The editors over at Cars.com have given Lexus straight As for their car seat safety!
Cars.com editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians. For the Car Seat Check, they use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat, and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-6 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
They also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, they install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible.
So, how did Lexus fare? You shouldn’t be surprised that we got straight As!
The 2017 Lexus LX 570 aced the test. The editors liked that the LX 570 has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the second row’s outboard seats. The anchors sit under leather flaps that are Velcroed into place and are easy to access. The rear- and forward-facing convertibles fit well and installed easily in the second row. The rear-facing infant seat installed easily into the second row, but they had to move the front passenger seat forward to fit it. The second-row bench fits three car seats across it. The booster seat fit well in the wide seats in both the second and third rows. With the tug of a lever, the second-row seats power-fold and tumble forward to create a wide path to the third row. The running boards on the LX are a must-have — they make climbing into the SUV a lot easier — and there’s an extra step to get into the cabin that’s lined with hard plastic.
Cars.com also gave an A to the 2017 Lexus ES 350 for car seat safety. They loved that the two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard seats are exposed and easy to use. The three top tether anchors sit on a rear shelf under hinged plastic covers and posed no connection problems. “Our infant safety seat installed easily and fit well once we moved the front passenger seat forward an inch, with no negative impact on the front passenger’s legroom,” the editors write. “Our convertible seat also installed easily and fit well in both the rear- and forward-facing positions, with the latter connecting to the tether anchor with no sweat.”
Another A went to the 2017 Lexus NX 300h. “Lexus’ smallest SUV comes in gas- and hybrid-powered trims in the NX 200t and NX 300h,” the editors wrote. “Families with kids in forward-facing car seats or boosters will find enough room… For this Car Seat Check, we tested the NX 300h.”
You never have to fear for child safety with a Lexus! Stop by Lexus of Highland Park today to conduct your own personal car seat check. Keep those little ones safe!
