Did the 2010 460 L have the the rear executive seating option that the 600h had with the right side rear passenger reclining ottoman?

I'm starting my long slow search for the 600h and the only reason I'm looking at that over the 460 L is that I can't find any 460 L s with the those same rear seat options.

The other thing I've seen is that folks seem to think the 600 is quieter than the 460. Is that just at lower speeds or is that also at freeway speeds?

How is the passing power of the 600 vs the 460 from say 70-90?

 

It might be better if you consolidated all of your LS600h questions into one thread.

 

Good suggestion!

Picking up on where your other thread left off, if you are looking at a 600, indeed it's not because of fuel economy. It is because of options (more on this below) or design features (obvious ones, like the drivetrain, and others like the leather dash, LCD cluster [2010-2012], etc.). In fact, until Lexus released the now-defunct HS and CT, Lexus hybrids were all about performance. Yes, emissions and city fuel economy were better, but the point was to boost power via the electric component, which adds a nice "torque on demand" component. Along these lines, these cars use a CVT (continuously-variable transmission), and this allows the gas engine to also be in its sweet spot whenever pushed, so throttle response is much improved.

This takes us to your passing question... The 460 is no slouch, especially RWD models, but the 600 is something else, particularly at speed: this is where this instant torque is felt. I have never been able to pass as easily and quickly at any speed with any other car I have owned.

In terms of options, pretty much everything that is available on the 600 is/was available on the 460 L, especially rear seating packages. The one item in question in the rear entertainment system, which as I've understood it (but do search for "20XX LS460 Product Information" to get all the official PDF specs from Toyota for each model year and confirm), can only be had in the 460L with the Executive Seating Package. On the 600, on the other hand, it's an easier option to get. I have it, and I do have the upgraded rear seating package but NOT the Executive option.

Beyond that, many things that are options on the 460L (like air suspension and Mark Levinson sound) are standard on the 600.

 

This is exactly the feedback I was hoping for. I have a P85D upgraded to Ludicrous so I'm very fond of instant electric torque. I'm not so crazy about 0-60 which I do like but passing power while already at speed is more important to me than 0-60.

That said, my Prius actually has decent passing power too, but there's a delay from the time you mash the peddle to the time things kick in because the ICE throttles up to the optimal RPM *before* the MG1 redirects the ICE torque out to the drive ring of the PSD. The 600h's transaxle is the same configuration right? It's a PSD (power split device) with the electric motors just like this, right?

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

 

While somewhat of an aside, I cannot believe Tesla's valuation being higher than both Ford and GM. No doubt a great deal of this has to do with (forgive the bastardization) Jeremy Clarkson's assertion that Ford & GM are insurance and pension companies that dabble in cars.

Still, considering the number built thus far, that is an amazing achievement and while certainly a contentious subject to many, the numbers are the numbers and currently Tesla is valued higher than either.

 

Is that the same Jeremy Clarkson that punches his boss on the nose and then wonders why he got fired?

I think the whole Tesla valuation thing is hype - the numbers are the numbers and they just don't support it.

 

Got fired and then of course gets paid stupid money by Bezos to make the Grand Tour. Witcha about the valuation, but gotta give props to Musk making it as far as he has saying nothing of just how stupid fast the Model S's are.

I believe just today Tesla had to lower the number of vehicles estimated to be built. Of all the alternative propulsion stuff, the newest Honda Hydrogen model by far seems the most plausible to me. 300 mile plus range and a refueling time of around 4 minutes is pretty darn legit. They have made massive leaps over the first Odyssey based Hydrogen vehicle.

 

I dunno... A HFC vehicle's refueling time of 4 minutes won't mean much if there's no places convenient from which to refuel. The technology seems great, but it needs a lot more infrastructure to be a viable choice for most people.

At least an EV can be changed at home, making it a good option for local driving, and the infrastructure has increased greatly for longer distance driving. The Tesla Model 3 and its competition will IMO boost the popularity of EV's.

 

The problem with hydrogen fueling is that the infrastructure to make transportation and and storage to thousands and eventually a 150K+ stations around the US will take decades or more. HFC vehicles will always be heavy as you the storage to contain liquid hydrogen at room temperature in a vehicle will always be heavy while battery energy density has orders of magnitude improvement left and will get much lighter eventually per kWH.

The grid, on the other hand, is more than capable of charging 10 times as many vehicles as there are on the road now and with advancements in localized storage to load balance power between peak and off peak will allow the grid to deliver, and store power locally during off peak times allowing power generation to produce at peak all of the time rather than having plants idle in the middle of the night when demand is low. Eventually the grid will shift over to more and more renewables. All the changes can happen over years or decades as electric demand increases in respond to more BEVs on the road.

A liquid hydrogen fueling infrastructure doesn't exist at all now and would require far more investment than shifting the existing grid to support a hundred million + BEVs.

I think HFC was dead long before the first beta cars ever rolled off the assembly line.

Tesla is getting read to roll out their 350KW charging stations which will reduce our Tesla charge times from 15 to 20 minutes down to half of that. It's almost already a non issue even at current charge rates. Our multiple long distance trips from the SF Bay Area to Arizona, Oregon, and Washington have not taking any longer than when driving those same trips/routes in our Prius. The reason is, every 2 to 3 hours we stop to refuel, go to the restroom, and get drinks....and even once or twice sit down for a meal. It turns out that if we do all that while supercharging, we spend the same amount of time during our gas stops as we do for our 15 to 20 minute charging sessions. The result is that a 12 hour drive in our Prius from Santa Clara, CA to Phoenix AZ, takes 10 hours of driving and 2 hours of stops. But the Tesla does the same trip in the same time with 2 hours of stops.