New S4 owner

[tumby]

Hi all,

I just traded in my 2010 TTS conv for a S4 and I am loving so far. One question that I am trying to figure out.... is the ride quality the same between the ADS without the damper options versus the one with the damper options in Sport Mode Setting? I was supposed to get the full ADS but apparently I didn't make myself clear enough to the sales Rep and it was kind of too late at the time when I figured it out on the day of delivery that mine is just the one with partial ADS.

For sure that the ride is a lot different between the setting that I enjoyed in my TTS but I wonder if don't know if the Damper option may compensate or just about the same.

Thanks!

[kstrike155]

Hi all,

I just traded in my 2010 TTS conv for a S4 and I am loving so far. One question that I am trying to figure out.... is the ride quality the same between the ADS without the damper options versus the one with the damper options in Sport Mode Setting? I was supposed to get the full ADS but apparently I didn't make myself clear enough to the sales Rep and it was kind of too late at the time when I figured it out on the day of delivery that mine is just the one with partial ADS.

For sure that the ride is a lot different between the setting that I enjoyed in my TTS but I wonder if don't know if the Damper option may compensate or just about the same.

Thanks!

Hi, and welcome. It sounds like you got the car with the Sports Rear Differential option instead of Audi Drive Select. You should have 3 options to choose from:


Comfort
Auto
Dynamic


These settings will alter throttle response, steering feel, and the aggressiveness of the sports differential. It does not alter the suspension in any way. If you have navigation you should also have an Individual setting which allows you to alter each component separately.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Brian

[laakness]

I think there was a thread that went into how the stock suspension without ADS is somewhere just short of the same stiffness as ADS in Dynamic.

[tumby]

I think there was a thread that went into how the stock suspension without ADS is somewhere just short of the same stiffness as ADS in Dynamic.

so..... that means the one without full ADS is in fact softer?
[:|]

[SwankPeRFection]

so..... that means the one without full ADS is in fact softer?
[:|]

Does the car handle better and ride better than your TTS? Overall, are you happy with the S4 you have? If the answer is yes, then it's fine. Besides, with the full ADS damps in there, that's another thing to go bad and be an expensive replacement. Now you're free to get whatever springs/damps you want without having to worry about being limited to ones that have the full ADS controls in them. I think you inadvertently might have lucked out not getting one with full ADS, but that's just my opinion.

When I was looking to get mine, I knew I wanted all the options and was kind of bummed that I didn't find one with adaptive cruise in it. After having a loaner A6 with it, I absolutely jumped for joy because my S4 doesn't have it. Adaptive cruise absolutely blows in terms of the way I drive. It's not for me... The full ADS might not be for you either.... something to ponder.

[tumby]

Does the car handle better and ride better than your TTS? Overall, are you happy with the S4 you have? If the answer is yes, then it's fine. Besides, with the full ADS damps in there, that's another thing to go bad and be an expensive replacement. Now you're free to get whatever springs/damps you want without having to worry about being limited to ones that have the full ADS controls in them. I think you inadvertently might have lucked out not getting one with full ADS, but that's just my opinion.

When I was looking to get mine, I knew I wanted all the options and was kind of bummed that I didn't find one with adaptive cruise in it. After having a loaner A6 with it, I absolutely jumped for joy because my S4 doesn't have it. Adaptive cruise absolutely blows in terms of the way I drive. It's not for me... The full ADS might not be for you either.... something to ponder.

The reason I have to trade in for a 4 doors is because of my new born. The TT was a weekend car which I had no longer able to enjoy it since it was a 2 seaters convertible. The TT is a lot better with cornering and pick up speed but the only thing I dislike is the turbo lag. The S4 is different as it gives a lot more luxury items and gadgets, and the handling is still good but we really cannot compare it with the TT. For sure I still like the S4 overall as this is the one which I can have fun while riding with my wife and my new born.

Honestly, I guess there is still differences between the Comfort and the Sport mode even with the damper options. I found that the suspension is slightly softer under the comfort mode and harder under the dynamic mode, but it just not having any adjustment to the ride height. Just like the TT, it has the magnetic shocks that allows the ride to be softer or stiffer just with a push on a button.

[SwankPeRFection]

Wait, you just said in the OP that you don't have the magnetic shocks because it doesn't have full ADS. You know that full ADS does not allow for hight adjustment... right? It's just dampener level of soft/hard. I don't even think it's much of a difference, just a small adjustment you can detect, but certainly not racetrack stiff.

[tumby]

Wait, you just said in the OP that you don't have the magnetic shocks because it doesn't have full ADS. You know that full ADS does not allow for hight adjustment... right? It's just dampener level of soft/hard. I don't even think it's much of a difference, just a small adjustment you can detect, but certainly not racetrack stiff.

I only have partial and not full.... but this is how I feel. May be I'm wrong. anyone else can provide more input?

[tumby]

Wait, you just said in the OP that you don't have the magnetic shocks because it doesn't have full ADS. You know that full ADS does not allow for hight adjustment... right? It's just dampener level of soft/hard. I don't even think it's much of a difference, just a small adjustment you can detect, but certainly not racetrack stiff.

I only have partial and not full.... but this is how I feel. May be I'm wrong. anyone else can provide more input?

[thebc]

Wait, you just said in the OP that you don't have the magnetic shocks because it doesn't have full ADS. You know that full ADS does not allow for hight adjustment... right? It's just dampener level of soft/hard. I don't even think it's much of a difference, just a small adjustment you can detect, but certainly not racetrack stiff.

Personally, it's tough for me to tell the difference. I ran comfort for suspension/steering and dynamic for engine/sports diff for individual mode 99% of the time, when I switch to dynamic mode I notice very little difference in the dampening. I may just not be very sensitive to it. The roads here are pretty horrible, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

One other thing to keep in mind is the adaptive suspension in the S4 is not the same as the (superior, imo) magnetic suspension on the TT RS. From what I've read in previous threads, it's a valve based system.

[Crucible35]

Wait.....new S4s with full ADS have magnetic suspension? I didn't think any S4s had this.

[SwankPeRFection]

Personally, it's tough for me to tell the difference. I ran comfort for suspension/steering and dynamic for engine/sports diff for individual mode 99% of the time, when I switch to dynamic mode I notice very little difference in the dampening. I may just not be very sensitive to it. The roads here are pretty horrible, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

One other thing to keep in mind is the adaptive suspension in the S4 is not the same as the (superior, imo) magnetic suspension on the TT RS. From what I've read in previous threads, it's a valve based system.

Regardless, if he has ADS-Lite (i.e. everything but suspension shocks controllability) then he shouldn't be feeling anything in terms of ride quality when going to dynamic. Perhaps because he's used to having his steering on comfort or auto (which takes less effort to move) when he switches to dynamic, he thinks the suspension is tighter because the side to side movement of the wheels makes it seem like this. I run my steering on Dynamic and the other two on Auto in Individual mode and flip to Dynamic as needed, so my steering input/perception never changes. I like the stiffer feel of Dynamic for steering anyway, it's too loose in the other settings.