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Sedans Lexus LS 460/460L Lexus LS 460/LS 460L Styling Impressions
3321 messages, Last post on Apr 22, 2007 at 12:29 PM
You are in the Lexus LS 460/460L Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
From a style standpoint, I almost prefer the 430. Quietness and ride are about the same as in the new 460L. To me the 430s appear a little wider and more substantial, and there seems to be more room on the inside as well as in the trunk. The windows are larger, particularly in the back. There is more space and roominess is the back seat in the L model, but I do not sit there. Both front seat passengers have enough room, but the middle console is now larger, so it feels just a little more confined. Perhaps I just prefer the familiar at the moment. Acquaintances who know that I am looking at a new one are literally lining up for my 430, when I take the plunge. There is no doubt that I will upgrade as I have an older 2001 LS 430. I really am upgrading for the warranty protection, new transmission and air suspension, and the electronic toys such as the hard drive for the Nav/radio, parking assist (the electronic probes, but not the autopilot parking feature), built in bluetooth for the phone, anticollision system and radar cruise systems, etc. There is no hurry, however, and I am waiting for the hubaloo of the new cycle to calm down before I buy. Truth be known, I also like the styling of the Mercedes, but the problematic reliability of the Mercedes, for the greater price would be a foolish investment in my view. Also, it seems that there is a glut of Mercedes driving around LA, so what is the point of trying differentiate yourself with one. Lexus is the thinking person's vehicle (yeah, I know this is arrogant in the Imus age, and of course Mercedes owners certainly think, but you all know what I mean). Same thing with the hybrid. Sounds good even though the battery slowly wears down and has to be disposed of eventually. Wonder how *that* will affect the retail value in 5 years. Meanwhile, it is new technology at a premium price--I would just as soon let someone else figure out whether it was really worth it in a year or two. By then the growing pains will be worked out, and if it works, that would be the time to trade up. The most important thing about cars for me is in fact the reliability. Crash worthiness is next. And the ride, for longer trips, is realy the comfort issue, as you want to arrive less fatigued due to the cumulative effect of lesser noise and vibration; I don't necessarily need to make a statement with a car, but I suppose that is a benefit when visiting restaurants and such, but the real issue is that I don't like the hassle of taking them back to the dealer to make them right the second and third times. I have had to do that just once in 7 years with the LS430. The brakes squealed after having the pads replaced. They claimed it was normal. But it wasn't, and promptly went away after they put different premium brake pads on. I don't think I have ever needed 600HP, even when I was flying light planes, so why pay for it. All too easy to get the 430s and 460s up to way beyond the speed limits without really noticing even without any extra horses. The cost of Gasoline is really the cheapest part of operating these types of vechicles, as it was for the airplanes. So why the rush to batteries. Seems like the smaller cars where fuel is more of the operating equation, is the place to perfect this technology, e.g. Prius and Ford Escorts. So far I have been satisfied that Lexus is the most reliable of the L classes, but I still prefer to let the growing pains get worked out before I invest in them. All you 460L owners, keep up the feedback. I figure that after 6 or 7 months, we should know better where the nuisance issues are; These are the ones that can easily be tweaked at the factory before delivery. So far I have heard of questions about brakes (seems inplausable to me) and some wind noise, but there are so few vehicles out there, it is really hard to know. Rain sensors can be a little sensitive, but cause little harm, and are easy to switch out. The vast majority of new owners really seem to be satisfied, but again it is early in the cycle.
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To woppenhe: your 430 has 2 more inches of rear leg room than the 460 ls, the camry has 1 more inch of rear leg room than the 460 ls. quite a problem when you are considering criteria for a luxury car. your trunk has 2 more c.ft [20]than the 460 ls[18] The brakes are not as smooth as the NEW brakes & rotors, replaced under warranty, on my 2004 cad.dts I was really looking fwd. to this model oh well i'll wait another 8 years! The specs were obtained from cars.com, as the rear leg room is NOT published by LEXUS.I believe they are forcing you into the LS460L |
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Having just traded a '04 LS 430 for an LS 460L, the comment about more rear leg room in the '04 is just ludicrous. You don't need specs or a tape measure, just sit in both cars and use your common sense.
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| Were you addressing woppenhe or iball. Couldn't tell which of us were giving comments that you were calling ludicrous. Perhaps both of us. | |
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Replying to: woppenhe (Apr 15, 2007 8:58 pm) 
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Replying to: woppenhe (Apr 15, 2007 8:58 pm) 
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Replying to: knowspinzone (Apr 16, 2007 12:39 pm)
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Replying to: fhagemann (Apr 16, 2007 7:12 am) I DID SIT IN BOTH CARS!!!! The "measurement" was a practical one. Best of luck in your new car. Enjoy Iball |
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Replying to: woppenhe (Apr 16, 2007 7:16 pm) When you buy your new big sedan you will love the blue tooth phone and the upgraded nav, the interior size, styling and beautifully redesigned dash. It will quickly prove to be a nice place to be. It is easier to rest your arm and do paperwork on the higher center console and it feels safer. Fabulous sound system, more air bags than a national political conference and safety features ad infinitum. I have read all the complainers (one crybaby in particular) and I discount them all as much to do about nothing. 1. I think the Car and Driver brake report was 100% unfounded and incorrect. My car stops real quick. Faster than the 2001. 2. There is plenty of foot room on the drivers side. I am long legged and 6'1" 3. The wiper issue has already been debunked. 4. Hard seats? I could not sit in my 2001 without one of those aftermarket $300 lumbar back supports since the lumbar did not work well enough to prevent back pain. I have not needed that in the new car and find the seats much more comfortable. 5. Cant get garage door remote to work? That was ME complaining on this or another blog. I tried for 3 months to get it to work. The dealer sent a guy up and got it to work on both the garage and gate in less than 5 minutes. Guess I can't follow directions. 6. I think that the guy who was a Lexus groupie and then sold all his Lexuses because he could not keep his foot on the brake is simply a case of getting old and not adapting to new technology fast enough. I was a quicker, more alert driver at 45 when I bought my first LS car in 1990 than I am at 62 in my new car. That's just life. I truly enjoyed his enthuastic support of the Mark and am sorry to see him blame the car for his accident rather than on his own inattention. Remember the Audi fiasco back in the 90's where drivers claimed the cars accelerated when they applied the brakes(actually they were on the gas)? After buying I actually had quite a list of "differences" between my 01 and 07 cars. I complained to myself about missing certain features that the ULTRA had but have moved on and am very happy with my decision. It's unsettling to make a major buying decision and then to let it go sour by turning molehills into mountains. I say make the lease payments and enjoy the ride!
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Replying to: arizonamike (Apr 17, 2007 10:50 pm) |
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