The Best Audi A4 Coilovers

The Audi A4 has been produced across 9 different generations. While it isn’t as performance oriented as its S4 companion, the A4 is popularly modified and can be turned into a fun and quick street driver. Producing serious power out of the A4 can get expensive, so after basic bolt on mods one of the best places to look is into suspension upgrades.

Coilovers are one of the best suspension upgrades for the A4. Coilovers provide better handling and cornering on the street (and on the track) and also add a nice aesthetic appeal. This guide is going to cover the benefits of A4 coilover upgrades and discuss some important design factors when choosing the right setup for your A4.

Audi A4 Coilovers Considerations

Before going into the considerations to take into account before purchasing a set of coilovers, it is important to layout the vehicle goals you are going for. Are you taking your A4 to the track or are you going for stance? Once you’ve identified what you’re wanting to achieve with your vehicle, then read on to the components to take into consideration to fit the vehicle goals you’ve laid out.

The considerations include: monotube vs twin-tube, spring rates, dampening adjustability, and more. Our goal is to supply applicable information to our readers to make an informed decision on coilovers and provide our favorite steups on the market according to our opinion and A4 enthusiasts.

Monotube vs. Twin-Tube

When it comes to monotube vs twin-tube, it can get very technical when exploring the shock’s internals. However, we are going to provide information at a surface level to make it less confusing.

Monotube coilovers refer to a single chamber in the shocks that contain hydraulic fluid and hydraulic gas. These substances never mix, which leads to a more precise and stiff suspension. Monotube coilovers are typically found on high-performance street vehicles and track vehicles because those are what need precision most. Given the technology, these types of coilovers tend to be more expensive to produce which in turn makes them more expensive to the consumer.

Twin-tube coilovers refer to twin chambers in the shocks that individually contain hydraulic gas and hydraulic fluid. The difference is that the substances can sometimes mix causing less precise and stiff suspension. This may sound like a bad thing, but depending on vehicle goals, it could actually be a good thing. Although they may not be suited for the track, they tend to provide a more comfortable ride. They also tend to be less expensive to produce and are less expensive to purchase.

Coilover Spring Rates

Springs are an important component when it comes to a vehicle’s suspension. Not only do they control a vehicle’s bounce, but they also assist the suspension in absorbing bumps. Spring rates specifically relate to the amount of weight it takes for a spring to compress by an inch. Depending on where you are located, this could be measured in lb/in or KG/mm.

A higher spring rate, for example, 620lb/in, will provide a stiffer ride. While a lower spring rate, for example, 170lb/in, will provide a softer, more comfortable suspension. Now there also may be something called “progressive spring rate”, which means the spring rate increases as the coil compresses from unloading.

Dampening Adjustability

Dampening, often referred to as damping, is probably one of the most important considerations if you are someone that wants to customize your suspension. For example, most high-performance street cars and track cars need dampening customization for tight corners. Dampening refers to the control of compression and rebound of the springs. Therefore, dampening adjustability refers to the ability to adjust the levels of dampening to your driving needs or wants.

Not all coilovers have dampening adjustability, some have fixed dampening. This simply means that an aftermarket sets the levels of dampening to the optimal comfort and performance setting.

Coilovers vs. Lowering Springs

Lastly, a topic that is very common amongst enthusiasts and can sometimes be a hot topic. To start off, we don’t see a problem with lowering a vehicle with either coilovers or lowering springs. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have a preference, but we will dive into that a little later. It all goes back to vehicle goals. Lowering springs are good for the budget-conscious driver that is just trying to lower a vehicle.

Coilovers will provide more value, but tend to be more expensive. They not only provide ride height adjustability but dampening adjustability as well and typically come with upgraded struts and shocks. If you happen to be on the fence for either, we would advise saving up a little longer for some coilovers because again they do provide more pros than springs. With that said, however, we see nothing wrong with going with lowering springs if your goals are stance and lowering your vehicle’s center of gravity.

Audi A4 Coilover Benefits

• Ride height adjustability/Lowers center of gravity
• Improved handling
• Dampening adjustability
• More comfortable or more precise driving experience

Best A4 Coilovers

The “best” coilovers for you depend on the vehicle goals laid out. We will provide our favorite setups according to daily drivers, stance, street performance, and track A4’s. We’ve spent some time scrolling forums to ensure we are providing the most popular setups, and for good reason. Before ordering anything, please make sure the setups below fit your specific B7 or B8 A4 drivetrain. 

1) Raceland B7 A4 & B8/B8.5 A4 Coilovers

Raceland coilovers will always be our top pick for the daily drivers that are looking to get the biggest bang-for-your-buck coilover setup. Yes, they start at $439 and this may stray many away. But what a lot of people don’t know is the reason why they happen to be so cheap. Raceland removes the middleman when it comes to their distribution. In short, this means they are saving themselves money, which means, you, the end consumer also save money. By no way are Raceland coilovers lower quality than others on the market. In fact, there are over 50 reviews claiming Raceland coilovers are exactly what daily drivers and stanced drivers were looking for. AND they provide high-quality coilovers at a portion of the price.

With that said, for the A4 B7, they provide two separate offerings, Classic and Ultimo, and for the A4 B8/B8.5, they only provide their Classic offering. These twin-tube setups provide ride height adjustability of 1-4″, fixed damping, progressive spring rates, and more. We do want to preface that these do require stock upper strut mounts and, depending on wheel/tire fitment, may need spacers. Along with the kits, Raceland offers a 30-day guarantee, lifetime warranty, and excellent customer service.

Driver: Stance or Street
Lowering: 1-4″
Price: $439

B7 Audi A4
Raceland Audi A4 B7 Quattro Classic Coilovers
Ultimo Raceland Audi A4 B7 Quattro Coilovers (Lowering 2-4″)

Audi B8 A4
Raceland Audi A4 B8/B8.5 Quattro Classic Coilovers

2) BC Racing B8/B8.5 A4 Coilovers

BC Racing is a well-known Racing suspension company that is known for building high-quality street and track coilover kits. With 30 levels of damping adjustability and performance spring rates, these allow for maximum precision around the track or on the street. These monotube shocks offer a 2-3″ ride height adjustability and many more to offer.

Driver: Street or Track
Lowering: 2-3″
Price: $1,195 + Free Shipping

B7 Audi A4
BR Series Audi B7 A4 Coilovers

Audi B8 A4
BR Series Audi B8/B8.5 A4 Coilovers

3) ST B7 A4 & B8/B8.5 A4 Coilovers

ST suspension, like BC, is another well-known suspension company in the space that is known for building high-quality setups for high-performance street vehicles. This monotube kit features ride height adjustability of 1.4-2.6″, adjustable dampening, adjustable spring seats, and more. These coilovers provide a great combination between performance and ride comfort. Also, ST provides a 5-year limited warranty.

Driver: Stance or Street
Lowering: 1.4-2.6″
Price: $1,224 + Free Shipping

B7 Audi A4
ST XA Performance Audi B7 A4 Quattro Coilovers (Avant Models)
ST XA Performance Audi B7 A4 Quattro Coilovers (Sedan & Cabriolet Models)

Audi B8 A4
ST XA Performance Audi B8/B8.5 A4 Quattro Coilovers (Avant Models)
ST XA Performance Audi B8/B8.5 A4 Quattro Coilovers (Sedan & Cabriolet Models)

Audi A4 Coilovers Conclusion

To wrap this post up, we hope the information and setups provided have assisted you in your purchasing decision. We know coilovers aren’t cheap, so we understand that it is a big decision. We always advise readers to do their own research on top of this article to ensure they are making the right decision. In short, if you are looking for the biggest bang-for-your-buck daily driver setup that elevates your A4’s ride comfort, go with Raceland. If you are looking for a high-performance street or track setup, go with BC Racing coilovers. Let us know which coilovers you are currently on or are looking into in the comments below to assist future readers in their purchasing decision.