2016 A7 feels so stiff with regular dynamic suspension
 

Hi guys, I have purchased 2016 A7 with 4K on the clock. 200 kw quattro Drive. Car doesn't have a air suspension. Just regular dynamic spring suspension. The wheels are 255/45/r18. I can feel every small bump on the road. I would say that the suspension doesn't absorb anything even with these 45 wheels profile. I can not imagine how the comfort ride would be with 19inch wheels. Does anybody have a same feeling with regular spring suspensions?
My previous car was a Lexus LS430 and I have heard that Germans car are little stiffer but did not expect that huge difference.

Amazing ride with 20" wheels on my 2014 A7.

What tires and are you sure they are inflated properly? Overinflated tires will make the ride harsh.

No kidding. You have a 20" wheels with regular spring suspension?
It is not about tire pressure what I have already changed to proper Numbers. There are still original Bridgestones.
If your ride is comfortable with 20" wheels there must be any more springs options and I must have another ones.

I do have the Sport Suspension but that just lowers the ride and has stiffer springs. I'm riding on Pirelli P-Zero tires.

Ride comfort is very subjective and depends on what you are used to. European cars are generally strung tighter for better handling. The A6/7 with either the standard or sport suspension on 19" or 20" to me rides like on clouds. In fact they are too soft for me. I've driven several as loaners, but my daily driver is an RS5 with 20" wheels and much much tighter suspension. It's all relative. Coming from a floaty Lexus I can see how the ride of an Audi might be too harsh for you, unless it has air suspension, but for that you need to step up to the S7. Did you not test drive the car on roads you typically drive to see if it suits you?

That's strange. Based on what your are saying I couldn't feel every small roughness on the road and do not bounce myself inside the car. Isn't it any manual setting which dealer could make on every shock-absorber? I have rented 2015 Audi A6 with air and there is a big different. My A7 feels very stiff when turn into the curve and it doesn't incline too much. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...58b7f43a14.png

Dealer usually fills the tires with much more air when they park the cars. So When I tested this car at the dealer I have thought that this is a reason and car gets little softer when proper tire pressure. Not really.

Hi Superswiss..
 

… we RS5 drivers have a pretty high tolerance for pain ;-)

I love the way my car rides, but my wife and most friends prefer the S4 unless we are charging the canyons. I recently had surgery and had to switch cars with my wife for a while until everything healed…

Happy Holidays

eric

Where have you rented an A6 with air suspension? From your profile, it looks like you are located in the US. Air suspension is not an option on the US spec A6 or A7. If you have rented one outside of the US, then you've also probably driven it on much smoother roads. If you bought your car new, I would say the dealer forgot to take out the shipping blocks, but if I read your post correctly, you bought used, so I doubt the previous owner was driving around with the shipping blocks still in there. With a non adjustable steel suspension, you will generally feel road imperfections and bounce around a little bit. That's the nature of the beast and to some that's desired. If that's not what you like then you need to buy a car with adaptive air suspension, so you can adjust the comfort level and the suspension can actively iron out road imperfections. I know very little about Lexus, but I assume the LS has air suspension nowadays. Regarding tire pressure, check your manual. The tire pressure on the door sticker is the max load pressure intended only for when the car is full with passengers and luggage. In the owners manual, you will find lower tire pressures for normal load, which is intended for daily driving when you don't have the car fully loaded.

Yeah, that's probably true to some extent, but my wife doesn't complain, nor have any of my passengers ever. I've done 12 hours road trips in the RS5 and loved every mile of it. My wife used to complain in my previous S4 when she had to sit in the back. It's rougher sitting directly on the rear axle, but as long as she sat in the front, she never complained. I keep tire pressure at normal load, for daily driving and I just put on a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports, now that our size is finally in stock again. They actually made a noticeable difference and I only had them for 2 days so far. Much sharper turn in, but also a more comfortable ride. Quite interesting. Once they are broken in, I have to see how the car runs in the canyons with these new shoes. I've had the PSS on my S4 before, so I've always like them, but I'm curious how they compare to the P Zero in the canyons now that I can do a direct comparison.

Just another question regarding your tires. What exact tires do you have? Are they summer, winter or all-season tires. The rubber gets harder at low temperatures, especially with summer tires. Winter tires have a different rubber compound, but all-season tires also get hard when it's really cold.

I didn't know there are no Air suspension options in USA. I moved back to Europe for two years job. When I have got here I rented A6 with air and I felt in love with handling. Just because I don't like a lot A6 looks I went to Ingolstadt Audi Factory dealer and bought A7. First owner Audi AG reference car with good options (HUD, ACC, Matrix etc). I can't believe that is so big different between A6 air and A7 Standard susp. So I thought that anyone had a same experience like me. Your RS5 has adaptive air suspension, right?

Last Thursday I bought winter tires (wheels included) set. 235/55/R17 Audi OEM with Pirelli sottozero. Can not feel any big different even if it is 55 profile tire.
Looks like I will have to live with that fact. These cars are made for higher speed freeways drive but not for the city.

No, I have the fixed suspension on my RS5. The adaptive suspension wasn't an option in the USA. So, you are in Europe now and still feel like this? Wow, that's a surprise. Europe's roads are like glass compared to the crap here in the USA. I'm originally from Switzerland. I did European Delivery with my RS5 and it was initially a bit of a shock driving it in the USA after 4000 miles on the smooth roads in Europe. But yes, these cars are designed to not fly off the road going north of 200 km/h. I see there are 4 possible suspensions available in Germany. Standard, sport, S-line sport and air. So, three different steel suspensions. Which one do you have? Obviously the standard and air would be the most comfortable. If you have sport or even S-line sport, you should probably have gotten a differently optioned car.

Last 7 years I have driven my cars in Orange county Califronia and would not say that roads are much worse compare to Europe. Well, Germans/Swiss roads are superb but I am in Prague(Czech rep) right now where the roads are not very well :). I have 1BA susepension mentioned on the trunk sticker which should be standards. I don´t realy understand why the Audi do not offer air suspension in US. You do not know what you are missing :)

Yeah, Eastern Europe is a different story and I agree here in California, the roads are not as bad. Orange county more so than here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have some terrible roads in the city that were in dire conditions 14 years ago already when I moved here and have yet to be fixed. However, outside the cities they are pretty nice and have been repaved over the recent years with the federal stimulus money. It's a lot better than it used to be.

We do get the air suspension on higher end models. S6, S7, RS7, A8 and S8. The A6 and A7 seem to be deliberate held back in the options department by Audi of America to sell more higher end models.

WOW I cant believe you people are NOT EVER test driving these cars before you buy it!! Its your fault. I have a 2016 Audi A7 with 20 inch sports package suspensions and its SMOOTHER than my 2013 Lexus GS350 Fsport and a bit softer over bumps and does NOT transmit all these road irregularities like you are all complaining about. Its the tires! Make sure its not overinflated and get it down to 35 psi front and 32 psi rear and get them road force balance properly so they dont vibrate at speed and amplify road imperfections.

I have a 2012 Audi A8L with air suspension and I DO Not like it compared to my 2016 Audi A7 with sports standard suspension. The Air suspension gets floaty and even with dynamic it gets jiggly with bad roads and highways and vibrates the cabin slightly. The A7 is SOLID and smooth.

I dont know what is your issue. I have 275/35R20 on summer 20 inch and I get separate 19 inch rims with 255/45R19 and theres a HUGE difference in the ride comfort and I use blizzaks LM32 for winter and Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 for summer. Maybe you should dump the performance brands and get softer all seasons for your standard rims and Blizzaks for winter. Pirellis are junk.

Audi announces glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) springs, A7 to get them

Maybe you have another spring. This is my spring:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...83b9ea14f3.jpg

I verified to have the newer spring set up that is more compliant than the 2014 Audi A7s and earlier models. I have test driven then vs my A7 and theres a big difference in ride over bad roads.

When I was looking at Audi UK website they have 4 suspension options. We only have 2

They have
Air Supension
Dynamic Suspension
Sports suspension (which we have in the USA)
S-Line Sports suspension (which is MORE stiffer than S-line sports suspension)

Here is description:

The S line sports suspension gives drivers a dynamic driving experience and presents the vehicle in an even more sporty light.

Lowered by a further 10mm (over Sports suspension) with more dynamic suspension tuning over standard suspension.

So I WONDER if you have the s-line sports suspension which is MORE stiffer than our sports suspension.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...c4dda54cd9.jpg

Could you guys do me a favour? Could you check your spring on car if you have 4 rounds or 5? See picture what I found on website of AUdi A7 springs. I should have a standard dynamic suspension.

I have 4 springs like your and the A7 is super smooth and comfortable with my 19 inch winters Blizzak Lm32 and 20s summer with Michelin pilot all season 3 tires. The ride is excellent.

My USA A7 with Sport Suspension has three coils in the front wheel spring
Attachment 70773

You have 4 btw you missed the bottom turn.

Thanks for you information guys. Picture was taken when the car was lifted, right? I can't see a strut rod on my suspension at all.

Yeah I had mines lifted few days ago to change brakes so I took a quick look for you in the front and rear suspesion and got 4 turns. I am telling you the USA A7 sports package is "perfect" and far more compliant and smoother while retaining the sporty feel vs the pre-facelift A7s which I found to be a bit stiff with the sports and 20 inch wheels.

I have the Sport suspension and 20" wheels on my 2014 and find it to be perfect.

You should find a friendly dealer and drive another A7 to determine whether there is some issue with yours. On standard suspension, with 17" wheels and SottoZero the ride should be soft, too soft for me, and nothing like your description.

My A7 has S line chassis suspension (as already mentioned by Superswiss, and repeated by Ballo), 20" wheels in summer, 19" wheels in winter. Which is 1BV (Sport is 1BE). On bad roads, there is some harshness, but my S5 cabriolet is still harsher. Rest of the time, the ride is excellent. And I would not want it any softer. I found the sport adaptive air suspension on the S6 too soft for my liking, but we all have different needs and perspectives on things like ride and handling.

As has been said, if you really liked the A6 on air suspension that you originally drove, it does seem a bit strange that you then went out and bought an A7 without the suspension you preferred.

To avoid any confusion, those in the US add a future year when talking model years. If you bought a 2016 A7 in Germany, in the US that is regarded as a 2017 model. So you have the latest production car, and the A6 you drove would have been a US MY16.

You can, of course, have a dealer fit air suspension to your A7 (1BK). It will be expensive, but surely preferable than putting up with a car you clearly don't enjoy?

Today I took 3 people to have a lunch together. What a surprice how the car felt better when fully loaded. Very nice feel and softer drive. Car did not jump like a nanny-goat and suspesion worked much better. When I drive just myself it feels like the car is too light to squeeze suspension and thats why I feel every bump.
I will go to dealer and explain all this to them. I think I have good research in this issue and he could undestard...
Btw. A7 is only design what I like in Audis car fleet. Thats why I bought it. There was a $7K different between spring and Air so I have thought I could live with regular suspension :)

What is your tire pressure? Maybe you need to drive another A7 with different non-air suspension set up to see. Honestly you are the lone person here to complain of the stiff ride EVEN on tiny 17s rims.... I am appalled.

What you just said makes the point, maybe you should just let the A7 go an buy the new LS sedan that was just revealed. It will give you comfort for you, sorry but the A7 is riding and driving the way its design to do so. The BMW 5 series I had in 2012 was a boat and worse than my 2012 Lexus GS350 F-Sport which is firmer than my BMW by a huge shot and close to my A7 in ts of comfort/handling balance. I would not be surprise if the new LS sedan is firmer for your taste. No one wants a smooth cushy car anymore.... Either you test drive the car properly and admit your mistake and go from there. Sorry.