darkus

Hey all,

I recently sold an X5M which I loved but it was simply way to harsh for the family.

To me, the Cayenne to me is the pinnacle in this segment and I'm naturally gravitating to the GTS or Turbo in 958.2 guise. I really want something fun and sporty, but the reality of the family and kids is going to cramp that...

SO here comes the total cayenne newbie question and to be honest porsche newbie question, since i've been driving AMG Black Series cars for some time now..

Which Cayenne of them all would give the ultimate in ride comfort? Options include the entire Cayenne line from base, to S to GTS to Turbo and any specific suspension option/package. My heart wants to go with GTS, but the damn brain knows it is likely the wrong choice in the bunch. Surprisingly to me, the reviews I've found on the Turbo say its super comfortable with the adjustable suspension. So that got my hopes up. But who knows, maybee a suspension option on an S or base is actually more comfortable? Or maybee adjustable GTS suspension is the same as the Turbo?

Its all a black box to me, so I come to the experts for some much needed help! I will absolutly end up test driving the cars, but was hoping for some direction from the crowd if I should focus my efforts one way or another

Thank you, have to say any help is really appreciated!

jlusby

deilenberger

In general - the air suspension also gives you adjustable damping - including a comfort mode. So.. that's why getting one with air suspension is worthwhile. As far as a tire that works well - the Continental DWS-06 has a well-deserved reputation as a good riding and good driving tire. It's not as edgy as the Michelin sports, nor as great in the snow as a dedicated snow tire - but it's decent all-round without feeling flabby. It also is a mileage champ for the Cayenne.

hotrod2448

Mine is just a lowly diesel but, it does have the air suspension (I don't know what differences if any there are in air suspension across the cayenne range) and with 19s on it in comfort mode it seriously rides as comfortably as any Lexus I've driven. It happily floats along soaking up every bump and imperfection but, if you drop the ride height and push the sport button it is about 3/4 as firm as my M3 is. It's a pretty significant difference. I would think even with slightly larger wheels you would still have a reasonably comfortable ride with the air suspension, at least comparable to the X5M.

Honestly my concern for the family would be the comfort of the backseat. Admittedly I've sat in the back seat for all of about 2 minutes but, my first impression was that the seat itself was not nearly as comfortable as my X5.

wkearney99

One with the air suspension and 20" tires. 21s are going to provide a firmer ride, which is great for traction but not if ride comfort is your bigger goal. We regularly take multi-state trips in my '17 GTS and the 14-way seats are perfectly comfortable. It was the seats that made the decision for my wife. 4-way AC is nice (ventilated seats) and heated seats front & back.

There's an option called PDCC which adds sway bar control. Honestly, you do not need it. It adds expense and service costs. If it's there and the vehicle is otherwise well-equipped then I wouldn't skip it. But I wouldn't hold out for it either. In previous generations it mattered more, but more recent models are somewhat lighter and don't benefit as much from it during normal driving. Yeah, yeah, folks with it will swear it's absolutely necessary. I've driven both with/without and it isn't necessary, in my opinion. And understand that I've regularly hammered my GTS around autocross courses, so I'm reasonably familiar with how it handles.

RomSL

I wouldn't even consider a Cayenne on springs if a comfort ride is important. I can't speak for air suspension.

kennyt

I sold my X5M last year and bought the Cayenne Turbo. I agree with you the X5M ride is too harsh even after I replaced the run-flat with the Contis. In my personal experience there are 3 things that determine how comfort the Cayenne is: seat (18-way vs 14-way), wheel size and air suspension. The 18 way seat is sporty but does not feel comfortable as the 14 way. The 21" wheel will make you feel like driving a go-cart; you will feel every imperfection on the road vs the 19" (I have 21" for summer and 19" for winter). With the air suspension in comfort mode it does help with the 21" wheel but not enough to make the family happy. My kids don't want to ride in the Cayenne on long trips. With regards to PDCC, the Cayenne doesn't have the nimble and tightness feel as the X5M without it.

offagain

I went for a 2011 Cayenne with springs rather than air suspension because I wanted a simpler setup that was less of an expensive risk, but failed to consider issues with the transfer case.... oh well, you win some, you lose some!

I would say that the spring setup is actually pretty good and provides a good and reasonable ride. It is definitely better than an X5 and doesn't ride nearly as badly or harshly. That said, the air springs are even better though. When in normal mode, they are really good, smooth and provide a composed ride. Switch to sport and its still good, but much more in fitting with the spirit of the car. Impressive ride in reality! Its a bit amazing really, one thing that Porsche does well is to make definitive differences between modes and it does transform just changing from normal to sport!

I did test drive a bunch of X5's before going for the Cayenne and found the ride really harsh, unnecessarily so. I can only imagine what the X5M was like. I think you will be rather surprised when you try the Cayenne - its a luxury car in normal, its very different in sport! But for ride quality, air is the way to go.

DrBillyD

I have a 2014 Cayenne Turbo S with OEM 21" rims and winter wheels/tires that are 19".

If you want a comfortable ride, my suggestions are:

1. Wheels no bigger than 20", and...
2. Air suspension

I don't think the model sub-type (e.g. base, diesel, S, GTS, Turbo, etc.) is as much of a factor as the above items.

RomSL

hotrod2448

That was probably me. My F15 X5 35i Msport with the base suspension and it wallows badly. It feels significantly softer than either of the E70 X5s I had prior to it. It feels as soft as the air suspension in comfort on the CD. That said it still manages to crash pretty badly over bumps and potholes.

Obviously the X5M the OP is talking about is going to be a different animal compared to the non-M division X5.

knfeparty

air suspension, pdcc, smallest wheels possible (so no PCCBs), insulated glass, sun shades

eddieb4

Honestly my concern for the family would be the comfort of the backseat. Admittedly I've sat in the back seat for all of about 2 minutes but, my first impression was that the seat itself was not nearly as comfortable as my X5.
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I agree with above ... drove my CD from Chicago to DC to South Carolina and back for spring break. Kids complained after a few hours about back seat comfort (had Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT before - no complaints). I took a turn in the back and have to admit (not to them!) that it was uncomfortable after an hour or two. I think it is the short lower seat cushions that make legs uncomfortable. Probably my only real complaint about the car but the good news is that I dont have to ride in the back seat! Getting ready to drive the kids from Denver to Chicago next week .... we shall see if complaints return.

CarGuyNVA

darkus

Thanks so far for the responses everyone. This has been tremendously helpful

Next questions:
1) Is the air suspension standard on the Turbo and GTS? Or still an option? Im searching VINs on some used cars and none so far explicitly list it so either its rare or a standard option?
2) Is the air suspension on the Turbo, GTS, S, etc the same exact system? Or is it possible the Air suspension Turbo is actually stiffer then say an S?

Thanks again!