silberma

I am shopping for a late model used 911. Test drove a 2014 S model yesterday and noticed that the ride is rough. The car did not have a list of the options on it so I could not pinpoint the reason for the harsh ride. Can anyone help with what would make the car ride harsh?

Al.Fresco

The recommended tire pressure is based on a full load and crazy fast speeds and that is what most dealers will set the tires at. This can result in a pretty harsh ride. There is a partial load/comfort pressure setting that lowers the recommended pressure considerably. I would look there first as to the culprit.

R_Rated

Pics of outside and controls inside?

Not enough data.... maybe aftermarket, maybe spasm, maybe driver not used to a sports car.

randr

The .1 is a sofa - did you check the tire pressures?

LexVan

Harsh compared to what?

Hurricane

I've owned both the 991.1 S with PASM and Sport PASM (both had PDCC, though) and found them very comfortable on long trips - not harsh at all.

Dealers - even Porsche dealers - seem to set the tires at the max inflation listed in the door jam (36 front/44 rear) which is suitable for autobahn speeds (160 mph +) (!) and give a rather harsh ride.

The comfort settings in the owners manual are set considerably lower (31/34 for partial load comfort, if my memory serves) and provide a far more comfortable ride.

Like others have mentioned...it was probably due to the tire pressures.

STG

Compared to a Panamera will be harsh. All relative on what the comparison is

After all, it's a sports car ..

Mike Murphy

I've found that S models seem to have a more firm suspension that non-S models. My 1999 996 for example is supple, even over massive potholes, heaves, dips and bumps. So much so that I first worried that the shocks were shot. But the car was setup a plush ride as a base 911 compared to my 2000 Boxster S.

Try driving a non-S and see what you think.

silberma

My comment on the harsh ride is based on one of my previous cars which was a Maserati Grand Turisimo. That car has a Ferrari V-8 engine and only one tire setting of about 33psig. I did not think that that pressure detracted from the handling as the car has large low profile soft rubber tires.

PS I did not drive it an the autobahn.

cug

Potential reasons:

• No PASM at all is harsher than PASM in normal mode. (Don't know whether the 991.1S ever came without PASM)
• Large wheels are harsher than smaller wheels (20" vs. 19")
• PASM in sport mode is harder than PASM in normal mode.
• Sport PASM is lower and harder than PASM (SPASM = -20mm, PASM = -10mm)
• Tire inflation.

A few months ago I tested a 991.1 and a 991.2 back to back, both with PASM, both in normal mode. The 991.1 had a noticeably harsher ride.

Hurricane

The tire pressure settings on the 991.1S vary so much that they absolutely affect the ride quality. Try one with the tire pressure set to partial load, comfort as I suggest in an earlier post and see how you like it.

MKW

The greatest ride differentiator in my experience is whether a car has PDCC or not , assuming identical tire type/pressure settings and oem susp options and its console settings . When in straight ahead freeway cruising type driving , these computerized e-strut drop-links for the front and rear sway bars act as if the left and right sides of the car are decoupled ( i.e., as if no bars ) so a very calm quiet luxury car sensation is experienced but maintaining the usual steering wheel road feel ....then the e-struts immediately adjust roll stiffness depending on real time handling demands from driver/chassis/ susp button as you turn ....resulting in almost a " banked into the turn " sensation at high g forces ...I love this and have had it in past two 991s and personally would not buy a 991 w/o it !
Vast majority of 991s do not have it , even buyer-spec'd ones , but something for potential owners reading this to consider if you drive long straight highway distances ( of many hundred of miles) from point A to point B like I do from SF Bay Area to Tahoe via I-80 or SF Bay Area to SoCal via I-5 over many stretches with poorly maintained pavement .

StormRune

I agree with most posts that the most likely reason was tire pressures way too high, but want to add that tire age/model can also be a big factor. If the tires were original PZeros, those have a reputation for getting harder from heat-cycling faster than others. My switch to the new Michelin 4S's produced a notable improvement over my prior PZeros despite the PZeros being only 18-20 months old. All of the other advice concerning suspension variations, PDCC, and PASM were great too.

But it could also just be a matter of personal experience. I consider my SPASM/PDCC car to have a firm ride, but not a harsh one. My 2001 M3 was the epitome of harsh!

Hurricane

I also find SPASM/PDCC to be firm, but not harsh. PASM/PDCC was much less firm...

vwduud

Tire pressure for me as well. My cold pressure settings are now 30/33, warming up to 33/36. I was originally using the Full Load tire pressure settings, where at full temp would reach pressures around 38/41. While getting serviced at dealer, the loaner Boxster had a much softer feel to it. When I got my GTS back, I lowered the tire pressures to get a much more comfortable ride.