08 S6 stupid question
 

purchased a used s6 in may - love the car - but when I am driving with family, the two back seaters complain non-stop about the stiff ride, i feel that the ride is slightly stiffer in the front as well when there are four of us - for the record none of them are heavy (i am the heaviest at 170 lb) and the trunk is always empty - does this sound familiar to anyone?

some background info - i almost didn't get the car when i drove it with winter wheels because the ride was very stiff - loved the car when i drove it with summer tires before getting it - actually dreading driving it with winter tires

it is mostly just me in the car so the very rare drives with family complaining is not an issue - just curios to know if the ride stiffens up with more people in the car

thanks

I have owned my S6 for 2 years now and there are lots of times I've had both of my kids in the back seat. I have yet to receive a complaint.

It is a S6 so a stiff or sporty ride is expected.

I have not noticed that the ride is stiffer when loaded up.

Maybe the roads are in bad condition in your area of the world?

We have our share of pot holes here in Vancouver Canada but the ride has never bothered me or my passengers.

Again it is a S6.

Would suggest you trading in for a non "S" model if the ride is too harsh for you.

Or just use the car to drive yourself and get something else to haul the family.

i might end up using our x1 in the winter if the s6 ride is as unbearable as it was when i first drove this with the blizzak winter tires - might use the s6 only between march & nov when i can drive it with the summer performance tires - my audi dealer tells me it is unwise to drive this with summer tires in the winter in pittsburgh

i wouldn't trade it in though because i love driving it by myself with the summer performance tires and it is just me 99% of the time

Check the tire pressures to see if they match the manual's recommendations. The higher tire pressures on the door pillar are for max load (driver, three adult passengers and full load in the trunk). Can make a big difference in ride.

Is it possible the previous owner modified the suspension? Aftermarket lowered vehicles seem to ride a bit more harsh.

Also worn struts (do springs go bad on these vehicles?) can lead to a harsh ride as well. I've never done an Audi yet but all my GM vehicles ride was like new after rebuilding the suspensions after 80K or 100K+ miles.

With some vehicles it's also hard to tell when the struts are shot. My 98 Aurora passed the bounce test but when I pulled the struts they slowly compressed on their own just sitting up against the side of the house. On the mid-size SUV I had a few years ago I could compress the struts by hand with almost zero resistance when I got them out.

Do you have the 19" rims for the winter tires.

I am only asking because I went with a 18" rim on my winter tires and the ride is actually softer with my winter setup.

I agree, I've owned my 2008 S6 for 2 years now, run Conti's on the factory 19 inch wheels in summer, firm ride... as it should be in this car, but not too stiff. I run Blizzacks in the winter on aftermarket 18's and the car drives much softer. Tire age is a big(!) factor, old tires get very hard, regardless of wear, and tire pressure is also a big factor as mentioned, either one could be your problem, or it's just the perspective of your passengers..... It's an S6! It's handles better than about any sport sedan on the road today, read the old reviews. Welcome to the club, you wont regret the purchase, don't ever drive it in D, it stands for dull! Sport or manual is the only setting for this car.

i had an allroad before getting the s6. the allroad had two sets of tire pressures and i always set it to the lower pressure because it was just me in the car most of the time. the s6 has only one tire pressure (44), pic attached.

yes, Pittsburgh roads are bad. i will check the size of the blizzak winter tires when i get home.

my problem also is that the other two cars they ride in are a 2013 x1 and a 2012 honda odyssey. that still doesn't explain why i feel that the car ride is firmer with more people in the car. it could just be me feeling that way due to the complaints.

anyway, thanks to all for your feedback.

unrelated to this - my neighbor's son graduated with a masters yesterday and they had a party for him - at the party, i saw him admiring the car and asked him if he wanted to take it for a spin - his face lit up - he went for a ride with his friends and came back looking like a little kid who had just been to the candy store - asked me all kinds of pointed questions about the engine, transmission, down to the stereo, none of which I had answers for. he said that the ride was the best part of his day.