Opinion: Air Suspension Isn't Always the Best Option

Conventional wisdom says the more expensive the parts of a car, the better they are. This is especially true if the parts in question are installed on high-end cars. Technology in the car industry often trickles down from more expensive models. And what skews things even more is if the tech has a cool-sounding name that conjures up visions of superior performance. 

This is certainly the case with air suspension. Here, the mind conjures up all manner of visions, encouraged by the names given to these systems, and you imagine you are afloat on a flying carpet. What also adds to the myth is that many of the best-riding cars use really expensive air suspension systems. These, along with stuff like chassis stiffness, purpose-built dampers and the requisite tyre tech, all work together to give you a very comfortable ride.

The thing is, when you look at which system is better over broken roads and at low and medium speeds, it turns out to be the coil spring-equipped system. This is a bit of a head-scratcher. It turns out coil springs have an advantage when it comes to initial impact, as they react quicker. So, when it comes to roads like ours, where there are multiple small impacts constantly taking place, coil springs have something of an advantage. 

On large impacts, too, when nearing full compression, the air gets denser, often leading to a sharp end, which coil springs can get around with progressive spring rates that are far easier to engineer and tune. Of course, coil springs are also much lighter and, as a result, often used on sportier versions of air suspension-equipped SUVs like the Urus and Cayenne. They are more resistant to dusty or wet conditions than air suspension systems and tend to have a longer maintenance-free lifespan as well. In fact, have you ever heard of a car or SUV’s coil springs being damaged or having to be replaced?

This is certainly not the case with the complex and delicate air suspension systems. These often have issues in our conditions that need regular servicing and replacement of parts. Like any pressurised system, there is often wear and tear, and key components such as the air compressor, airbags, and sophisticated air management systems all need to work perfectly in unison. So, it comes as little surprise that a lot of high-end used cars in India fall rapidly in value because their air suspension systems start having issues that are technically difficult, tiresome and expensive to maintain.

Air suspension systems, however, do have advantages, especially when fitted to large SUVs, heavy EVs, and big cars. With active control, there is less pitching or up-and-down movement between the front and rear suspension. You can also adjust the ride height quite easily for high speeds, for instance, provide a lift function, or even some convenience features like a lowered stance for easy entry and exit.

So, is an air suspension system always preferable over a simpler coil setup? The simple answer is no.