This is our 2005 Audi A3 which joined our fleet in July 2015.

Having launched a SuperPro suspension package featuring uprated arms, ball-joints, bushes and anti-roll bars for the 2WD variants of the MK5 Golf platform cars we were looking for a suitable 4WD version of the car to evaluate and demonstrate a similar package.

This was an ideal car for this project as while it looks fairly mundane it is already lowered with the original S-Line suspension package and features the punchy 2.0 TFSI petrol engine. It was also in exceptional condition for a 10-year-old car and had only covered 52,000 miles in that time.

We ran it as purchased for a few weeks to get a feel for how it drove. The verdict: It drove reasonably well, was quick with good levels of grip and OK handling but quite a firm & almost crashy ride quality and somewhat vague steering – typical of a 10-year-old MK5 platform car despite the low mileage.

One of the main criticisms of the S-Line suspension, and justifiably so, is that the ride quality is harsh and crashy. It thumps into bumps rather than gliding over them. That characteristic also means the car lacks traction over uneven surfaces – some compliance is needed on uneven roads. It seems Audi’s engineers opted to fit lower/stiffer springs with little in the way of addressing how that affected the small bump absorption and sensitivity.

We decided to adopt a different approach...

First things first, make sure all the bushes are as good as they could be. This should be the bedrock of all good suspension setups. There's no point spending hours on wheel alignment if your bushes are worn or not functioning as they should. We set to work with the SuperPro package - fitting lightweight alloy arms with caster increase rear mounts, camber & roll centre adjustment ball joints, replacement bushes for the rear multi-link suspension arms and uprated front and rear adjustable anti roll bars. We also fitted a SuperPro dog-bone insert to control engine flex and a T9351 GFB Diverter valve for improved throttle response and Tarox high performance standard diameter discs and brake pads front & rear.

Next on the list was to do something about the traditionally firm original S-Line suspension package. We went for an Eibach Pro-kit which are a progressive rate lowering spring. This means they provide compliance and comfort over smaller bumps but firm up under heavier loads (i.e. throught the corners). We also chose to use the OEM-spec Bilstein B4 dampers for better control but without making the ride firm. Using stiffer anti-roll bars allows you to improve cornering without increasing the stiffness of the springs. The setup we achieved with this really has to be experienced to be believed - comfortable, agile, grippy and yet very, very fast. It's what we believe the S-Line should have left the factory with. This setup also works just as well for non-S-Line models.

Finally, a discrete re-map improved power to around 250hp with a more progressive torque curve that felt much more eager & rewarded positive driving.

The result on the road is a car which now handles like it is on rails with dramatically increased steering precision, suspension control, minimal body-roll and much higher levels of manageable grip without a harsh or crashy ride quality, great fun on a cross-country road trip and fantastic on track.