Looking for some guidance on which to choose

[burg3ngold]

Hey All

Okay so I am running myself in circles on what I want to do on the suspension set up.

About Me:
Lower the car to have a better stance.
Not a fan of owning a slammed car
Dont Track the car
I do drive spiritedly though twists quite often
Dont bind a stiffer ride, but definitely want to be comfortable for hour + commutes everyday

I put this together to track through what I have been seeing - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

First I landed on H&R Coilovers, but then I started reading some bad reviews which turned me off. I then figured, why don't I just get the H&R OE Springs to lower the car and keep a normal/OEM feel and if it sucks I can always go back to stock (right?).

I dunno. I'm lost. I think I searched my way into confusing myself more then I was earlier.

[zcspec]

It would help if we knew what car you owned.

[burg3ngold]

It would help if we knew what car you owned.

2013 audi a5 2.0T Quattro

[zcspec]

Your A5 is a pretty common platform to lower so there are plenty of choices out there. It looks as though you've performed some research and can't decide on coils or springs. I could give you my honest opinion but ultimately, it's your car and you'll have to live with the decision day in, day out.

With that said, if you asked me to modify your suspension for you, I would recommend that you go with a good set of coils. Why? Because coils give you the ability to raise and lower the ride's height to your liking. You could run aggressive in the summer, then raise it for the winter. In addition, coils come as a "package" so the springs and shocks are made for each other. This translates to optimum handing and ride comfort.

Springs on the other hand lower your car to one height and you're stuck there. Most people who install springs run them in conjunction with their stock shocks. This is a no-no because you'll wear out your shocks at an alarming rate. You could go the performance shocks and springs route but why would you? The cost associated with those is almost equal to a good set of coils. In addition, springs with stock shocks handle far worst than coils. Again, they are not matched for each other.

Which coils would I recommend? If you have the cash, pick up a set of Bilstein PSS10s. These are height/rebound/compression adjustable and offer outstanding performance with a comfortable ride. From there, you can look into H&Rs. However, if you're budget minded, look into Solowerks or entry level STs. Many forum members ride on these and the majority are happy, with the occasional bad reviews. What ever you do, just do not pick up a set of coils with a "linear" spring rate unless you want a bone-jarring ride.

Feel free to ping me if you have further questions. I've driving on lowered cars for most of my life and have personal experience with many different manufacture. I'll offer you honest opinion, even if it's not what you want to hear.

[burg3ngold]

Your A5 is a pretty common platform to lower so there are plenty of choices out there. It looks as though you've performed some research and can't decide on coils or springs. I could give you my honest opinion but ultimately, it's your car and you'll have to live with the decision day in, day out.

With that said, if you asked me to modify your suspension for you, I would recommend that you go with a good set of coils. Why? Because coils give you the ability to raise and lower the ride's height to your liking. You could run aggressive in the summer, then raise it for the winter. In addition, coils come as a "package" so the springs and shocks are made for each other. This translates to optimum handing and ride comfort.

Springs on the other hand lower your car to one height and you're stuck there. Most people who install springs run them in conjunction with their stock shocks. This is a no-no because you'll wear out your shocks at an alarming rate. You could go the performance shocks and springs route but why would you? The cost associated with those is almost equal to a good set of coils. In addition, springs with stock shocks handle far worst than coils. Again, they are not matched for each other.

Which coils would I recommend? If you have the cash, pick up a set of Bilstein PSS10s. These are height/rebound/compression adjustable and offer outstanding performance with a comfortable ride. From there, you can look into H&Rs. However, if you're budget minded, look into Solowerks or entry level STs. Many forum members ride on these and the majority are happy, with the occasional bad reviews. What ever you do, just do not pick up a set of coils with a "linear" spring rate unless you want a bone-jarring ride.

Feel free to ping me if you have further questions. I've driving on lowered cars for most of my life and have personal experience with many different manufacture. I'll offer you honest opinion, even if it's not what you want to hear.

Thanks so much for this detailed response! I actually went h&r coils route!

[zcspec]

Thanks so much for this detailed response! I actually went h&r coils route!

H&Rs are a good choice. I currently have them on my AR until I find a lightly used set of PSS10s.