rgs92

OK, I managed to test out the (2016) LS460L and liked it and found it extremely comfortable. I have not been able to sit in the non-L version.
Is the driver's seat area exactly the same in the base (non-L) version in terms of legroom, foot-well space laterally and front-to-back, and headroom?
In short, is the seating position and amount of space in every possible dimension and total-feel the same for the driver in the L and non-L versions?
(I don't care about the back seats.)
Thanks.

dlbuckls10

Basically the same except the L version have more standard features and more rear seat leg room.

SW17LS

Exactly the same. The only difference is in the rear.

mckellyb

As an owner of an '08 L, I can say the cars are 100% identical up to the B-pillar (the pillar which separates the front and rear side windows).

After this point, there is 4.7" added to the unibody/rear doors. There are additional options, too, but the physical aspect of the car is the same, much like it's the same from the front of the bottom cushion of the rear seats to the end of the rear bumper. It's that 14", max, area between the rear of the front seats and the front of the rear seats which holds the difference.

rgs92

Thanks everyone for the info! Now I can look around w/o worrying about what version it is. The $9K last year on servicing my 2 Benzes at the dealer with 40K miles on one and 75K miles on the other (E and S classes) is just getting too much for me and I'm getting envious of people who say their Lexuses go on and on with only regular maintenance. I love the way the Benzes drive and feel but it's like having a giant dog that never stops eating.
I guess I have a case of reliability-envy...

mckellyb

Having owned both an '89 W126 (420 SEL) and a '95 W124 (E320), I can say the LS has similar solidity, but is much more "luxurious" inside.

This said, my '89 S-klasse had memory seats (including power headrest), a power-telescoping wheel, and did not require a lockup torque converter because the Germans engineered it to be so "tight".

Plus, heated windscreen & headlamp washers, heated seats, and other goodies I know I'm forgetting.

What years are your Mercedes machines? They had a very, very dark period between 1998 and about 2006, due almost exclusively to the LS400 putting a serious beat-down on them.

rgs92

Actually, since I now have a 2014 LS460 AWD (standard length), it does seem to me that, after sitting in both,
the L version (at least the 2016 I sat in) has a little more driver's seat travel room front-to-back from my impression a few months back.
Am I imagining things? Thanks. (I notice the specifications are exactly the same at 43.7 drivers seat legroom though for all years in all versions).

SW17LS

I think you're imagining things, I believe the seat tracks are the same.

rgs92

OK, thanks for that. Good to hear I'm wrong about this. I think the regular version is the perfect length and size for the car (or any car for that matter) as a compromise between confidence and maneuverability.
I considered the Genesis G90, but that thing is almost boatlike.
Yep, the LS is awesome. The only thing I miss is a digital speedometer (I tend to ignore the dial and go too fast since I can't feel the speed).

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Yep, that's what I told my lawyer, too!

rgs92

LOL. Thanks.

Gbp

Sure, you'd feel a difference between the LWB and SWB -- if you were sitting in the back!

rgs92

Ha ha, only grocery bags sit in the back seat.

rgs92

Duplicate post by fat-fingering so deleted.

BMW7_LS430

2013+ LS460L is 1.1 longer than 07-12, 205 inches vs 203.9.
Where does the extra length go? Interior/exterior/combination?