S Line Harsh Suspension and Tyres

[seventh-heaven]

I have an A3 Tdi Quattro S-line (10 plate) that we have owned since June. It is our 3rd A3 the previous were an 04 S line and an 05 SE. The current one has a much harsher ride than the one it replaced (the 05 SE) and I would say also harsher then the 04 S line, although the current one has 18" wheels whereas the previous S line only had 17".

Anyway this weekend I have fitted my spare set of 16" alloys with winter tyres - what a revelation! It is now a completely different car. Whilst the suspension is still firm it is acceptably so without being so hard and harsh as to rattle your teeth at every tiny undulation in the road.

My question is about what experince others have in this area. Is the betterment down purely to the greater sidewall or is some of it down to the tyre itself? The 18" have Contisport contact tyres - 3's on rear and 5's on the front. Are these know to have a hard sidewall? The winters are Pirelli Sottozero 210.

Got a few months to decide but will either try some different tyres on the 18's or I am very tempted to get some 16 or 17 rims for summer tyres.

Any views?

[UVB]

Mine had Conti's on when I got it (17"with sport suspension) and I did notice a difference when I put 2 new Michelin PS3's on the rear which softened it nicely. Going to my 16" Dunlop winter set is softer still.

My thoughts though are that if you like the ride on 16" winters (which should also feel softer than the same wheels with summer tyres) then 17" is probably the better option for summer tyres.