FatherTo1

Borrowed a 2011 460L from the dealership today for a few hours. The plan was to take it to my mechanic for a scheduled pre-purchase inspection but didn't quite get that far. Took my time with the car and found it surprisingly smoother around town on the 19-inch Eagle F1 tires than our LS 430 with 18-inch Pirelli P7+. Anyways, the extended time with the car allowed me to pay more attention to the nuances of the 460L and I learned that maybe I don't like the L as much as I had hoped to. You can really feel the extra 5-inches of car behind the driver's seat. Perhaps other members were correct that we may be happier with a SWB.

I tried searching online and through the forums, but could not find any direct comparison of rear legroom between the 430 and 460 SWB. According to Edmunds, the 460 SWB has an inch or two less rear legroom, but we all know there's not a clear standard to how rear legroom is measured. I have been focused exclusively on 460L in my search and will need to take a closer look at 460 SWB. In the meantime, I am curious to hear from owners that went from a 430 to a 460 SWB, do both cars have comparable rear legroom?

P.S. That extra 100+ HP is definitely noticeable in the 460L today! The surge is addictive too. I was on a 7% grade hill climb and needed to prepare for some traffic merging onto the freeway and was just amazed at how quickly and easily the car did 50-70 MPH passing (on a steep incline!). Our LS 430 was starting to feel like it only has adequate power. The 460 has ample reserves.

EDIT: Searching for our next LS has taught me a lot. The car I want today is so much different than the car I set out searching for. I certainly didn't expect it to be this difficult. Maybe I still don't know what it is I want, but I think I am getting closer.

Junglequac

I felt the exact same way as I went from a 2005 LS430 to an SWB 460. While I did note that seemingly the posted numbers in the automotive press did not show a great deal of difference in acceleration times over the 430 in spite of a 100 hp difference, it sure as heck feels much quicker.

As for legroom, LS 460/LS 460 L

Headroom
- Front (with moonroof—standard) 38.0 in. 38.0 in.

- Rear (with moonroof—standard) 38.0 in. 38.0 in.
Legroom - Front 43.7 in. 43.7 in. - Rear 35.8 in. 36.7 in.
Shoulder Room - Front 58.5 in. 58.5 in. - Rear 56.9 in. 56.4 in.
Hip Room - Front 55.4 in. 55.4 in. - Rear 55.5 in. 55.5 in.
Couple Distance 40.7 in. 45.5 in.
EPA Cargo Volume 18.0 cu. ft. 18.0 cu. ft.

For the LS430:
Rear Head Room: 37.9 in.
Rear Hip Room: 57.3 in.
Rear Leg Room: 37.6 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 58.2 in.

The figures for the 460 comes from the 2013 Lexus website PDF and the LS430 from Edumuds which if all are correct, amazingly the 430 has more legroom than even the 460L. And the difference between the SWB 460 and the 430 is 35.8 inches versus 37.6 inches. Motor Trend also shows the same measurements, but it would be surprising if the difference between the 460 and 460L is right at an inch of difference.
That said, the 460 has a far more stylized appearance whereas the 430 seems more designed by logic and maximization of interior space so I would guess the specs are correct.

I will say that I have had several friends over 6 feet tall in the back seat and I am 6'1 and it was not cramped for them. Did not have anyone riding in the middle seat in the back which it stands to reason is another story.

FatherTo1

Thanks, Jungle. I just hope the SWB doesn't really have less rear legroom than the 430. It would be odd though for the SWB to have less legroom as you'd expect the newer car to be better in most regards and not take any steps backwards. I guess I'll be checking out some SWB soon to see for myself.

Junglequac

Indeed. That said, the 430 has a rather tall greenhouse and like I posted earlier truly seems maximized for space over aesthetic concerns whereas the 460 was part of the move to "L-Finesse" design language.

Regardless, I would perhaps recommend taking a few friends or family with you on a test drive and let either them or the sales associate drive and sit in the back to experience it for yourself. I honestly think for most people that the SWB's legroom is sufficient for full grown adults. Moreover, if memory serves, on the window sticker on my 430, it was classified as a Large Car whereas the 460 is classified as a Midsize Car so I am thinking the numbers are correct.

johnnyg66

You may have read this post but if not.

​​​​​​https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...vs-ls460l.html

comotiger

Instead of placing faith in numbers from different sources, the OP should measure legroom using his specific settings. He has a 430 and test drove a 460L. Why not measure rear legroom for yourself? Next time, test drive a 460 and measure. Having owned a 460 and a 460L, I can assure the OP that the LWB has far more than 1 inch of increased legroom over the SWB.

The OP should also clarify what he means by "feeling the 5 inches" while driving? Personally, I haven't noticed any difference in driving dynamics between the SWB and LWB, but I haven't driven the cars at high speeds weaving between traffic cones to feel if the LWB is more back heavy. I do take right turns more deliberately to avoid going over the corner of the curb, which initially happened a bit on narrow streets before I got used to the LWB.

FatherTo1

Thank you, comotiger, and I plan to make a direct comparison myself soon. The rear legroom in the 460L really is nice but you worded it perfectly as I felt like I was dragging something heavy or trailering when driving the 460L. I am more curious about SWB now and will need to see how the rear legroom compares to our 430.

SW17LS

Having had both, rear legroom in the SWB 460 is very similar to that of the LS430, slightly less. Measurements only tell you part of the story. For instance by the measurements my 2013 GS350 had more rear legroom than my 2010 ES350. In reality I can tell you that isn't the case.

I too prefer the SWB to the LWB. To me the LWB makes an already long car even longer (a LWB LS is 5 inches longer than my minivan), and none of the benefit to that size is available to the front seat passengers.

dlbuckls10

The 430 and 460 SWB have more rear leg room than many full size domestic and import sedans. The 460 LWB rear seat leg room is almost at limousine level. The rear seat leg room in incredible. I never had anyone complain and most rear passengers have complimented on the rear seat space in my 460 L. Front seat leg room space in the 460 is more than adequate.

mckellyb

Of the nearly 5" of extra wheelbase in the 460 L vs. the 460, ALL OF IT is behind the rear of the front seats yet ahead of the rear bottom seat cushion.

Ergo, the L has 4.8" additional rear legroom. The cars are identical ahead of the rear doors and from the rear window rearward. Mercedes LWB sedans are exactly the same difference, have been for decades.

I think what you've found are typos in the numbers, honestly.

Also, the "common" measurement for rear seat legroom is, with the front seat(s) all the way rearward, how far is it from the front edge of the rear bottom cushion to the rear of the front seatback. Granted, reclining front seatbacks screw with this measurement, and I don't think there's an officially-accepted angle. Obviously, "gangsta lean" ain't it, though. I hope it's "upright". I sit more upright than most, so I'm probably an outlier.

More than once, while at work, I've had someone ask me what makes my "L" different. I just roll down the rear window or open the door. They're always quite surprised.

I don't notice the extra length, honestly, though I've also had a LWB W126 Mercedes and a '73 Coupe DeVille (which is a few inches longer than a 90s Suburban). Now, that Cadillac...that car was large.

Still not the longest 2-door production car, though. That award goes to the '73 Imperial, which had about 5" on my Cadillac. That two-door Cadillac was almost 2 feet longer than my LWB LS, in fact.

Duck05

Have not measured it but the rear seating in the 430 feels "roomier" than 460. (SWB). Not sure if that is due to the design of the cabin or slope of the roof....

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

To me the L is more for the exterior looks , you can really notice it, as well as the prestige of the L badge/package itself.

My car is a commuter car, daily work horse which never gets any rear passengers so it would of been more practical to get an swb, but life's short and I wanted the L, so that's that.

Father I can point you in the direction of some very low priced 460 swb,Lwb and even a couple 600's that are for sale right now if you are willing to travel to Canada.

mckellyb

See, I wanted the open feeling of the larger interior. My car rarely has passengers in it, much less rear passengers, but there were other goodies on this one, too. Levinson, and strangely, the 19" wheel/tire and larger brake combo. Strange, because who (besides me) would get the sportier stuff on the LWB model?

I mean, practical would have been a first-gen Volt or a decade old Corolla/Civic or the like, but yeah...that's not happening. My RT commute is about 60 miles, imma gonna be comfortable.

To be honest, this time I was shooting for six digits when new, more than 400 HP, and a near 5-second 0-60 time. A V12 was a bonus, but a supercharger would have done. I'd have been there with the 2004-2005 CL55 AMGs I was looking at, but they'd been beaten up by previous owners. I also would have jumped all over a 2006 or newer Jaaaaaag XJ Super V8, especially a Portfolio, but they are far and few between.

Junglequac

Even when I posted the measurements, I had misgivings as it honestly makes no sense considering the vastly greater length of the L model. That said, after looking at both Lexus's measurements and comparing them and seeing that they were identical to various car magazines, I went ahead and posted them with the aforementioned questions about it not making a great deal of sense.

Regardless, and getting back to the title of this thread, I do think the back seat of the SWB 460 is going to be sufficient for the vast majority of full sized adults. It is just one of those things where one needs to experience it to see if it would be sufficient which is why I recommended FT1 to sit in the back to see if sufficient for his and his family's needs,

SW17LS

My test is always can I sit behind the drivers seat adjusted for me and cross my legs without touching the seat in front? I can.