ucmndd
Well-Known Member
There's a ~90 page thread on here about rattles from defective struts that Tesla won't or can't seem to fix. "No reason", really?
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Smart air suspension vs regular on buying used S?
- Thread starter AcesUp
- Start date
There's a ~90 page thread on here about rattles from defective struts that Tesla won't or can't seem to fix. "No reason", really?
The SC does clean out the drain during the annual service. FWIW, my S has been tight for almost seven years and 129K miles. The air suspension's primary advantage is that the height can be set to avoid bottoming out (once set it remembers the location unless you tell it not to when you first set it up).
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Air suspensions used to be expensive to fix, but now there are aftermarket options, as well as used parts available from dismantelers are low cost.
Also, see very few posts recently about owners with air suspension issues. Most love them.
Also, see very few posts recently about owners with air suspension issues. Most love them.
Well, there you have it. People with coils like them, people with the air suspension like that option as well. When I got my car, they’d made the air suspension unavailable for a short period of time, I’d have opted for it but now I’m happy with the coils.
I’d choose your car based mainly on other factors. The coils work well as do the air suspensions.
I can’t speak for others but I don’t care too much for the roof that opens. I had a convertible in Tennessee. It was too hot to use it in the summer and pollen was an issue. By the time it cooled off there just wasn’t that often I could use it. There are a lot of trucks on the road and they are very loud. The roof panel is a trouble spot for a lot of cars. It adds weight high up, they sometimes rattle, squeak, and leak. Seals fail eventually. I’m happy with my all glass roof. I take nothing away from those that like the sun roof, it’s just something that doesn’t appeal to me.
I remember seeing one report of an air suspension car that lifted then lowered once the car was parked. The owner backed up and tore the front fascia. I haven’t seen many reports of it but that might be something to consider, or if you get the air suspension, something to watch for especially for those cement parking bumpers with an inch or two of rebar sticking out of the top.
I wouldn’t get hung up on any of these relatively minor options. If something is important to you, fine, go for it, but the car overall is fantastic no matter how it is configured. Either suspension is great. You can maintain a sun roof. Seals are replaceable.
So I’d find a car you like then see if the options on it make much of a difference to you. If it’s coils/air suspension/sun roof, etc., then figure out how much you like or dislike those options. Still the underlying car is the main thing and I’d much sooner buy a car that has been babied by the first owner than one with additional extras that hadn’t. I’d look at paint, check the rims for rashes. Those of us that baby our cars take care of the paint and the rims. Great paint doesn’t help the car go but if someone has taken great care of the things you can see, they’ve likely taken care of the things you don’t see. Examine the car in bright sunlight, see if it has been washed with gritty rags. You can buff out tiny scratches, of course, but the scratches tell you much more about the care of the car. Batteries are happiest when they’re charged between 20-80%. Repeatedly charging to 100% or running down to 0% makes it more likely the battery pack will degrade more than a pack that’s been babied. If the car is off lease, the owner knew he probably wouldn’t keep the car, so what happens to it 4 or 5 years down the line isn’t usually a major concern. But as one who buys used, the 4 to 5 years down the line is important to you. So don’t take a car you cannot examine in bright sunlight, don’t take a wet car, and if the interior has not been cared for, well that’s an indicator too.
There are absolutely great cars out there. You should find yourself one. And if it has coils, well that’s a great suspension too.
I’d choose your car based mainly on other factors. The coils work well as do the air suspensions.
I can’t speak for others but I don’t care too much for the roof that opens. I had a convertible in Tennessee. It was too hot to use it in the summer and pollen was an issue. By the time it cooled off there just wasn’t that often I could use it. There are a lot of trucks on the road and they are very loud. The roof panel is a trouble spot for a lot of cars. It adds weight high up, they sometimes rattle, squeak, and leak. Seals fail eventually. I’m happy with my all glass roof. I take nothing away from those that like the sun roof, it’s just something that doesn’t appeal to me.
I remember seeing one report of an air suspension car that lifted then lowered once the car was parked. The owner backed up and tore the front fascia. I haven’t seen many reports of it but that might be something to consider, or if you get the air suspension, something to watch for especially for those cement parking bumpers with an inch or two of rebar sticking out of the top.
I wouldn’t get hung up on any of these relatively minor options. If something is important to you, fine, go for it, but the car overall is fantastic no matter how it is configured. Either suspension is great. You can maintain a sun roof. Seals are replaceable.
So I’d find a car you like then see if the options on it make much of a difference to you. If it’s coils/air suspension/sun roof, etc., then figure out how much you like or dislike those options. Still the underlying car is the main thing and I’d much sooner buy a car that has been babied by the first owner than one with additional extras that hadn’t. I’d look at paint, check the rims for rashes. Those of us that baby our cars take care of the paint and the rims. Great paint doesn’t help the car go but if someone has taken great care of the things you can see, they’ve likely taken care of the things you don’t see. Examine the car in bright sunlight, see if it has been washed with gritty rags. You can buff out tiny scratches, of course, but the scratches tell you much more about the care of the car. Batteries are happiest when they’re charged between 20-80%. Repeatedly charging to 100% or running down to 0% makes it more likely the battery pack will degrade more than a pack that’s been babied. If the car is off lease, the owner knew he probably wouldn’t keep the car, so what happens to it 4 or 5 years down the line isn’t usually a major concern. But as one who buys used, the 4 to 5 years down the line is important to you. So don’t take a car you cannot examine in bright sunlight, don’t take a wet car, and if the interior has not been cared for, well that’s an indicator too.
There are absolutely great cars out there. You should find yourself one. And if it has coils, well that’s a great suspension too.
The best use for the Pano roof is to open it to 15 degrees when parked so that the car remains cooler during the summer. If you have also installed the mesh sunscreens from the Accessories store, you can open the roof when camping while keeping the bugs out. I don't find it useful for driving or anything else.
That's only if you've turned on cabin overheat protection (which I do), but even with it turned on, having the Pano at 15% reduces the amount of A/C used (saving wear, tear, and energy use).
my pano has been a total rattling mess. I took the car in at least 5 times to get it fixed and every time they “realigned the sunroof” only for the issue to not be fixed. No leaks, but rattles are driving me wild. I would avoid that pos.
My wife's Q5 has a rattly roof; my old car's sunroof broke in a couple places and leaked (after 14 years, so I'm not complaining) and the leaking has contributed to the car becoming almost entirely worthless due to the interior getting wrecked.
That said, when the weather is nice, the open roof is wonderful.
My 2016 S90D has no rattles, just a minor, very subtle squeek from the edges of the front seat rubbing slightly against the center arm rest. A couple other very subtle noises when over very rough roads or similar. In all my solid roof is a very serene place to spend time.
If you pick up a tube of this and put a tiny amount on the seat near the center console it will silence the squeaking. I did mine back in June and its still totally silent.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MWLDALQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Pinot.Noir
Member
I just finished a trip to Colorado. We took numerous dirt roads (mostly to hiking trailheads), including Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Without the option to raise the suspension, I would have never attempted these roads.
Mhoepfin
Member
Jashev
Member
+1 for SAS. Love the ride and love being able to lift and lower the suspension as the need arises.
how many miles and how old is the Q5?
Your 14 year old car certainly isn’t a good comparison with a 4 year old Model S that I have.
I have every hope of turning my 4 year old S into a 14 year old S; it'll be interesting to see how well Tesla supports it in the future.
The Q5 has 68k miles and is 6 years old; it has rattled ever since we got it; Audi lubed the sunroof and that resolved the noise for a couple weeks. It bothers me much more than my wife and the kids make much more noise than the roof so I (mostly) ignore it.
