I just spent $800 on a set of Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires. So far in 100 miles, I can tell no noticeable difference over the OEM Continentals. I drove another A3 last week that the dealer loaned me and it drove the same with the same tires. So I thought the tires were the common issue and went for the Michelins. Unless some miles on the tires can improve the ride, I am very displeased with the ride quality. The A3 just isn't as good of a ride as my Jetta was. It's a constant shake on my butt and I can't take it anymore. Does anyone else feel the same?
I hate my A3
- Thread starter dhdenney
- Start date
CRdeesl
Well-known member
mine rides pretty nice on the stock 17"s, and I had a gasser A3 as a rental, and though i didn't check the tires (it had like 15k on the odo) i didn't really notice a difference in the tires. How are those kentucky roads? The ones in DC are definitely not pristine!
Well when I got the chance, I checked the air in my tires and the shop had over 40 in all. I normally run higher pressures for wear characteristics however I lowered pressure to 38/32 per the manual. That seems to have helped a lot. I will be doing a 200 mile roundtrip tomorrow so I hope that as the tires break in it will improve further.
Cogen Man
Veteran Member
Yes, too high a pressure will give a harsher ride on most tires. You said over 40 psig in all. How much over 40 ? With a long highway run that over 40 something would add anywhere from 2-4 psig increase in pressure as the air heats up in the tire. Sometimes takes a while to find the sweet spot in cold tire pressure to give the best ride. You'll find it I'm sure.
rotts4u
Veteran Member
I have a 2012 Jetta and a 2012 Audi a3 and to me there is a huge difference in ride quality. I bet you need to check and adjust the tire pressures as noted above. The tire decal inside the driver door is for MAX speed and load. For standard load the pressures are a lot lower and it will ride better. In my TDI due tot he weight of the engine it calls for a lot of pressure up front. Check your manual for your model and adjust the pressure with a HIGH quality gauge. Not a $2 pencil style gauge and adjust it when the tires are cold meaning not driven in 2 hours. I bet you will find that you can drop 4-8 PSI out of the tires and the ride will get better.
eddie_1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2004
- TDI
- Jetta Wagon 2003 TDI tuned to 170HP, A6 Wagon 2008 TDI 2.7L tuned to 340HP
My bro has the A3 in Canada, he can hardly drive it long distance before he gets severe back pain. The Jetta is US spec (kind of living room sofad for US consumption), whereas the A3 is euro spec. Plus if you have the Sline suspension, you feel every bump in the road even more.
CRdeesl
Well-known member
explain.. Which do you like better? I assume you mean the jetta is softer?
Yep, most people underestimate the influence of tire pressure on ride quality, especially if there is only one person in the vehicle. I do a lot of towing with my truck, so I'm constantly adjusting tire pressures according to load, tongue weight, etc. I can immediately tell if I haven't aired down my tires in the truck after towing/hauling because the ride is so harsh. I normally keep my cars at the recommended tire pressures (sometimes a few PSI less) according to a 1-3 passenger load in the vehicle - much better ride.
rotts4u
Veteran Member
I strongly prefer the ride of the Audi A3 (non sport) over the Jetta TDI car. Its not really a question of soft or harsh its just that the Audi feels better to me. It clearly has a better suspension system overall with the resulting ride quality. My wife who drives the A3 daily feels the same way too.
40X40
Experienced
New tires are usually a bit odd until you put a few thousand miles on them. The wife's new Camry has Michelin Primacys on it (good tires, IMO) and it drives a bunch nicer at 6,000 miles than it did at 4,000.
Bill
Bill
Since when is a softer ride better? Audis are meant to be sports cars, not comfy old people rides. I'm sorry, but if you were thinking an A3 would be a soft, comfy ride you really should've done some reading before spending that kind of money.
I'll trade my golf for your A3 if you're interested. It even has a set of 16" wheels and winter tires you can use for the days you want a specially comfy ride.
I'll trade my golf for your A3 if you're interested. It even has a set of 16" wheels and winter tires you can use for the days you want a specially comfy ride.
Well I wouldn't equate a bumpy ride with anything of quality if that's what you're saying. It ought to just drive better than it does.
Drove a longer trip today and it seems like I was getting pretty annoyed by the time I got home. I am going to give the Michelins a chance to break in but I'm split on my feelings right now. Seemed the car was riding better but I find myself stressed out thinking about it while I'm driving. That's not a good thing.
If this is in fact true, then I'm a believer. No back pain but very ANNOYING.
chetdi
Active member
Yeah, I don't get back pain, but I definitely get leg cramps. My own fault though. I'm somewhere between 6'2" and 6'3", and at the dealer didn't really think twice. Two weeks into my long, daily commutes, I started noticing it. If they allowed the driver's seat to go all the away against the rear seats, it would suffice, but I'm about 4 inches short.
That being said, I love driving it, so I just adjust my body accordingly.
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Funny, many of us (including myself) spend large amounts of money upgrading our suspension to feel like your Audi.
My Golf now rides on GTI springs and Billy TC Sports... I love it! I'd probably love your A3 just as it left the factory, too.
I'll bet someone would be willing to swap shocks and springs with you off of their Jetta or Golf if you want the Buicky feel. I know I would.
My Golf now rides on GTI springs and Billy TC Sports... I love it! I'd probably love your A3 just as it left the factory, too.
I'll bet someone would be willing to swap shocks and springs with you off of their Jetta or Golf if you want the Buicky feel. I know I would.
Mike in Anchorage
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
- Location
- Anchorage, AK
- TDI
- 2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
On the rare occasion when my wife lets me drive her Audi A4 with the sport suspension, I find I like it a lot. My JSW feels like a boat in comparison. I know on a longer trip on Alaska roads, I would probably not enjoy her ride so much, unless were driving. At least when you're driving you can have some anticipation of what you'll be doing.
Yeah I know it's crazy just thinking about it. I'm getting some miles on the new tires and I'm either getting used to it or the tires are doing a good job as they wear in. I did about 80 miles round last night and the unbearable had decreased to a few stretches where it was just annoying. I'm telling you, what a rude awakening having come from the Jetta. Having not ever modded the Jetta, the suspension discussions never came across my computer so I was ill prepared at best.Funny, many of us (including myself) spend large amounts of money upgrading our suspension to feel like your Audi.
My Golf now rides on GTI springs and Billy TC Sports... I love it! I'd probably love your A3 just as it left the factory, too.
I'll bet someone would be willing to swap shocks and springs with you off of their Jetta or Golf if you want the Buicky feel. I know I would.
bhtooefr
TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
In the VW hierarchy...
Audi is supposed to compete against BMW as a sporty luxury car
SEAT is the German/Spanish Pontiac, being a low-end sporty car
VW is supposed to compete against Mercedes as a soft luxury car
Skoda is the German/Czech Oldsmobile (at least I think Oldsmobile was lower in GM's hierarchy than Buick at the end), being a low-end soft car
Granted, that "VW as a luxury car against Mercedes" thing backfired for VW, and now their US strategy is more of a Skoda strategy (see the new Jetta and Passat - in fact, they could rebadge all the Skodas as VWs, and then sell them in the US, and they'd probably sell like hotcakes), but... you bought the wrong brand of car if you wanted a soft car.
Audi is supposed to compete against BMW as a sporty luxury car
SEAT is the German/Spanish Pontiac, being a low-end sporty car
VW is supposed to compete against Mercedes as a soft luxury car
Skoda is the German/Czech Oldsmobile (at least I think Oldsmobile was lower in GM's hierarchy than Buick at the end), being a low-end soft car
Granted, that "VW as a luxury car against Mercedes" thing backfired for VW, and now their US strategy is more of a Skoda strategy (see the new Jetta and Passat - in fact, they could rebadge all the Skodas as VWs, and then sell them in the US, and they'd probably sell like hotcakes), but... you bought the wrong brand of car if you wanted a soft car.
palewhitemale
Well-known member
Having done miles in both platforms, I agree that the Jetta is pretty soft. Like, wallowing Caddy soft when you really push it.
The A3 without a sport suspension is a little tighter than that
A3 with sport suspension is tight and precise, but when you put the bigger rims on it, you really can't go with the high pressure for MPG theory. It destroys the ride quality.
I did it on the last road trip I was on the east coast for. After the winter, and moving to LA, I put the S-line rims back on and it took me a couple days to realize that the reason it was so damn rough wasn't the rims, it was the 40+ PSI in the tires. Back down to manual spec for PSI, and it isn't anywhere near as bad.
If you still can't stand it with the pressures down to manual spec, get yourself some smaller rims. I have 16" steelies for my winters, and that thing was like riding on air in a straight line, but because the suspension is still stiff, does well in corners too.
You can definitely manipulate the ride characteristics with your wheel size choice, along with finding cheaper tires. Good luck.
-bill
The A3 without a sport suspension is a little tighter than that
A3 with sport suspension is tight and precise, but when you put the bigger rims on it, you really can't go with the high pressure for MPG theory. It destroys the ride quality.
I did it on the last road trip I was on the east coast for. After the winter, and moving to LA, I put the S-line rims back on and it took me a couple days to realize that the reason it was so damn rough wasn't the rims, it was the 40+ PSI in the tires. Back down to manual spec for PSI, and it isn't anywhere near as bad.
If you still can't stand it with the pressures down to manual spec, get yourself some smaller rims. I have 16" steelies for my winters, and that thing was like riding on air in a straight line, but because the suspension is still stiff, does well in corners too.
You can definitely manipulate the ride characteristics with your wheel size choice, along with finding cheaper tires. Good luck.
-bill
eddie_1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2004
- TDI
- Jetta Wagon 2003 TDI tuned to 170HP, A6 Wagon 2008 TDI 2.7L tuned to 340HP
The problem is that ride comfort is a highly subjective theme. One guy finds hard seats, hard suspension and hard wheels the best thing since slice bread. The other guy who has back problems, which seems to be an ever increasing number through our sedantory life styles, for him it is end of the road. Need to change car after all the tweaks dont work. The best is to beg, borrow or rent the car for a couple of weeks before purchase. Make sure it works for the individual in question. Each person is very different when it comes to ride comfort.
I just completed about an 800 mile roundtrip over the weekend and I'd consider it much improved. I now have over 1500 miles on the Michelins with PSI to spec and it rides MUCH better. There was only a few stretches of road that was kinda bumpy. Other than that I'm happier than I was a month ago that's for sure.
Cogen Man
Veteran Member
I knew you'd find that sweet spot. Good to hear it is getting better for you. We spend a lot of time in our cars and when it's not comfortable it's a pain, literally.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
I put the 17s back on the Golf yesterday to give them another try. I had noticed that the Konis had loosened up a bit with some miles and, I think, warmer weather. I set the tires at 34F/32R, and the ride seems to be acceptable to me, although I haven't driven it much yet.
MayorDJQ
Top Post Dawg
I'm surprised no one has suggested having the wheels balanced again. I had to have a set of new tires balanced three time before they stopped shaking.
MayorDJQ
Top Post Dawg
Well, it was worth a shot.