I’m a young 68 year old and my wife and I have only owned Lexus for the last 20 years. I now have a 2002 LS 430 with 80,000 miles in perfect condition-it’s a wonderful car. My wife has a 2016 RX 350. I really enjoy the way that my 430 rides-very smooth-no drama. It has 16” wheels. I’m ready for a new car and think the Audi A6 Prestige might be what I’m looking for as it has all the technology that I want. I’ve considered a LS500 and Tesla 100D and also Model 3. Believe it or not one of my “wants” is blind spot monitor. The Lexus has it on the mirrors, but the Tesla’s only have a warning on the monitor. The new Audi has every technology that I think that I’ll need for next few years.

My concern and question to you Audi experts is this: I am going to have to order the Audi to get it exactly the way I want it equipped. My sticking point is the wheel size. I’m pretty convinced that the 21” summer tires will ride much rougher than my Lexus. As you know 19” A/S tires/wheels are standard on the Audi and 20” sport A/S tires/wheels are optional. As far as the look of each, I’m fine with the look of all 3. I just want a nice “ride.”

Should i I go with the 19”, 20” or not be afraid of the 21”.

thanks!





T

The car that I test drove had 21” wheels as did most of the Prestige models that the dealer had in stock. I should have been clearer in my request. Since I will have to order the car, I just want to find out if there is a real difference in ride between the 19”, 20” and 21” wheel/tire size. At this time in my life I’m not going to be carving up the roadways-I’ve had my fun doing that in the past. I’m just asking those Audi experts like you who have experience with the Audi ride and tire size; what they would buy to get a somewhat similar ride as a Lexus, i.e. a pretty smooth ride. Intuitively I guess the 19” would be the smoothest, but just looking for opinions. The cost difference is not a factor.

Very similar situation here. Same age range, same Lexus background, same desire for a smooth driving experience.

I plan on test driving an A6/A7 shortly.

I always go with the smallest wheel size. In my experience, the larger the wheel size, the bumpier the ride.... On the other hand, the larger the wheel size, the better it looks....

Also, IMHO, lack of air suspension tends to a less smooth ride.

A test drive should settle the matter.

HBH

I’d be very interested in your driving impression. Especially as to how smooth and quiet it is.....

HBH

The tire size of the new cars is bigger. A simple calculation tells that the sidewall sidewall height of the 20s is comparable to that of the previous 19s.

I have 19 wheels on my 16 A7 and it’s very smooth. I would recommend the 20s for the 2019s for the balance of comfort and look.

Thanks. Helpful and reassuring.

I drove the 2019 A6 this morning with the 20” wheels/tires. A nice ride but not tremendously different from the 21” in my opinion. However I took my wife with me. She looked at the A6’s with 19”, 20” and 21” wheels. She said the 19”s made the car look like a Honda Accord (or similar vehicles) and wasn’t impressed at all with the 20” wheels either. She said that the 21” wheels made the car look far, far better. I agree-a much different and more impressive look with the biggest wheels. She, like me, was also highly impressed with the technology. I think Audi is far in front of any other manufacturer in this area. If you like your IPhone (or Android) you will certainly like the technology in the 2019 A6.

My Lexus LS430 still is a nicer riding car, slightly bigger and roomier and with just 80,000 miles could last for years. But the A6 has absolutely everything I want in technology. It’s decision time. I will probably make an offer soon and but will not pay MSRP. They may not accept and that is fine with me.

I wish I still had my 2008 LS600hL.

Thanks for the review. Did you notice any hesitation accelerating from a stop?

I’ll try driving one myself in a few weeks

HBH

I did not notice any hesitation at all-looks great with the 21” wheels. My Lexus has aged well, so it’s going to be a difficult decision. If I HAD to buy a car (if the Lexus was wrecked or some major part broke) I would buy the Audi. Unfortunately-or fortunately-the Lexus is fine with 0 deferred maintenance.

Thanks. I’m kind of changing my mind about wheel size as the 21” simply make the car so much better looking. The 19” wheels cheapen the look of the car and the 20” are just “ok.” I’ll probably end up driving less than 3,000 miles a year so I’m talking myself into the 21” for looks alone. First world problem.

One thing for sure-you will enjoy the look on the inside. They really hit it out of the ballpark with the electronics. My wife has been after me to get the same safety stuff (BSM, backup camera,LKA, etc) that she has in her RX350 and now she thinks I will be constantly fooling around with the technology in the A6!

thanks for the information on the Audi membership discount. I will check that out to see if the dealer participates.

The 20” wheels do look nice. I will get Glacier white exterior and the 21” wheels really add to the overall look.

Also been a Lexus owner for years, and ride quality and reliability is what kept me with Lexus. My wife also has the Lexus 2018 RX Ultra Luxury with all the bells and whistles. Love the car. Recently been in market for new car, and was toss up between the new 2019 ES and 2019 A6. Ended up choosing the A6 because I wanted something different than a Lexus, although it was a very difficult decision for me bc ride quality, smoothness, and quiet cabin were a few essentials I loved. Scoured the state for an A6 with 19” wheels for ride comfort, but with all my amenities, but ended up going for the 20” bc too difficult finding one.

Here’s my personal real life assessment: The Lexus ES definitely rides smoother and quieter. I test drove the ES with Ultra Luxury pkg the optional Noise Reducing wheels, acoustic glass, and upgraded Anti-fatigue leather seats. No matter how much I adjusted the seats in the Audi, it just didn’t feel as supple and comfortable as the Lexus seats. (I have the upgraded ventilated/heated seats with 12-way control). With the Audi, you definitely feel the road more— even in Comfort Drive mode. You feel the minute bumps and can feel the car hug turns a lot more than the Lexus. The road noise is noticeably more as you increase speeds above 30mph, compare to the Lexus— especially on the tires noise. The new ES also has sound dampener under the body of car.

However, that being said, the Audi overall ride quality and noise isn’t bad by any means. It’s actually a very quiet and smooth ride— not as good as Lexus, but not bad. I would also say the acceleration and drive train is very smooth— just like the Lexus, only much faster take off due to Quattro. And the technology in the Audi is beautiful— albeit a little glitchy compared to the Lexus. The biggest difference to me are the seat comfort. I drive about 2 hours per day round trip to work. The A6 seats are comfortable but after driving 2 hours, you do notice it a little more on your back than the Lexus seats.

But with all these comparisons, end of day, you have to drive it yourself and see if it fits your needs. I love the new A6 and how more fun it is to “drive” a car. In my opinion, Audi’s are for “drivers” and Lexus’ are for “riders”, and you’re not going make the Audi ride like the Lexus— but that might not be a bad thing. Just different. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your review. I still haven’t made a purchase yet. Every time I think I’m ready, I get in my LS 430 and it’s just so nice! I am however thinking instead of the A6, I should really step out of the box and buy a Tesla Model 3 Performance. The A6 and Tesla are two entirely different cars and actually the A6 has more electronic features and luxury features than the Tesla, but I think I’m wanting some excitement.

Thanks again for your comparison between the A6 and Lexus and ride on the larger tires. I’m sure you will enjoy the new A6!

I am sure that you will enjoy whatever car you pick. Good luck.

Yes, take your time and enjoy yourself trying out the different cars. Good luck with whatever you choose.