Ls460 SE-L boot cubby hole

donkmeister · April 21

One of the key features of the SE-L is the small boot. It's tempered by the fact you also get fancy rear seats and an extra air conditioning system, of course.

As I struggled with my game of boot Tetris today I started wondering "is there any dead space in front of that boot liner that I could turn into a cubby for storage of the stuff I only need in an emergency?"

So, has anyone seen what the front of the 460 SE-L boot looks like without the carpets and trim in place? Any nooks and crannies that don't get filled with seat? I'd hate to disassemble my boot only to find it's all in vain.

I'm not looking for masses of space, just somewhere I can keep a small toolkit and a litre of oil. I could of course just remove the Lexus supplied and depressingly sparse kit to stick it in the spare wheel compartment, but then the hoarder in me would insist on keeping the old spare wheel toolkit in the shed.

Edited to add: If I were to go down this route I would be cutting a hatch for easy access and lining said cubby. Not disassembling the boot to hide my tools and oil then being faced with disassembly should I need a top up far from home!

Edited April 21 by donkmeister
Added info

Tulpen · April 22

One of the reasons I didn't go for the SE-L was the small boot. While all the extra bells and whistles may sound good in the golf club bar, just how many times do you use them?

Rear air-conditioning may be useful in southern USA or the Middle East but how many times do you REALLY need it in the UK. The reclining/massaging seats are great if you have a chauffeur or regularly carry someone with a bad back. And, in this age of I-pads, tablets and smart phones, do you really need the entertainment system?

The 'normal' boot is huge and I love it.

Just my tuppence worth...........

donkmeister · April 23

Sounds fair... Except I have an SE-L so there's not a lot I can do about that. 🤣 That's the thing with old barges, once you have got yours up to snuff it's generally ill-advised to trade for another as you'll be inheriting an unknown quantity.

I'll probably just end up doing what I can within the confines of the spare wheel well. I replaced the access hatch for the rear a/C filter as one of the clips had broken and it made me ponder if I could use it for other stuff.

Whilst it's not useful for everyone, I've found the SE-L is a great family roadtrip machine though, I love sitting in the back with my daughter whilst Mrs D chauffeurs. The coolbox is decent enough for keeping cold beverages at hand too. A/C powered coolboxes are never as good as a proper fridge but I'd say this one is better than the ones I've had in the front of various cars, presumably because of the rear a/c unit.

Only problem is fitting all the luggage in around your legs, sort of tempers the luxury vibe somewhat 😋