Hey all. I can't seem to find a definitive post on this so I just thought I'd make one. The smart air suspension has been one of my must haves for as long as I've owned Teslas and both of my cars have had them as well as all the loaners I've been given.
In a rush to get one of the recent lease specials, I completely forgot to ask for air suspension. It wasn't until my drive home that I realized the air suspension menu was missing and then when I popped my hand under the wheel well, there they were: coils.
So for those that say the difference is night and day, no not really. It took me until I got home before I realized that I didn't have the air springs. The trade-off between air and coil seems to be minimal and largely left to personal preference. The air car is definitely smoother over rough bumps however the coil car is not harsh but does respond more directly.
The big plus for me though is handling. The coil car seems to handle noticeably better with noticeably less body roll. And again, the air suspension car is also quite competent but the coils seem better in this regard.
The biggest benefit to me is not bottoming out on parking stops. The air suspension settles after you park and I can't count the times I've gotten back in my car to pull out of a space and hear my front end dragging over the concrete curb or parking stop.
Overall, you could throw either suspension at me and I'd be happy. If you're someone that loves a comfortable, quiet ride the coil suspension won't upset you and if you're someone that likes a more direct engaging drive, you won't find the air suspension to be loose or disconnected. Both are quite good. And it's for that reason that if were equipping a car right now I'd probably skip the air suspension without a second thought.
This has been another installment of "my opinion of stuff". Tune in next week for more opinions on things you really don't care about.
In a rush to get one of the recent lease specials, I completely forgot to ask for air suspension. It wasn't until my drive home that I realized the air suspension menu was missing and then when I popped my hand under the wheel well, there they were: coils.
So for those that say the difference is night and day, no not really. It took me until I got home before I realized that I didn't have the air springs. The trade-off between air and coil seems to be minimal and largely left to personal preference. The air car is definitely smoother over rough bumps however the coil car is not harsh but does respond more directly.
The big plus for me though is handling. The coil car seems to handle noticeably better with noticeably less body roll. And again, the air suspension car is also quite competent but the coils seem better in this regard.
The biggest benefit to me is not bottoming out on parking stops. The air suspension settles after you park and I can't count the times I've gotten back in my car to pull out of a space and hear my front end dragging over the concrete curb or parking stop.
Overall, you could throw either suspension at me and I'd be happy. If you're someone that loves a comfortable, quiet ride the coil suspension won't upset you and if you're someone that likes a more direct engaging drive, you won't find the air suspension to be loose or disconnected. Both are quite good. And it's for that reason that if were equipping a car right now I'd probably skip the air suspension without a second thought.
This has been another installment of "my opinion of stuff". Tune in next week for more opinions on things you really don't care about.
