Ive just had H&R 35mm lowering springs fitted to my A1 BE 2.0TDI. I had these fitted at Awesome GTI took about an hour. Approx cost breakdown as follows:
Springs £130
Fitting and alignment £180
Spacers & bolts £100
Total £410 approx
S-Line suspension, brief review and thoughts:
Aesthetically - the car was sat up too high and wheels too snug under the arches, the back end certainly more pronounced than the front.
Handling & Comfort - Handled well, moderately acceptable body roll. Plenty of spring distance so speed bumps and pot holes etc weren't crashy. Understandable how this setup is geared towards S-Line as a sporty setup for moderate handling, however to provide comfort and travel over uneven surfaces the trade off is the tall stance of the car.
H&R 35mm suspension review and thoughts:
Aesthetics - certainly my main goal at the outset, to get that symmetrical snug stance, thats got the aggression and similarities to RS models. I think this has been achieved perfectly. The addition of spacers completes this of course. For reference I have 11mm front, and 15mm rear. These were provided by Awesome, I'm unsure of brand, its just what they stock a variety of.
Handling - Certainly improved and noticeable within the first few corners. The cars body roll is mostly completely eliminated. This combined with the newly lowered centre of gravity, obviously handling becomes improved. Now the dynamics of the handling and weight distribution of the car feel very similar to the TTRS, so theres a nice compliment! However, and this is not H&R's fault, nor an issue with dropping the car, but an issue with Audi, stock or not, the electronic steering is so light and provides sod all feedback, that the wonderful handling of the car just isn't fed back to you the driver as you would get in a true hot hatch such as a clio 182 etc. Okay Ive got the TDI and its not really a hot hatch, however this really is my only gripe with the car and its torque steer. So in short, my only complaint here is that audi haven't allowed me to feel how good this car truly handles. A slight sense of detachment from whats going on is at play here.
Breaking and accelerating feel to be more stable as body roll is greatly reduced, you no longer feel like your sat on the sprung seahorse in the playground at the local park. As you apply the brake you feel the full force stopping the car rather than facilitating the weight of the car travelling over the front axel first. So again, will consequently improve braking and the braking experience. Same applies for accelerating in the opposite plane/direction.
Ride quality and overall feel and comfort - Well I personally feel that on a decent road or motorway, the ride is just the same as standard S-Line setup. However potholes and blemishes in the road can be felt more than before, these simply just need accounting for when driving and avoiding more so than before I fit the springs. Not a big issues, its what I'm used to doing in the RS, and again the feedback and ride quality is akin to that of the TTRS with magride off. So I'm happy with this, and for me to be able to make this direct comparison. I have a A1 TDI that is now on rails, its very nippy, and returns a good 50mpg, and I can tell my mates, it handles and feel very similar to the TTRS. Winner!
Comfort is mostly the same, speed bumps need approaching at 5-10mph. The travel of the suspension is now much less, and flying up and over speed bumps find you whacking the stoppers on the suspension. Not pleasant, but easily prevented. Again, dealt with just as I do in the RS as I have the same issues if too fast. Its a simple product of having low ride height and subsequently less spring travel.
Overall Im 99% pleased, car looks spot on, not too much but just right. Its handling is improved, and really the ride and comfort are barely noticeably changed unless you drive carelessly on crappy roads and speed bumps.
I hope this review is of use to anyone considering this setup, for me I think its worth the money. If you have any questions please fire away, if I can't answer I'm sure another member can. For anyone in the north, Awesome GTI did a great job and I believe priced things fairly competitively. Also to note, there is no rubbing at all, wheels on full lock are probably a good inch from the inner arch lining.
Heres a before and after, not the best, but all I have I'm afraid.
Springs £130
Fitting and alignment £180
Spacers & bolts £100
Total £410 approx
S-Line suspension, brief review and thoughts:
Aesthetically - the car was sat up too high and wheels too snug under the arches, the back end certainly more pronounced than the front.
Handling & Comfort - Handled well, moderately acceptable body roll. Plenty of spring distance so speed bumps and pot holes etc weren't crashy. Understandable how this setup is geared towards S-Line as a sporty setup for moderate handling, however to provide comfort and travel over uneven surfaces the trade off is the tall stance of the car.
H&R 35mm suspension review and thoughts:
Aesthetics - certainly my main goal at the outset, to get that symmetrical snug stance, thats got the aggression and similarities to RS models. I think this has been achieved perfectly. The addition of spacers completes this of course. For reference I have 11mm front, and 15mm rear. These were provided by Awesome, I'm unsure of brand, its just what they stock a variety of.
Handling - Certainly improved and noticeable within the first few corners. The cars body roll is mostly completely eliminated. This combined with the newly lowered centre of gravity, obviously handling becomes improved. Now the dynamics of the handling and weight distribution of the car feel very similar to the TTRS, so theres a nice compliment! However, and this is not H&R's fault, nor an issue with dropping the car, but an issue with Audi, stock or not, the electronic steering is so light and provides sod all feedback, that the wonderful handling of the car just isn't fed back to you the driver as you would get in a true hot hatch such as a clio 182 etc. Okay Ive got the TDI and its not really a hot hatch, however this really is my only gripe with the car and its torque steer. So in short, my only complaint here is that audi haven't allowed me to feel how good this car truly handles. A slight sense of detachment from whats going on is at play here.
Breaking and accelerating feel to be more stable as body roll is greatly reduced, you no longer feel like your sat on the sprung seahorse in the playground at the local park. As you apply the brake you feel the full force stopping the car rather than facilitating the weight of the car travelling over the front axel first. So again, will consequently improve braking and the braking experience. Same applies for accelerating in the opposite plane/direction.
Ride quality and overall feel and comfort - Well I personally feel that on a decent road or motorway, the ride is just the same as standard S-Line setup. However potholes and blemishes in the road can be felt more than before, these simply just need accounting for when driving and avoiding more so than before I fit the springs. Not a big issues, its what I'm used to doing in the RS, and again the feedback and ride quality is akin to that of the TTRS with magride off. So I'm happy with this, and for me to be able to make this direct comparison. I have a A1 TDI that is now on rails, its very nippy, and returns a good 50mpg, and I can tell my mates, it handles and feel very similar to the TTRS. Winner!
Comfort is mostly the same, speed bumps need approaching at 5-10mph. The travel of the suspension is now much less, and flying up and over speed bumps find you whacking the stoppers on the suspension. Not pleasant, but easily prevented. Again, dealt with just as I do in the RS as I have the same issues if too fast. Its a simple product of having low ride height and subsequently less spring travel.
Overall Im 99% pleased, car looks spot on, not too much but just right. Its handling is improved, and really the ride and comfort are barely noticeably changed unless you drive carelessly on crappy roads and speed bumps.
I hope this review is of use to anyone considering this setup, for me I think its worth the money. If you have any questions please fire away, if I can't answer I'm sure another member can. For anyone in the north, Awesome GTI did a great job and I believe priced things fairly competitively. Also to note, there is no rubbing at all, wheels on full lock are probably a good inch from the inner arch lining.
Heres a before and after, not the best, but all I have I'm afraid.
