Air Suspension vs Normal suspension

I have thought about this question a lot also. What I finally came up with is to do the following:

- decide based on actual need. If you need to drive the car through places with steep drives, irregular surfaces, etc., where the bottom will scrape, the air suspension is useful
- "insure" based on what you can and can't afford; here, this means, if you plan to keep the car for many years, and you can't afford to repair the suspension if it breaks, buy the extended warranty, which gives peace of mind. It is a type of insurance - and like any insurance, it may or may not pay off, i.e., be the least expensive approach. Since the Model S is still relatively new (and constantly changing due to engineering changes), one can't really predict what repair work will be needed 5 years hence.

 

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Not sure how the Model X will perform, but my Model S can hit the roadway just going in and out of some driveways at "standard" suspension height. It will also strike curbs and parking stops in parking lots at that height. I find it very useful to move the height up to prevent scraping.

Also, I feel that the quality of the ride is much better with air suspension. Don't really know if there will be more out-of-warranty problems down the road or not.

Good luck with your Model X.

 

The ride with a normal suspension is just fine. I've driven many air suspension car vs mine with coils and it's not a smoother ride or better. I went with the coils when I ordered based on people saying air suspensions cause problems and I didn't see the need to spend the money on it. I have bottomed out so many times, it's not even funny. Speed bumps, driveways, there is always something. Especially when you have passengers. I would highly recommend to get the air suspension.

 

FWIW, the X "should" ride higher than the S so it should bottom out less and less issues with curb and parking backstop heights.

 

Years ago people laughed at me when I posted Model X buyers would be able to economize over Model S owners because of the greater clearance and less essential need for air suspension and not needing to pay for a panoramic roof. At that time I was also hoping the 3rd row seats would be standard. Oh well. And I would never have predicted at that time that the larger battery option would require the purchase of air suspension. The real cost for me personally of the X over the S is that with the S I probably would have gone with the 70D for the value. With the X's difficulty in putting things on the roof, I wanted the option to tow a trailer long distances with things like kayaks which got me to buy 90D -- so much for economizing. Like many I cringed when I realized I would spend over 100k for a car, but I am sure it will be worth it ...

 

If it makes you feel any better, remember that that towing requires the air suspension. So even if you'd waited for the 70D, you'd have to pony up for that option.

 

I have not driven a coil MS and have the air suspension. So I can't give a comparison for you. I love it. I do need the adjustability, based on where I live, and I have found it to be both extremely convenient and stress reducing since now I don't have to worry about bottoming the car on steep driveways, curbs, parking curb blocks, etc. I love the ride. Very smooth and supple and also very responsive. The car corners amazingly flat for being a 4,600 pound behemoth. Don't know if the coil car is the same in cornering.