dale59911

I have just about everything picked out but would love some input on the wheel sizes for the base Cayenne. I live in snow country so winter tires are going to be a must. I am also mmm shall we say, not a spring chicken and not a go fast junkie.....(I did enough of that when I was flying). After reading the forum, I have decided on the PASM but not the Air Suspension. I live 245 miles from the nearest Porsche dealer and don't want the headache of possible maintenance on that.

I love the engineering on this car, the way it looks and the way it handles.

My question is on the ride. Some have told me the 19 or 20" wheels just look better but then you need the Air Suspension or it rides hard. My wife likes the look of the 18" wheels so styling is not a real issue for us. I would appreciate any input on wheel size, both for summer driving and winter driving.

I assume that the 18 and 19" are interchangeable on the vehicle....you can have one size rims for summer and another size for winter if there is an advantage to doing that.

Thanks in advance.....

steve_Cayenne

I have both 18" for winter, and 20" for summer with Steel Springs, and NO PASM.

20" feels a bit crisper and better handling for summer, and not realy more jarring. This vehicle is always a bit on the hard side as it should be being a Porsche (compared to say a lexus or Mercedes), but I do not notice an appreciable further hardening with the 20's. And I live in land of the potholes, and bad roads. On top of that if you get PASM you can always put it in (god forbid) comfort mode to soften it out a bit more.

Lots of debate whether AIR is really more comfortable or not, and often the debate ends in that people "think" AIR is more comfortable because it also comes with PASM which makes the real difference (PASM is actually working all the time to adjust, not just when in SPORT or COMFORT modes per common misconception).

Styling wise, 20" looks much nicer, and best looking in 21. Just looks silly after that IMHO.

And yes wheels are interchangeable. You can have 18" for winter that will be a bit better since they are narrower and will cut down to the asphalt better instead of floating on top of the slippery stuff. Although that advantage is minor compared to the difference of real winter tires. 18" are also more durable over potholes, less likely to ruin a rim in winter. Seperate set of wheels and tires also allows you to easily change yourself, if you don't mind wrenching. If you have real winters you need snow tires (summers in winter will kill you), and swapping on the same rims twice a year will take its toll on the rims and tires, and come to the same $$$ as aftermarket rims in the long run. A set of ugly winters also protects the nicer summer rims from the ravages of salt.

If you have mild winters with a day or three of snow, all seasons may work.

dale59911

Thanks for the response. I am in NW Montana so we are (or at least can be) talking real winters.

Joseph O'Reilly

i have to agree with everything steve_cayenne wrote. i would only add that if you don't mind the looks of the 18s, another minor reason to stick with those on a v6 is that bigger wheels and tires take more power to move.
i completely understand your reluctance to get air suspension due to maintenance concerns, but consider that it is supposedly getting more reliable and less expensive to fix vs the 957 set-up (although granted you mentioned distance from the dealer, not the cost), and out in NW Montana, you might be fording rivers, negotiating with rocks and tree trunks, battling snow drifts and all that wholesome western american stuff...in which case the chassis height adjustment might come in real handy. good luck with your order

Dennis C

I agree with Steve also.

I have PASM with air suspension on my Cayenne, but I don't think it would impact my wheel choice. I run 20" wheels with my summer tires and 18" wheels with my winter tires. I think the 18" wheels look fine, and they still handle nicely. The ride is a bit softer with the 18" wheels, but they don't compromise handling so much that you'll regret using them. I also like the extra rubber on the 18" wheels for the bad road conditions that you encounter in the winter, including ruts and potholes.

steve_Cayenne

Yes, and as Joseph mentions, if you will be doing the "wholesome Montana off-road stuff", stick to 18's.

You would then want as much rubber as possible keeping your alloys off those wholesome debris! Both for scuffing them up, and bending a rim when you need to air-down and the rubber bottoms out.

dale59911

I think my wife will learn how to use my 9 MM if I even hint at taking "her" Porsche off road. (at least until the new wears off a bit) And as she said the other day "with the price of ammunition these days, I can't guarantee you will get a warning shot."

steve_Cayenne

Well, you could always say you retained the services of this guy to take "her" Porsche for a spin, should anything ever happen to you

Dennis C

The price isn't an issue here in Colorado, it's the availability! All the local stores are sold out of 9mm and .40 S&W. You can still buy .45 ACP, but only in hollow points!

I think your wife might be more likely to club you with a baseball bat and save the bullets!

steve_Cayenne

So, was putting on my summer wheels tonight, and thought I would bring out the scale and weigh how much more those horribly heavy "replica" 20's were, compared to the top secret ultra light rare metal alloys Porsche must use in the original wheels (considering their price!). Surprisingly, not that much heavier:

Porsche OE 18" wheels and tires: 63lbs
Cheap Replica 20" wheels and tires: 68lbs

Looking up tire weight, breakdown is (tire/wheel): 33/30 vs 35/33

I highly doubt 5lbs will make any noticeable difference on an SUV!

dale59911

Canada and summer tires already...you guys are real optimists :-)

steve_Cayenne

Long range forecast is showing no snow, and above freezing temps 2 weeks out!

Global warming is working, up north at least!

Dennis C

I usually shoot for May 15th for summer tires here in the mountains. This year it might be later because we're having lots of spring snow!

steve_Cayenne

May 15th ??? That's when I plant my garden up here !

Legal snow tire dates here are Dec 15th - March 15th. On two weeks early, and off two weeks late pretty safe here for A/S ... a bit more margin for HP summer. Many feet of snow between those dates.

endless_corners

My tomatoes already have a few flowers!