New GS300h Owner - AVS Question

Ten Ninety · May 17, 2016

Hi Folks

New owner of a 2014 GS300h Premier here - wondering if anyone with an F-Sport or Premier model could share their impressions of the Active Variable Suspension set up? Do you notice a significant difference in firmness when switching between Eco and Sport S+ modes? I ask because in mine the steering weights up and the throttle sharpens, but I can't really detect any additional firmness. I've not owned a car with AVS before (just upgraded from a Prius) so I'm not sure what I should be expecting. Thoughts?

Cheers

Jay

Zotto · May 17, 2016

AVS works in any setting , if you have it, but you also chan choice SPORT+ besides usual SPORT mode giving 2 times sport command rotating clockwise the mode knob, and the steering wheel and dampers get stiffer, In SPORT modes (both ) the throttle is more responsive , you can see the different response curve on screen.

rayaans · May 17, 2016

Theres not much difference in terms of suspension but you'll feel it more on certain roads than others. For example, a road with expansion joints, you should be able to notice a subtle stiffness in Sport compared to Normal

Ten Ninety · May 18, 2016

Thanks - it sounds like it's a more subtle effect than I was maybe expecting. I don't tend to drive hard so I guess I haven't pushed the car enough around corners to feel the difference. Compared to my old roly-poly Prius, it corners flat enough already in Eco mode!

rayaans · May 18, 2016

1 hour ago, Ten Ninety said:

Thanks - it sounds like it's a more subtle effect than I was maybe expecting. I don't tend to drive hard so I guess I haven't pushed the car enough around corners to feel the difference. Compared to my old roly-poly Prius, it corners flat enough already in Eco mode!

I think it only stiffens the suspension very slightly which may or may not be noticeable depending on the road you are on. I guess if the road is smooth and you're at low speed it wont make a huge difference. On the motorway and on B roads, you might notice it a bit more.

However, having said that, the Sport mode is probably more dedicated towards increasing throttle response and sharpening the steering rather than making the car really stiff.

ColinBarber · May 18, 2016

The nice thing about AVS is that it isn't meant to just make things stiff. With S+ mode, when cornering it increases the damping force on the loaded side to reduce body roll. In any mode AVS will constantly adjust to improve the ride and handling depending on the road surface and how it is being driven.

The sport modes will increase the throttle sensitivity, hybrid Battery assistance, and the weight of the steering. However it is only the 450h, with the variable gear ratio steering, where you get sharper steering as well.

Ten Ninety · May 20, 2016

That's all useful information, thank you. If it's continually adjusting then that probably explains the slight inconsistency in ride I have noticed when commuting this week - on some sections of road it is noticeably more supple than my Prius, whereas on others it actually seems firmer.