I have the option to purchase 22" tires and wheels or get the ECU flash and the cold air intake. My 06 Cayenne S does not have air suspension so there is no lowering except springs or coil overs. So which do you think is more bang for the buck, wheels and tires, no lowering, or ecu and air intake? The wheels are 22" Rinspeed with Falken tires.

 

The wheels will hurt your handling/suspension, braking and acceleration. They only help with looks.

I drive a G-wagen with 22" wheels and I definitely notice they hurt the overall performance.

So do you want more looks, or performance? Answer that and the decision is easy.

 

Totally disagree with this. Less flex in the sidewalk and more rubber in contact with the ground will translate to more performance.

The G-wagon is not really the pinnacle of handling to be making this assessment with.

There is a reason Porsche upped the wheel size on the GTS to 21". I was to make it handle better.

I run 22" for the summer and my stock 18" turbo wheels for the winter and there is a notable difference in the handling in a positive way with the 22" wheels.

Ride quality with a steel spring suspension might be another story. My CTT has the air ride and rides nice with the 22" on.

I auto crossed it this summer with the 22" on it and beat 27 of the 49 cars at the Porsche autocross with my CTT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEyZu5WcupI

 

Versus stock wheel sizes, a larger wheel and tire combo is heavier, and thus more unsprung weight, hurting overall handling.

The larger rotating mass slows acceleration and braking.

A lower sidewall profile doesn't necessarily help handling. I read an exhaustive test maybe 5 years ago of 17" versus 18" versus 19" wheels on a 996, and they found the 18" wheel allowed them to produce the highest G forces and run the fastest slalom times.

That is all I'm saying.

 

I agree that in general keeping unsprung weight down is good. As a percentage change on the Cayenne compared to the rest of the car and its weight it is less of a p problem then say a light weight 4 cyl sports car.

Back to the original question.

Not sure how much an intake and chip do for a NA Cayenne?

Also nkt sure how the ride quality would be with 22" on the steel springs.

Tough call.

 

Having added all (one at a time); I personally would go ECU and 2ndary bypass pipes 1st. MHO

 

With an NA engine, an ECU will not yield that much of an power upgrade vs a turbo motor.

I would skip the ECU and get the bypass pipes. As far 22's I went to a 22 and went back to the factory 19's. I would consider moving up to 20 or possibly a 21, but 22 just wasn't for me.

 

CAI + bypass .. my .02 cents..

 

I had an '06 Cayenne S without the air suspension. I think that if you go to 22" wheels without air suspension, your ride is going to be brutal. Two reasons for this. First will be the added weight of the wheel which is significant, and second will be the very short sidewall.

In terms of handling, there is an optimal point in terms of sidewall height of the tire which yields the best results. Too much sidewall will cause decreased responsiveness, which is exaggerated in a heavy vehicle. Too little sidewall and the tire can't absorb shear forces on harder cornering which, likewise, are exaggerated on a heavy vehicle. This can cause the car to "hop" when you turn in hard.

Wheel weight also plays a factor. Remember, the original point of big wheels was to accomodate big brakes. After a while big wheels just became a fashion statement, nothing more.

In reality, it is doubtful that you will be able to drive any SUV, even a Cayenne, to the point where the limits of tire physics will be a factor. If we were talking about a GT3 at track speeds, that is a different story.

Best option for the Cayenne S overall without air suspension is to go with a 20 inch wheel and 275/40/20 tires.

The 21's on my current GTS (with air suspension) is as big as I would go to be honest. No advantage whatsoever for 22's, and I don't think there is much of a difference in looks. In fact, if you tire is too short, your fender gap will appear to be exaggerated.

23's and larger IMO are just ridiculous. The serve no functional purpose and start looking ghetto/pimp/druglord.

So from your choices, I would go with ECU and intake without a question. I wouldn't even remotely consider putting 22's on a Cayenne without air suspension.