TestnDoc

Im going to order an '05 cayenne TT soon. I was able to test drive 2 cayenne S, one with 19", and one with 18" wheels. Both had the standard suspension. The 19s cornered much better, but were a bit jarring when driving over pot holes or expansion joints on the interstate. The 18s had a much smoother ride, but cornering wasnt quite as good.
There was no air suspension model to test drive. My salesman says that the air suspension has settings, allowing for a much smoother ride that the standard suspension, and a sports mode allowing for a tighter ride. I prefer the 19s, but am afraid the ride might be too harsh for a daily driver. The 19s with the non-air suspension was a bit rough for me. How do the 19s feel in the comfort mode? Or should I go with 18s?? Any words of wisdom????

ltc

I have 2 sets of wheel tires for my S; 18" Cayenne S with Dunlop winter tires and 20" Cayenne Sport with Continental rubber for the summer.
My S also has PASM.

With the 20's, comfort mode is comfortable, I think normal is fine too for daily driving. If I'm going to have a bit of fun outside of a straight line, then it's sport mode.
In sport mode, the ride feels a bit like my RSA, comfortable yet a bit stiff on bumps. I have almost 13K on my S, and have no issues or complaints with 20" wheels and the PASM in comfort setting.

I drove Cayennes with all sizes of wheels and both suspension types, I think PASM is a must have option and a 2nd set of winter wheels as well.

As for 19" vs 20", your preference on tire vendors may sway your decision one way or the other. I thought I had a better selection in 20" tires.

If you're ordering, check out the painted wheel option now available; had it been available, I definitely would have gotten it on my Titanium S. I believe there have been a few pics posted.

TestnDoc

Lewis,

Thanks for the reply. I will have PASM with my cayenneTT, but dont need winter tires, fortunately... How would you compare the ride with 19s and PASM in normal or comfort mode, with that of a cayenne with no air suspension and 18s?? I really prefer the 19s, but with the non air suspension, the ride was a bit too rough on bad roads...thanks....

tahoeblue

With no need for winter tires in addition to PASM, go with 19's over 18's--no question. And give some serious thought to the 20's. I have had 19's with PASM for a short time and have been very pleased.

Torags

Tire manufacturers don't support 19s (make many tires for the size), so your tire choices are less.

ltc

TestnDoc,

I actually preferred the 19's and PASM over steel sprung with 18's.
It felt that you had better compliance and rebound with the PASM in comfort, as I think it's a bit better than relying on the sidewall compliance and fixed spring rate.
As I think back, I don't recall much of a difference in driving between 19 and 20 with PASM; it was more about spring rate setting than tires.
My wife actually likes the way the car drives in Comfort mode and doesn't mind driving it. Of course, her car is a Ford Excursion PSD, which as near as I can tell, has no suspension!

Unfortunately, due to the virus like replication of potholes here in the NE, 18" winter tires are a must, as I would not want to hit a pothole with a 19 or 20 due to lack of sidewall.

I agree with Torags; when I was shopping last August, there weren't many 19" tire choices that I liked, so I went with 20's. That may have changed, but I haven't followed it since I am happy with the Conti2's in 20".

johnhct

I got my car in Dec. Since the car had everything I wanted except 19" wheels, my dealer said he would swap the 18" for 19" after the car came in. I picked up the car late on a Sat., so they asked me to bring it back the following week for the swap.

In other words, I got to use the 18" for about a week before switching to 19". I could feel virtually no difference in Comfort mode between the two. However, in Normal and Sport mode, the 19" wheels feel a good bit stiffer, but I like it like that.

I think the 19's are perfect. I also think they look the best of the three.

Riz

I have a Cayenne S with PASM and 18" turbo wheels with conti all seasons. I drove S with 19's with and without PASM. I found grip better than 18" but ride deteriorated quite a bit. The steel sprung S was too jittery on some rough roads, the S with 19's and PASM was only ok in comfort mode. I'm going to stick with the 18's. I'll do the really fast cornering in my cars. I hate changing wheels back and forth in a truck anyway. If you live in nice weather all year round with smoother roads then 19's or 20's with PASM would be tolerable. I must admit, they look better than the 18's. My .02.