The gasser versions of the 2015 A3 have a four link rear suspension. The TDI has a torsion beam rear suspension. I wonder why Audi did that? Cost savings? Less "sporty" driving demands? Seems to me they dumbed down the TDI's handling potential. Am I wrong about that?
Wrong? Yes and no. First the no. The loss of the IRS is reportedly due to the need for space to fit the ADBlue tank. This isnt a sports car, the beam rear isnt, IMO, that big a deal for a road going diesel sedan like the A3 unless you're contemplating an entry in the TDI cup or something.
But OTOH, IRS or no, the A3 (and this includes the stock suspended gassers as well) are in no way handling machines. IMO, the TDI stock suspension is utter garbage and feels comparable to something Subaru would produce. Bobs and floats at the slightest provocation, particularly at speeds over 70MPH. Utterly unworthy of a German automobile. Corner roll is measured in fractions of feet, not MMs and more apropos for Coney Island. And the stock tires, Conti TXs are the most lifeless rubber bands ever. Really horrible grip. Forget about cornering... On the slightest incline, even a gentle goose of the throttle from a standstill induces wheel spin. Undoubtedly a product of the uber soft springing resulting in unimpeded rearward weight transfer coupled with these tires total lack of competence.
I want to emphasize that I neither expect it to be nor do I drive the TDI as if it was a race car. But I do expect that in a German sport sedan I can maintain momentum into a corner, pull .5G or so, and do so without wallowing about like 1960's Chevy. For comparison, I can easily run my dead stock Golf R on Conti all seasons (the good ones DWSs) 15 MPH faster around the same 270 degree off ramp with far less trauma. Really should be only about 3-7 MPH slower. The saddest part of this is that in a $10K less Golf TDI, you can. The VDub setup is far, far, better and rides just as comfortably. Bottom line is that with the stock suspension setup, the Audi never ever lets you forget that its a heavy-nosed front driver whereas the VW does so only when pushed. Were I to do it all over again, I would have not let my impatience to buy get the better of me and would have ordered one with the sport package... thogh I cant say how much better that might actually be.
Dont get me wrong, I really like this car a lot. But the lack of any sophistication to the suspension calibration is just such a shame and doubly disappointing given the absolute excellence of the body structure. Really one of the finest, most solid, hunks of metal ever produced. So yes, they have dumbed the suspension considerably, but the problem isn't the lack of IRS. Hopefully a set of the new Bilstein B8s and some Eibachs will solve the problem. YMMV.
