Smart Air Suspension VS Coil over Spring

[DjiM]

I own a P85 with coils. Today, I got a P85 loaner with SAS.
Both cars have the same age (delivered in August last year). Both equipped with 19".

To summarize my experience:
-I find that the cabin noise in my car (coils) is marginally but still noticeably louder. Road noise is better filtered by the SAS.
-I would evaluate the ride comfort of the car with coils better than the ride quality of the SAS car; coils are smoother (less stiff) and more forgiving of crappy road surfaces than the SAS (which is very unhappy on crappy roads).
-Feedback-wise, the SAS has a more disconnected feel; you feel less what's happening on the road.

All very subjective indeed... I can therefore underwrite that it boils down to personal preferences (one is not strictly better than the other). When hesitationg: test drive them both

Personally, I'm pretty happy with the coils and would order again with coils. I like the directness of their feedback & the softer ride. However, if road noise is a priority, you should go for SAS.

Ah. I can tell you something about this, having driven a loaner with coil suspension as well as my air suspension.

The coil suspension reacts a lot worse to potholes and seriously damaged/bumpy roads, such as we have so many of in NY. The coils "bounce" with "aftershocks" after every bump.l The air suspension muffles the shock from road bumps a lot better. You only feel each bump once, and they're all sort of "muted". (You can still feel all of them, but they're less shocking.)

Most of the other things about the "ride quality" -- ride quality on *good roads* -- are the same between air and coil; but on *bad roads* the air suspension will be more comfortable. Now you know!


The quiet is due more to the 19" -- the 21" are loud.



You want air suspension and 19" tires.

- - - Updated - - -


Well, I was looking for a land boat / Lincoln Town Car substitute more than a sports car substitute, but I totally understand what you're saying.

The air suspension is a bit floaty. I can still feel every single bump, though. They're just less shocking and I no longer wince and tense up. I was very happy with that. If I were on better-maintained roads, I probably wouldn't care, but the roads around here are completely beat up, and when 4" deep potholes are fairly normal, you want the bumps to be muted. It sounds like the original poster on Long Island is dealing with similarly bad roads.

 

[David99]

Going with coils is probably the only thing I would do different now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the coils itself. I drive both coil and air suspension and the difference doesn't make me favor one or the other. But I have bottomed out my car so many times, it's not even funny. I would definitely recommend the air suspension for the adjustability.

 

[chriSharek]

Ummm... maybe you're not aware of this.

mknox, the post you referenced is from 2013. There are 102 pages of posts. I'm not scanning each page, checking the dates, to verify which software version allows or disallows it.

Does the car lower at a set speed now or not? It's pretty simple question.

 

[Spacela]

Does the car lower at a set speed now or not?

Current MS firmware allows auto-lowering at a user selected speed.

 

[Cyclone]

mknox, the post you referenced is from 2013. There are 102 pages of posts. I'm not scanning each page, checking the dates, to verify which software version allows or disallows it.

Does the car lower at a set speed now or not? It's pretty simple question.

In the current "in the field" versions of software, yes, the car lowers at speed. Once exceeding 22 mph, it goes from Very High (if currently at that) to High. Once exceeding 34 mph, it goes from High (if currently at that) to Standard. Standard down to Low is user configurable, so will go from Standard to Low once you exceed the user-specified speed. This speed also includes "never" and "always" as long as there isn't an overriding selection (on this drive, the user changed the height or there is a GPS-linked saved height setting for High/Very High).

 

[chriSharek]

In the current "in the field" versions of software, yes, the car lowers at speed. Once exceeding 22 mph, it goes from Very High (if currently at that) to High. Once exceeding 34 mph, it goes from High (if currently at that) to Standard. Standard down to Low is user configurable, so will go from Standard to Low once you exceed the user-specified speed. This speed also includes "never" and "always" as long as there isn't an overriding selection (on this drive, the user changed the height or there is a GPS-linked saved height setting for High/Very High).

Spacela and Cyclone, thank you! That's the answer I was looking for (not a 2 year old, 102 page thread/link). Then, that does it. I'm set on a 70D loaded included SAS.

 

[Cyclone]

Spacela and Cyclone, thank you! That's the answer I was looking for (not a 2 year old, 102 page thread/link). Then, that does it. I'm set on a 70D loaded included SAS.

Great choice Chris. As long as you pick a car whose first 5 letters start with "Tesla", you can't pick wrong!

 

[jerry33]

Standard down to Low is user configurable, so will go from Standard to Low once you exceed the user-specified speed. This speed also includes "never" and "always" as long as there isn't an overriding selection (on this drive, the user changed the height or there is a GPS-linked saved height setting for High/Very High).

Note that you have to check the setting after every upgrade because upgrades have a tendency to set it back to the default 100 mph.

 

[polything]

I love SAS!

I drove a 2015 MS with coil today, so much road noise!

 

[Cyclone]

I have seen a couple different sets of values for ride height. I know that Coils is 6", but what are the various ride heights for SAS? In particular, is Standard in SAS the same height as Coil, or is it lower or higher (and if so, by how much)?

 

[jcaspar]

Standard for SAS is lower than coil. Because of this, unless you remember to raise the suspension, you are more likely to scrape with SAS than coils. I have coils and love how it hugs the road. Noise is much less than my Viper

 

[marty2112]

I love SAS!

I drove a 2015 MS with coil today, so much road noise!

Curious to understand why the difference in suspensions would contribute to the additional road noise. I would tend to believe that the major factor would be your tire/wheel combination.

 

[InternetDude]

I'm extremely impressed with the coils, our local roads are utter crap. Pot holes, dips, etc. I opted for coils for long term reasons. The coils on my car are so much better than the coils on my other cars, it's a huge difference.

 

[chriSharek]

I really think this thread needs to be revisited now considering the D. Most are simply referring me back to an old thread that talks about "throwing around the back end" on the RWD cars. That's not the case any longer and I think the driving dynamics are completely different now with the AWD. Thoughts on this?

I drove a P85D with SAS and then a 70D with coils back to back one day. I honestly could not tell the difference. Perhaps because the P85D was in Valet mode and the Tesla Rep didn't have the password to unlock it - it didn't feel very fast or fun. I drove the 70D a little more "spirited" and it just felt more fun. Again - it might have been the valet mode though . . .

 

[AGT Tactical]

Standard for SAS is lower than coil. Because of this, unless you remember to raise the suspension, you are more likely to scrape with SAS than coils. I have coils and love how it hugs the road. Noise is much less than my Viper

This should not be a consideration, as cars with air can be run in HIGH if the owner wishes, which is higher than coil, and therefore even more less "likely to scrape." Besides, Standard is has plenty of clearance for nearly everything you'll encounter. And those with air have the option of putting the car where ever they want. Most people think a MS looks really great in Low, so its nice to have that option, even if you only use it when parked (but some guys drive it like that all the time). Few people with air later wish they had coil, but I know lots of the reverse.

 

[ecarfan]

Few people with air later wish they had coil, but I know lots of the reverse.

I know someone who recently got coils in their second Tesla after having air in their first Tesla, and I know someone who recently got air in their second Tesla after having coils in their first. It can go either way. I have coils and plan on staying with coils for my next Tesla (which my wife assures me is many years away... ;-)

 

[Gizmotoy]

I know someone who recently got coils in their second Tesla after having air in their first Tesla, and I know someone who recently got air in their second Tesla after having coils in their first. It can go either way. I have coils and plan on staying with coils for my next Tesla (which my wife assures me is many years away... ;-)

The only time I ever regret the coils is when the parking lot I'm visiting is small, has one way isles (no backing in), and parking curbs in the front. Invariably the thing sticks out as far as a truck because even at coil height the bumper doesn't clear a curb. Other than that, I've been super happy with them. Would definitely order again.

 

[3mp_kwh]

The only time I ever regret the coils is when the parking lot I'm visiting is small, has one way isles (no backing in), and parking curbs in the front. Invariably the thing sticks out as far as a truck because even at coil height the bumper doesn't clear a curb. Other than that, I've been super happy with them. Would definitely order again.

If you're in a coil MS, chances are you are at 'High' SAS equivalent height. Just by looks, even many of the P85 coil cars are frozen here, up front. Obviously, coil cars can't go 'Very High', on demand, but there is little use for this. I've ridden around in 'Low' SAS and not scraped in at least two places where the Volt's apron consistently would. The new Low appears only to be ~1/4" lower than Standard, FWIW.

 

[Cyclone]

I was told that coils, a 5.65" of ground clearance (per page 148 of this manual) is above Standard, but below High. But who knows really and it is likely something that has changed over the years. Unknown whether the air suspension levels have changed via software over the years.

 

[Gizmotoy]

If you're in a coil MS, chances are you are at 'High' SAS equivalent height. Just by looks, even many of the P85 coil cars are frozen here, up front. Obviously, coil cars can't go 'Very High', on demand, but there is little use for this. I've ridden around in 'Low' SAS and not scraped in at least two places where the Volt's apron consistently would. The new Low appears only to be ~1/4" lower than Standard, FWIW.

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say here. That said, before they raised the ride heights for SAS, coil sat 0.6" higher than standard and 0.4" lower than high. I don't know if and how much higher standard is after they tinkered with the heights (initial reports at the time indicated standard came up by a tenth or two), but that should still put the coils well within the zone between standard and high.

If the implication was that a coil car can clear curbs easily, that's definitely not the case. Usually have my wife as a spotter when necessary and stop just before it hits the undercarriage.

In any case, I find it to be rare enough that I don't worry about it, and backing in where possible eliminates the issue (the rear sits higher).