Could anyone tell me the differences between the 2007 460L and the 2008 600h L other than the hybrid engine in the latter?

Also, what would you expect to be the difference in MPG between the 2 versions?

I understand the 600h L would probably be quite a bit quieter as well.

As you can see, I am trying to decide if I should get the 460L this fall or wait until next spring for the 600h L.

Thanks in advance.

 

nobody knows :-).
600h L should be quite faster, quieter and get 20%-30% better mpg... and more expensive of course.

 

...which is why they should give us a LS460 in AWD trim. Unfortunately, it looks like that won't happen, at least not soon.

 

The LS600hl has awsome looking head lights.

 

I personally don't see the point of the LS Hybrid. The LS itself gets decent gas mileage for its size and power. People in this price range don't particularly hurt when filling up. I don't imagine the hybrid will by much quieter, as the LS itself is one of the quietest vehicles on the road and the engine is virtually silent in a closed cabin. It all boils down to the added profitability in the hybrid. Luxury vehicles such as the LS are high profit for carmakers as it is, the LS hybrid is going to be an even bigger cash cow everytime someone drives one off the showroom floor.

 

Not sure about the profit part regarding the LS600hL over the LS460L, hybrids are expensive to produce, they won't be making many of the hybrid version, so the economies of scale in manufacturing is already gone compared to the LS460L, I guess that depends on the price difference between the 2 comparably equipped, although the 600hL will have certain things besides the electric motor not offered on the 460L, like AWD, the 5.0 V8, different wheels, headlights, lsd etc .

From Lexus standpoint, I think the LS600hL is more of a technological showpiece rather than a cash cow, they will only make up a very small % of the total LS sales anyway.

From a buyers' perspective, there's the added performance & gas mileage which may not be important to some, but I guess the main incentive is that you will be getting a unique top of the line car from Lexus that you can't find elsewhere.

 

These two cars are NOT comparable in style and feature content. The 600hL begins where the 460L (loaded) ends + the following additional features not found in the 460L:

Leather-stitched dashboard
LED Hi/Lo beams
AWD
5.0L V8
HSD
430HP "base HP"/gobs of torque
Dual CVT mode for the 8-speed tranny
19" standard rims (upgradable to 20" in the sport mode)
Quieter
more MPG

Need more ?

Check out the loaded features you'll get in a 460L (projected sticker at $85K) and see how the additional features STANDARD in the 600hL would stack up, and at what price point you'd expect the 600hL to be at.... I'd guess no less than $103K base/sticker price....

Your choice....

BTW, the 2008 600hL arrives within 6 months of the 460 (Oct 2006), by April 2007, so you don't have lots of time to wait....

 

My view is that the 600hL is strictly for prestige purposes. OK, so it has some additional HP and a better transmission, but I am not sure I would pay $100k+ for those options. As a matter of fact, I won't. I already a 460L on order, and I don't plan to exceed $86k on the purchase.

 

The AWD is a big factor to me too.

Smaller trunk space? Really? Why is that?

 

From your post it sounds as though the 600 will look slightly different-diff. headlights, wheels etc. Are there pics showing the 460L and 600hL side by side?

 

Thanks for th informative post. BTW what is "HSD" as you mention above?
I'll probably purchase in So Cal, do you know if lists are already forming for the 600hL? I know there are existing wait lists for the 460L (I'm not on either yet)

 

600h has many 460 options as standard, main options for a 600h are the rear seat options, nav/ML and lot of other things were standard on the 600h

 

There is one pic that I am aware of that showed the LS460 in the same pic as the LS600hL that showed the different wheels, the 600h have 19" 7-spokes wheels, whereas the LS460L have 18" 5-spokes, & the LS460 have 18" multi-spokes. They should be in the ClubLexus gallery.
I am not aware of a pic with the the front of the LS600hL & LS460 side by side showing the different headlights, but just browse through the pics in other threads in this forum or in the galleries, the difference is very obvious even if they are not shown in the same pic.

 

600h has LED headlights remember so its going to have a cluster of 4 lens the LS460 doesnt have that

 

Yes, but for what the 600hL offers, you would need to go to an S600/W12 A8L/760iL to get something comparable. About the only thing the S600 would have on the 600hL is HP, that's it. OTOH the 600hL has lots that these other competitors do not...