO.

50pascals

I have a 2014 TDI Prestige S-Line with 19" wheels and dedicated summer and winter tires (and wheels). I bought it with 32k on it and now have 102k.

I don't know if yours has "Sport Suspension" but you can get the build tag out of the spare tire well and check all your option codes.

I do know that S-Line suspension at a minimum lowers the ride height 1/2" and is a stiffer spring.

I don't know what the sidewall or door tag says, but I run 32 pounds in my tires based on the wear pattern it generates.

I have a 50 mile commute each way on secondary and back roads. I have no issues with the suspension. I rather like the ride.

The seat bolsters bothered me and the wife at first too, but I got the seat adjusted and it is all good now.

One last comment on the ride - For some reason Audi specs our tires as "XL" which is typically a tire for an SUV. Aside from rating 160 pounds per tire more, this makes the sidewall considerably stiffer. You could try going to a non-XL tire, which theoretically has a softer sidewall. I wouldn't loose any sleep over the overall tire weight rating for the car being 500 pounds lower. This is done all the time in the real world.

There is at least one A6 around here that runs "small" wheels (17s or 18s) in the winter and to my eye it looks no bueno. They also happen to be quite skinny tires, so it looks bizarre from the front as well.