nimski62

Hi! I just sold my 2012 A8 NON L (had for 2 years) and loved the suspension and ride (also had the sports differential package and 20" wheels.) Test drove a 2013 s8 yesterday and even on "Comfort" mode, I felt it had a very harsh suspension feel over rough terrain. Is this due to a different type of air suspension or can it be attributed purely to the 21" wheels vs the 20s? Or maybe the s8 normally rides lower than the a8? Comments?

MP4.2+6.0

I went from factory 21's to 20's on my 2015 S8 and prefer it. It does soften it up a bit, but as important it removes a bunch of pretty absurd unsprung weight the factory 21's are saddled with. Thus both the bigger tire sidewall profile AND the lower weight if you use the "right" forged 20" OE wheels make a meaningful difference. Also subtle, but if you use the 275/40's some of us are, you pick up another 0.1 to 0.2" of sidewall on top of the 0.5" radius step from the basic 21 to 20" switch.

But S8 is still tuned stiffer in general--in the air struts and likely the sway bars too. That you can't change if still too stiff in general.

Finally, it is often beyond your ability to control or even know with a test drive, but if dealer had tires inflated per the door sticker, that is really too much for preferred ride quality for most owners. Since 2007 in the USA those stickers are now required to show only the pressure for maximum load capacity. The owner's manual shows the other recommended pressures for part load settings that are a better choice for many.

Jack88

Good note about the tire pressure. I bought some rims and tires off of a friend from his new Challenger with 34 miles on them, and they had been inflated to the max load pressure. After dropping them to a more normal 33psi cold, it made a big difference in ride quality, much more than I would have expected. Never underestimate the significance of tire pressure.

LexusLSguy

I also run about 33 - 34 psi on my 19's. Same with 18's on older LS's. Seems to be a magic number for balance of comfort with a minor loss in rolling resistance.

Mike911A8

Nimski, I agree with your assessment concerning the ride and suspension on the 2012 SWB A8. I test drove one of those and really liked it. It had 20" wheels and sport differential.

As to S8's , my limited experience suggests to me that the Audi focus is on power and beauty, and they nail it in that respect. I'm not so sure about ride and suspension compared to the regular versions.

I test drove a 2007 S8 about ten years ago and I was immediately struck by what I sensed as too much weight at the front wheels, much more than I felt on my SWB D3. My first thought was the larger brakes and the V10 engine. The comprehensive posts by MP4 have caused me to add heavy wheels to the suspect list.

In fact, I backed out of a build order for a new S8 partially because I became annoyed with the failure of the dealership and/or Audi to at least enter into a dialog about fitting wheels and tires suitable to me at delivery.

Mike