I recently bought a CPO A4 2.0T Quattro cabriolet with 16.5Kmi on it.

In the process of buying this car I test drove three other A4 2.0TQ cabs and I thought they all rode really well, not very bumpy, no vibration on the highway, no cowl shake, etc. The one I ended up buying was on the showroom floor and having just driven an identical car (different color, more miles) I expected it to ride the same. Not even close.

In this car I feel every bump and imperfection in the road. It wobbles side to side and kicks like a mule. On the highway above 70mph it practically rattles my teeth while again transmitting every bump into the seat. I traded in a Saab that was not even as bad with 3 bent rims and a strut that needed replacing!! To me, it feels like unbalanced wheels or bent rims and bad suspension. Maybe this is why it was in the showroom (besides just being GORGEOUS).

I have the 17" wheel/tires that came with the Premium Package with the Goodyear Eagle LS2s. I've checked the tire pressure against what it says on the door it should be. It was 35psi, they're all 34.5psi. No worries. One difference worth noting from the other cars I drove is those all had the Pirellis and this one has the Goodyears.

So, I am wondering: how does yours ride? And, if your's rides horrible what have you done about it? What tires do you have?

I know ... I need to get back with the dealer I bought it from. Not easy when they are 2+ hours away.

 

I've got an '09 A4 Quattro cab and it rides extremely smooth compared to what I'm used to. It's close to our Prius in comfort over bumps, so your situation sounds like either something is wrong or the shocks have been changed.

mg

 

Does your car have the SLine or sport suspension kit? I did not go that route with mine as I read alot of German reviews on the SLine and Sport type A4 B7's that stated that the ride was a little hard. Also the non-Sline/Sport suspension models were firm enough. Of course I went ahead and added some good coil covers and sway bar to my car which improved handling 100%, and stopped the slight roll these cars have in curves. And this with out giving up comfort or getting the jarring bumps!

 

Nope, no S-Line or sports suspension. I suspect something is up even just given my own test driving experience. I'll definitely get it checked out. Doesn't seem right to deliver a CPO car with these kind of issues.

 

Tires can make a huge difference. It might just be the Goodyears.

I'm having a difficult time visualizing the mule kicking thing...

 

the suspension in my audi is very stiff. once i had around 1000 lbs of passengers in my car and the car didn't drop down and bottom out over large speed bumps-like i've seen happen with a lexus full of small asians.

in a way it's bad to have such stiff suspension when the roads are bad. but it's great for stability at high speeds.

 

I am going to have it looked at last week. I'd think it was normal if I didn't drive other 2007 A4 cabs and not experience the same. The local dealer is going to check it out and perform any under-warranty work. The dealer I bought it from is going to pick it up and look at it the week after if there's any non-warranty work. Both agreed it should not be this way having passed certification.

The feeling from driving the car actually makes me feel sick to my stomach. If I wanted a crappy ride I could have kept my Saab with a busted strut and 3 bent rims and not had any car payments .

 

A follow-up on this. I had the tires rotated and balanced which got rid of the high-speed vibrations.

I still have the ride issues though. I feel every bump kick and shudder through the seat and steering wheel. On the highway, it's pretty bad, never smooth. The dealer says "it's normal" but I don't get how it can be normal. I've driven a lot of cars, convertible and otherwise, some across the country, that all rode smoother than this. I hate it. I am not quite sure what to do next.

 

i drove 50,000 km on a bad tire (screw in it-which i didn't know about) and the vibrations got worse and worse at the higher speeds until the tire popped. i thought the vibration was normal all along (duh). so i put the replacement tire on and there was no vibration at all. it's great.

as for the stiffness of the shocks/struts, you can always get some aftermarket stuff which could be softer. are the roads around you really bad?

 

Take it back in. It is not normal and my be unsafe. My A4 with sport suspention and 18's rides like a caddilac. Something is wrong for sure and you should have had a good ride in it before buying it. Just cause the look pretty does not mean that is is not flawed.

Take it in drive the technition around and show him. Do not get back in that car until it is safe. Have them give you a nice loaner and don't let them pull that rental car crap they do sometimes. They like to toss you in a piece of crap for a week. You have a hell of a factory warranty so get it fixed before it hits CPO. The factory is the best and you should not drive a car that is not perfect.

Side note. God I love the convertibles. I want one bad.