lexusflyer

New forum member here. I'm a longtime Lexus owner and looking again at another Lexus, a GX460 this time. I'm curious about the benefit of the height control and AVS on the GX460. I'm getting the GX since I need space and off road capability for camping and the like. Thanks in advance for any input from your experiences.

bodagetta

I have this on the GX I just bought and, as the dealer explained it to me, there are two primary advantages.

The primary benefit (which would seem to apply to you but honestly doesn't apply to most others purchasing the GX, including myself) is that with the controls you can manually raise the height for low-speed off-roading to provide additional clearance. Basically, though the system will automatically kick in and control itself once you reach higher speeds (I believe its 8 MPH but that would have to be verified), a GX equipped with manual height control will allow the driver to raise the height and it will remain that way until you reach the set speed mentioned above. The thought process is that you usually are not (and should not) be going very fast when off-roading in 4-low so this gives you additional control in those situations while still ensuring safety in higher-speed situations (by automatically kicking in to control the height at that point).

The second advantage which I think is unique to the vehicles with the manual controls (but I could be wrong) is that you can also set it to lower / raise when getting in and getting out for ease of access if someone is shorter or taller than normal. While this is admittedly an unnecessary "luxury" type feature, it may come in handy for certain people or situations. That said, the primary benefit is the off-roading use mentioned above. Hope that helps.

tecman

Towing is another advantage with the air suspension. The truck will adjust to the weight on the rear.

lexusflyer

Tecman and Bodagetta, thanks for the insight