2014 S4 and East Coast roads

[Zewski]

Hey,

I'm currently looking into buying a new car, one of course being the new 2014 Audi S4. I currently have a 2005 Acura TSX and I live on the East Coast. So far everyone I know that has a sedan or coupe has a bent rim or 2. The roads here are brutal, and even if you try to avoid every pothole, you will get unlucky a few times. My TSX has 3 out of 4 of the rims bent, and it'll cost me quite a bit to replace. Even if I could afford it.. whats the point they would get bent again. Now I would love to get the Audi ,but I'm just scared that considering how expensive they are to service, the rims will get bent. This has led me to pursue an SUV [:(]. Either a Q5, Grand Cherokee, or w.e. Has anyone here have had the same concerns? Any Advice or Alternative? I would love to get the s4...[=(]

BTW: I do have an hour commute to work every day.

Thanks
-C

[SteveYem]

I think you answered your own question....get the SUV with the additional protection/comfort of ~50 sidewall profile tires. Any way you cut it, 255/35/19's aren't going to be very forgiving when you're crashing through pot holes. I'm pretty sure I have one or two bent wheels on mine because of a monster pothole I hit, so now I get a nice "wubwubwubwub" sound at low speed. Oh well!

[shonseb]

I hit one monster pothole that bent one of my titanium rims and blew out 2 tires. In all fairness, it took out like 3 other cars as well. Besides that I have been pretty good with my wheels, through NYC. I also keep my tire pressures on the higher side which I think helps a little (40psi), so the potholes don't get to the rim that easily. I'm running 255/35/19 dunlops with out any other issue other than that one I mention. But then again, I don't speed when I know roads are bad. In the past, I've bent many wheels, mostly aftermarket and even with more sidewall. But these OEMs are really strong and holding up well. I think the tire has a lot to do with it also. In the past I ran pirelli p-zero which bubbled very easily. These dunlops can really hold their own. I want to switch to Michelin PSS because of all the rave reviews, but I don't know how that will hold up.

[rs4dreams]

You can run the other stock size: 18s (18x8 with 245/40/18 tires) for some added rim protection. Or get 18x8.5 wheels and run 255/40/18 for even slightly more sidewall.

[saxon]

I came from a tsx and haven't looked back

[Celiot29]

I hit one monster pothole that bent one of my titanium rims and blew out 2 tires. In all fairness, it took out like 3 other cars as well. Besides that I have been pretty good with my wheels, through NYC. I also keep my tire pressures on the higher side which I think helps a little (40psi), so the potholes don't get to the rim that easily. I'm running 255/35/19 dunlops with out any other issue other than that one I mention. But then again, I don't speed when I know roads are bad. In the past, I've bent many wheels, mostly aftermarket and even with more sidewall. But these OEMs are really strong and holding up well. I think the tire has a lot to do with it also. In the past I ran pirelli p-zero which bubbled very easily. These dunlops can really hold their own. I want to switch to Michelin PSS because of all the rave reviews, but I don't know how that will hold up.

At 40psi u must feel an ant when u run over it I would imagine...no?

[shonseb]

lol, yeah but the H&R coils are pretty good for comfort. Actually the first thing I noticed is they are better than the stock sports suspension for comfort. Still I'd rather have a little rougher ride than a bubble in my tire or a bent rim.

[lapisia]

I do 40 psi all round as well over here. My back can still manage the ride atm lol.

[Schadenfreude]

North Jersey roads bent 3 of the 4 rims on my B6 S4 (stock Avus 18's). I don't think the B6 rims were very strong though. From there I went into an '11 STi which had forged rims and those rims took a few unexpected hits and had no problems. So far my B8 seems to holding up pretty well. If OP has any concerns about ride quality on NE roads, I am very happy with the ride of my B8 (non- ADS). It is much better than the ride of my B6 on 18" rims which was awful. The '11 STi I had rode much better than my B6 fwiw. My wife and several passengers commented on the hard ride of the B6 but the B8 has gotten nothing but praise.

[jlaudio]

ha i was driving around Newton and Boston yesterday and i have the peelers on my a4 and its lowered. it was Brutal... i was that asshole swerving and taking up two lanes just so i don't have to feel that bone crushing THUD when you hit one of those potholes

[afig367]

As much as I love the Peelers, the 40 aspect ratio on the OEM 18s is the lowest I'm willing to go. The roads around me are absolute garbage.... right up there with Michigan and Massachusetts. If you get the 18s, you might be okay. I have 8,600 miles on mine and haven't bent anything or bubbled a tire (not the case on my Subaru Impreza). My Pirellis are wearing prematurely due to all the stop-and-go driving I do, but all things considered, I've been impressed with their quality. Another option could be the SQ5.

Side note: The other night in downtown Philly, I saw a Corvette take a pothole on pretty hard. He didn't go flat, but I could tell from the sound he hit the rim.

[adamkb26]

Just get the SQ5 instead. It's basically an S4 SUV. I test drove one not long ago and fell in love with it. Trying to get my wife to replace her 10' Q5 3.2.

[name.goes.here]

Boston roads do suck, but I certainly would not - and did not let it deter me from buying an Audi. That being said, however, I'm not going larger than 18 for my rims.

[coolwater]

I also run 40-42 psi all around.
19 inch VMR wheels with 255 rubber and I've been good in NYC.
Had OEM 19s for a year driving 60miles a day and also no issues.

-cW

[westwest888]

Hey,

I'm currently looking into buying a new car, one of course being the new 2014 Audi S4. I currently have a 2005 Acura TSX and I live on the East Coast. So far everyone I know that has a sedan or coupe has a bent rim or 2. The roads here are brutal, and even if you try to avoid every pothole, you will get unlucky a few times. My TSX has 3 out of 4 of the rims bent, and it'll cost me quite a bit to replace. Even if I could afford it.. whats the point they would get bent again. Now I would love to get the Audi ,but I'm just scared that considering how expensive they are to service, the rims will get bent. This has led me to pursue an SUV [:(]. Either a Q5, Grand Cherokee, or w.e. Has anyone here have had the same concerns? Any Advice or Alternative? I would love to get the s4...[=(]

BTW: I do have an hour commute to work every day.

Thanks
-C

There's a lot of ground clearance and suspension travel in the Audi. If you are really worried just get the 18" wheels. Audi runs a 26" tire compared to BMW's 25" tire, so there's a lot more circumference to even out the road imperfections even at seemingly large sizes.

[mrmomo313]

I've bent one of my stock peelers 3 years after getting the car. And just recently bent one of my VMR's 2 weeks ago (sister was driving). Just be careful and you should be fine. 2 rims bent in a span of almost 4 years isn't too bad considering we have some of the shittiest roads in america here.

[A4A4A4]

Isn't there some sort of wheel and tire warranty you can buy from Audi? I wouldn't normally recommend added extras like this but if it could be a deal breaker for you, you may want to look into it.

[shonseb]

I've driven there and I agree, Detroit has the crappiest roads I've ever driven on. The potholes can get so deep that if you have a lowered car, you can bottom out if your wheel goes in one.

[MarcWinkman]

I'm in Northern Delaware and they've been working on I95 down here perpetually for about the last six or seven years. In that time I've run a few different cars with different wheel and tire setups and can honestly say I've had minimal problems (knock on wood). My S4 is my daily driver and I currently run it with 255/30/20 tires, but come winter I'll be back to my factory 19 wheels with 255/35/19 winter tires. I've found the trick to be to get a good idea where the problem areas are and to exercise as much caution as possible. If you're really worried about wheel/tire damage, when you get the car, do the wheel and tire warranty (assuming your dealership offers one).

[coolwater]

While we are on the topic, how many potholes does a road need before they just repave the whole thing...
http://i41.tinypic.com/2w7k2sj.jpg

-cW

[MarcWinkman]

While we are on the topic, how many potholes does a road need before they just repave the whole thing...
http://i41.tinypic.com/2w7k2sj.jpg

-cW

Wow, that's pretty awful. I'm sure driving on that is like driving on the brick and cobblestone roads they have around spots where I live.

[Brooklyn]

Had my 2011 since Aug 2010 on DC area roads, with trips to NYC also on the tally. Factory 19's, my VMR 710's, and my current AG wheels in 19's have held up fine. That said, I'm not charging down Canal Street doing a buck 90 either. Your situational awareness re: potholes and so forth needs to be pretty high when you're running 18 or above. I smoked an 18" Borbet wheel way back in my B5 Passat days on a pothole exiting the tunnel in Baltimore. All it takes is the right pothole on the right day.

[MerkurRS]

I understand your concern, but not sure I would go so far as limit your car based on roads.
I live in PA and the roads do suck here as much as when I travel to Philly, NJ or NY. I just have to be careful when I drive- whether it's my S4 or Excursion. I hate replacing ball joints and tie-rods as much as I do wheels or tires (getting ready to do ball joints again on my Excursion [headbang])
Drive carefully my friend.....