AS is one of my favorite features on my car, especially with the flexibility I have with the Cete module I installed.

No question there’s more to go wrong, but the good news is that AS problems don’t seem widespread, at least thus far.

Will components leak and fail as the cars get older? Of course it’s possible, but if I have to pay for an AS repair post warranty I’ll do so with a smile on my face. It’s that good.

 

of course the people that've paid for it already will defend their purchase. normal human behavior. a complicated suspension setup that'll feel about 95% the same as the regular suspension under normal driving. And all our macans are driven under normal driving 95% of the time.
Costs of repair and replacement cost about 500% more than the base springs.

i totally see the cool factor of AS, but it costs way more than 4 springs, and break way more often than springs.

 

Of course the people that failed to get AS will try to defend their decision. Normal human behavior.

Not sure exactly what feeling 95% the same as regular suspension means, but after driving AS and the standard suspension back to back before I bought my car, I had little trouble making my decision, don’t feel a need to defend it, and could not more highly recommend AS.

The aftermarket modules make it even more impressive because of the ability to personalize the handling and ride of the car, and change it based on varying road conditions and your personal mood.

So far as the cool factor goes, yes it was cool when I was able to raise the car with the press of a button and drive through two feet of unplowed snow after a storm up in New Hampshire that even my sister’s Jeep Cherokee could not handle.

Made up scare tactics like claiming repair costs are 500% more are not going to fool anyone. Do know even one Macan owner that has spent 500% more on an AS repair? Sounds like my Dad advising not to buy power windows because it’s something else to break, or advising someone to order the base 4 cylinder instead of a V6 because it will cost a lot less to replace (no offense intended to those base owners here).

 

I haven’t checked prices but $2500 per corner is difficult to believe,especially on the rear since the rear has a seperate shock and steel spring/ air spring. Regardless of having air suspension or not the shock on the rear is the same and short of the air spring getting a hole it’s difficult to see how it would fail. Front air spring and shock combined so of course more expensive.

I tested air and steel back to back over the same roads and ordered air . And while the potential cost of repairs does concern me, I have a specialist Porsche repair friend that said they have very little problems with air suspension.

I also see in one of my trade magazines an add for after market oem direct fit air suspension , air bags and compressor, for Porsche’s as well as other brands. It’s in Florida somewhere. They are listening components for cayennes but as yet not macans.

 

I haven’t checked prices but $2500 per corner is difficult to believe,especially on the rear since the rear has a seperate shock and steel spring/ air spring. Regardless of having air suspension or not the shock on the rear is the same and short of the air spring getting a hole it’s difficult to see how it would fail. Front air spring and shock combined so of course more expensive.



I tested air and steel back to back over the same roads and ordered steel. And while the potential cost of repairs does concern me, I have a specialist Porsche repair friend that said they have very little problems with air suspension.



I also see in one of my trade magazines an add for after market oem direct fit air suspension , air bags and compressor, for Porsche’s as well as other brands. It’s in Florida somewhere. They are listening components for cayennes but as yet not macans.

I used Bilstein front air shocks for my wife’s Mercedes GL550 instead of OEM with saving of at least $600/shock. Apparently Bilstein do makes air shocks for Macan however it’s not available in USA yet https://www.bilstein.com/uk/en/product/bilstein-b4-air-suspension-module/. Once it’s available it’s surely will be cheaper than OEM and equal in quality.



John

 

Someone posted a while back that rebuilt units are available for older Cayennes at a substantial discount to new, so you would expect the same to appear later for Macans.

Still waiting for proof on the claim that someone paid 500% more for an AS repair. Could it be the claim is bogus and did not happen?

 

How often do steel springs break?

This will cost you a penny or two

 

How often do steel springs break?

This will cost you a penny or two

http://youtu.be/s3C9GBJ5OB0

Not if you're under warranty.

Yet another reason why one shouldn't own a German vehicle without a warranty...unless you don't mind paying for work like this out of pocket.

 

How often do steel springs break?

Not often, but I have actually broken a coil spring on a German car. Mechanical and/or electrical failures are practically guaranteed to happen at some point on every car.

--- warning: going off topic here, on the basic subject of reliability and humans' bizarre interpretation thereof.

People seldom think about complexity when they purchase, nor do they get to see the bang for the buck. Porsche doesn't offer manual window cranks, and they will never reveal failure rates on any of their products. Yet everyone here prefers the more complex Porsche product over less complicated competitors. Admittedly, almost all automobiles are overcomplicated, but still, Porsches stopped being simple 2 decades ago.

That being said, even complex products like Porsches can be made to be safe. It's not about the complexity, its about the design and testing to prove that when failures do happen, they happen in a benign way. Some products simply cut corners. Tesla autopilots have killed multiple people in the past year (7 major incidents since 2016). Nobody has asked for them to be banned from public roads. Uncertified complex systems are being tested on your streets every day.

Meanwhile the bleeding hearts are demanding that no one should have the right to voluntarily fly on a Boeing 737 Max. Mind you, every airliner is tested up the wazoo and it proven to have a chance of single catastrophic failure of less than 1 in a billion assuming mechanic and pilot competence. Now some actors are trying to convince the public that the most safe vehicles on the planet are all bad, designed by evil engineers to be cheap. It's ludicrous. Boeing intentionally introduced an automated feature so that its new airplane would feel more like the old smaller ones despite being much bigger, with more powerful engines. Precisely how much more reliable is the old design over the new design? Zero. All model 737 airplanes are an order of magnitude safer than any car if the pilot turns off the nanny computer and flies the plane with stick and rudder, which is what they have always been trained to do. Until now. Now kids think that flicking off the computer and flicking it back on is the right thing to do. That's what you do in a Tesla when the screen crashes, don't you know?

Tesla automobiles have been given big thumbs down on consumer reliability ratings - including Model S having suspension issues, not to mention serious issues with its electronic driver aids, body hardware, climate system, etc. https://www.designnews.com/electron...m/electronics-test/tesla-s-reliability-issues-are-growing-pains/146880852459721 If a suspension component failed while driving, should Tesla immediately be subject to a sales ban and recall all automobiles immediately without allowing owners to drive them? That didn't happen and the press didn't jump on their opportunity to make Tesla pay. Too enamored with the CEO's personal dynamism perhaps?

But in the airplane world, bans can be enacted by political decree. Two incidents occurred to 737s operated by airlines that have previously been cited for less than ideal training and maintenance methods. One happened due to bird strike, one had an incompetent maintenance crew replace a faulty sensor with another faulty sensor without adequate ground testing to clear the plane. Both incidents were compounded by less than optimal pilot reaction largely as a fault of inadequate situational training. The flurry of warning messages didn't help the pilots correct the situation. Nevertheless, despite being dragged through the mud by the press, Boeing struggles to use reliability and enhanced training to convince regulators to allow airlines to buy the airplane.

Fatal automobile accidents in 2017: 40,100 souls lost, almost all of them partly attributed to driver error.
Fatal 737 Max accidents (2 total): 346 souls lost, and everyone working in airplane design, certification, etc is blamed.

If Tesla and Porsche continue down the road to higher complexity and automation, then broken suspension springs will be the least of their worries. I would fly a 737 Max tomorrow with zero "software updates" before relying on Porsche or Tesla driver nannies with my hands off the wheel. That's the difference between reliability verified by design and hundreds of thousands of hours of testing, and the automobile world which really is pushed to meet feature lists and price targets. When it breaks, just pull over and hope like heck nobody else runs you over.

 

Yet everyone here prefers the more complex Porsche product over less complicated competitors.

Not everyone but I get your point. Many people preferred the X73 suspension for the Caymans which was not PASM. I would prefer a roll up window over power windows any day. The more complicated, the more parts break.

Admittedly, almost all automobiles are overcomplicated, but still, Porsches stopped being simple 2 decades ago.

Yes and no. They used to have the X73, then didn't, then brought it back. You don't have to get PASM just like you don't need PASM or air suspension on a SUV. Life will go on. They took away the MT on the GT3, then brought it back. The GT4 is MT only. I would say the more consumer oriented products are complicated. The more purist products are more simple.

That being said, even complex products like Porsches can be made to be safe. It's not about the complexity, its about the design and testing to prove that when failures do happen, they happen in a benign way. Some products simply cut corners. Tesla autopilots have killed multiple people in the past year (7 major incidents since 2016). Nobody has asked for them to be banned from public roads. Uncertified complex systems are being tested on your streets every day.

Meanwhile the bleeding hearts are demanding that no one should have the right to voluntarily fly on a Boeing 737 Max. ...


Mind you, every airliner is tested up the wazoo and it proven to have a chance of single catastrophic failure of less than 1 in a billion assuming mechanic and pilot competence. Now some actors are trying to convince the public that the most safe vehicles on the planet are all bad, designed by evil engineers to be cheap. It's ludicrous. Boeing intentionally introduced an automated feature so that its new airplane would feel more like the old smaller ones despite being much bigger, with more powerful engines. Precisely how much more reliable is the old design over the new design? Zero. All model 737 airplanes are an order of magnitude safer than any car if the pilot turns off the nanny computer and flies the plane with stick and rudder, which is what they have always been trained to do. Until now. Now kids think that flicking off the computer and flicking it back on is the right thing to do. That's what you do in a Tesla when the screen crashes, don't you know?

Tesla automobiles have been given big thumbs down on consumer reliability ratings - including Model S having suspension issues, not to mention serious issues with its electronic driver aids, body hardware, climate system, etc. https://www.designnews.com/electron...m/electronics-test/tesla-s-reliability-issues-are-growing-pains/146880852459721 If a suspension component failed while driving, should Tesla immediately be subject to a sales ban and recall all automobiles immediately without allowing owners to drive them? That didn't happen and the press didn't jump on their opportunity to make Tesla pay. Too enamored with the CEO's personal dynamism perhaps?

But in the airplane world, bans can be enacted by political decree. Two incidents occurred to 737s operated by airlines that have previously been cited for less than ideal training and maintenance methods. One happened due to bird strike, one had an incompetent maintenance crew replace a faulty sensor with another faulty sensor without adequate ground testing to clear the plane. Both incidents were compounded by less than optimal pilot reaction largely as a fault of inadequate situational training. The flurry of warning messages didn't help the pilots correct the situation. Nevertheless, despite being dragged through the mud by the press, Boeing struggles to use reliability and enhanced training to convince regulators to allow airlines to buy the airplane.

Fatal automobile accidents in 2017: 40,100 souls lost, almost all of them partly attributed to driver error.
Fatal 737 Max accidents (2 total): 346 souls lost, and everyone working in airplane design, certification, etc is blamed.

If Tesla and Porsche continue down the road to higher complexity and automation, then broken suspension springs will be the least of their worries. I would fly a 737 Max tomorrow with zero "software updates" before relying on Porsche or Tesla driver nannies with my hands off the wheel. That's the difference between reliability verified by design and hundreds of thousands of hours of testing, and the automobile world which really is pushed to meet feature lists and price targets. When it breaks, just pull over and hope like heck nobody else runs you over.

OK. I think maybe you don't like the attention being given to the planes crashing vs the car accidents. I can guess the reason. Carriers. Carriers get big attention. Plane goes down, lots of lawsuits, lots of press attention - people are dying. Meanwhile, Tesla crashes and burns? The press buries it because "My climate" Can't have the public know about those fires. It doesn't fit the agenda of the MSM?

I agree with your assessment. Not relevant to the subject here but in a tangental way OK.

 

How often do steel springs break?

This will cost you a penny or two.

Not that often - though they do occasionally break. I worked with a guy whose E46 BMW sedan had a coil spring break
and my wife's E91 BMW wagon had a coil spring break. Unfortunately, when one breaks, it means two have to be
replaced. Yes, they're done in pairs - both left & right sides at the same time, since springs will settle a bit as they age.


No disagreement on the fact that the AS units will cost more than wound wire!

 

Has anyone explored or discussed shock replacement?
This is with the non pasm Macan s of course.
I am on the fence about putting new springs on my Macan S and If I do decide affirmatively then would also like to replace the shocks ( 62000 miles). Anyone with experience in this matter?

 

How about coil-overs?

There's at least one forum member who has installed these.

 

Coil overs are one option and they do have certain advantages. One of the big disadvantages on this platform ( and anyone correct me if I am mistaken) if the lack of access for adjusting the rebound etc . This adjustment is usually done from the top part of the shock and that is just not easily accessible ?
I would prefer a set of springs with a shock that can function well with them. The Oem shocks are really good and they may be the best... I simply don’t know. Therefore opening the discussion. Perhaps billsteins would be a slight upgrade performance wise?

 

All very interesting and some good discussion points but if we could.....anyone ever replaced their shocks yet.... excluding coil Overs?

 

not much discussion concerning the shocks? That's interesting.
Personally I am on the fence concerning lowering coils and shock replacement versus a good set of coilovers. Coilovers presently are slightly preferred at the moment.

 

Hey guys, so I'm ordering a 2022 Macan S with steel spring suspension because where I live, the climate is pretty much arch-nemesis to air suspension and since I plan on owning the car for at least 7 years, up to 9, I cannot go with AS and expect it to not have any problems.

I've been watching a lot of MY2022 Macan reviews (whatever is available to date), and almost all of them mention how stable, the amount of grip and how amazingly it corners for an SUV to a point where reviewers forget they're in a SUV rather than a sports car. All of the reviewed cars have Air Suspension.

So much question to you is, how does Steel Spring suspension perform/compare to AS? (ignoring the comfort benefits and focusing strictly on performance). Can you say it's the same in terms of grip, stability, etc...?

I really wish I could option AS, but I am really worried about potential of issues when exposed to high amounts of moisture and extreme temperature swings in winter time that I get where I live, oh and an unimaginable amounts of road salt as well. I'm From Ontario, Canada.

Thanks.

 

.....how does Steel Spring suspension perform/compare to AS?....

The benefit of the Air Suspension is the relative ease of lowering the car's ride height & center of gravity. And because the Air Suspension uses air cylinders, the ride becomes more firm when the car is lowered.

You can achieve largely similar results by installing lowering springs on a steel suspension Macan. The steel suspension will likely give you better feel and feedback than the Air Suspension.

There are numerous threads discussing the installation of H&R, Eibach, and TechArt lowering springs.

 

Look to your US neighbors in the northern parts of that country - temperature extremes that vary little from Canada as well
as high salt usage on the roads in the winter months.

There are Macan owners and forum members from both VT and CO - and likely other northern US states.

I have driven Cayennes with steel springs and my Macan is AS equipped. The Cayennes remind me of pickup trucks the way
they ride, with the coil springs. The AS design definitely offers a better ride, and it's adjustable from plush to sporty.

There are other forum members with high mileage Macans. I do not recall (m)any posts about AS issues and I've been reading
forum posts for several years.


Good luck!

 

Ride on AS with 20" is similar to the ride on 18" with steel springs. I would get AS.

 

I'm a Washingtonian who skis a lot. My '18 S has never faltered with the AS. I'm in a lot of snow and salt. The AS combined with the PSAM is really unbeatable.

 

...you need to download the Service Manual:

NOTE: They also start - S vs. Turbo - from different ride height values

 

I’m fairly close to finalizing my build thanks to everyone critiquing my build as well as the vast information throughout the forum.

I’ve read a ton about air suspension, but can’t seem to come to a conclusion whether it’s worth adding or not. I do know that I much prefer the look of the car lowered, but that’s about it. Is it worth spending the money just for that? Haha

Any thoughts on why I should or shouldn’t add A/S on a Macan S would be great. The last piece after this will be surround view, but that’s more of a personal decision that I’ll have to make.

I’m already over what I would have preferred to spend, but certainly don’t want to regret omitting something that I’ll really appreciate having. I’m hoping to keep the car for a number of years.

Thanks in advance for everyone’s feedback!

 

I’m fairly close to finalizing my build thanks to everyone critiquing my build as well as the vast information throughout the forum.

I’ve read a ton about air suspension, but can’t seem to come to a conclusion whether it’s worth adding or not. I do know that I much prefer the look of the car lowered, but that’s about it. Is it worth spending the money just for that? Haha

Any thoughts on why I should or shouldn’t add A/S on a Macan S would be great. The last piece after this will be surround view, but that’s more of a personal decision that I’ll have to make.

I’m already over what I would have preferred to spend, but certainly don’t want to regret omitting something that I’ll really appreciate having. I’m hoping to keep the car for a number of years.

Thanks in advance for everyone’s feedback!

I just had a 75 mile round trip to the local ski area. My AS is sublime/superb. It just sucks up those frost heaves. Just get it.

 

All I can say is that I have AS on my 2018 Turbo and I love it. Others have made a more direct steel to AS comparison and I’m sure will chime in. The ride is fantastic and I appreciate the ability to lower the ride for long freeway rides and raise the ride for off road (primarily in snow when going skiing).

 

I wish there were enough cars to test out back to back. I appreciate you sharing your experience though : )

 

AS is worthy every penny due to it's adjustability and is fantastic in the northeast with it's varied road conditions and seasons. I especially appreciate it in the winter. If you keep post warranty, just keep in mind it'll cost more for replacement parts.

 

AS ALL the way @kmajid. Buddy told me I would regret not picking up my GTS in favor of the Turbo I initially considered buying.

Ride is smooth, and when the car is lowered with the adjustable height, the look is just indescribable..Well, just perfect. I thank God I picked the GTS due to the AS.

 

"the look is just indescribable" - that's worth about a grand - sold! haha

 

I have yet to recieve my wife’s 22 Macan S with Air Suspension (scheduled to arrive in early April), but I have air suspension on her current 21 Audi SQ5, and I love it! Aside from the simple fact that PASM feels much more pronounced and creates a more extreme contrast between Normal and Sport mode (in a P-car) in the suspension settings, but you can easily lower the car on lowering links when the car has air suspension. Maybe that’s not important to you, but it is to me. On a non-air suspended car, you have switch out springs or other components in order to have the lower center of gravity or less wheel gap, but on an air suspended car, you switch out these little lowering links for $250-400 to get a significant drop! It’s wonderful! The lowering links worked on the 19 Macan with AS and it worked on the 21 SQ5, so I don’t see why it would be different for the 22 Macan. Here’s a pic of my wife’s SQ5 after spacers and lowering links.

 

Hi All,

Ordering a 2022 Macan S, in Australia the standard suspension is Steel with PASM.

I test drove it with firmest setting all the way and like it. In fact, I wish it could go stiffer.

So here are the questions,
1, if the air suspension is stiffer than steel when both are set to the firmest level?
2, if the air suspension reduces some direct road feedback?
3, if the air suspension brings more “floaty“ feeling?

I can see it's been confirmed that the AS provides more comfortable ride on bumpy roads. But comfort is the least thing to me as I believe the steel one is comfort enough.

Anyone who test drove both can share your experience? Thanks!

 

If you want to truly abuse yourself get a Subaru WRX STI. If you want to get there first get a Macan with AS. The reason I know is we have one of both.

 

Ha yes, WRXs are horribly noisy, though I think what they did with the design was to put all the costs into what really matters for a hot hatch and it helped in saving weight to keep the extras down.

I suspect the leveling properties of AS help with the impression that the car is going slower than it actually is, particularly around corners.

 

Test drove the S and GTS back to back today.

S with steel suspension and PASM as standard and optioned 21'' wheels
GTS with AS as standard
Both set to firmest, GTS set to the lowest
I think the comparison is quite fair and direct as they both run on 21' wheels and have PASM.

It's the third time I test drove an S. The S is softer than my modified Subbie Legacy GT. I would say the stiffness is approx. 70%? Don't get me wrong. It is not bad at all, much better than other perfomace SUVs including X3 M40i and GLC 43 AMG. Actually I think it perfectly mixes the sport and comfort as a DD. Overall I am satisfied, nothing to complaint.

The AS on GTS is stiffer than steel on S. Probaly as 85% as my Subbie? The difference is obvious, but not day and night. I did not feel much floaty TBH. In fact the road feedback is still direct and clear IMHO. I was told the AS on GTS is sport tuned while the optional AS on S is not. I think Porsche must be confident enough to put AS as standard on GTS.

Verdict? If I have enough budget, I will definately go with GTS as I like the AS on GTS more. But I will NOT option AS for S as the steel is close to perfect and the normal AS is not sport tuned.

But if you go off road then AS is a no brainer. If you just simply like your car to sit lower with more aggressive look and don't mind the extra cost, get it. Or if you want a more comfortable ride, you can still get it.

 

Can you elaborate a bit more if the AS was set to Comfort and not the firmest setting? Trying to make a decision to upgrade my S to a GTS

 

"...Both set to firmest, GTS set to the lowest ..."