S-Line Sports Suspension or Standard Suspension

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xrkt77

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For owners of S-Line with Sports Suspension can you please advise how you're finding the ride ? Especially over speed humps and poor road surfaces.


I've removed the Sports Suspension from my S-Line, though not sure if this is actually required ?
 
xrkt77 said:
For owners of S-Line with Sports Suspension can you please advise how you're finding the ride ? Especially over speed humps and poor road surfaces.


I've removed the Sports Suspension from my S-Line, though not sure if this is actually required ?
Click to expand...


It is the best decision I have ever made/It is the worse decsion I have ever made........toss a coin and delete as appropriate

This really is personal choice and there are several threads which debate boths sides of the fence the onlty real answer is test drive them yourself.

Personally, I have gone with Sport, currently have standard suspensionon 16' wheels
 
The question goes round as Daveotto says sport or s-line you can also debate colour black or White, at the end of the day when you have made the choice I am sure it will be right for you.
I have full s-line suspension and I like it, my previous A4 was s-line also, my Q5 is s-line this suits me and my wife.
 
As has been said before the 17" / 18" wheels make a noticeable difference as well.
i have test driven and sport suspension with 18" wheels which I really liked, it was firm ish without being uncomfortable and seamed really stable on the road, but have come from 2 sport suspension Hondas (crz sport and last civic s type gt)which where similar firmness.
I am still tempted by the s line suspension as is supposed more fun in corners, but need to judge if it is a compromise too far on comfort for me, all a matter of opinion I know.

I'm test driving an S line suspension finally on Wednesday to finalise my spec.
It will only be my personal opinion, but I will post a comparison to the best I can of the difference.
i am used to medium / firm ride so bear this in mind.



New Honda civic i test drove a couple of months ago was soft, leaned in corners and uncomfortable all at the same time, which is quite a feat ! And made both me and the mrs feel carsick :puke2:while the other one drove which has never happened before, i wanted to like it as have really loved last two hondas, but it was ****** awful !
Just got a call from my local dealer, still trying although have said am not interested, they are now offering a genuine £5000 Off !!! :wtf: ( checked and seamed proper discount / no catches!)
new so must be really struggling to shift them, still wouldn't have one thou !
 
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S line suspension all the way for me, it just looks low and mean in my books and doesn't have it's *rse in the air.
 
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Fragup

You will like the s-line suspension set up as it is not too harsh, I find the A3 better than my Q5 on the same road conditions which are both full s-line spec.
 
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Ok so new here, first post. Picking up my new A3 8v on the 1st of sept(very excited) I've gone for the s line lower option as I don't use the car everyday. It's a Quattro 1.8 tfsi so thought it more fun. So this is not much help but all I can do is relay my finding on the 1st if you can wait. Think though as previous posts suggest. It's a matter of opinion and personal choice!
 
It will all come down to preference. We opted for the standard suspension - its very comfortable, compliant over bumps/potholes and is still very level cornering. I am actually surprised at the balance between comfort and handling, it is excellent!

We test drove the Sports, it was the same on a smooth road but firmer over bumps. After living with the standard suspension for a few months now I love it. I can easily see how the sport or S-Line would be more fun around corners.

It will really come down to what is best for you - all are good - for us it was being comfortable - our roads have loads of potholes and speed humps
 
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BigD289 said:
It will all come down to preference. We opted for the standard suspension - its very comfortable, compliant over bumps/potholes and is still very level cornering. I am actually surprised at the balance between comfort and handling, it is excellent!

We test drove the Sports, it was the same on a smooth road but firmer over bumps. After living with the standard suspension for a few months now I love it. I can easily see how the sport or S-Line would be more fun around corners.

It will really come down to what is best for you - all are good - for us it was being comfortable - our roads have loads of potholes and speed humps
Click to expand...

Yes, the terrible state of the roads round here was the major factor for deleting sports suspension.
 
snakehips said:
Yes, the terrible state of the roads round here was the major factor for deleting sports suspension.
Click to expand...

Haha, yes! We even thought a Range Rover would be a good idea because they are so bad!
 
BigD289 said:
It will all come down to preference. We opted for the standard suspension - its very comfortable, compliant over bumps/potholes and is still very level cornering. I am actually surprised at the balance between comfort and handling, it is excellent!

We test drove the Sports, it was the same on a smooth road but firmer over bumps. After living with the standard suspension for a few months now I love it. I can easily see how the sport or S-Line would be more fun around corners.

It will really come down to what is best for you - all are good - for us it was being comfortable - our roads have loads of potholes and speed humps
Click to expand...

I've had the SE suspension on all my previous A3s and always found it a good compromise between a comfortable ride and handling especially long journeys. I recently test drove a new 8V with S-Line suspension and it's not something I would want on my car. Perhaps it would be OK on the smooth and well maintained roads I drive on in Germany but certainly not in the UK.
 
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Personally I think the perfect setup to tick both boxes is magnetic ride. I've got this on my TT and in "normal" mode the ride is very compliant through the bumps in town, then with the magnets switched to "sport" mode the suspension is significantly firmer and the handling flatter/better on the twisty roads. When it comes to ordering a new A3, I'd spec it again, for the best of both worlds.
 
I test drove the Sportback Sport with Sport Suspension, I thought ride over road defects was no worse than my Passat Estate Bluemotion (lowered as standard) which is fine. So I opted to keep the sport suspension when ordering. Now im in the 3-4 month build line Ive started doubting my decision but changing will add another 3 month, so im gonna stick with sport and see how it goes.
 
Richyboyp said:
Ok so new here, first post. Picking up my new A3 8v on the 1st of sept(very excited) I've gone for the s line lower option as I don't use the car everyday. It's a Quattro 1.8 tfsi so thought it more fun. So this is not much help but all I can do is relay my finding on the 1st if you can wait. Think though as previous posts suggest. It's a matter of opinion and personal choice!
Click to expand...
Richyboyp. I am picking up the same car as you but with Sports rather than S-Line suspension. It would be interesting to compare notes?
 
BigD289 said:
It will all come down to preference. We opted for the standard suspension - its very comfortable, compliant over bumps/potholes and is still very level cornering. I am actually surprised at the balance between comfort and handling, it is excellent!

We test drove the Sports, it was the same on a smooth road but firmer over bumps. After living with the standard suspension for a few months now I love it. I can easily see how the sport or S-Line would be more fun around corners.

It will really come down to what is best for you - all are good - for us it was being comfortable - our roads have loads of potholes and speed humps
Click to expand...

I agree with BigD289.

We wanted a car to replace my wife's Mk 5 Golf 2.0 GT which was very comfortable but nine years old (we had owned it from new). Tested the new golf - excellent but a little too much the same after nine years with the MK 5. Tried the Mercedes A Class - good but not sure about the styling from all angles and hideous infotainment system stuck on the dashboard. Then sat in the new A3 - enough said! My wife uses the car mainly for work journeys consisting of a lot if dual carriageway and in particular the A14. The A14 does not have a good surface - not so much the occasional pothole but more the regular ridges and bumps. We initially tested an A3 Sport on sport suspension. On country roads the ride was superb and very smooth but on the A14 it could have been used to identify every ridge - it was still smooth and unflustered but the noise of going over the ridges registered through he cabin. After much deliberation, taking into account the expected journeys and our middle aged years, we decided to order our S-line Sportback with SE suspension.

We have now had the car for two months and it is fantastic. The SE suspension rides very well and there is no noise intrusion in the cabin when going over the lumps and bumps of the UK road network. Before ordering I was concerned about the appearance of the SE suspension on an S-line but whilst it does sit a little higher you just don't notice it day to day. If it were parked next to an A3 on S-line suspension no doubt you would be able to notice the difference but in my experience so far all A3's look damn smart whatever the specification.

In summary order the car which you think best suits your driving and journeys and you will not be disappointed.
 
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Little red! It's a plan, I'm interested to know of my choice was right. As said though I'm only using the car for pleasure, I'm lucky I don't have to use it for the commute to work :)
 
Richyboyp said:
Little red! It's a plan, I'm interested to know of my choice was right. As said though I'm only using the car for pleasure, I'm lucky I don't have to use it for the commute to work :)
Click to expand...

I too just use the car for pleasure and no long motorway miles, so a firmer suspension should be more fun overall, even if the fillings in my teeth rattle a bit!!

My spec is:-

S line 1.8 TFSI quattro S tronic
Biathlon cloth/leather with S line embossing
Audi Phone Box
Acoustic parking system (rear only)
Bang & Olufsen sound system
Comfort package
Cruise control
Heated front seats
Technology package
Sports suspension
DAB digital radio
 
Spec is the same as mine really. Didn't go with the tech pack which now I wish I had. I had advanced key instead. I wanted push button start :)
anyone any idea how I can get sd sat nav? Seen a few threads about it. I have a card with no activation code. Without paying stealer coin does anyone have a clue?
 
Richyboyp said:
anyone any idea how I can get sd sat nav? Seen a few threads about it. I have a card with no activation code. Without paying stealer coin does anyone have a clue?
Click to expand...

Without wishing to derail the thread - SD Sat Nav is dealer only activation. I don't think you'll find any advice on here about how to unofficially activate it. Although if you have a legitimate maps card then it would be interesting to see if the price is reduced at the dealer just to 'activate' it. Suggest you post the question in one of the other nav threads and see if anyone can help.
 
Thanks mj ill post in another thread as I understand its off topic. Dealer did say they'd activate if I had the code. It'd just cost an hours labour :)
 
I test drove the A3 S Line with standard sports suspension yesterday and found it to be just right for roads around me, think from what the sales guy was saying that most of the orders through that dealership are ordered as standard ie not configuring dropping the suspension another 10mm to S Line or for that matter raising it 15mm to SE, it looks fine on standard sports suspension imho although I am sure it would great in S Line guise I am not sure its worth sacrificing the ride for the look. Btw ordered my A3 S Line Sportback yesterday on the strength of this test drive (been looking for ages!) & the salesman said its due to be built Week 40 :) I was fully expecting a 2014 delivery date!!
 
I ordered in may. Pick up 1st sept. it's bin one hell of a wait. Just hope the s line choice is right :)
 
paul8852 said:
Btw ordered my A3 S Line Sportback yesterday on the strength of this test drive (been looking for ages!) & the salesman said its due to be built Week 40 :) I was fully expecting a 2014 delivery date!!
Click to expand...

How come the time to build is so much shorter than mine, this in not fair ;-)
I ordered a couple of weeks ago with build date Nov 7th?
 
Flugel Hound said:
How come the time to build is so much shorter than mine, this in not fair ;-)
I ordered a couple of weeks ago with build date Nov 7th?
Click to expand...

I guess like mine dealers have orders in the pipeline as allocation and swop the specs to match what the customer wants.
 
Flugel Hound said:
How come the time to build is so much shorter than mine, this in not fair ;-)
I ordered a couple of weeks ago with build date Nov 7th?
Click to expand...
I have to admit I was pretty astounded as was the salesman, I did ask whether that was accurate being it was a Sunday, he indicated its 24/7 live & I just got lucky with my configuration...I forgot to put on a minor option (tyre monitor) and enquired about adding it, he did say there was a chance that it might push it to the back of the queue decided to leave it!! Will keep an eye on the build schedule as I know they can move!
 
Fragup said:
I'm test driving an S line suspension finally on Wednesday to finalise my spec.
It will only be my personal opinion, but I will post a comparison to the best I can of the difference.
i am used to medium / firm ride so bear this in mind.
Click to expand...

I was given the heads up by a really helpful forum member in advance that the local S line test car i was supposed to be testing had standard sports suspension, not S line lower set up I had hoped (salesman forgot to check, but has been great so far so let him off)
So took sports suspension set up (S Line 3 door 2 ltr. 150 Diesel, brilliant black with pano) for a spin today with mrs on the rougher / poorer roads round our way and to be honest was close to perfect, being firm / comfy for both of us, that decided to stick with sports suspension without waiting further to testing an S Line setup.
Sport set up is actually firmer then the Honda civic s type gt and crz have come from, but because the car is so well put together and seats are so good (well impressed with seats on rough roads by the way) that it compensates and gives a really nice mix of feel / comfort. A few reviews i read had said there is not much feed back from road, but I disagree I found it pretty good, more than good enough for everyday driving. Sorry I can't compare sport / s line suspension as I thought, but i can highly recommend the sport suspension when pushed a bit,
I can see it being a bit too firm for the older, people with bad backs or just those who put comfort first, so the SE set up will definitely be better for some.
I think S line would be reserved for the driving enthusiast. If I wasn't taking parents out occasionally (which why I have gone for sport back) I would have waited and tested the lower s line set up. But after being a passenger today, I could see that if the sport is verging on firm, older passengers may struggle with a firmer than sport setup (s line suspension) on poorer roads.
I know some will say go for S line and for them I think they are right, i found S line with sports suspension setup with dynamic drive on, was really good fun down the windy roads (when the traffic would get out of the way !) so S Line must be a blast on a decent engine, But for most i think sport suspension is the best combination, was for me anyway.

N.B. The 2 ltr. 150 diesel is a cracking engine, has plenty of poke when you put your foot down, but still very smooth / refined, there are going to be a lot of chuffed people on here come 1st / 2nd of sept.
 
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Fragup - many thanks for the great review. Pretty much tallies with my thoughts when I drove the S-line with sports suspension. I thought it was just about perfect EXCEPT that I am one of those older people with bad backs, so I've deleted it and hoping it doesn't completely ruin the drive.
 
Thank you Fragup, an excellent report and gives me more confidence in my choice of Sports Suspension. I may be retired and grey, but I enjoy a rewarding drive, if you know what I mean!
 
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Thought you'd like the suspension on that A3 Fragup, I took my two boys out in the same car & they found it very comfortable even on Eastbourne's pot holed roads!!! In contrast we also took out the SE Sportback they had there and that felt very woolly no real feedback in short didn't like it, I think we've picked the best combo... S Line with Sports suspension...that diesel is a peach though, I was almost tempted to switch my order from COD to Diesel..then looked at the price difference!! COD all the way :)
 
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Love these reviews guys, can't wait to get in mine on the 1st. I've gone for the lower s line. Pretty sure this thread will get some response after all the new pick ups on Sunday :)
 
Little Red Monster said:
Thank you Fragup, an excellent report and gives me more confidence in my choice of Sports Suspension. I may be retired and grey, but I enjoy a rewarding drive, if you know what I mean!
Click to expand...

sport suspension, is just that 'sports', I think because it is the middle of 3 possible A3 setting its possible to think it is the average,
but it is a firm sporty set up, enough for all those except real driving enthusiasts who are willing to comprise comfort that bit more. I had a lot of fun down the back lanes today, enough to says its going to be great fun to own one ! I can't wait :jump:
 
Richyboyp said:
Little red! It's a plan, I'm interested to know of my choice was right. As said though I'm only using the car for pleasure, I'm lucky I don't have to use it for the commute to work :)
Click to expand...

Hi Richyboyp. I have driven the car about 20 miles or so today, just a wonderful experience and the 'Sports suspension' is just about perfect. Only jars when you hit a deep pothole, otherwise just a nudge in the suspension. Road noise is subdued too and the road holding is just perfect. Have not driven the car hard, will give it a few miles before I try kick-down etc. Voice control has a mind of its own so far (my fault) and storage could be more generous. Very happy bunny here, how about you?

PS B&O - Michael Jackson on full blast rattles the windows in the house!!
 
So I've done about the same amount on mixed roads, not kicked down as yet until its run in a little. I'm really impressed with the ride, I was a passenger for a short trip and this gave me more time to take in the ride. It's noticeably firm but to no point that I find uncomfortable. I have yet to take my dad out, that'd be the tester ;)
It's only going to be a side by side test which will show the difference I guess. I drove a 5 door se back in may and so can't really remember to compare :(
 
The thing with how a car rides is that unless it rides like a go-kart or a 70s Citroen everything in between is down to preference of too firm or too soft – a bit like selecting a bed. Sure some cars are renowned for jiggly rides or poor damping and can be discounted on a short test drive but the real test unfortunately comes with living with a vehicle in a range of driving experiences – a short blast alone, a more leisurely drive with the family, a long journey when tired and so on.

All I can add is that I owned an 8P S-Line with 18” wheels and both my wife and I thought it was a comfortable ride, somewhat at odds with many of the road tests I had read, which made me a little concerned. I can honestly say it was a better ride for me than the BMW 320D that replaced it (both were company cars) which runs on the standard Efficient Dynamic spec 16” rims (not run flats).

I just prefer firm rides as a driver or passenger, not out of some macho enthusiast race driver image but simply because I find it suits me.
 
SE suspension has been great for me (assuming I have it - is there an easy way to check? There is always the chance that they missed it off the order!)
 
cemerson said:
SE suspension has been great for me (assuming I have it - is there an easy way to check? There is always the chance that they missed it off the order!)
Click to expand...

If you check your order code sheet, mine was on a sticker in the log book folder, there will be 3 digit codes (random numbers and letters) which indicate Sport, or de-select sport or add S-line suspension. Either check all the codes with the codes in the brochure or type into site below.

This is basically the build for the car.

VW Group Option Codes Decoder

Stitok
 
E0A = No special edition
4UP = Drivers and front passenger air bag with knee air bag and front passenger air bag deactivation
6XK = Exterior mirrors: automatically dimming,electrically foldable/adjustable/heated
5SJ = Left exterior mirror: convex
6TS = Right exterior mirror: aspherical, large viewing field
1KE = Disc brakes, rear
J2D = Battery 380 A (68 Ah)
1ZE = Disc brakes, front (Geomet D)
1AT = Electronic stabilization program (ESP)
3FA = Without roof insert (standard roof)
1JA = Rear shock absorption, basic design 1
G02 = Front shock absorption
5TD = Decorative aluminum inserts
7X5 = Parallel parking assistant
4R4 = Power windows with comfort operation andcircuit breaker
F0A = No special purpose vehicle, standard equipment
8GU = Alternator 140 A
0YD = Weight range 4 installation control only, no requirement forecast
L08 = Suspension range 08 installation control only, no requirement forecast
TR1 = 4-cylinder diesel engine 2.0 L unit 04L.A
3NZ = Rear seat bench unsplit, backrest split folding
8IM = Gas discharge headlights with dynamic bending light
U5B = Instrument insert, mph speedometer Great Britain
1N3 = Speed-related variable steering assist (Servotronic)
1XW = Leather trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel
8Q5 = Headlight-range adjustment, automatic/ dynamic with dynamic bending light (AFS 1)
9S6 = Multi-function display/on-board computer"Colour"
8Z5 = Not hot country
DN4 = 4-cyl. turbo dies. eng. 2.0 l/110 kW 4V TDI common rail Base engine is TS1/TR1
7UG = Navigation system - High
C9X = Alloy wheels 7.5J x 17
7K1 = Tire pressure warning light
4X3 = Side air bag front with curtain air bag
3PQ = Manual height adjustments for front seats, depth adjustment for both front seats
4KC = Side and rear windows in heat-insulatingglass
4F2 = Central locking system "Keyless Entry"
5D1 = Carrier frequency 433.92 MHz-434.42 Mhz
1SA = Without additional front underbody guard
7MJ = Emission standard EU5 plus
Q4H = Comfort sports seats, front
QI6 = Service indicator 30,000 km or 2 year ( variable )
4GH = Windshield in heat-insulating glass with sunshield

Guessing that means SE then!
 
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