Lexus IS and GS Coilovers: Keep AVS or Replace It
With Lexus IS and GS coilovers, the big decision on many cars is AVS, the factory adaptive damping. This guide explains your options, where the two cars share kits, and how to pick a setup for the way you drive.
Generation-by-generation kit lists for the IS and GS are on our car pages. This guide picks up where they stop.
IS and GS kit lists
Find your car first:
- Lexus IS coilovers: every IS generation, RWD and AWD
- Lexus GS coilovers: every GS generation we cover
- Lexus RC and RC F coilovers: the IS-based coupe
The BC Racing coilover kit listed for the 2014 to 2016 Lexus IS 350. Photo: BC Racing.
AWD Splits: Where the IS and GS Share a Kit
Where a brand makes kits for both drivetrains, AWD and RWD cars get separate kits. The most useful one to know is BC Racing's 2006 to 2013 IS 250/350 AWD and 2006 to 2012 GS 300/350 AWD kit. One kit covers both cars in those years.
Do not stretch that to other years or to RWD cars. For 2013 and later, BC Racing lists separate AWD kits for the IS and the GS. Fortune Auto lists the 2006 to 2012 IS AWD as GSE25. Ksport lists AWD versions of the IS 250, IS 350, GS 300 and GS 350 separately.
If your car is AWD and the product name does not say AWD, it is not your kit. Call us before you order.
AVS on the IS and GS: Keep It or Replace It
Some IS and GS models, often F Sport trims, came with Lexus AVS adaptive damping. That changes the shopping list. You can keep the system working, or you can replace it.
Keep AVS with TEIN Flex AVS
TEIN builds the Flex AVS for cars with AVS. TEIN says it "enables ride height adjustment without deactivating AVS." Damping is controlled by the car's AVS system, so it cannot be adjusted by hand. Ride height is full-length adjustable. Dealers note the kit is not compatible with cars without AVS.
We carry Flex AVS for the 2013 to 2020 GS 350 (GRL10L) and the 2014 to 2016 IS 250 (GSE30L). The 2014 to 2017 IS 350 (GSE31L) and the 2016 to 2017 IS 200t have Flex AVS kits as well. So do earlier GS models.
Replace AVS with a passive kit
A passive coilover kit replaces the AVS dampers. None of our IS or GS product names mention a cancellation kit or AVS compatibility for passive kits. Call us before you order one for an AVS car, and we will confirm what your car needs to stay free of warning lights.
To check if your car has AVS, look for a wiring connector on top of each damper, and check your build sheet. Your VIN settles it.
Picking a Kit for How You Drive
The IS and GS are mostly street cars, with the IS F, GS F and well-built IS 350s seeing track days. Match the kit to the job. A highway commuter wants a different coilover spring rate and damping setup than a weekend track car. That holds even on the same chassis.
Daily driver with a lower stance. BC Racing's BR Series has 30-click simultaneous compression and rebound. Swift Springs SPEC-R springs are an upgrade option on most BC Racing fitments. TEIN Street Advance Z and Flex Z bring 16-click damping. On a coilover for daily driving, keep the spring rate sensible for your roads.
Street and track days. Our KW kit for the 2014 to 2020 IS 250, IS 350, IS 300h (XE3) RWD is the KW V3, with independent compression and rebound. Öhlins Road & Track brings DFV valving on the second-generation RWD IS.
Built to your spec. Fortune Auto hand-builds in Virginia with custom valving. Feal hand-builds in Murrieta, California. Both suit people who want to talk spring rate and use with the builder.
Whatever you pick, set ride height with the car on its wheels and let the springs settle. Our guide on how to set ride height on coilovers walks through it. Then get an alignment, because height changes alter camber and toe. Snug each locking collar once height is set. Our guide to how coilovers affect ride quality helps you balance stance and comfort.
A note on unsprung weight. That is the mass the springs do not carry: wheel, tire, hub, brakes and part of the arms and damper. A coilover kit alone does not cut it. Lighter wheels do. If you are still weighing coilovers against springs only, read our comparison of coilovers vs lowering springs. If you are new to coilovers, start with what are coilovers.
Whichever brand you choose, Lexus IS and GS coilovers start with the right kit for your exact car. The product name tells you the fitment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do IS 250 and IS 350 coilovers interchange?
Many kits cover both within the same generation and drivetrain, such as BC Racing's 2006 to 2013 IS 250/IS 350 RWD kit. Some brands split them, and BC Racing splits the third generation by front lower mount and year. Buy the kit that names your car.
Can I keep AVS with coilovers?
Yes, with TEIN Flex AVS on the cars we carry it for. TEIN says it allows ride height adjustment without deactivating AVS. Damping stays under AVS control and cannot be adjusted by hand. Dealers note it is not compatible with cars without AVS.
What is the difference between front fork and front eyelet lower mounts?
It is the style of coilover lower mount, where the front attaches at the bottom. BC Racing lists 2014 to 2016 IS models with front eyelet lower mounts and 2017 to 2022 models with front fork lower mounts. The two kits are not interchangeable, so match the kit to your year.
Are there coilovers for the AWD Lexus IS?
Yes. BC Racing lists AWD kits for the 2006 to 2013 IS 250/350 and the 2013 to 2023 IS 250/300/350. Fortune Auto lists the 2006 to 2012 IS 250/IS 350 AWD (GSE25). Ksport lists AWD versions too. AWD cars cannot use RWD kits.
Which coilovers suit a daily-driven IS 350?
Pick the kit that fits your year and drivetrain, then choose by how you drive. BC Racing BR and TEIN Flex Z suit street use with adjustable damping. If your car has AVS and you want to keep it, look at TEIN Flex AVS. Call us and we will narrow it down.
Do I need an alignment after installing coilovers on my Lexus?
Yes. Any change in ride height alters camber and toe. Set the height, let the springs settle, then get a full alignment. Recheck it if you change height later.
Not Sure Which Kit Fits Your IS or GS?
Send us your VIN. We will confirm the generation, drivetrain, front lower mount and whether your car has AVS, then match it to the right kit.
Call 1-800-460-9106. We carry BC Racing, KW, Fortune Auto, Öhlins, TEIN, Feal and Ksport for these cars.
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