Smart Air equipped ride height - Entry and Egress - Does it help??

EriCal · Jul 27, 2014

My DABS (Dear And Beloved Spouse) has had the hots (!) for a Model S for more than a year. She has driven the car a few times, looked at it the showrooms a bunch of times, almost had accidents while looking at them on the freeway, and changed her mind about color several times.

At issue, (currently) is potential difficulty of entering and exiting a low car in a straight skirt. At present, she drives a wonderful FX that is very kind for entry and egress. It appears Smart Air would raise the car at least a little bit, offsetting this problem.

What is your experience with Smart Air? Do you park the car "on high"?? Does parking it "on high' make it easier to get in and out of the car. Does it stay up there until the next time you drive it or does the air leak out? If the air leaks out and the car descends, can you raise it before getting into the car?

Many thanks from this being driven crazy one.

E.

simonog · Jul 28, 2014

My elderly mother finds the Very High setting the most comfortable for access so that she does not have to climb or lower her arthritic joints too far.

The ability to vary height really helps.

jhs_7645 · Jul 28, 2014

Most women with skirts should find it quite easy to sit back into the car and swing both legs in to drive. The door opens wide enough where that should not be an issue. Raising the car to max height shouldn’t be necessary.

ecarfan · Jul 28, 2014

Isn't the difference between standard height and max height just 1.25 inches? Maybe for someone with a disability that might be marginally better for entering and exiting, but otherwise it seems insignificant.

Gizmotoy · Jul 28, 2014

One thing to be aware of is the very high side sills relative to most other vehicles. I'm not sure if it's because the passenger cabin is situated lower in the car than usual, or if that's where wires are tunneled between the front and rear of the vehicle, or both, but they're very high. My wife has some trouble getting in and out in pencil skirts. You kind of have to fall into the seat backwards and then lift and swing both legs in, and note we have no grab handles to assist in this type of entry. Normal one-leg-at-a-time entry is difficult.

Air would help make that initial sitting process easier by raising the car up a bit. She just leaves her seat pretty high in our coil-equipped car, which also helps.

Either way, I think the sill height is a bigger issue than the seat height.

pete8314 · Jul 28, 2014

Yeah, I don't think it helps much, plus lifting the suspension isn't instantaneous, so the practicalities of it are limited. I'm told that the front seats are easier to get in and out of than my last car (Audi A5), but I've had occasional complaints about getting in and out of the back.

tezco · Jul 29, 2014

Yes, by the time you have parked, drilled down to the proper screen and raised the car, everyone else has already gotten out.

ecarfan · Jul 29, 2014

Gizmotoy said:
One thing to be aware of is the very high side sills relative to most other vehicles.

After 7+ months of ownership my wife and I have not noticed the "very high" door sills nor have any of the many people I've given rides and test drives to ever commented about them.

You should try getting out of a Roadster...

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Smart Air equipped ride height - Entry and Egress - Does it help??

EriCal

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simonog

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jhs_7645

VIN: #3305

ecarfan

Well-Known Member

Gizmotoy

Active Member

pete8314

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tezco

Sig P85

ecarfan

Well-Known Member

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