gokkav

Since A/S always comes with PASM, it's possible to attribute the ride comfort to A/S although it may actually result from PASM.

Joseph O'Reilly

this makes sense to me, but both porsche and the professional auto reviewers certainly suggest that A/S serves not just to adjust ride height but also to optimize handling dynamics.

gokkav

I am pretty sure that "optimizing" (i.e. constantly adjusting this and that) is done by PASM. But it may be the case that "PASM performs better with A/S".

GTS 6 spd

One aspect of A/S that was alluded to with towing but not specifically called out is an even ride level. We load up our GTS to go camping or for a road trip and the pepper stays level, no sagging in the rear. This helps when going over road bumps/ dips as you're less likely to hit the bump stops than if you have steel springs that are already fairly compressed. What I noticed while driving is the obvious additional weight, but the bonus was the weight balance was still good and the driving dynamics felt similar to being unladen. It's fun to be able to attack twisties when loaded vs driving like you're in a RV.

For versatiltiy and driving fun, a Cayenne with A/S and PDCC can't be beat.

steve_Cayenne

GTS raises a good point.

I had a first-gen X5 for 10 years with sports air suspension (with no ride or hight user control).

- I could put 1500lbs of flooring in the trunk at the hardware store, without zero sag. Some compact pick-up trucks looked liked they were being crushed when loaded next to me!
- Needed no maintenance over the 10 years.
- It was actually quite harsh. Just because it rode on air bladders, did not make it feel like it was "floating on air". At least in my BMW case.