I have 19s on mine, and the ride quality is good, but I have PASM. I think the general concensus is that if you get a car with standard suspension, go for 18", as 19" give too harsh a ride. HTH.
18" wheels - v - 19" , opinions please.
- Thread starter Richard_Hamilton
- Start date
Chris_in_the_UK
New member
Hi gang - as the title says - I am on the cusp of buying a Cayman and prefer the look on 19" wheels. Some of the cars I have looked at are on 18" - my q is simple really. Any real difference in ride and handling.
Many thanks.
Many thanks.
I’m somewhat confused as I have 19” rims as well as PASM. I find the ride to be good, but if I activate the PASM you can feel every bump. I couldn’t imagine it to be any different running 18” with PASM switched on. Perhaps I’m missing something!
I think you mean that the ride is harsh when you switch it to Sport, and I agree entirely. On the standard PASM setting, the active damper control makes the ride much more compliant than the standard non-PASM suspension. Mike - don't get me started about the state of the roads in South Bucks and East Berks.........
Yes. The dampers are actively managed by a 'map' in the control system, and adjust the absorbtion rates to take out the shock, and vary as the road conditions change, and in response to how the car is being driven. But in simple terms, it feels softer than the standard suspension. In Sport mode it uses firmer settings in the map.
I've heard that the std set up is approximately midway between the on & off settings on the PASM. I have 19's and no PASM which is a little harsh on bad surfaces, pot holes etc but gives a good ride and feel on reasonable to decent surfaces, 18's would soften the ride somewhat and I'm thinking of getting some for winter, as someone says when the potholes get worse.
Here are the pages from the brochure, which explains PASM quite well:
John H
New member
I have driven numerous Cayman on 17, 18 and 19 wheels, and I disagree with the general concensus that they make a huge difference to the ride. There is a difference, but in my opinion at least the difference is not as great as the magazines would have you believe. Of far greater importance is the age of the car. The original Cayman (both 2.7 and S) were set up very firm and have a very brittle ride. I'm sure that some minor tweaks must have been made cos cars from later batches always seemed just a bit more compliant to me. The Gen 2 cars have a much superior ride, on any size of wheels. Indeed perhaps the only thing I really do not like about my own car (2.7 without PASM, 17 wheels) is the harshness of the low speed ride over crappy UK roads. My advice would be to go and try out a few different cars yourself and see what you think.
It's not just about the ride, although I agree with what everyone has said. Gen 1 cars seem to have a harsher ride than Gen II. I have Gen II, no PASM and 18in wheels. They have more tyre sidewall to deflect before the rim hits the road than 19in, so on really crappy roads and those huge potholes you sometimes go in without realising they were there, you are likely to do less damage to the rims on 18s than 19s. I've been on some dreadful stuff in mine over the 37000 I have had it, so far without damage.
Just to add to the general concensus here Chris. I consider the ride on my Gen II Cayman (fitted with 19" wheels, PASM and sport seats) to be extremely good for a stiffly-suspended car. What happens when I press the Sport button is, of course, another matter..! Incidentally, when the PASM failed on my car some time ago due to a pinched cable (an assembly problem at the factory!), the suspension defaulted to Sport mode. Porsche's explanation for this was that they considered this to be a safer mode, just in case you were to drive the car in a spirited manner with the fault. German logic, of course...!! I know that it's a matter of taste but I prefer the look of the larger diameter wheels. Jeff
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Macan360
New member
All I have a Gen 1 Cayman S with 19" Carrera classic wheels and Bridgestone tyres. I don't have a problem at all with ride or handling. Haveing had a Subaru Impressa STI I would say the suspension is fine. Even my wife doesn't complain and she has a back problem. Well not about the ride anyway. Everybody that has seen my car love the look of the wheels, even to the point of asking what they are. If you love the look buy the 19" wheels by the way I don't have PASM either. Don't forget the tyres are more exspensive on 19" rims and don't forget to tell your insurance company.
Nick Paul
New member
Big wheels are only required to go around big brakes. Small wheels (usually) weigh less than big ones which reduces unsprung mass giving better ride and handling. You also get better braking and acceleration due to reduced rotational inertia. Also the choice (and price) of tyres seems to be better for smaller wheels. Lightness is a benefit in many ways. Look at any contemporary roadtest of quick road cars and see how much better they are on the smaller wheel option Then there is marketing There is a perception that cars generally look good with bigger wheels (bling). So manufacturers sell upgrades with big wheels. Your choice - bling or performance?
18" wheels are lighter than 19" wheels yes but 18" tyres will be heavier due to the greater sidewall height so rather cancels that one out. From experience of upgrading a 944 turbo from 16" to 17" the ride was stiffer with the larger wheels and grip due to the tyres being wider was improved on good surfaces, the same must apply for other cars and wheel sizes. The smaller std sizes will cope better with poorer surfaces in that they flex more and sometimes may have a slightly smaller rolling radius and hence improve acceleration marginally. The larger wheels usually carry wider tread patterns so braking with increased friction area of the tyres will only feel slightly different. BTW I have 19"Carrera Sports on my Cayman S without PASM and my only reason for considering 18" wheels is for fitting snow tyres in the winter, more availability on 18" and I can then just swap wheels with the seasons.
Nick Paul
New member
At the risk of getting nerdy the weight of low profile wheels and tyres are usually heavier. Big wheels are heavy .. A friend weighed his TVR wheels and tyres 235/35 18 inch = 22kg 225/50 15 inch = 17.5 kg That's a lot of unsprung weight It's only the customer and marketing departments that want 18/19 and 20 inch wheels
Chris_in_the_UK
New member
Thank you all for your comments - most useful
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