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Lexus LS 460/LS 460L: First Drives

94 messages,  Last post on Dec 18, 2006 at 3:51 PM

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#25 of 94 First Ride by barryns Oct 19, 2006 (10:59 pm)
What's not to like about driving in a brand new car with less than 10 miles. I put about 50 miles on a Mercury Metallic LS460L this afternoon. I'm not a professional evaluator but The car was extremely quiet, very responsive pickup. It seemed to be very stable on the road and took curves without difficulty or the feeling that I had to slow down. Definately much better than a prevous 2005 LS 430 I owned for short period of time. On the straightaway I was up to 90 for a short distance on a fairly busy highway but best I can say is that I didn't know I was going over 60. The Voice response system is very accurate compared to my current vehicle which understands me less than some of my relatives. The Brake Hold switch is a nice feature and prevents the car from creeping forward without having to keep foot on the brake. My aren't we getting lazy. I suppose it also would hold the car from going backwards on Lombard street in SF.......I'll wait for somebody else to try that. I guess I could go on and on.....but did end up putting a deposit on the car which will be available after the 'champagne inaugral'...Hope the car makes it thru the party.
#26 of 94 Drove the 460 SWB today.... by pearl Oct 20, 2006 (3:35 pm)
Several people were waiting so I only spent about 20 minutes in the car, with a lot of traffic around, so couldn't really put it through its paces. Overall, my positive comments are similar to those reported by others: very quiet, turbine smooth, and reasonable handling (but not great). Steering felt a little light to me, but turning circle was good. Brakes were OK, not grabby, but did not seem overly "powerful". OK, here are a few negatives, or at least areas that this drive and examination brought to my attention: trunk - small for a car this size (seemingly no larger than my BMW 528)and this was the SWB without any rear A/C intrusions; back seat room - same comment as for the trunk; and, driver's side footwell room. I felt that the left side encroached on the driver's foot area, moreso than I would have expected for such a large car. Also, the left vertical side of the footwell is carpeted, protrudes into the foot area and seems guaranteed to get soiled quickly. None of these are show stoppers, and make no mistake, this is a nice car; however, the lack of overall room surprised me for such a big car. Replies to this message: jd14 (Oct 21, 2006 2:28 pm) pearl (Oct 22, 2006 5:36 pm)
#27 of 94 Re: Drove the 460 SWB today.... [pearl] by jd14 Oct 21, 2006 (2:28 pm)
Replying to: pearl (Oct 20, 2006 3:35 pm) The legroom is supposed to be 1.8 inches more in the rear than on the previous LS. But since you have actually sat in the back, how would you say it compares to the 430 in terms of leg space? Also, since you seem concerned about the space in the car, you should probably opt for a LWB, if the extra $$$ isn't a problem. Replies to this message: pearl (Oct 22, 2006 5:36 pm)
#28 of 94 Re: Drove the 460 SWB today.... [jd14] by pearl Oct 22, 2006 (5:36 pm)
Replying to: jd14 (Oct 21, 2006 2:28 pm) I think the SWB has enough room - leg, head, hip, front, back, etc - just not as much as I expected. The trunk definitely is small for a car this size, no other way to describe it. I looked at a Merc E class right after this and its trunk was noticeably bigger - and has an optional fold down rear seat. My biggest "complaint" was the relatively small driver's side footwell - I doubt that the LWB is any different. It is not bad, but less than even my much smaller 528. Many won't care, but some won't buy it because of this, I predict. My 528 only has 153K on the clock, so I will keep it for awhile yet.
#29 of 94 plenty of room by hartmonstr Oct 22, 2006 (5:37 pm)
I drove both the LWB and the SWB on Friday, and sat in all the seats. I'm average height (5'8") and even in the SWB my knees were six inches from the back of the front seat, which was adjusted to accommodate a driver of my height. In the LWB, my knees were, well, 10.8" from the back of the front seat. (Not that I'll spend any time in my back seat anyway, but it's nice to know even tall passengers will be comfortable.) I've driven midsize MBs since 1981, and the SWB has much more legroom than any car I've ever owned. The LWB is downright cavernous, at least from my POV. Sure, if you're 6'6" and will be driven by a tall chauffeur, then by all means spring for the L. Keep in mind that the extra rear legroom also translates into extra long rear doors, which will require extra care exiting the back seat in parking lots and tight garages - something to think about if you have kids or clods for passengers. (BTW, the power door closers are really trick - the ultimate luxury you don't need but once you use them you wonder how you got along without them...) Replies to this message: jd14 (Oct 23, 2006 1:44 pm)
#30 of 94 Re: plenty of room [hartmonstr] by jd14 Oct 23, 2006 (1:44 pm)
Replying to: hartmonstr (Oct 22, 2006 5:37 pm) Much appreciated. I'm glad to know that you had tons of room to spare in both cars. However, do you think that it would still be overly roomy for someone at 6'5''? In other words, would someone over 6'3'' be able to recline a rear seat fully and still have another person at 6'3'' sit in front of them?
#31 of 94 Legroom by hartmonstr Oct 23, 2006 (2:57 pm)
I honestly don't think that two six-plus footers would be cramped sitting one in front of the other in the SWB - certainly, if I was that tall and knew I had to have a tall person sitting behind me a lot, I would consider the L. Or if I was a realtor and did a lot of chauffeuring, the L would definitely be my choice. However, if you are considering all options and you have a short front passenger, put your occasional tall guy (or girl) in the #4 spot where the front seat will be pulled up a bit. I'm going to our local unveiling tomorrow night (Tuesday) and will see if I can get some tall people to test the room situation.   In the end, it's your $5650, so you'll have to decide whether your back seat passengers are worth it Replies to this message: pearl (Oct 23, 2006 4:58 pm) ljflx (Oct 23, 2006 4:59 pm) mikeivan (Oct 24, 2006 6:31 am)
#32 of 94 Re: Legroom [hartmonstr] by pearl Oct 23, 2006 (4:58 pm)
Replying to: hartmonstr (Oct 23, 2006 2:57 pm) My issue is NOT with overall leg room. While I think that the LS460 SWB has less room than most people would think by looking at its overall size, I was able to find a comfortable driving position and then get into the back seat with enough room (I am 6'0"). It is not cavernous, but adequate - just a little surprising that it is not larger for such a big car. My main concern was the relatively small driver's footwell area. Again, it is not a huge issue, but was instantly noticeable for me (and my car is a 97 BMW 528 - a much smaller car but with a much better room to move my feet around - a useful feature on a long drive. I am glad that you had plenty of room, but as others have noted, they did not. Not everyone wants, or can, buy the L model, and it seems ridiculous to spend close to 70K and not have enough interior room when you can buy any number of econoboxes that do.
#33 of 94 Re: Legroom [hartmonstr] by ljflx Oct 23, 2006 (4:59 pm)
Replying to: hartmonstr (Oct 23, 2006 2:57 pm) I think everyone who thinks of the 460L as just a few inches of rear seat space is missing the point of what that car is all about. It's really the driving force of this new LS design and is the "made to perfection" car. The SWB was made to fit that cars engineering and to hold onto the existing customer base and lower prices. The L was made for conquest sales and holding customers that Lexus would/could have lost.   Watch the reviews - they will be a lot stronger for the LS460L than for the LS460. The ones I've read to date are already indicative of that. I'd expect that everyone that reviews this car will prefer the LS460L, and some by miles over the LS460. Over time the LS460L will become the car that becomes dominant for Lexus in the category.   I'm anxious to drive both cars later this week.   BTW - the LS430 had plenty of space for 6 foot plus folks in the rear and I drive with my seat all the way back. I'm a hair under 6' and have plenty of space with the seat pushed fully back. I'd have a hard time believing Lexus would make the LS460 SWB model cramped when they've gone out of their way to maximize interior space on past models. Replies to this message: mikeivan (Oct 24, 2006 6:31 am)
#34 of 94 Re: Legroom [ljflx] by mikeivan Oct 24, 2006 (6:31 am)
Replying to: ljflx (Oct 23, 2006 4:59 pm) I believe the front seat dimensions for the LS460 and the LS 460L are identical. BTW, the LS 460 WB is 1.7" longer than the LS 430. I assume that extra length goes in the back seat leg room, which is tight for my family in the LS 430.

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