Searched but still needs a few questions answered.
02-07-15, 06:03 PM
#16
Let's not make a big deal out of his words "Toyota Yacht." I believe he just means it is a LARGE car. And it is. I have a 1993 RX-7 and parks beside the LS. And the LS looks like a half an acre of car. In my mind, it is a yacht. And I love it for it.
Here's my opinion on the whole thing, but maybe I'm crazy. Seems like maybe Tee has the same opinion. If you think you want the L, you should get the L. Because the worst thing you can do (IMO) is pay $30k or so for a 460 and go for years wondering what the L would be like.
And, I don't jibe with the sentiment about, "how often will you ride in the back seat?" I HOPE I NEVER DO! Because I love driving the car, and don't trust anyone buy my father to drive it. Well, I let my sister drive it, and she did fine. But I want the mack-daddy back seat, because when I ride people in there, all I want to hear is "oooooh, aaaaaah, love that seat cooling, oooooh let me lay back, the seat vibration is the bomb, can we make ths trip longer?"
I have 3 sons and a Warden. So I could not get the Executive with the console. I have the next best thing. All the options in the thread that Tee linked, I have them. And I wounldn't want less.
I went and practiced the auto parking thing one day, and got pretty quick at it. My friends wanted to see it in action, and when I did it, it was quick and they were all floored because we put it in a tight space, and it parked evenly to both cars. I subsequently moved it to another spot with lots of space though.
I didn't want the 600hL for a couple reasons, as mentioned above. 1) I didn't want AWD. Don't need it, and it makes more noise (even though that is minimal) and uses more fuel. It's very little use in the south-east. But if you want it, or live in the great white north, that's a different story. 2) The hybrid technology will be very expensive if it needs repair. And 3) the batteries may also be very expensive replace, but I think guys are finding ways around most of that expense.
Anyway, those are my opinions and thoughts. Probably different than most. But I was very lucky to find my 460L, with less than 14k miles!
Lastly, I want to mention. It's been 10 years since I was in design at Toyota, so maybe things have changed. But when I went to Toyota City (Nagoya area), the design engineers just sit at very long tables. And even shared phones. The Lexus guys sat at the same tables, just kind of down at the end of the tables in their own group. That being said, this car IS a Toyota. It does carry over many of the same components from other vehicles. Which is a good thing. It makes things more reliable and less expensive. But it does not drive like an Avalon. The Avalon is FWD. Avalon is a GREAT car, it was the first car I did the seats on.
Since I bought the LS, I have been trying to reach my Toyota-Japanese-Best-Friend. I just reached him this past week. He replied back. I have a bunch of questions to ask him, and hoping he will point me to the right engineer. I'm actually in Shanghai China as I type this.
So if you guys have some technical questions, I may be able to go right to the exact engineer. No gaurantee. Last time I checked, my buddy was not in the Lexus group, but they're like 30 feet away. And he knows them all (the design engineers anyway).
Here's my opinion on the whole thing, but maybe I'm crazy. Seems like maybe Tee has the same opinion. If you think you want the L, you should get the L. Because the worst thing you can do (IMO) is pay $30k or so for a 460 and go for years wondering what the L would be like.
And, I don't jibe with the sentiment about, "how often will you ride in the back seat?" I HOPE I NEVER DO! Because I love driving the car, and don't trust anyone buy my father to drive it. Well, I let my sister drive it, and she did fine. But I want the mack-daddy back seat, because when I ride people in there, all I want to hear is "oooooh, aaaaaah, love that seat cooling, oooooh let me lay back, the seat vibration is the bomb, can we make ths trip longer?"
I have 3 sons and a Warden. So I could not get the Executive with the console. I have the next best thing. All the options in the thread that Tee linked, I have them. And I wounldn't want less.
I went and practiced the auto parking thing one day, and got pretty quick at it. My friends wanted to see it in action, and when I did it, it was quick and they were all floored because we put it in a tight space, and it parked evenly to both cars. I subsequently moved it to another spot with lots of space though.
I didn't want the 600hL for a couple reasons, as mentioned above. 1) I didn't want AWD. Don't need it, and it makes more noise (even though that is minimal) and uses more fuel. It's very little use in the south-east. But if you want it, or live in the great white north, that's a different story. 2) The hybrid technology will be very expensive if it needs repair. And 3) the batteries may also be very expensive replace, but I think guys are finding ways around most of that expense.Anyway, those are my opinions and thoughts. Probably different than most. But I was very lucky to find my 460L, with less than 14k miles!
Lastly, I want to mention. It's been 10 years since I was in design at Toyota, so maybe things have changed. But when I went to Toyota City (Nagoya area), the design engineers just sit at very long tables. And even shared phones. The Lexus guys sat at the same tables, just kind of down at the end of the tables in their own group. That being said, this car IS a Toyota. It does carry over many of the same components from other vehicles. Which is a good thing. It makes things more reliable and less expensive. But it does not drive like an Avalon. The Avalon is FWD. Avalon is a GREAT car, it was the first car I did the seats on.
Since I bought the LS, I have been trying to reach my Toyota-Japanese-Best-Friend. I just reached him this past week. He replied back. I have a bunch of questions to ask him, and hoping he will point me to the right engineer. I'm actually in Shanghai China as I type this.
So if you guys have some technical questions, I may be able to go right to the exact engineer. No gaurantee. Last time I checked, my buddy was not in the Lexus group, but they're like 30 feet away. And he knows them all (the design engineers anyway).
02-07-15, 08:35 PM
#17
Moderator
Couldn't of said it better as a previous SWB owner myself.
02-10-15, 06:01 AM
#18
I have a SWB with the Comfort Plus package (rear reclining seats etc) which my kids (7yo and 9yo) enjoy. LS460L's are just a little harder to find (and of course more $) which is why I got my SWB. I wouldn't rule it out as it does give an adult enough leg room (and width!) in the rear....
The one nice thing about a LS460L is the rear window sunshades though, for the kiddos...but I couldn't justify an extra $4k for that =)
The one nice thing about a LS460L is the rear window sunshades though, for the kiddos...but I couldn't justify an extra $4k for that =)
Thanks
My best advice to you is that if you think you'll be buying a "toyota yacht", then you might want to start looking elsewhere. Yes I do think that this car is very reliable, but it's pretty far away from a toyota. So if it does break, don't expect it to cost like a Toyota to fix. Open the hood of one of these things...there's nothing Toyota under there. And then drive it. I assure you this car is no Toyota Avalon.
Let's not make a big deal out of his words "Toyota Yacht." I believe he just means it is a LARGE car. And it is. I have a 1993 RX-7 and parks beside the LS. And the LS looks like a half an acre of car. In my mind, it is a yacht. And I love it for it.
Here's my opinion on the whole thing, but maybe I'm crazy. Seems like maybe Tee has the same opinion. If you think you want the L, you should get the L. Because the worst thing you can do (IMO) is pay $30k or so for a 460 and go for years wondering what the L would be like.
And, I don't jibe with the sentiment about, "how often will you ride in the back seat?" I HOPE I NEVER DO! Because I love driving the car, and don't trust anyone buy my father to drive it. Well, I let my sister drive it, and she did fine. But I want the mack-daddy back seat, because when I ride people in there, all I want to hear is "oooooh, aaaaaah, love that seat cooling, oooooh let me lay back, the seat vibration is the bomb, can we make ths trip longer?"
I have 3 sons and a Warden. So I could not get the Executive with the console. I have the next best thing. All the options in the thread that Tee linked, I have them. And I wounldn't want less.
I went and practiced the auto parking thing one day, and got pretty quick at it. My friends wanted to see it in action, and when I did it, it was quick and they were all floored because we put it in a tight space, and it parked evenly to both cars. I subsequently moved it to another spot with lots of space though. I didn't want the 600hL for a couple reasons, as mentioned above. 1) I didn't want AWD. Don't need it, and it makes more noise (even though that is minimal) and uses more fuel. It's very little use in the south-east. But if you want it, or live in the great white north, that's a different story. 2) The hybrid technology will be very expensive if it needs repair. And 3) the batteries may also be very expensive replace, but I think guys are finding ways around most of that expense.
Anyway, those are my opinions and thoughts. Probably different than most. But I was very lucky to find my 460L, with less than 14k miles!
Lastly, I want to mention. It's been 10 years since I was in design at Toyota, so maybe things have changed. But when I went to Toyota City (Nagoya area), the design engineers just sit at very long tables. And even shared phones. The Lexus guys sat at the same tables, just kind of down at the end of the tables in their own group. That being said, this car IS a Toyota. It does carry over many of the same components from other vehicles. Which is a good thing. It makes things more reliable and less expensive. But it does not drive like an Avalon. The Avalon is FWD. Avalon is a GREAT car, it was the first car I did the seats on.
Since I bought the LS, I have been trying to reach my Toyota-Japanese-Best-Friend. I just reached him this past week. He replied back. I have a bunch of questions to ask him, and hoping he will point me to the right engineer. I'm actually in Shanghai China as I type this.
So if you guys have some technical questions, I may be able to go right to the exact engineer. No gaurantee. Last time I checked, my buddy was not in the Lexus group, but they're like 30 feet away. And he knows them all (the design engineers anyway).
Here's my opinion on the whole thing, but maybe I'm crazy. Seems like maybe Tee has the same opinion. If you think you want the L, you should get the L. Because the worst thing you can do (IMO) is pay $30k or so for a 460 and go for years wondering what the L would be like.
And, I don't jibe with the sentiment about, "how often will you ride in the back seat?" I HOPE I NEVER DO! Because I love driving the car, and don't trust anyone buy my father to drive it. Well, I let my sister drive it, and she did fine. But I want the mack-daddy back seat, because when I ride people in there, all I want to hear is "oooooh, aaaaaah, love that seat cooling, oooooh let me lay back, the seat vibration is the bomb, can we make ths trip longer?"
I have 3 sons and a Warden. So I could not get the Executive with the console. I have the next best thing. All the options in the thread that Tee linked, I have them. And I wounldn't want less.
I went and practiced the auto parking thing one day, and got pretty quick at it. My friends wanted to see it in action, and when I did it, it was quick and they were all floored because we put it in a tight space, and it parked evenly to both cars. I subsequently moved it to another spot with lots of space though.
I didn't want the 600hL for a couple reasons, as mentioned above. 1) I didn't want AWD. Don't need it, and it makes more noise (even though that is minimal) and uses more fuel. It's very little use in the south-east. But if you want it, or live in the great white north, that's a different story. 2) The hybrid technology will be very expensive if it needs repair. And 3) the batteries may also be very expensive replace, but I think guys are finding ways around most of that expense.Anyway, those are my opinions and thoughts. Probably different than most. But I was very lucky to find my 460L, with less than 14k miles!
Lastly, I want to mention. It's been 10 years since I was in design at Toyota, so maybe things have changed. But when I went to Toyota City (Nagoya area), the design engineers just sit at very long tables. And even shared phones. The Lexus guys sat at the same tables, just kind of down at the end of the tables in their own group. That being said, this car IS a Toyota. It does carry over many of the same components from other vehicles. Which is a good thing. It makes things more reliable and less expensive. But it does not drive like an Avalon. The Avalon is FWD. Avalon is a GREAT car, it was the first car I did the seats on.
Since I bought the LS, I have been trying to reach my Toyota-Japanese-Best-Friend. I just reached him this past week. He replied back. I have a bunch of questions to ask him, and hoping he will point me to the right engineer. I'm actually in Shanghai China as I type this.
So if you guys have some technical questions, I may be able to go right to the exact engineer. No gaurantee. Last time I checked, my buddy was not in the Lexus group, but they're like 30 feet away. And he knows them all (the design engineers anyway).
Thanks!
Last edited by luda42688; 02-10-15 at 06:06 AM.
02-10-15, 07:27 AM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
02-11-15, 07:38 AM
#22
Lexus Test Driver
anyway that we can purchase the reclining LEFT seat from a UK Spec Executive Class car and make it work with our system to have dual reclining seats with massage and ottoman on both sides? (mini-maybach that's more reliable lol)
(mini-maybach that's more reliable lol)
02-11-15, 01:30 PM
#23
Lexus Test Driver
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Sal Collaziano
LS - 4th Gen (2007-2017)
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06-25-08 08:28 AM