Is Adjustable Suspension the Same as Chassis Lifting?
3 Answers
Adjustable suspension refers to chassis lifting. With an adjustable suspension, the chassis can be raised or lowered, and using hydraulic oil enhances durability. Adjustable Suspension: This technology is typically found in cars priced around 700,000 to 800,000 yuan, such as the Audi A6L and Volkswagen Phaeton, which feature adjustable air suspension with four modes. User Experience: When sitting inside and turning the knob, you can distinctly feel the car's position rising or falling. Electromagnetic Adjustable Suspension: There is also an electromagnetic adjustable suspension, represented by models like the Citroën C5. Lexus has several vehicles using this technology, though they appear to be adaptive air suspensions.
Having run a modification shop for over a decade, I often see people confuse adaptive suspension with ride height adjustment. The core function of adaptive suspension is adjusting damper stiffness—for instance, automatically firming up dampers during cornering to reduce body roll, then softening for vibration absorption on rough roads. Ride height adjustment physically alters the vehicle's ground clearance, like air suspension systems that inflate/deflate air springs to raise/lower the chassis. While some premium vehicles integrate both features, their principles differ fundamentally: modifying suspension stiffness is a technical job requiring just a solenoid valve replacement, whereas ride height systems demand complete air spring overhauls costing at least triple. Pro tip: clarify your needs before modding—choose adaptive suspension for handling, and only consider ride height adjustment if you frequently tackle rough terrain.
Last time when I helped a friend inspect a used car, I encountered this exact issue. The salesperson boasted about having adaptive suspension, but during the test drive, it turned out to be just regular suspension adjustment. Genuine vehicles with ride height adjustment all have physical lift buttons, and you can clearly see the body rise and fall. Here's a simple way to check: crouch down and observe the gap between the wheel and the wheel arch. When the lift function is activated, the tire will move up and down like an elevator by 3-5 cm. In contrast, with adaptive suspension adjusting stiffness, the vehicle height remains largely unchanged, and the main difference is how much your backside bounces over speed bumps. If you're on a tight budget, I'd recommend prioritizing models equipped with CDC (Continuous Damping Control) magnetic suspension—it's much cheaper to maintain compared to air suspension.
