I have bought a three-year-old A3 Sports 2.0 TDI but I'm finding the ride a little too firm. What's the best way to "soften" the ride? At the moment every little bump in the road can be felt in the cabin - compared with my old VW Golf Mk IV it's a notably rougher drive.
A friend has suggested switching to maybe 16in wheels rather than my current 17in alloys - would that help? Or is there anything my local Audi service guys can do to reduce the hard ride?
It's done about 34k miles btw.

 

I would recommend checking out the Koni FSD shocks. They come in a full set, should be about $600. Definitely improved ride quality and handling on my A3.

 

Hello,

My friend has same problem as you, but he has a4. Replace his 17" wheels to 16" and he is very impressive from the softness. I think this is the chipset way that you can test.

BR

 

So there's no problem fitting 16in wheels on an A3? Am i right in thinking that Audi A3 and A4 models (circa 2008) have common wheel sizes so it should be pretty straightforward to get a set for my car? Do VW wheels fit, too?

 

Hello,
I don’t know what year is your car but check this link with stats about A3 2.0 TDI
Легковые автомобили Audi A3 Sportback (8P) на AUTO.RU
Wheels size 205/55 R16, 225/45R17
Size of disk 6.5J x 16, 7,5J x 17

As far as I know yes, VW and audi some wheels are same but you must compare your spacing between bolts (for A3 2001 is 5x100mm ) I think yours are different (5X112mm-114mm) this must be checked.
BR

 

make sure to check if the 16 inch wheels will clear the brakes