kwc_diesel

My dealer mentioned that getting Adaptive Variable Suspension on the latest gen ES300's was very difficult if you are in the NYC, NJ area. The ES's they get don't ever seem to have AVS equipped. Anyone know anymore details on this?

pushpin30

As a general rule, the dealers in the Northeast do not get AVS equip cars, I believe only dealers in the West get them, so if you are thinking about getting one with AVS, then your only two choices are getting a car from a dealer in the West (ie, California), or special order it from your northeast dealer (which is going to take about three months and I bet the dealer will have a fun time taking $$$ from your wallet).

lexusk8

That is interesting info. Any particular reason why?

pushpin30

I really don't know why that northeast dealer does not get AVS, I only know this because I recently purchased the 2004 ES330, has done extensive search on it before purchasing, and there are only two sets of options that dealers in the northeast are getting:

1: premium package (CD changer) with VSC, heated seat, HID and wooded steering,
2: mark levinson with navigation, VSC, heated seat, HID, wooded steering with power rear sunshade

of course you can throw in wheel locks and stuff like that because they are dealer install options.

and as you can see, none of the two offer AVS, so I have no idea why they don't offer AVS in the northeast, if anyone know, please post reply. Thank you!

lexusk8

I called up one of the local dealerships here and inquired about the AVS option on the ES. The manager said it's a rare option on that model (the only other pre-owned model to have this suspension option is the LX 470). I'm guessing not many salespeople offer the option of AVS on the ES 300 so much as the heated seats or the wood steering wheel

XeroK00L

Gee...that really sucks...
I thought it is a given that no matter what sets of option combinations are offered for a car, a combination that has them all is always one of them.
I can't think of any reason why Lexus would not always want to be able to present the best of the best to its customers, either.

steviej

iTrader: (1)

I can only think of one reason why Lexus does not market the AVS in the Northeast.

Our roads are CRAP. With all the potholes, snowplow damage and constant road contruction, Lexus probably found their warranty repair costs were costing them too much money to make marketing the AVS worth it in the northeast.

This type of suspension has more sensors and mechanical parts. These sensors and actuators are going to break given the extreme road conditions. If they happen in the first four years, its a warranty fix, thus Lexus foots the bill. My guess is "why sell it if they got to fix it at their cost". Has anyone ever priced a replacement strut for an AVS equiped vehicle? It ain't cheap.

I'm sure this would be a nice feature for Florida or California or Texas, somewhere where the roads are flat, smooth and not plagued with holes and cracks and winter damage.

steviej

lexusk8

Via Ebay, I found a '97 ES being sold with the rare AVS control capability (located between the heated switches).

XeroK00L

Wow that is one rare ES!!
I thought the option has been available only since the 02+ models, but apparantly it dates back a lot longer.

dreday68

interesting.... cause i'm thinking about get an ES 330 with AVS..... but my dealer said it would have to be a special order.... Do u think my dealer could find one on the westcoast or wherever they are sold... and have it delivard to NY?
Or do you think i should screw it and not bother and save my self the hassel?
Might i mind u i also want the nav/lev
What are my chances of finding an ES in blue or black w/ w/ gray leather w/ these options? (by the way..which do u think is nicer)

lexusk8

I've only seen one other '02/'03 ES with the AVS control (posted somewhere in sounddomain.com), and I think this car is located in Cali. There has to be a legitimate reason why the Lexus dealerships here in the east coast don't readily offer AVS with their ES models. I'd say don't bother waiting for the AVS, not worth the hassle. The navigation + Levinson package is a must-have if you want the best out of your ES purchase As for the color choices, like I mentioned in the other thread, go with the black body color, no questions asked!