2009 Audi A4 Avant: Rides Too Stiffly For Me

I agree Scott, especially with Euro-cars, as the "stockers" are usually pretty darn good when it comes to handling. Also, besides the stiff ride, I'm not wild about having expensive, fast-wearing "summer" tires that are lousy in the winter, which accompany these sport packages.

Plus those sport package wheels are ugly.

... and you call yourself a car guy.... I've driven the A4 Avant with the sport package and both 18 and 19 inch wheels and while I found the ride quality with the 19's a bit "brittle", neither option was too stiff by any means.

Great vehicles... to bad there's so little utility.

I agree that the ride/handling balance of the non-sport car is just about right on the money. I do have to disagree w/ rsholland about the tires though. The all seasons on this car non-sport are just utter crap.

But then again, it doesn't get below 40 in the summer here, so I can run summers year round...

I'm very surprised by this. My 2010 a4 sport package rides beautifully. In fact, the ride is so comfortable, I'm running my tire pressures somewhat above manufacturer specs. I'm not a total fan boy or anything, have owned plenty of other cars and hated the ride of certain ones (996, newer bmw's with runflats, v8 s4). This car is very comfortable.

Do you have the bridgestones? I know for a fact that even non-runflat, bridgestones (040 and 050) ride much harder than michelin or pirellis.

Do get the sport package. It makes the car. The handling, seats, suspension, wheels all upgrade for $1450.

Also, get a real transmission, 6MT. It is not clunky to shift (s4 or 3.2v6 hint hint) and works much better with the turbo-4.

I also don't get how you guys get such terrible economy. I have 3000 miles on mine. With mixed driving in NYC (mostly highway, but lots of stop and go and some break in runs as well) I'm getting an indicated 27+ mpg on the life of the car (includes port/delivery etc). Even if the computer is optimistic, that's a real 25.5-26. Easily get 30+ on the highway. So it seems that the tiptronic saps economy as well.

By the way, I've driven some non-sport a4's as well. From what I can see, there is NO ride penalty. I still think it is the tires. I did notice a more "brittle" ride on s-line cars which have the same sports suspension but are on 35-profile tires.

Another thought, did you check your tire pressures recently? At delivery, my car had 50psi all around and that rode hard.

hurls65 says:

I find the benefits of summer tires not worth the compromises; that being fast-wearing, which = expensive over the long haul; and lack of snow use capability.

...And yes, I live where it snows. :) If I lived in the sun belt, that would be less of a concern.

Finally, not "all" all-season tires are crap.

In my opinion, the sport package equipped A4's don't feel much different from the non-sport A4's. Firmer than many cars, but i never feel uncomfortable, and I drive around Detroit, where our roads are mostly garbage.

And I would order the sport package again just for the seats.

Also, to comment on an above post, you can't order an A4 Avant that isn't a 2.0T tiptronic. No Stick available. :(

It does seem unnecessary to have a sport package on a Audi station wagon.

However, I do think that generally, sport suspensions are one of the better upgrades for a car simply because, if well done, it upgrades every facet of performance. You get better handling and grip, better feedback from the road, less nose dive during breaking, a bit more traction off the line, etc. Everytime you turn the car, you'll appreciate the flatter cornering. Contrast that to say, power upgrades which are only felt when you punch the throttle, but not during normal driving. And actually, even low hp cars like the Mini can be fun around town because of their sporty suspensions.

Of course, as with all things, if the manufacturer goes overboard or executes the sport suspension badly, the driver will regret the trade-off (and probably, real-world performance will also suffer).

True, I would have a manual avant if they made it. I don't need the wagon form factor badly (though would have appreciated roof rails for a bike rack) so I went with a manual, sport sedan.

I just am bewildered by this entry. I am super careful about suspensions, have owned/driven a whole number of cars and cannot understand how they find the 18" sport package too stiff. It must be the 'stones. I emphatically disagree with the lack of comfort. It rides softer than any sport packaged 3-series I've had, easily as well as my old 528.

wicked picture.

As the title says, rides too stiffly for ME.
Makes many of the posts obsolete with just that.

Jeez, I don't think subjectively disagreeing with the obviously subjective harsh ride judgment makes for an "obsolete" post. This is what comments are for.

I noted the other cars that I own (have owned) to my post so that people who read this know that I have some real world comparison points. I am generally a big fan of edmunds and I think you guys do many things very, very right. As a company, you probably generate a tremendous amount of interest in cars and provide all sorts of good feedback to the manufacturers. But clearly, edmunds as well, can get it completely wrong sometimes. I just have to remember that when I read the other reviews.

This is quite possibly the worst advice you can give to prospective purchasers of the car. The sports package *makes* the car, I wouldn't consider it without it.

@rsholland... absolutely agree that not all AS are bad.

But trust me, the Goodyears ASs that come with this car ARE INDEED crap :)

I remember wayyyyy back in the day when Car & Driver said the 1982 Z28 rode very hard, but when I had one, I felt the ride was fine. I have learned to take with a grain of salt other people's opinions regarding cars and rely on my own judgement. I'll bet, given my experience, that this A4's sport package ride would be fine for me, but I need to drive it first to be certain.