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Would current E3 owners with the Adaptive Air Suspension please comment on their experiences with it so far? I'm considering adding this option to my Base configuration. I realize this is an expensive performance option for a Base model, but I want my Cayenne to ride and handle *very* well. Yes, the air suspension isn't as reliable as a steel suspension, but I think it may be worth it to me. My current 2015 BMW X5's base steel suspension isn't sporty, planted, or comfortable enough for my taste. Since most of my driving is on city streets, I don't need the added power of an S or a Turbo. But I'm hoping the adaptive air suspension will help approximate the ride and handling of a higher trim Cayenne. Here's my current configuration. Thank you for any feedback.
I ordered PASM on my base and I am very pleased. I did not need the height adjustment of the air springs. And, my SA warned me of potential problems with the air shocks. All Cayenne models have PASM standard except the base model. All my driving is on road and PASM gives me a very sporty and comfortable ride.
I was ready to order air suspension... but I drove both (test drive, maybe 15 minutes one car with another without, FWIW)... and I liked the way standard felt better. Kind of more firm / sporty to me (Nick Murray said that too in his video). I tried the height adjustment- and it didn't appear that big of a deal. In the car it was hard to notice. And if you want to know if it'll fail google it... lots of people are talking about it (how much $, how soon). Still I have 10 days left before I'm frozen so I've subscribed to this thread while I can change my mind (or you all can change it) ;-)
I was ready to order air suspension... but I drove both (test drive, maybe 15 minutes one car with another without, FWIW)... and I liked the way standard felt better. Kind of more firm / sporty to me (Nick Murray said that too in his video). I tried the height adjustment- and it didn't appear that big of a deal. In the car it was hard to notice. And if you want to know if it'll fail google it... lots of people are talking about it (how much $, how soon). Still I have 10 days left before I'm frozen so I've subscribed to this thread while I can change my mind (or you all can change it) ;-)
Thats the beauty of air suspension, you get the best of both all worlds on ride/feel. Just change settings at the touch of a button, and you can ride fairly soft with body roll, or you can change to firmer with less roll, or change to the nearly track worthy stiffest suspension with the tight, firm, sporty feel. for around town, I tend to leave it in the stiffest setting, just feels and handles better. But, on the interstate or long trips, I change to softest settings. I also like the height adjustment for the occasion that I need to raise the car, or lower for access (over the roof or to let grandma climb in and out).
My preference is the air suspension. I drove a loaner base with steel springs for three months while waiting for my (re-ordered) S. The car handled fine overall, but it felt like a compromise toward comfort and had a couple of weird spots in chassis dynamics at speed (felt like odd camber/toe changes, but the geometry should be the same on the S). I also did not care for the ride height.
My S has air suspension with PASM and it is, to me, a significant improvement over the standard suspension. Ride is compliant, but firm and controlled. PASM modes function well and the adjustable ride height of the air springs (including auto adjust at speed) is nice. The suspension's ability to manage bumps, holes, etc at speed is quite impressive and makes the car feel like it is traveling significantly slower than reality. Easy decision for me.
Re: reliability of the air springs - no prior experience with Porsche air springs, but I owned Toyota Sequoia with air springs for 9+ years and 140K miles without issue.
Get at least PASM if you are getting the base model. PASM has steel springs with 3 mode settings. AS is PASM with air shocks with 3 mode settings plus ride height adjustment. Get AS if you want the ride height feature. The S and Turbos have PASM standard.
The air suspensions are not the weak points of the Cayenne's. I've had 2 of the 3 I had reach over 100K in 3 years with zero suspension related issues. Generally the drivetrain is the issue as our peppers age along with the typical wear and tear parts.
My preference is the air suspension. I drove a loaner base with steel springs for three months while waiting for my (re-ordered) S. The car handled fine overall, but it felt like a compromise toward comfort and had a couple of weird spots in chassis dynamics at speed (felt like odd camber/toe changes, but the geometry should be the same on the S). I also did not care for the ride height.
My S has air suspension with PASM and it is, to me, a significant improvement over the standard suspension. Ride is compliant, but firm and controlled. PASM modes function well and the adjustable ride height of the air springs (including auto adjust at speed) is nice. The suspension's ability to manage bumps, holes, etc at speed is quite impressive and makes the car feel like it is traveling significantly slower than reality. Easy decision for me.
No need for me to add anything to your post, Krokodil. I agree 100 percent -- we had the exact same test-drive experience. Our Turbo comes standard with the whole deal, but when we considered an S, we had PASM with air suspension checked as a mandatory option.
I am not concerned with reliability because the car will be under warranty (either factory or extended, if we fall so deeply in love that we can't part after four years) the entire time we own it.
No need for me to add anything to your post, Krokodil. I agree 100 percent -- we had the exact same test-drive experience. Our Turbo comes standard with the whole deal, but when we considered an S, we had PASM with air suspension checked as a mandatory option.
I am not concerned with reliability because the car will be under warranty (either factory or extended, if we fall so deeply in love that we can't part after four years) the entire time we own it.
100% agree. I changed from an X5M to the Turbo which has PASM standard and the difference is amazing. A must have feature.
Do it! Base Cayenne with air suspension here. Rides beautifully, more comfortable and relaxed or sportier and controlled at the touch of a button. Much, much better feel than on the 958. For some reason it’s a standard option on the Turbo which is the alpha dog in the Cayenne line up.
Ride height selector is only a bonus.
To each their own. PASM is one thing, but I will not buy another car with air suspension. I have owned a base Panamera with steel springs and the Panamera Turbo with the whole deal, air suspension etc. The base Panamera had felt more natural to me in terms of handling, and more connected. May be slightly more firm and slight more body roll. But I preferred that over air suspension in my Turbo.
the feel aside, also having owned several cars, including Porsche and Mercedes, with air suspension, I have had major issues with them. Issues usually come about after 40-70k miles, mainly leaks. My Panamera Turbo was a nightmare, they were never able to fix it. Thank God it was a CPO car.
Nevertheless, if soft ride and comfort are priorities, and one is not planning to keep the car after warranty is out, air suspension may make sense. I personally don’t care about the softer ride air suspension provides, and certainly, I don’t buy Porsche for its soft and comfortable ride.
When I bought my CS new in '06, I searched all over the west to find one with air suspension and I'm glad I did. The adjustability has been fantastic as there have been plenty of situations when I've used it with the dampening on comfort and max height (wifey happy on crappy roads). We also needed the low height (think of it as suspension travel) and sport dampening when we towed our 25' Airstream 1,000 mi down the Baja penensula and then north through Canada and into Alaska. That setting was really important to cut down on porpoising. I wouldn't own a Cayenne without adjustable air suspension.
05-01-2019, 05:22 PM
Adaptive Air Suspension Reviews
