Are the most expensive Coilovers better than Stock Suspension??? (S4 Specific)

[Anotherguy]

Hey all,
First time posting here. Got myself a used B8.5 S4 stock. I tracked it a couple times and I plan on tracking it like 2-3 times a year. Not much though. Will be mostly my daily driver. I love the 3 adaptive suspension settings and do notice the difference when activated. That being said... I don't mind spending the money on a good set of CoilOvers for my car. I will be sacrificing the 3 adaptive suspension settings. And for that I have also been looking at the KW DDC Coil over kits as well.

My question here is:
Are CoilOvers (even the most expensive and best kind) better than the OEM suspension system (Specifically the S4)?
Apart from lowering or raising the ride height do CoilOvers provide much better handling on the track compared to the OEM suspension ??? (Specifically for the S4)

I know that CoilOvers are awesome, and I used them on my Gen4 2000 Golf a long time ago. I loved them because the aftermarket CoilOver set was much better than the stock that the Golf came with. But, specifically to the S4 though, there must have been a crap ton of R&D and Engineering gone into designing the adaptive suspension system and the car as a whole. And I also know that all of these companies like KW, H&R, etc also do their R&D and designing. However, I am not sure if it would be to the extent of what Audi does as a company. Especially Audi being able to use their R&D, engineering, designs and methodologies from their racing divisions and incorporating some of it into their productions cars (Atleast for the sport models) . I honestly am very curious.

I am not really a car guy.. Finally in my late 30's and early 40's am able to afford a car I always wanted to own and love my B8.5 Manual S4. Just love it.

Thanks all.

[MugelloB7RS4]

It will depend what you mean by "better". That can mean different things to different people. Most will be drawn to coilovers for the adjustability in height and in some cases shock parameters. The high end coil overs will provide a higher level of performance but that's also coupled with a more firm ride. That's usually what you trade when you go with an aftermarket system.

On a track, high end coil overs would be quicker and faster than a factory suspension, but for the ride home, you would be more comfortable with the factory set up. It all depends on your goals/needs for the car. I have a B7 RS4 that I track occasionally. I've found that Audi did an awesome job with that car, however that doesn't mean things can't be improved. Whether its brakes or suspension or engine there are always room for improvement in performance if you are okay with the trade offs.

[wrxkyle]

a factory system is what audi decided was the best balance for the "AVERAGE" buyer of an s4 would be. which is likely a 30+ dude that wants a quick comfortable car that can make it over any normal road terrain.

a high end coilover system will be better for performance, but not likely better for comfort. comfort comes from lots of travel and light springs with good damping, generically speaking.

coilovers will often have stiffer springs and with the adjustability of height/corner balancing/valving be able to be turned to higher performance levels.

if you really setup your coils wrong they could be worse in all aspects, so there's that too. they give you adjustability. if you mess with that in the wrong way you can cause unwanted characteristics.

[Anotherguy]

Thanks for the feedback. Like you said.. it all depends on personal preference.

[Atrevido]

Anotherguy, thanks for bringing up this topic. I talked with my indy shop about getting coilovers for my daily driver with the goal of lowering it (about an inch)
while maintaining the ride quality. They told me the handling would be better, but the overall ride quality would be a little too harsh. Instead they recommended
lowering springs and perhaps some upgraded shocks.

[brooklyn86]

I went with Bilstein shocks when it was time to replace stock and to me it strikes the right balance of improved performance while maintaining daily ride-ability.

[Nillamb]

I went with Bilstein shocks when it was time to replace stock and to me it strikes the right balance of improved performance while maintaining daily ride-ability.

What model Bilstein's did you put on? Would you happen to know the part number?

[brooklyn86]

What model Bilstein's did you put on? Would you happen to know the part number?

I was actually able to dig up the invoice so I do have the part numbers:

Shock Absorber-Front | Bilstein Heavy Duty | 24-145985 | QTY 2
Shock Absorber-Rear | Bilstein Heavy Duty | 24-145992 | QTY 2
H&R OE Sport Spring Set (Premium) | Front and Rear fitment | Ride Height: Minimal Lowering (Avg low 1.2"F & 1.2"R) | 50361-55 | QTY 1

The shop I went to recommended going with H&R springs to get the minimum drop from stock. I didn't want to lower it too much and risk scrapping the front end when pulling into and out of driveways.

For what it's worth, at one point I was driving close to 60 highway miles round trip for work for ~3 years and I thought the set up was fine. The roads weren't all that great and the rare times I would have passengers they might have said they can feel the bumps more on bad roads but in moderate to good roads they weren't able to tell the difference from a riding quality perspective.

I guess I must have gotten used to it because I couldn't tell the difference in how OEM rode over bad roads versus this set-up. Other than that, cornering speed and stability improved noticeably. I'm confident in saying that because some of the ramps I would take daily I knew very well and could take faster once I upgraded.

Hope this helps.

[Nillamb]

I was actually able to dig up the invoice so I do have the part numbers [...]

Super helpful, thanks! I didn't realise you'd also put springs on as well.

[BEight SFour]

Not to jack this thread but has anyone ran Bilstein B16s on their car with adaptive suspension? Does this run as a replacement or totally different set up?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Audizine Forum mobile app

[SauerkrautPower]

Id vouch for coilovers because you can get it corner balanced and have your car handle like its on train tracks with a consistent feel of both left and right turns :)

Honestly coilovers are a waste of money if you dont get it corner balanced unless you're just looking for the slammed/flush look.