C&D on PAR

[Jonathan S.]

The technical details of this are beyond me:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a63410460/ride-quality-test/
... but here's the bottomline:

"The latest Porsche Taycan and Panamera E-Hybrid have an optional active suspension, one of only two such systems on the market today, so we were eager to sink our accelerometers into it to see what magic it enables. In short, the system can keep the body eerily flat. Over the test surface with large lumps, it feels like the body moves less than half as much as the next-best vehicle. Also, on one of our favorite pockmarked two-lane roads, the Taycan feels pulled taut to the road but with no ride penalty as the wheels and tires are frantically working away. But physics can't be defied, and on mostly smooth roads, the Taycan's suspension bangs loudly over sharp impacts and highway seams. Our takeaway: The worse the road, the better the Taycan feels."​

The test is especially interesting for how C&D intentionally chose a wide range of vehicles, which are totally apples & oranges for their respective target buying audiences, yet nevertheless is helpful for showing the pluses & minuses of vastly different suspension types.

Also shows that C&D can put some serious resources into its testing, unlike many social media influencer types who just film themselves driving around in a loaner and spouting off to a camera.
Now if only C&D would shed some light on its single-number rating system.
(The most puzzling example is for non-EV station wagons, under which my A6ar comes in first, okay, fine, at 9.0, yet with the Subaru Outback receiving the same score of 9.0, yet the RS6 and M5 are both at 8.5?!?)

Sponsored

 

[Boss Hogg]

Interesting read, PAR is the best feature on my J1.2, it shows most strongly smoothing out larger bumps and dips at higher speeds, the car is so stable, smooth and relaxing. It is an expensive option but worth it for me driving over 20k miles PA.