21” Wheels with PASM but not Air

[Tom 2000]

My 21s with PASM is silk compared with my previous 2007 X5 on 21s.

[nsm3]

Very much depends on what type of ride you prefer. I have 21s with PASM and no air and find it very comfortable. I actually drive in Sport suspension mode as I find comfort too floaty.

^^This^^

[jk88]

You might also want to consider road noise - I found it noticeably louder with 21" compared to 20" on a service loan Macan I was using a few months ago. Ride without PASM was a touch sharp (but not as bad as you might think), so with PASM should be fine as others have said.

[BigPhil]

I've got 21"s with PASM and Air. For me that gives the best of both Worlds. Nice Limo waft at soft settings but can crank up the PASM one or two notches when driving in a spirited manner.

Coming from the spine killing run-flats on my last Beamer, it's a complete joy.

I don't really notice the road noise from the 21's, I'd highly recommend both PASM and Air, it gives you the choice of whatever ride you fancy.

BigPhil.

[Scaramanga]

Thanks. I’m almost done on a deal to buy a car with 21s but no air, hence just wondering if it is a deal-breaker.

[Rab J]

I drove my GTS for eighteen months with 21"s and just PASM and found no issues. My brother in-law, a three series M Sport driver even commented how smooth it rode over some fairly nasty local roads.
As someone said I would imagine that a second hand buyer in five years time will look at air as a potential problem area.

[MCDK]

Coming from BMWs on runflats will mean any Macan is a revelation. The BMW ride really isn’t good enough by any standard.

[Col Lamb]

As JK88 points out road noise from 21” wheels is noticably more intrusive.

I have driven one Macan on 18”, two (my own) on 20”” and the remaining ten or so have been on 21” and they all were noisier irrespective of what rubber was on them.

That said I did not find the road noise level inside a Macan on 21” to be irksome at all.

Certainly as MCDK points out Beamers on run flats are dire, it has usually been the case that Beamers I have test driven have had Run Flats and M suspension resulting in a very choppy noisy ride, a Macan on PASM only is serene by comparison but a Macan without PASM is the same as said Beamer.

Worst problem in a Macan is the rear and especially quarter vision or rather the lack of.

[MikeM]

As already said, 21" with air is the best overall as you can choose your ride style. Re road noise it is higher on 21's but not an issue on tarmac. Concrete however is another matter! Run down to Gatwick a few times So much so now take the wife's Land Rover. Would still go for 21" just stay away from the M25

[Wing Commander]

Concrete however is another matter! Run down to Gatwick a few times So much so now take the wife's Land Rover. Would still go for 21" just stay away from the M25

I drive that concrete section of the M25 every fortnight (both ways). The noise is very much speed dependant. I've found that doing around 70-76mph, it is very noisy. An extra 5-10mph & the noise reduces considerably, in my recent experience.