On the fence
Pit Crew
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 172
Likes: 56
From: TX
Bought the L model 2.5 years ago. It’s been great. Put $500 into it at a recent service, which was the grand total aside for front brakes.
It’s now at 40k miles. Regrets are not finding one higher spec’d (air suspension, rear side sunshades, rear recline). I absolutely love the wooden steering wheel. Auto high beams, auto wipers, blind spot, and rear cross traffic function better than anything I’ve tried. Quality of those systems is utterly fantastic.
The L model rides differently, and also has laminated glass in the rear sides. It doesn’t feel big to drive. Riding in the rear is so comfortable. It’s like being in a limo.
Compared to a new high level luxury car it’s significantly cheaper to own, and for my needs it provides most of the comfort that I would get from a newer car, which is the key benefit in this class of car. Compared to my newer cars it’s needed zero attention. I’m not worried about dings, etc. I park it and I forget about it, and that makes me love it more. Nothing rattles, nothing squeaks despite it coming on 10 years old.
If my top criteria were not quiet/comfortable I would look at other cars. Seats could be better. Fuel economy is bad aside for highway cruising, it looks old inside (though quality of all of the parts are the highest I’ve tested in a car).
It’s now at 40k miles. Regrets are not finding one higher spec’d (air suspension, rear side sunshades, rear recline). I absolutely love the wooden steering wheel. Auto high beams, auto wipers, blind spot, and rear cross traffic function better than anything I’ve tried. Quality of those systems is utterly fantastic.
The L model rides differently, and also has laminated glass in the rear sides. It doesn’t feel big to drive. Riding in the rear is so comfortable. It’s like being in a limo.
Compared to a new high level luxury car it’s significantly cheaper to own, and for my needs it provides most of the comfort that I would get from a newer car, which is the key benefit in this class of car. Compared to my newer cars it’s needed zero attention. I’m not worried about dings, etc. I park it and I forget about it, and that makes me love it more. Nothing rattles, nothing squeaks despite it coming on 10 years old.
If my top criteria were not quiet/comfortable I would look at other cars. Seats could be better. Fuel economy is bad aside for highway cruising, it looks old inside (though quality of all of the parts are the highest I’ve tested in a car).
Last edited by HushedRide; Sep 1, 2025 at 12:58 PM.
10th Gear
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 12
Likes: 2
Being 6'4 I appreciate the L version because sometimes I sit in the back on long drives while someone else drives and it's huge and comfortable back there for even me.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 453
Likes: 173
From: CA
The “L” models definitely feel a lot more special and luxurious compared to the SWB ones. Especially if you are fortunate enough to find one fully spec’d out with all the rear seat goodies, Including air suspension which makes these cars feel like your riding in a 70’s Cadillac or Lincoln, with that hint of floatiness in comfort mode.
Lexus should have made the L models as standard to compete with the Europeans, including Equus at the time when they didn’t have short or long wheelbase models, they were just “huge” from the get go.
Personally the SWB 460’s, and the LS 430 feel like mid-size cars to drive. My 07 460 L kinda does as well, but because of the additional length, I will say it feels like a proper full size luxury sedan, the other 2 don’t.
I’m so used to driving true full size luxury sedans from the 60’s and 70’s that are over 225 inches long which also are all body-on-frame (one is 233 inches in length) and 80 inches in width and all weigh over 5,000lbs, that the 460 feels compact in a way after taking one of my classics out for a cruise.
Theres also no comparison in riding comfort as well, the classics ride so much softer and smoother, going over bumps and potholes are barely even felt. Even in my 460, some small bumps, lane markers, and potholes will vibrate through the cabin, even though my 460 has air suspension. The street and highway conditions are horrendous where I live so that’s another issue. A luxury vehicle can only filter out so much NVH as some streets are in such bad shape locally, the cars suspension and body can only withstand so much extreme force and harsh vibrations.
The noise isolation is great in the 460 compared to most modern day cars, it’s just not as good as my classics, especially compared my massive 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car as that thing is a rolling tomb of silence and complete isolation from the road.
Lexus should have made the L models as standard to compete with the Europeans, including Equus at the time when they didn’t have short or long wheelbase models, they were just “huge” from the get go.
Personally the SWB 460’s, and the LS 430 feel like mid-size cars to drive. My 07 460 L kinda does as well, but because of the additional length, I will say it feels like a proper full size luxury sedan, the other 2 don’t.
I’m so used to driving true full size luxury sedans from the 60’s and 70’s that are over 225 inches long which also are all body-on-frame (one is 233 inches in length) and 80 inches in width and all weigh over 5,000lbs, that the 460 feels compact in a way after taking one of my classics out for a cruise.
Theres also no comparison in riding comfort as well, the classics ride so much softer and smoother, going over bumps and potholes are barely even felt. Even in my 460, some small bumps, lane markers, and potholes will vibrate through the cabin, even though my 460 has air suspension. The street and highway conditions are horrendous where I live so that’s another issue. A luxury vehicle can only filter out so much NVH as some streets are in such bad shape locally, the cars suspension and body can only withstand so much extreme force and harsh vibrations.
The noise isolation is great in the 460 compared to most modern day cars, it’s just not as good as my classics, especially compared my massive 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car as that thing is a rolling tomb of silence and complete isolation from the road.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 22
Likes: 10
From: IL
What’s “reliable” is relative. It’s not a Camry or Corolla, but those cars don’t have the performance or sophistication or ride of the LS460. If you want something of this caliber, this is as reliable as a car like that gets when it’s 10+ years old. Remember that I got one new and I paid $1,200 a month every month to LEASE it. So it’s all relative.
If a few thousand dollars is a lot of money to you this is not the type of car for you. You’re either paying that in huge payments to get one new or you’re paying that in maintenance or repairs to drive one that is massively depreciated. Either way you have to pay to play, but the most problematic old LS460 isn’t costing you the $14,400 a year it cost to lease the last LS460L I had, or the $22,200 a year it costs me to lease my S580. You’re driving that caliber car and it cost you $25.000 to buy it and maybe $3k a year in repairs. Big deal.
Contrast to my Mercedes S560 which new brakes were $2,200 at an independent mechanic and it needed a valve cover leak repair at 49k miles that would have cost $9,000 at the dealer with 21 hours of labor to do the job. Nothing on an LS460 costs that.
If a few thousand dollars is a lot of money to you this is not the type of car for you. You’re either paying that in huge payments to get one new or you’re paying that in maintenance or repairs to drive one that is massively depreciated. Either way you have to pay to play, but the most problematic old LS460 isn’t costing you the $14,400 a year it cost to lease the last LS460L I had, or the $22,200 a year it costs me to lease my S580. You’re driving that caliber car and it cost you $25.000 to buy it and maybe $3k a year in repairs. Big deal.
Contrast to my Mercedes S560 which new brakes were $2,200 at an independent mechanic and it needed a valve cover leak repair at 49k miles that would have cost $9,000 at the dealer with 21 hours of labor to do the job. Nothing on an LS460 costs that.
Then the other aspect is that an old luxury car is just old now. A 2015 LS460 looks a bit long in the tooth. It’s not like your S class. I’m sure most of the LS owners on here are not also paying $22k to lease an S class.
Well, OP proceed with caution ⚠️ and when you get hit with coolant in your valley or have a brake actuator go out, I hope you have planned for it.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,620
Likes: 4,044
From: Maryland
This is what I thought. Not everyone is in your position. Some folks can barely afford the $25k let alone have the money to shell out $3k for a major repair whenever it occurs.
Then the other aspect is that an old luxury car is just old now. A 2015 LS460 looks a bit long in the tooth. It’s not like your S class. I’m sure most of the LS owners on here are not also paying $22k to lease an S class.
Well, OP proceed with caution ⚠️ and when you get hit with coolant in your valley or have a brake actuator go out, I hope you have planned for it.
Then the other aspect is that an old luxury car is just old now. A 2015 LS460 looks a bit long in the tooth. It’s not like your S class. I’m sure most of the LS owners on here are not also paying $22k to lease an S class.
Well, OP proceed with caution ⚠️ and when you get hit with coolant in your valley or have a brake actuator go out, I hope you have planned for it.
Well, yeah...they look long in the tooth because they are
Intermediate
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 309
Likes: 99
From: California
There is even an option for you to update your car's maintenance/repair history, by inputting the data yourself. But the times I've tried to do that it wouldn't save my input...so for me it's still the old-time written maint/repair log in the glove box.
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