Modifications for 2018 during first months of ownership

[CarMark]

Hello,
I have only had my car for about 4 months now, but thanks to input from members of this forum, I jumped in and made a number of upgrades. The 2018 models for some reason had springs that put the car higher from the tires than earlier models (at least in the USA). I hated the look and the handling that resulted from this, so I started with a suspension upgrade.

In October, after a lot of research on this forum, I added a full coilover set to my car. I seriously considered the Eibach/Bilstein combo many members use, but found the cars so equipped sat too low for the bad roads in my area. Plus, I didn't like the look--just too low for my taste. So, I ordered a set of coilovers from APR and had them installed by an Audi specialty shop in the SF Bay Area. I chose the set with the adjustable shocks so I could tune the ride height as well as the dampening. Now I have the ride height a bit higher than with the Eibach springs plus I can tune the shocks for rough roads. Good handling plus a reasonable ride. Best of all, the APR coilovers cost LESS than the Eibach/Bilstein kit. Eibach even makes the springs for APR. I highly recommend this set-up if your local roads are not smooth or you want a higher stance than what the other springs provide.

Also, in the attached photo you can see how i modified my front grill using 3/4 blackout and the A3 etron script decal that Audi sells in place of a front license plate.

The black-out treatment came from the original owner. I like it, but I don't love it. But, I really love the car.

Last week, I purchased a Pedal Commander so i can also tune the accelerator response. Still getting used to that, but it does make a difference on this car, in both full electric and gas+electric hybrid driving modes. I chose this brand because they approved it for our A3 etron, which most other brands won't.

Great car and lots of fun to upgrade!

 

[Kmatt]

The height looks perfect, I love the wheels too

 

[CarMark]

Thanks a lot! The height was what I wanted--not too low or the factory height. Just right. If the springs droop in teh future, i can always adjust the height! And the wheels are the factory ones powder coated black. I don't know if Audi did this, or the original dealer or the previous owner. But, they really make they car look right with the dark tint. Thanks again.

 

[Kmatt]

Yeah looks great, I live up in Canada so I can’t be too low either. Where did you get them from?

 

[CarMark]

I ordered them directly from APR, part number SUS00026. I will try to paste a link here, but not sure if it will work:
https://www.goapr.com/products/suspension/coilovers/parts/SUS00026

The kit cost me $999US and i see the price has not changed. This set has adjustments for height, spring pre-load(which i did not use), dampening (very valuable!) and camber, too! It is the same price as the Eibach + Bilstein set but has more adjustment. I have been very happy with it. Just make sure you don't set the dampening too stiff! It took a local shop about 8 hours to install the set and adjust the ride height the way i wanted. I wish i could have done it myself, but i wanted the expertise of the shop in making the original settings. Good Luck!

 

[Kmatt]

$999 is not bad for decent set of coilovers, although in Canadian dollars that like $5000 .

The ride isn’t bouncy at all?

 

[CarMark]

Yes, the ride was bouncy when i first got the car back with them installed. The shop set the dampening to the mid-stiff position. But when i softened it about 25% (easy to do on this set of coilovers), it really changed the ride. The initial setting would be fine if you had very nice roads. But, we have pretty bad roads here and i needed it softened. Then i watched a video about high performance FWD and learned that racers often set their suspension softer, too, to get better traction and to keep the wheels on the ground. Softening the dampening had little impact on the handling, which is still good.

The APR kit was on sale from Black Friday to Christmas at $899US, but I paid $999 in October. Still worth it! Maybe you can ask for a Canadian discount!