dawktah

Other than ride has anyone noticed a change in performance, once switched? Literature promised a change in performance with mode selection.

Sorry, I watched my Cayenne video too many times.

ajauch

Nope. Haven't noticed any difference on mine. Thinking again, I think I'm always using manual shifting when on the "sport" setting (twisty road = sport = shift manually). I'll keep better track for the next week or so.

There is a big difference with PSM on or off (PSM off much sportier).

Alex

bancu

I always thought that the 'performance' difference referred to the improved suspension. I do feel a differnce between the modes from that point. What would really slick if the changes also put the transmission in a different modes.

As a comparison...the T-reg has the three modes on the suspension and has a sport mode button for its transmission.

PogueMoHone

Yep,

There's a big difference:

Comfort is really spongy....maybe on long trips!

Normal, when the wife is in the car about town

Sport is where I want it.

skl

I notice a big difference between sport and comfort- have only used comfort a couple times though did today on a 200 mile round trip with the Grandmas in the car. Rode pretty well on some crummy interstate sections with some lousy patches that a month ago would just about shake out your teeth in the GT3. Usually run it in normal mode- the sport is definitely choppier. Love the air suspension- interesting that our local dealer here had never had a S with air before. Never had one in stock and mine was the first they'd ever special ordered for a paid buyer.

ajauch

Let me re-state my earlier comments.

YES: There is a huge difference in the ride quality between "Sport" and "Comfort."

NO: There doesn't seem to be any change in the transmission mapping or throttle response between these three settings.

Alex

Control It

I did a test today....now I wonder...

I was driving in with the Comfort setting and switched to Sport...seems to drop down a gear...did this a couple of times...

Hmm, did not yet find a reference to this in the manual...but maybe the tranny changes along with comfort setting...

anyone else notice this?

philg3

I use sport mode in mountain driving as I find that handling is better with less lean in turns.

Jenner

I noticed the following comments from various members in this thread that seem confused:

"I was driving in with the Comfort setting and switched to Sport...seems to drop down a gear...did this a couple of times...

Hmm, did not yet find a reference to this in the manual...but maybe the tranny changes along with comfort setting..."

"Nope. Haven't noticed any difference on mine. Thinking again, I think I'm always using manual shifting when on the "sport" setting (twisty road = sport = shift manually). I'll keep better track for the next week or so."

"Other than ride has anyone noticed a change in performance, once switched? Literature promised a change in performance with mode selection"

Um...guys...HELLO!?!?! the sport, normal and comfort modes all apply to the AIR SUSPENSION. They have NOTHING to do with the transmission or gear selection.

For those of you not notice anything are you actually driving your Cayennes?!

Sport mode = very little body roll, much harsher on bumps, very close to sports car feeling/handling

Normal mode = best of both worlds. More roll than sport, less than comfort, not too harsh on bad roads, but not as good turn in or handling.

Comfort mode = when you have guests in the car, or REALLY bad roads or just want a really smooth ride. A decent amount of body roll, but again not horrible, just more than the other two modes. Makes driving on 20s or 22s feel like a town car. Handling is looser and a bit "mushy"

Not sure what the display is like in the S, but on my Turbo it shows a nice icon of the shocks and displays what mode you are in each time you change it.

Again NOTHING to do with acceleration or gear selection performance. Hope this helps.

Control It

i thought so too. but the Cayenne is psychic, you must know that!

GM Austin

I have personally not noticed a big difference in body roll between the three settings, it all seems about the same to me. The difference seems to be in the stiffness of the ride or road feel. Porsche literature describes the PASM system as being able to automatically control body roll but only mentions a change in damper (shock valving) for the three manually adjustable suspension settings.

Jenner

From the 2003 Cayenne Dealer Book:
"PASM allows you to choose from three chassis setups: Comfort, Normal and Sport. The electronic control system then provides continuous and active adjustment of the damper force within the parameters of the mode selected. The system uses 5 g-force sensors that continually monitor the movement of the body. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and makes the necessary adjustments to the damper settings."

I have some great sweeping on and off ramps on my commute to work each day and I can tell a huge difference in body roll at 60-80mph on these ramps between Comfort and Sport. There is also a significant difference between turn in and steering feel, as well as nose dive under braking and tail dive under acceleration.