I definitely will disagree with you here. I've owned most models of Lexus since the first LS400 came across the pond. Great cars, comfy, and reliable. But none of the models you mention offer an SUV that comes close to a base Cayenne in terms of the overall feeling to drive it. Power to weight ratio is also better with the Cayenne. As this is my first Porsche, I was reluctant to spend for lots of features only to regret it later and also bought mine with 6k miles on it, so got a decent deal. As others have said, it can be sluggish off the line but sport mode helps a lot. A few regrets about not having some features I'd like, but overall I do not regret getting it 2.5 years ago. So yes, the drive was the biggest consideration. YMMV

 

Right, like I said usually and people that care enough to join an enthusiast car forum care about things like that. Most of the general public that buy base version Porsche SUVs don’t. My CA has told me stories about how hard it used to be to sell Macans pre Covid because of how expensive they were with few options compared to the competition. He and others I’ve talked to even said a lot get them because of the badge. I don’t care what others do with their money but this definitely isn’t a new thing.

 

The dealer was telling me that air suspension doesn’t make the ride softer or nicer. It just lets you lower it and in fact makes the ride harsher. Inaccurate statement?

 

From my experience, very inaccurate but everyone is different. Do they have an angle here?

 

Don’t they also offer adjustable dampers though? I would imagine THAT is what you want to adjust ride quality no? That being said I believe you can add the dampers without the air suspension, but you can’t add air suspension without the dampers. So if that has been the case since 2019…. technically a cayenne with air suspension could ride better than one without because it also has adaptive dampers. I had magnetic ride on our cadillac and I will say it was one of the best riding cars we’ve owned, not sure how porsche compares.

 

Probably to sell the car he has on the lot. If he has an air suspension car on the lot, he'd be saying the opposite, that the base suspension is junk and to not worry about the difference in cost.

I have base steel spring suspension car, so I'm not saying this out of bias towards the air, but some sales people do things like this.

 

This is what I was thinking was going on. From a long term maintenance/cost standpoint, the less complicated steel suspension car definitely has that going for it.

 

The only time I’ve been able to tell a large difference with adjustable dampers is with GM or Fords mag ride. In my GTS 4.0 it is either stiff or a little more stiff between the settings. In the air ride equipped Cayenne it is either soft or a little less soft. It’s so personal and based on what you’ve owned in the past as to why there are such a wide variety of opinions. I’m used to a sports car ride (I used to daily a ZL1 1LE) so all Cayennes feel relatively soft to me while you read a bunch of reviews saying they are overly stiff.

As for best of both worlds, nothing beats the mag ride suspended cars IMO.

 

I don't have experience with the mag ride system and am not saying the air suspension in the Cayenne is "better", but one of the positives of the air ride suspension is that it provides additional support for a heavy tongue weight (something an adjustable damper doesn't really do) and it also provides an adjustable ride height, so if you are on rocky terrain, while driving under 20 mph you can raise the vehicle up for more clearance. You have to love both of these modern technologies.

 

Yup, that’s one of the reasons I wanted the air ride as well since we will occasionally be towing a boat with it.

Agreed, they are amazing and I should of clarified the best of both worlds comment was in regards to comfort/sporty driving. IMO the mag ride systems are the best at that. They are the only ones I thought truly had a comfort feel in my sports/fun cars.

 

Definitely the S with air suspension and PDCC, and rear steering if not too much for you...

 

I had a E70 X5, and now have a '21 Cayenne S. I drove the base too - it's too sluggish. Go for the S, you will not regret the extra 20k, I promise you.

 

This. I have them and it's goddamn amazing. Like a 911 to share with friends

 

Inaccurate. I dampens much better, even in low setting. Combined with PDCC stays flat through the corners. Noticeable differenece vs steel springs.

 

Hi. I have a 2019 base Cayenne with air suspension. I am finding it very stiff and hard on speed humps and an even road surface. Please advise.