In thread after thread I see people always praising the comfort that the Air Suspension gives, but are people confusion Air Suspension with PASM?

Air suspension just controls ride height/level and if you have PDCC that too, where as PASM controls the suspension setting from firm to soft.

So why do I keep seeing people attributing suspension feel to the Air Suspension as opposed to PASM? Am I misreading or understanding something?

 

The air susp does provide a level of comfort when raised from the lower settings in my experience.

 

Maybe it's because on some models/package combos PASM isn't available separately from air suspension. Also, air suspension allows for increase suspension travel which would complement PASM allowing for an even smoother ride.

 

Because with air suspension you dont have steel springs, its hard to explain the floating feeling.
Very comfortable, but also a very controlled ride. I really don't care for the leveling/raising/lowering feature.
With PASM you just control the shocks firmness.

 

On my S I went with PASM and no Air Suspension. On the Cayenne the settings definitely correlate to their description. Something I haven't found true on other cars where they seemed more gimmicky than useful.

Here are my personal experiences with them. Remember steel sprung with PASM. I also test drove a PASM equipped with AS, but my time in it was limited, and I didn't care for the ride at the time.
Comfort-smooth floating over road feeling(the exact feeling you describe)
Normal-exactly as described firmer but not harsh
Sport-Firm and planted feeling, very little roll, still not harsh

I'm willing to bet that most of us would not be able to tell a difference on any particular PASM setting between a AS equipped and non AS equipped Cayenne.

Certainly not as much a difference as the PASM offers.

My personal preference is for a firmer ride, If I wanted low and floating I would have gotten a Caddy.

 

I didn't realize that you could order a Cayenne with PASM, but without air suspension. I typically drive the Cayenne with the air suspension set on low, and the PASM set on normal. In the winter, I put the air suspension to standard ride height. I occasionally go with low/sport when I feel the urge, but with the 20" wheels I find this combination to be pretty harsh - more firm/harsh than the 911. The only time I ever use comfort is when I'm on a long road trip.

 

This was the reason for my post, I have a gut feeling that most on here don't realize there is a difference.

Like I posted PASM is what changes the feel of the suspension, AS just controls vehicle height.

High would be for obstacle clearing and low is for aerodynamics, it has no bearing on the feel.

 

I'm assuming that PASM works in conjunction with air suspension by adjusting dampening to the corresponding amount of travel. Some people have mentioned that sport in conjunction with lowering results in harshness. It might be worthwhile to ask the same people if the harshness goes away with PASM on sport yet with the ride height set to normal or max.

 

I realized that PASM and AS performed different functions, but I thought they were always bundled in Cayennes. I know you can get PASM in a 911 without an air suspension, so I guess it's the same in Cayennes!

Interesting comments by synk... I'll have to try out a few more combinations and see how it feels...

 

I have PASM with steel springs. Switching to Comfort definitely changes the suspension and make the car feel more 'floaty' and less harsh. Perfect for bumpy roads and straightaways but not great on curves. I typically leave mine in Normal but switch to Sport if I am on some real curvy roads. I suspect all of those attributes just get a little better with the Air Suspension.

 

The air suspension also keeps the Cayenne flat while cornering, correct?

 

Anti-roll is PDCC which requires air suspension.

 

Correct PDCC(Porsche Dynamic Chasis Control) is what keeps the car flat, that is an option that requires the air suspension.

 

Or worse, who knows?

Maybe the steel sprung car rides better in all setting compared to a Air equipped one.

The 1st time I test drove a Cayenne it was AS equipped and I though it rode like crap, it was harsh and rough even the people who came with me commented on how bad it rode.

Turns out the salesman in an effort to impress me had lowered the vehicle and had the PASM set to Sport, I can tell you in my steel sprung Cayenne with PASM. Sport mode is a firm and planted feeling with very little body roll, but at no time is it harsh and uncomfortable like it was in the AS equipped Cayenne.

The other side is maybe on normal and high setting with Soft mode engaged the car may be too squishy.

If you read, most on here state they have their car in low to medium height and normal mode as it is almost universal that the AS in low mode with Sport is too harsh. Where in the steel sprung version that is not an issue.

Also like I said a few times I'm convinced most(not all, most) have no idea what the difference between PASM and the Air Suspension is, so they attribute ride comfort to Air Suspension, the thinking being PASM is part of the Air Suspension.

 

i sure do love me some pdcc, AS, and PASM.