FatherTo1

Just wondering, can the standard 600hL air suspension be converted to non-air like the 460L? I know it's an option for 460L owners but I don't recall reading about people doing it to 600hL models.

SW17LS

It would work exactly like it does for a 460L, the suspension is the same.

I think you're worrying a little too much about the air suspension. Especially in a hybrid, there are a lot of things I'd worry about before I worried about the air suspension.

FatherTo1

Certainly I would be curious about the longevity of the hybrid batteries and cost of replacement. Haven't come across too many posts about battery replacements. I wonder if the car can still be driven like a normal LS460L if the battery does go bad. I imagine you won't be able to enjoy the electric AC anymore if the battery pack dies, but is the car smart enough to not stop the ICE at a stoplight?

I really can't tell the difference in ride quality of the air suspension. If it goes out I'd definitely do the conversion on the 600hL.

greg3852

As you continue to look at the 600h, I suggest you read this thread below just so you are fully aware of what could happen.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...rid-story.html

FatherTo1

Whoa, that's pretty crazy! Thanks for the link, Greg! It also answered another question I was wondering about, whether or not there is a way to monitor the health of the battery pack when inspecting a 600hL. Apparently, there is not.

Lexuslsguy

If I were you I would just skip the 600. It's not worth the hassle and complexity of the drivetrain. There is a reason why owners who purchase new usually dump when the warranty expires. Use the extra money to get lower mileage 460L.

Lynzoid

madness. never touch airsus

brianlin87

iTrader: (11)

I agree with the statement above that you're worrying a bit much about the air suspension altogether; however, if down the line you do want to ditch the air suspension, you'd need to make sure you buy AWD coilovers since now all LS460s are AWD.

2v1g

If you can't do it yourself, converting to coil suspension is not cheap too.
17' 460 still has rwd

FatherTo1

Hmm, food for thought. Thank you for pointing that out, 2v1g.

Sooooo, I made the mistake of test driving an '11 460L a moment ago during my lunch break. Now, I really want one! I should be happy with my 06 430 and we've only had it six months but the 460L was originally my first choice. I didn't want any car payments and 07/08 examples in our budget were not in good condition and I was scared off by the less-than-Lexus-like reliability for those years.

The '11 has 56k miles whereas our 06 has 57k miles. The leather on both front seats in the '11 show a lot of cracking while the seats in our 06 are virtually new in appearance. The rest of the '11 is nice -- no odors, no dents, paint looks good, serviced regularly, etc.

The 07/08 models I test drove previously must have needed suspension work because they rode nothing like the '11 today (07/08 were from small independent dealers). The '11 has 19" wheels and base everything else (rear seats only had heating option and no rear audio controls nor AC) and still rode quite well on the Goodyear Eagle tires. At idle the '11 460L is not as quiet as our 06 but I agree with others that the 460L is quieter on the freeway. And the 8-speed that I despised in my test drive of 07/08 models exhibited very refined and quick shifts in the '11. I only felt a few shifts getting up to freeway speed (which was accomplished very briskly). The '11 brought new meaning to "effortless", even up 7% inclines.

The '11, being base, doesn't have as much leather on the doors as I'd like and the car could use a decent detail inside. Still, I do prefer the more modern 460L interior and the dark bird's eye maple wood with light gray leather (like our 06 Ecru!). Sigh. Such a temptation.

Still need the all important wife-approval-factor to upgrade. I should have just waited and got what I really wanted -- which is not to bash the excellent 430 we do have. Many would kill for an opportunity to own a 430. Thanks for the guidance everyone. I did throw the jogging stroller into the back of the '11 and the trunk may suffice and be adequate (barely) after all...just so many odd angles and protrusions in the trunk. I still want to at least test drive a 600hL first. They're just so hard to find.

SW17LS

as was alluded to above, all LS460s are NOT AWD. The car does still come in RWD.

2v1g

Fatherto1, I upgraded from 06' 430 to 11' 460 this June. Overall, I think 460 has a better driving experience than 430. Steering is more smooth, highway driving at 100mph is more stable and quiet. My 06 430 was just out of 5 years Lexus platinum warranty and already I feel I need to spend $1000+ If I want to maintain a perfect 430 driving experience while the car is only worth $10000+

FatherTo1

Congratulations on your recent upgrade, 2v1g! I hope Consumer Reports is wrong on their pricing estimates. It seems '11 and '12 are less risky/more reliable, as expected. I would love to get into an '11 but may have to learn patience since I really don't want to spend more than $23K (tax, title, registration included), so really $20K list price and at the same time no more than 70k-80k miles. We haven't been able to find a second 430, for my Dad, that is in comparable condition to ours. If I actually can find an '11 460L that fits our budget and criteria then my Dad has offered to buy our 06 430 so that we won't have to trade the car in and it stays in the family.

I see a host of 07 and 08 460L on Craigslist, CarMax, Cars.com, Autotrader, and CarGurus, but not very many 09-11 for some reason and only a few 600hL nationwide for any model year! Even if we were flush with cash there doesn't appear to be a very good selection to choose from right now. It is probably for the best as I shouldn't rush into this decision and will try to "enjoy" the search. I agree, 2v1g, the '11 I test drove today did feel more stable and unwavering on the freeway.

2v1g

I don't have a budget to buy Lexus and can easily buy a new LS according to the way most Americans spend money, but the value of cars are like sinking ship and I enjoyed having top of the line Japanese driving experience and craftsmanship with spare money.
Your budget is little difficult to get what you want in us. You might need to wait for next year or buy it in Canada. Used LS is cheap and not many people want it in Canada. I bought my 11 460 60k miles with extended warranty for usd27000

FatherTo1

Thanks for the advice, 2v1g. $27k is very reasonable for an '11 460L. Although we could afford that if the opportunity arose, I am going to try and stick to my guns at the $20K mark. The $7k difference equates to 2-3 nice family vacations and my wife and daughter deserve that, I can't take that away from them for my own self-indulgence. Although I don't want to, I will need to wait and learn some patience. Besides, in a year the '11 prices will drop some and we may be in a better position to increase the LS budget a little more. Of course, our LS430 will also depreciate another year but hopefully not as much as an '11 will fall. Plus, the introduction of the 2018 LS could help my chances by depressing 4th-gen prices.

Do you have any pics of your '11? I see so many black-on-black combos. That's just too dark and depressing to me. I wouldn't mind a white/red/black/silver exterior with light gray leather and the gray wood interior.