Standard Coil vs. Air Suspension - my back to back review FWIW

[19Jake]

What about the touch screen gimmick?

you mean the 12"?
that's a must have

 

[I_really_really_want_one!]

Well, I avoided the truck-without-limited-slip-diff gimmick, the towing-mirror gimmick, the monster-center-console gimmick, and the tiny-gas-tank gimmick but fell for the eTorque gimmick and the 4-corner gimmick. All the big YouTube reviews including the Ike Gauntlet one ran with the 4-corner, so I got suckered by all that hoopla . On the eTorque, I test drove one and liked its little tricks, but now as an owner I'm terrified that thing will go berserk at some critical moment.

Anyway, back to the subject - I disabled aero-mode and that improved the ride considerably. I'm thinking about swapping out the low-profile-tire-on-20-inch-rims gimmick with some 18s will help even more. Now if I can just figure out how to get the deleted retractable-air-dam gimmick reinstalled to make up for the loss in gas mileage from the higher ride height I'll be back to where I was MPG wise before I fell for all these gimmicks!

 

[Electrical]

Lol

 

[MacDuff]

I'm coming out of a 2016 Limited EcoDiesel that I put 70k miles on. Bought a 2019 Laramie and put on only what I wanted, skipped a fair number of the new limited features.
I purchased a 5th Gen with the Off Road Group, no air suspension, same size tires and wheels. NO noticeable decline in ride quality at all, if anything, the new truck may be even better.
I did save $$$ and the uneven ride height in the front of the vehicle that the dealer could never correct. Not to mention coming out in the morning from time to time with a collapsed left front on the truck. In the end, just no way I could justify going with the air suspension again, given my prior experience. YMMV.
Also, no eTorque, pano, power running boards, or spray in (sandpaper) bedliner.

 

[RiverRacerX]

Happy with my air suspension!

 

[Yedi]

good write up.

The ability to have a "jacked up truck" then press a button and lower it down for ease of loading the box or passengers, clear a car wash or parking garage is absolutely priceless to me. I also tow a 6000lb travel trailer, and had experience with Air Ride air bags in the past and was a little particular to air bags, especially if I could get them as a factory option.

 

[dn325ci]

UPDATE: FWIW, I was subsequently interested in separating out the effects on ride quality of the air suspension and the 22 inch wheels, so last Thursday I went back and drove the only truck the dealer had with 22's and standard coil suspension - it was a Laramie sport with the sport 22's that came with the Black Appearance Package. Admittedly some time has passed since my original post. My conclusion from this experiment continues to surprise me - the 22's don't negatively impact the ride as much as the air suspension does. I'd say it's 75% the air suspension. From experience with German cars, I would have never predicted it.

 

[I_really_really_want_one!]

Just for fun drive a 4th gen with air. I found it much more supple than the coil on that gen. On the 5th gen it's the other way around.

 

[enemjay]

UPDATE: FWIW, I was subsequently interested in separating out the effects on ride quality of the air suspension and the 22 inch wheels, so last Thursday I went back and drove the only truck the dealer had with 22's and standard coil suspension - it was a Laramie sport with the sport 22's that came with the Black Appearance Package. Admittedly some time has passed since my original post. My conclusion from this experiment continues to surprise me - the 22's don't negatively impact the ride as much as the air suspension does. I'd say it's 75% the air suspension. From experience with German cars, I would have never predicted it.

This was a great review you shared with us. I also did a back to back recently myself with a Laramie Longhorn (coil, 22’s) vs a Limited (Air, 22’s) and did not notice a difference in terms of ride quality. I was more interested in ride quality rather than other factors. I have now ordered a LL with coils.

 

[My1stHemi]

While air suspension wasn’t my first choice I’ve really grown to appreciate it. I haven’t towed yet but as others have mentioned, it affords the truck to have either multiple personalities or many strengths. Weekend: I raise up to climb forest service roads and climb hills like a goat, and during the week I can drop it to entry mode in parking garages if I have a meeting downtown. I share the same height of what seems to be my wife’s Grand Cherokee. I should measure it. It sure corners flat too.

 

[Gman]

Yeah, handling is really good. I don't think my tires are going to last as long as they could because I drive it like a sedan. I've also been able to take advantage of the ride height at a hospital parking garage downtown. The fin on the roof bumped the plastic height indicator and I just dropped it down and had no issues.

 

[A4Owner]

That sounds right to me. Many reviewers say they're very close in ride quality.




If you didn't get snagged by the pano-roof gimmick you'd be batting 1,000

I'm really glad about this thread. Up here in Canada, you start adding Ram Box, Pano, A/S and eTorque and you're $80k rig easily crosses deep into the $90ks. But let me come back to the specific topic of A/S as to me etorque seems like a scam (if you want good fuel economy go by a Jetta). Now for the past 20 years I too have driven German sports cars and they are great, don't get me wrong. But two things: size and way, way to tightly sprung. As you get older, you want comfort which is a function of the vehicle's size and a "Creamy" "floatier" ride quality. In other words I DO NOT want feel every single minor imperfection in the road...and I certainly don't want to be jostled by really big pot holes. A/S I think has the illusion of offering a "floatier" ride because it has the word "Air" in it's description. Then you get into the Canada factor: the factor being it's cold up here for months at a time. And yeah may-be they re designed the A/S but if repeat if it fails you're kind of screwed...kind of. I'll just say that the pano roof point I completely disagree with. To me, cruising down the road with the feeling of the roof being open but without the wind making noise and coming into the cabin on top of driving something that floats smoothly over the road, and happens to be just slightly smaller than most mountains...THATs my new definition of motoring perfection.

 

[A4Owner]

What about that touch screen gimmick or adaptive cruise gimmick? Lol.

For me I saw the over abundance of tech was FOR SURE a gimmick just aimed at driving up the price. Whenever I see "adaptive cruise" I'm like great...something many cars have had for 25 but that cost an arm and a leg, and comes with a camera that will break in a few years and cause stupid check engine lights. NO THANKS. Cameras and sensors to help me park this beast is one thing...a cruise control "scam" that's another.

 

[A4Owner]

While air suspension wasn’t my first choice I’ve really grown to appreciate it. I haven’t towed yet but as others have mentioned, it affords the truck to have either multiple personalities or many strengths. Weekend: I raise up to climb forest service roads and climb hills like a goat, and during the week I can drop it to entry mode in parking garages if I have a meeting downtown. I share the same height of what seems to be my wife’s Grand Cherokee. I should measure it. It sure corners flat too.

Totally appreciate this post as the ONLY reason why I'd tick A/S on mine. I work downtown but own properties up north and for the most part this rig could tow TWO of the heaviest thing I own so leveling and squat aren't issues because if I ever actually had to order something that weighed 10,000+ pounds I'd just get it delivered. But yeah, being able to "tuck" underground parking spots and then raise for outside parking and spread out the automatic boards to prevent dings...this is bordering on "I would delete silly stuff like etorque and the multifunction tailgate and Rambox just to get A/S".

 

[A4Owner]

you mean the 12"?
that's a must have
View attachment 12953

To me this screen isn't a "gimmick". So reason why I say that is size. Again coming from tiny German cars to something this big...I think you need the 12 incher because the smaller variations of the screen look almost ridiculously small in this cabin. So again to me 12 inch is just so nicely done and integrated.

 

[A4Owner]

UPDATE: FWIW, I was subsequently interested in separating out the effects on ride quality of the air suspension and the 22 inch wheels, so last Thursday I went back and drove the only truck the dealer had with 22's and standard coil suspension - it was a Laramie sport with the sport 22's that came with the Black Appearance Package. Admittedly some time has passed since my original post. My conclusion from this experiment continues to surprise me - the 22's don't negatively impact the ride as much as the air suspension does. I'd say it's 75% the air suspension. From experience with German cars, I would have never predicted it.

So just to be clear you're saying that as far as the "creamy" "softer" ride quality goes...that be the coils then?

 

[I_really_really_want_one!]

So just to be clear you're saying that as far as the "creamy" "softer" ride quality goes...that be the coils then?

From my experience I would say yes. On the 5thgens the ride on the coils is more supple than on the air. I've softened my air ride up a bit by adding weight ( topper, boards, etc) and going with 18 inch wheels. If you load it up too much though it gets bouncy.

The 4-corner air has been flawless for me, and a joy while towing, but if I could do it over I'd get coils for the simplicity and superior ride.

By the way when I was test driving rams I noticed quite a difference in ride between similar models with different options, with the best being long beds, open-diff, with the cheap 18 inch wheels/tires.

 

[dn325ci]

So just to be clear you're saying that as far as the "creamy" "softer" ride quality goes...that be the coils then?

Yes. It's counter intuitive, because everyone assumes the air suspension must be softer, which in commercial trucks it always is because the competitors are leaf springs or parabolics. To some it's anathema to suggest otherwise but test the Ram 1500 back to back for yourself. I did a lot of back to backs, and they are very close but the coils are slightly softer. Afterwards, I went back through many Ram 1500 DT launch presentations online, and the Ram spokespeople are always careful not to say air suspension improved ride. They always frame it as height and level management.

 

[Tgryphon]

I’ve driven both 2021 standard and air suspension on identical spec ecodiesels. Almost identical driving experience

 

[I_really_really_want_one!]

I’ve driven both 2021 standard and air suspension on identical spec ecodiesels. Almost identical driving experience

Driving experience I would think is the combination of ride and handling. My commute is over a gnarly 4-lane mountain road that is a giant slalom of sorts where beamers and teslas rule, but in my mind at least with my airsprung ram in ground hugging aero mode I've got the inside track on the F150s at least on those high speed hairpin turns.