Greetings! Just got a 2013 S6 with 20" wheels & finding ride too firm-Help! (Long)

[Jonathan G.]

Well , after reading & watching every review on the C7 S6 and wanting one for awhile and some test drives, i just purchased a CPO 2013 S6 with the 20" wheels and new Pirelli Pzero tires in the 255/35 20 size.
My previous rides were a 2006 M-B CLS55 AMG for good weather and a B6 S4 for foul weather. The B6 S4 was totaled 3 years ago and replaced with A Dodge Charger R/T Max AWD (5.7 Hemi V8).
i thought i would only use the dodge for foul weather and the cls55 would remain my daily driver but i gradually began to drive the AWD V8 Charger full time as i loved all the latest driver comforts and infotainment it had that the 06 M-B AMG Lacked.
The charger lease was up , and the artificially high residual that made the lease a bargain made the asking price to buy it out too great & non-negotiable so i figured i would replace both vehicles with the cpo S6.
Driving the S6 back from the dealer, i became concerned over its ride thumping on the highway expansion joints in the NorthEast that i have never felt in the Charger with its 235/55 19 all-season michelins and its 5.08 " tire sidewall height.
The S6 was set in comfort mode and tire pressure all around was 37.5.

I am now worried that in my middle age , i have grown accustomed to the too soft and pillowy ride of the charger and the S6, as great a car as we know it is, may have been the wrong choice for me but i really hope not!
I had been planning to switch out the tires for Conti DWS 06 All seasons for year round capability and am hopeful that they will ride softer than the high perf summer pirelli P Zeros and solve a lot of this ride concern.


I have been advised privately by forum members to run the car in Auto instead of comfort mode to better handle expansion joints and pot holes as well as increase the tire pressure to the recomended 42/39 psi - thoughts?

***Would I be completely crazy to increase the tire sidewall height from 3.51" to 4.51" by ordering the DWS 06 IN 255/45 20 INSTEAD of 255/35 20 OE size?
the overall tire & wheel diameter would increase from 27" to 29" or 7%.
the speedometer would falsely read 64mph when it was really 60 mph but i have found links how to recalibrate that via VCDS VAG COM.
the car would be slightly slower in acceleration due to the larger slower spinning tire but i dont care about that as a trade off to a more tolerable ride for me.
i also dont care about the slightly elevated appearance of the car , provided it functioned properly like this.

if this is too extreme, would other sizes like 255/40 20 (with a diameter increase to 28" from 27" or 3.4% increase) or 265/35 20 for an even smaller increase in sidewall tire height over 255/35 20 OE size make any sense to do?

Any other ideas?
I could try and find someone wiiling to swap for factory 19" wheels with 255/40 19 tires which would get me an increase of a half inch tire sidewall height from 3.51" to 4.01" without changing the overall diameter of 27" but that is a lot harder or costly to do and how much help would that half inch make for ride comfort with the Conti DWS 06?

All help and advice greatly appreciated ans apologies for the long winded explanation and to start with a problem!

Thanks!!

[dab]

have you tried the suspension in comfort and not dynamic?

[Jonathan G.]

have you tried the suspension in comfort and not dynamic?

Thanks for responding and sorry for the newbie posting errors.
Yes, the car was in comfort mode for the drive home and I checked the tire pressures afterwards and they were a little below recommended specs.
An audi sales person who is also an S6 owner advised me to now try the car in auto mode and with tire pressures higher at 42/38. He felt the car handled road irregularities better in auto mode than comfort mode ( despite what I would have thought ) and with normal tire air pressure and not slightly low.
What has me worried about the S6 for me was that I found the northeast road imperfections to noticeable while in comfort mode .
Thanks!

[BrentAdams646]

Well , after reading & watching every review on the C7 S6 and wanting one for awhile and some test drives, i just purchased a CPO 2013 S6 with the 20" wheels and new Pirelli Pzero tires in the 255/35 20 size.
My previous rides were a 2006 M-B CLS55 AMG for good weather and a B6 S4 for foul weather. The B6 S4 was totaled 3 years ago and replaced with A Dodge Charger R/T Max AWD (5.7 Hemi V8).
i thought i would only use the dodge for foul weather and the cls55 would remain my daily driver but i gradually began to drive the AWD V8 Charger full time as i loved all the latest driver comforts and infotainment it had that the 06 M-B AMG Lacked.
The charger lease was up , and the artificially high residual that made the lease a bargain made the asking price to buy it out too great & non-negotiable so i figured i would replace both vehicles with the cpo S6.
Driving the S6 back from the dealer, i became concerned over its ride thumping on the highway expansion joints in the NorthEast that i have never felt in the Charger with its 235/55 19 all-season michelins and its 5.08 " tire sidewall height.
The S6 was set in comfort mode and tire pressure all around was 37.5.

I am now worried that in my middle age , i have grown accustomed to the too soft and pillowy ride of the charger and the S6, as great a car as we know it is, may have been the wrong choice for me but i really hope not!
I had been planning to switch out the tires for Conti DWS 06 All seasons for year round capability and am hopeful that they will ride softer than the high perf summer pirelli P Zeros and solve a lot of this ride concern.


I have been advised privately by forum members to run the car in Auto instead of comfort mode to better handle expansion joints and pot holes as well as increase the tire pressure to the recomended 42/39 psi - thoughts?

***Would I be completely crazy to increase the tire sidewall height from 3.51" to 4.51" by ordering the DWS 06 IN 255/45 20 INSTEAD of 255/35 20 OE size?
the overall tire & wheel diameter would increase from 27" to 29" or 7%.
the speedometer would falsely read 64mph when it was really 60 mph but i have found links how to recalibrate that via VCDS VAG COM.
the car would be slightly slower in acceleration due to the larger slower spinning tire but i dont care about that as a trade off to a more tolerable ride for me.
i also dont care about the slightly elevated appearance of the car , provided it functioned properly like this.

if this is too extreme, would other sizes like 255/40 20 (with a diameter increase to 28" from 27" or 3.4% increase) or 265/35 20 for an even smaller increase in sidewall tire height over 255/35 20 OE size make any sense to do?

Any other ideas?
I could try and find someone wiiling to swap for factory 19" wheels with 255/40 19 tires which would get me an increase of a half inch tire sidewall height from 3.51" to 4.01" without changing the overall diameter of 27" but that is a lot harder or costly to do and how much help would that half inch make for ride comfort with the Conti DWS 06?

All help and advice greatly appreciated ans apologies for the long winded explanation and to start with a problem!

Thanks!!

AGE?

[RamVA]

I would do factory 19s before I tried running higher-profile 20s. I think that's a bad idea. But first, ask your salesperson if you can drive his car, or have him drive yours, to rule out a mechanical issue of some sort.

My S7 (in Auto mode, on 20" Contis) is the most comfy riding car I've owned. I think it rides better than the steel-sprung, non-sport A6 (which I have a lot of seat time in). (I dislike the ride in Comfort, but that's because there's too much float, not because of harshness.) With that said, there is a lot of tire thump. Make sure before you do anything that what you're reacting to is the actual ride, not impact noise.

A number of other 19" Audi factory wheels will fit, so you can look beyond the S6 wheels if you like. I use the current A6 19" Sport package wheels as my winter wheels.

Good luck.

[BlueSVT]

If you just want a super soft plush ride, none of the "S" cars are going to be up your alley. The S6 is probably the best-riding "sporty" car that I've ever owned by far, but that doesn't mean that it's a sports car. To ME, it's still a bit too soft if anything! They try to find a balance between comfortable, and a sporty well-handling ride... but clearly not everybody will find it perfect for them.

With the car settings from Comfort to Dynamic, I find this is the best compromise of a sporty luxury sedan than I could imagine. If Dynamic was any softer I wouldn't like it... and is Comfort was any "stiffer" I wouldn't like it either!

Personal preference. Sorry to say, there's no "magic" as your car sits. Even with wheels, going down in size is tough because of the HUGE brakes.

Give it time!

[turbello18]

I would do factory 19s before I tried running higher-profile 20s. I think that's a bad idea. But first, ask your salesperson if you can drive his car, or have him drive yours, to rule out a mechanical issue of some sort.

My S7 (in Auto mode, on 20" Contis) is the most comfy riding car I've owned. I think it rides better than the steel-sprung, non-sport A6 (which I have a lot of seat time in). (I dislike the ride in Comfort, but that's because there's too much float, not because of harshness.) With that said, there is a lot of tire thump. Make sure before you do anything that what you're reacting to is the actual ride, not impact noise.

A number of other 19" Audi factory wheels will fit, so you can look beyond the S6 wheels if you like. I use the current A6 19" Sport package wheels as my winter wheels.

Good luck.

2nd this. I run 19's in the winter and they are a lot softer than the 20's with PZERO's. This also seems a lot easier than recalibrateing a larger diameter tire on the 20's. Can always sell the 20's to recoup the cost.

[mjfloyd1]

I bet it's the p zeros. I got rid of them at about 12k miles, noisy, rough ride from super stiff side wall...

[subterFUSE]

Replace the Pirelli tires with Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

You will think you bought a new car costing $20,000 more.





If that doesn't work.... then it's time for a Mercedes and a pair of Depends.

[RamVA]

Yeah, P Zeros are terrible. Noisy, poor wet grip, and a little harsh. I don't love the Contis, but they are certainly better than P Zeros.

[SharkNardo]

Definitely could be the tires...I had Goodyear LS2's in 19 inch and they were absolutely terrible...I've had Super Sports and Conti 5P's, both in 20 inch on the car and it rides and handles fantastic. Try a tire switch first.

[Jonathan G.]

Thank you all for your detailed responses. Much appreciated !
To answer the question, I am 54 years old.
I have always had cars that placed a premium on handling over soft ride from Toyota supras to Nissan 300zx to BMW 540i M sport to B6 Audi S4 to the CLS 55 AMG .
I don't know if I have become softer in the last two years which is certainly possible or that the car I have driven the most in the last two years has been a V8 Dodge Charger R/T Awd with 235/55 19 Michelin all season tires.
The comparison to my cls55 AMG on 255/35 19 & 295/35 19 with factor air suspension is not as severe but the Mercedes did have the Michelin pilot super sport summer tires on it and I agree with all that this is a very nice summer tire.

**** To those who responded to running Continental tires on their S6, are you running the all season DWS 06 and year round in 4 season climate or are you referring to a conti summer tire?

If I will be switching to the conti DWS 06 tires, do you think there will be a noticeable difference in ride quality between the 255/35 20" size and the 255/40 19" size to justify the added expenditure for the 19" wheels ??
( I realize that I can recoup some of the cost with the sale of my 20" wheels and pzero tires)

Is it more the tire composition of the DWS 06 that will make the most difference from the Pirelli p zero summer tires that most dislike
Or the increase in tire sidewall height from 3.51" on the 20s to 4.01" on the 19s?

Thanks for raising the distinction between actual ride quality and impact noise thumping over the expansion joints and road imperfections. I will have to evaluate that further!

I agree with the advice that I have to give the S6 more time as the car is purchased so to sell it back in a week or in 6 months is probably very similar loss should I find the ride quality not to my current desires.

Pleasekeep the advice coming!!

[doubleagentvo]

Are the Pzeros really as bad as everyone says they are? I'm currently riding on Good years ls2 and I don't mind it really. Are Pzeros worst?

[SHR]

Thank you all for your detailed responses. Much appreciated !
To answer the question, I am 54 years old.
I have always had cars that placed a premium on handling over soft ride from Toyota supras to Nissan 300zx to BMW 540i M sport to B6 Audi S4 to the CLS 55 AMG .
I don't know if I have become softer in the last two years which is certainly possible or that the car I have driven the most in the last two years has been a V8 Dodge Charger R/T Awd with 235/55 19 Michelin all season tires.
The comparison to my cls55 AMG on 255/35 19 & 295/35 19 with factor air suspension is not as severe but the Mercedes did have the Michelin pilot super sport summer tires on it and I agree with all that this is a very nice summer tire.

**** To those who responded to running Continental tires on their S6, are you running the all season DWS 06 and year round in 4 season climate or are you referring to a conti summer tire?

If I will be switching to the conti DWS 06 tires, do you think there will be a noticeable difference in ride quality between the 255/35 20" size and the 255/40 19" size to justify the added expenditure for the 19" wheels ??
( I realize that I can recoup some of the cost with the sale of my 20" wheels and pzero tires)

Is it more the tire composition of the DWS 06 that will make the most difference from the Pirelli p zero summer tires that most dislike
Or the increase in tire sidewall height from 3.51" on the 20s to 4.01" on the 19s?

Thanks for raising the distinction between actual ride quality and impact noise thumping over the expansion joints and road imperfections. I will have to evaluate that further!

I agree with the advice that I have to give the S6 more time as the car is purchased so to sell it back in a week or in 6 months is probably very similar loss should I find the ride quality not to my current desires.

Pleasekeep the advice coming!!

Jonathan G, I recently traded a B8 S4 for a C7 A6, so I cannot comment specifically on the S6 other than I think its the hottest car out there, however given that I am in the same age bracket as you I chose a non S car for all of the reasons you are seeking advice on and BlueSVT's comments. I can offer these opinions based on my experiences:

- I've owned the DWS's, P-Zero's, and PSS's, and several of the other models mentioned in the thread and IMO there is no comparison to the PSS's from a ride quality and handling perspective, I will not buy Conti's or Pirellis again, Michelin PSS's are spectacular from every perspective, ride quality, daily driving, track, etc.

- When I purchased my C7 I planned on putting snows on the stock 19's and purchasing 20's for summer. I spoke with my rep about it and he quickly advised me against this, and told me to stick with 19's. He said that the jump from 18's to 19's on the C7 was insignificant, however the jump from 19's to 20's was significant in stiffening up the ride. He said he has had a large number of customers come back regretting having 20's and eventually replaced the car because of it. So, while I do not know what 19's would feel like on your S6, and I do not know if they'll fit over S6 calipers, it may be your least expensive option at this point, 19's with PSS's perhaps.

- I am amazed at how smooth the ride is on my C7 A6 with 19's compared to my B8 S4 with 19's, it is night and day, keep in mind the S6 suspension is light years different and more sophisticated than the S4 in every way so I can give you only my feedback on wheel size ride quality on dissimilar cars.

- I do not know if S6's are available with 19's, if they are perhaps you can drive one at your dealership before you go too much further. The ride quality might still be too stiff and then you'll know what your option is.

- If the 19's help, I'd bet you could find someone willing to make an even trade for your 20's.

I regretfully traded my S4 and desperately wanted an S6, cost was not a factor in any way, I am very, very happy with my C7 A6 with 19's and do not regret my choice, specifically for its ride quality. I hope this helps.

[cellphonechris]

- If the 19's help, I'd bet you could find someone willing to make an even trade for your 20's.

*Raises hand Seriously, I'm located in CT, not far from Westchester!

[07S6]

Jonathan- Maybe the previous owner left the shipping blocks on the car?
But seriously, assuming the suspension hasn't been altered with, the good news is both different tires and/or going to 19's will have a noticeable effect on ride quality and should solve your problem.
I just got an A7 with the Pirelli pzero 265/35/20 and immediately switched to an all-season tire and it certainly is quieter and more comfortable. I run all seasons year round without any issue.
BTW, I do have a set of ultra high perf all-seasons that I took off the A6 in 255-35-20 for sale in classifieds if you're interested.
Good luck

[subterFUSE]

Just adding to this....

About 2 months ago I test drove a new Benz E63 AMG. I think it was a 2016 model. The ride quality was very harsh and firm compared to my S6. I walked away from that experience even more impressed with my S6 than before. That AMG had a $130,000 sticker price on it. I could have literally purchased 2 of my S6 for that, but I liked the S6 better. It's faster, feels lighter, rides better, looks better. There wasn't a single thing that the E63 did better, IMO.

[SharkNardo]

Are the Pzeros really as bad as everyone says they are? I'm currently riding on Good years ls2 and I don't mind it really. Are Pzeros worst?

The PZero's are bad, but I think the LS2's are worse on these cars.

[Jonathan G.]

Again, Thanks to all for their continued advice and particularly appreciate the long written responses.
I guess my next decision will be to get and try the conti dws06 a/s tires in 255/35-20 size on my OE 20" wheels
before trading/swapping/ buying OE 19" wheels and getting the dws06s in 255/40-19 size.
obviously, doing the switch to 19" and the dws06 tire would yield the biggest improvement but at the greater cost/effort of getting the wheels as well.
i see that many in the ny/nj/ct/ma area are tolerating the 20"s well enough to get them again on replacement cars.

It is also good to see that many are getting by with the quattro and all season tires rather than going with the superior dedicated summer and winter separate set up.

(i saw an RS7 yesterday at the supermarket that had 275/30-21 dunlop winter tires on it and the owner- 38ish yrs old- said he didnt mind the ride though he had needed three bent rims repaired from ny potholes - i guess it pays to be young and not old and soft like me, lol)

Related to this decision is that i purchased the tire & wheel protection on my cpo S6. so if I would swap the 20"s for OE 19"s , would the policy still be in effect or is it only for the 20" wheels that came on my car??
similar question for the dws06s in place of the summer P zero tires?
does the policy go with the car or with the wheels?
i can always cancel the policy and get almost all back prorated and get another maybe on a new ser of wheels/tires if need be.

Thanks again and keep the advice flowing!

[BlueSVT]

Just adding to this....

About 2 months ago I test drove a new Benz E63 AMG. I think it was a 2016 model. The ride quality was very harsh and firm compared to my S6. I walked away from that experience even more impressed with my S6 than before. That AMG had a $130,000 sticker price on it. I could have literally purchased 2 of my S6 for that, but I liked the S6 better. It's faster, feels lighter, rides better, looks better. There wasn't a single thing that the E63 did better, IMO.

You should try an M5... that sucker is HARSH.

[RamVA]

A bunch of opinions:

- In agreement with everyone, anywhere, ever, the MPSS are the best summer street tire I have used. They are grippy, comfy, and quiet. I have used them on two Porsches, a BMW, and an S2000. I also enjoyed the preceding MPS2 on an S4 and another Porsche.
- P Zeros are terrible. I have back-to-back experience with them and the Michelins and two Porsches. I would never buy them with my own money. They are noisy, lacking in grip, and kind of harsh.
- My current summer tire is the 20" Conti EC DWS 06. I have been pleasantly surprised with the grip, noise, and comfort. When I say it's the best riding ca I've owned (it's a low bar) that's my basis. That said, when they wear out I'm getting MPSS.
- The Goodyear LS2 isn't bad. They came with the 19" winter wheels I bought and I will drive them until they wear out. They lack grip, for sure, and are not as good in bad weather as one might hope, but they don't make a lot of noise and they definitely don't ruin the ride.

Just one man's opinion, hope it helps. As I said above, you should first rule out mechanical issues, as I would not call this a rough riding car.

BTW, you can get a set of 19s with all-season tires for $1300-1500. If that solves your problem you can get more than that for your current setup.

[cellphonechris]

Related to this decision is that i purchased the tire & wheel protection on my cpo S6. so if I would swap the 20"s for OE 19"s , would the policy still be in effect or is it only for the 20" wheels that came on my car??

I also bought tire/wheel, but the policy does not note the size or model of either. I assume that if a claim is made, the wheel size will be noted for future reference.

[///M Traitor]

When I first got my 2013 S6, I was very disappointed with the ride quality with the stock 20 inch wheels and Perelli tires. I would not call it firm, but it was downright harsh. Wheel travel is not controlled properly and it results in very harsh sounding and jarring movement. I played with air pressures for months trying to get the right balance between good wheel protection, and good road manners over pot holes and cracks and bumps. I honestly feel the problem has to do with the fact that it is air suspension, and the unsprung weight is tremendous with the stock wheels. The smallest of potholes sends the wheel tire assembly rocketing upward into the wheel well.

I switched to 20 inch forged wheels which were much lighter, but lost some weight savings when I went with 275 width tires all around with Michelin AS3's. The difference in ride quality was night and day. I tend to think it's the lighter unsprung weight that has made the difference, but I'm also sure that some improvement could be had by ditching those Perelli's.

[RamVA]

the unsprung weight is tremendous with the stock wheels. The smallest of potholes sends the wheel tire assembly rocketing upward into the wheel well.

That's the opposite of how unsprung weight works, but I agree that the high unsprung weight of the 20s is probably a bigger issue than the sidewall height.

[MadAboutCars]

Are the 20" wheels heavier? With the 19" wheels you have more side wall rubber to get the same rolling diameter.

[SHR]

Again, Thanks to all for their continued advice and particularly appreciate the long written responses.
I guess my next decision will be to get and try the conti dws06 a/s tires in 255/35-20 size on my OE 20" wheels
before trading/swapping/ buying OE 19" wheels and getting the dws06s in 255/40-19 size.
obviously, doing the switch to 19" and the dws06 tire would yield the biggest improvement but at the greater cost/effort of getting the wheels as well.
i see that many in the ny/nj/ct/ma area are tolerating the 20"s well enough to get them again on replacement cars.

It is also good to see that many are getting by with the quattro and all season tires rather than going with the superior dedicated summer and winter separate set up.

(i saw an RS7 yesterday at the supermarket that had 275/30-21 dunlop winter tires on it and the owner- 38ish yrs old- said he didnt mind the ride though he had needed three bent rims repaired from ny potholes - i guess it pays to be young and not old and soft like me, lol)

Related to this decision is that i purchased the tire & wheel protection on my cpo S6. so if I would swap the 20"s for OE 19"s , would the policy still be in effect or is it only for the 20" wheels that came on my car??
similar question for the dws06s in place of the summer P zero tires?
does the policy go with the car or with the wheels?
i can always cancel the policy and get almost all back prorated and get another maybe on a new ser of wheels/tires if need be.

Thanks again and keep the advice flowing!

Rather than compromise with all seasons, why not put MPSS summers on your 20's, and put something like a Blizzak LM32 on a nice lightweight 18 or 19 for winter? The MPSS's should fix the harshness on the 20's and you'd have the best tire available for nice weather driving, and the lightweight 18's or 19's with LM's will be quite a bit smoother and give you maximum bad weather control. All you're really doing is investing in a set of wheels and prolonging the amount of time between replacing tires since you'll run them each a half year theoretically.

[Jonathan G.]

Rather than compromise with all seasons, why not put MPSS summers on your 20's, and put something like a Blizzak LM32 on a nice lightweight 18 or 19 for winter? The MPSS's should fix the harshness on the 20's and you'd have the best tire available for nice weather driving, and the lightweight 18's or 19's with LM's will be quite a bit smoother and give you maximum bad weather control. All you're really doing is investing in a set of wheels and prolonging the amount of time between replacing tires since you'll run them each a half year theoretically.

thank you and all for the continued advice!

i could be wrong but i am not aware of any 18" wheels that will fit the S6 given the size of the front or all disc brakes.
in fact, i am not sure if all Oem Audi 19" wheels will work because of the inner clearance issues of the brakes - anyone please feel free to say so.

will A7 19" wheels that come with 255/40-19 tires fit the S6 or is their offset different?

i see that a fellow S6 owner here is running 275/35 -20s on the S6 and others run 265/35 -20s.
will these sizes work on the OE 20' audi S6 wheels?
in theory, the 275/35 -20 will have 0.28" greater tire sidewall height than the 255/35 -20 size so contribute to a more comfortable ride.
This would be half of the improvement in sidewall height that switching to 255/40- 19 would yield without the expense and effort of getting/swapping to 19"wheels.
The 275/35 -20 tire & wheel combination overall diameter would only be 2.1% greater than the stock 255/35 -20 diameter so speedometer would read 71.5mph when it was really 70mph which is no big deal to me and shouldnt cause havoc with the car's function.
i know the recommended minimum rim width for the 265 or 275 size is 9" and i believe the OE S6 20" wheels are only a close 8.5"es so is a thought. opinions? i will not be tracking the car ever.
Will 265 or 275 tires on OE 20"s clear the fenders without rubbing?

i know the MPSS is an amazing summer tire as i have had them on my CLS55 AMG but if the ride quality of the conti DWS 06 is almost as good ,equal or better, the convenience of allseason and treadlife wins out over the higher summer performance of the MPSS at this stage of my life and with increasing comfort priorities.

four years ago, i would never have considered putting an all season tire on a performance vehicle like my CLS55 AMG or an S6 and would have considered doing so sacreligious, lol ,but the HI perf all seasons tires like the Conti DWS 06 or Michelin pilot A/S 3 have improved and closed the difference enough and my comfort/convenience/ultimate handling priorities have changed.

Thanks again and keep the insights coming please!

[zcd2.7t]

Best advice: Drive the car a while longer before deciding what to do next.
Different isn't always worse (or better)

[MadAboutCars]

Best advice: Drive the car a while longer before deciding what to do next.
Different isn't always worse (or better)

Very good advice.

[DB22]

I have a C7 A6 with sport, 20's and P Zero's and I thought that the ride was terrible. Jonathan G, I realize that my car is not adjustable like yours is but I think that my experiments may be valid as I too am getting older and I wanted a softer, more compliant, ride. I heard that the Sport in the A6 has been described as something between the modes of the S6 so I think that I am experiencing the same thoughts as yourself.

I went as far the other way as possible with 18's and Pirelli P7's so I have increased the wall size and utilized a much softer sidewall in the AS P7's. The ability to corner and the grip has been significantly reduced but is still fine for everything except spirited driving. My 18's are black and with black tires the set up still looks good as the car is lowered with the sport suspension.

My experience with the 2 set ups is more the suspension compliance than the wheel/tire combination as I swap the two sets over whenever I feel like it. The concrete joints are better with the P7's but the jolting of some seams is still not very good. Here in Southern California they grind the freeways to level the surface but it typically creates a rhythmic undulation that translates to a constant cyclic shaking of the car that vibrates the body. Due to the stiffer (lowered springs) and the shock/strut calibration it does not resolve these undulations as well as most cars.
With my now sold Acura RL and my wife's Acura MDX the issue is not recognizable but in the A6 it is uncomfortable.

I am disappointed that the 6 series is not modified for American roads because I think that it would be fine in Germany where such terrible rods are infrequent. There are many attributes of these cars but the suspension is not one of them. I am not sure of the solution because all of the after market suspension components that I have found just exacerbate the issue in the dubious interest of handling and if you agree with my findings then I am not sure that changing the wheel size is the answer although swapping the PZero's is a definite step in the right direction.

I will be looking to find the softest sidewall available in the 20's for the next tire but it could be a while because I alternate between the 2 sets of wheels so the wear is divided by two but the DWS 06 is in the running.

[zcd2.7t]

I have a C7 A6 with sport, 20's and P Zero's and I thought that the ride was terrible. Jonathan G, I realize that my car is not adjustable like yours is but I think that my experiments may be valid...

With all due respect, suggesting that what you have experienced with the ride/handling of your A6's steel spring suspension is also applicable to the S6's air suspension is not accurate.

[DB22]

With all due respect, suggesting that what you have experienced with the ride/handling of your A6's steel spring suspension is also applicable to the S6's air suspension is not accurate.

Agreed, but the effect of changing wheels and tires does. Interestingly, I have always wished that the A6 had the adjustable suspension in the US as it does in the EU but subsequent to Jonathan G's thread I am not so sure. I am still not convinced that the 6 series is a comfortable car as others in this class are.

[zcd2.7t]

Agreed, but the effect of changing wheels and tires does.

Not really, because the effects are filtered through an air bladder on the S6, but through steel springs on the A6. I've driven both - they feel distinctly different regardless of the S6's suspension setting.

The MB E-class probably offers the most comfortable ride in the class, but doesn't appeal to me otherwise....

[yvnrg1981]

I downsized from 20 to 19, with the nitto invo's. Honestly didn't notice much difference. Now i'm riding on 21 velos d5 with perellis and again no crazy difference. The air suspension just swallows it up in comfort. Again to each his own, but seems like you wont feel a drastic difference going from one to the other.

[VVG]

Here's what to do.....

1. Get a set of VMR 708 wheels, 20x9, ET35mm.

2. Now get a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 265/35/20.

Here's why.....

1. The tires, overall, hold a larger volume of air, are known for a better ride, and are also the best street performance tire out there.

2. These wheels, due to their inherent design with the inner barrel being stepped up a little, also allows for there to be a greater volume of air in the wheel/tire set-up than stock. So between the larger tires, and different and lighter wheel design, you will have a car that both rides better and handles better. In fact, the ride is significantly better, and the car feels much more planted on the larger tires.

And they look good too, without being expensive......





The wheels come in Silver, gunmetal (shown) or black.

As far as running a lower tire pressure.....be careful, your tires are more prone to blowout. Again, this is a performance sedan, so it will have a stiffer ride in general.