alexl911

I need to act fast!

I have an offer to buy a '06 Cayenne S with only 12K miles and what I think is a really low price (20K GBP). High spec BUT NO air suspension! All the advice I have read says to go for air suspension -what should I do?? I am only going to keep the car for a year while I am working in the UK.

Thanks!!

quattrotman

I wouldn't say that the air suspension is a must have option. I don't have it and I love my cayenne. When I was looking for this car, I actually looked for vehicles without air suspension. To me it was not necessary and a very expensive option to replace/repair if anything went wrong. That's me though...I've learned my lesson with high end cars and high tech gimmicks/options. They are cool to have but expensive to fix. 12k miles...that's what you should be paying attention to. Must be like new.

cab&coupe

+1 without air suspension. Only 16k miles and only keeping it for one year... go for it.

yeldogt

I too looked for one without it.

Km1.8t

+ 2 on no air suspension, I was also looking for one without due to the cost of repair. I would go for if is has the options you want such as Nav system.

Jsonorous

+3 no air suspension.

mudman2

Not a chance I would get one without Air Suspension. Especially on German roads (and PA roads)

alexl911

It's going to be mostly on UK roads... around Wimbledon (I must have a Chelsea tractor!) The only reason I am considering it as it's a private sale from one of my neighbors and can get it for real cheap. My original intention was to get a BMW 330d M Touring as our family car but this Cayenne would actually be cheaper!! These gas guzzlers are really hard to sell in the UK now due to the high cost of fuel and the recession. However, if I can get it for 20K I think I can sell it in a year and not loose anything -even without the air suspension.

Andy E.

The air suspension and level control is nice...really nice. It's like a sunroof; once you have it, you can't live without it.

It allows you to enter/exit the vehicle freely, improve stability at highway speeds by lowering the center of gravity, while raising the level to extreme off-road heights. The question is, "Do you really need it for the next 12 months?".

Typical pricing for an air shock hovers around $1,400. If there is no longer warranty coverage on a vehicle equipped with this option, a shock repair or replacement may set you back quite a bit.

Then again, in 12 months of P!G ownership, what can possibly go wrong? Right?

WFBlue

Other than off road capabilities and towing assistance, can someone explain other benefits from the air suspension? I have it on my MB GL and never use it, and I am considering the Premium Package plus on a 2011 CS, but since most of the cost of this package is the air suspension, I am conflicted. Sorry to hijack the post, but my question seemed close to the issue raised by the OP.

EnigmaWmn

+3 on no air suspension. Drove 130k miles on an '05 CS without it and would not hesitate to do (without it) again.

alexl911

I guess it has to do with raising/lowering the ride height depending on the driving conditions. When you're driving at high speed on the highway, having a lower center of gravity is beneficial. Also, the Porsche system automatically adjusts to the load weight, theoretically optimizing the spring rates as opposed to the standard steel springs which are a compromise in order to work with a wide range of loadings.

The question is: essential or a nice to have? Remember for me it's all about resale value. I will only drive the car for a year at which time I want to sell it fast with little hassle before moving countries. The price is certainly right given the really low mileage and I don't expect to put a lot on (maybe 5-10K in a year).

Dennis C

The air suspension option isn't that common on the CS. I don't think it will impact resale value significantly. Values for used Cayennes aren't great anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

We have the option in our Cayenne, and I do like it. However, it's rare that I change the ride height. I do change the ride setting between sport, normal and comfort more frequently. My standard set up is low ride height with normal ride.

It's nice to have, but I don't think it's a necessity.

Shawn Stanford

+4 on no air suspension.

Admittedly, I have a V6, but I don't know that the extra 2 cylinders would make a difference where the suspension is concerned. I also lowered mine with the Eibach kit. I doubt the roads in England suck as much as the roads here in the Poconos and I have no complaints.

Marc Gelefsky

I don't think it's necessary, I do have it on my CS but have driven Cayenne's without it and don't find them lacking.
Dropping the suspension when washing the car is handy for reaching the roof