SW17LS

It's doable, depending on how comfortable you want to be. What good is a great car if you can't sit in it comfortably?

rijc99

It was comfortable for me.

OP take your equipment to the dealer and test it out. It really depends on how you sit. It's too hard to say without knowing how you sit.

SW, The alternative argument would be how much are you enjoying your comfortableness if you dread driving everyday due to the dynamics of the car. 3 series to a RX? Big big difference between the two. Especially if you end up with fwd.

The steering on the RX was so light I was constantly hitting full lock with a bang. Torque steer, engine coarseness, suspension... A little sacrifice in comfort is definitely worth it if it's between RX or GS.

Shinedown

I think you nailed it, seating position is the key.

SW17LS

Like I said...I couldn't even get in the car with the rear facing car seat installed behind the driver, so it's not even possible to get to a point where I could drive it. I'd much rather have an RX I could get into.

I came from the ES, and I've had multiple RXs as loaners...I know the tradeoffs. It's a nice vehicle, different from the GS but when you aren't comparing them all the time it's fine. If you want better handling...look at an X5 or something. An MDX. If you dread driving a nice vehicle like aN RX everyday you need a little reality adjustment.

IMHO when you have a family and you're looking for a family vehicle, everybody's comfort and safety are priority one. The GS is a big sacrifice in that department for your own enjoyment.

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

I agree with you on the car seat situation it isn't ideal if you have two kids it becomes a little cramped when you have one car seat. I tried this and I think my seat was a little to close to his little feet so not ideal unless your 5 feet exactly.

PS: didnt read the comments after this post.

popping

How about OP just get an LS fsport? Sporty with a lot more room in the back seat 😁 lol

rijc99

You couldn't but many people can. The reality check needed here is majority of families out there have cars that are smaller than a GS so somehow it is done. Like I said, it is up to the individual's seating position. I and many people have no problem. I don't project my seating position on the OP. It is possible the added space of a GS over 3 series could be enough for him. He has a 3 series with sport package, I don't know if he will be happy in a RX. If driving dynamics isn't important and he just needs a car, I suspect he would have already gotten the RX. But his current vehicle and the fact he says he loves everything about it tells me he likes to drive and the RX isn't going to cut it.

BTW> rear leg room is the same for a RX and a GS. Both have 36.8 inch in the rear. The RX does have .8 inch more front leg room but it is minimal.

http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/specifications

http://www.lexus.com/models/GS/specifications

And when did choosing a GS over a RX become a big sacrifice in safety? The GS is plenty safe. If I had to make a emergency lane change or avoidance maneuver I would feel safer doing it in a GS. I'm less likely to roll over due to the lower center of gravity, better tires and suspension.

SW17LS

"Legroom" only tells you part of the story. According to the specs my GS has more legroom than my ES did, but I can tell you in reality thats not at all the case, and back seat passengers are significantly less comfortable in the GS than they were in the ES. For rear facing carseats the issue isn't legroom, its the distance between the middle of the rear seat and the back of the front seat. Unless you sit the front seat very upright, they won't fit.

Size has to do with safety. When carseats don't fit well they get installed improperly...which is unsafe. The GS also has deeply bolstered rear seats which make it more challenging to install the seats correctly...the RX has a flat bench which is easier.

Have you installed rear facing carseats in both a GS and an RX? I have...they fit much better in the RX.

The RX is a car chassis, its not a rollover risk.

rijc99

Comparing the two, the RX is more likely to roll than a GS. Car chassis or not. The center of gravity is higher, the tires have taller sidewalls, the suspension is softer. It is a trade off for the higher ground clearance and more comfortable ride. I'm not saying it is a pill bug that'll flip at the drop of a dime but that it is more likely to do it than a GS in either emergency maneuvers or car crash.

I have had rear facing seats in a 2011 RX350 and 2009 535i, it fit fine in both. Keep in mind though, I sit in a seating position where my wrist breaks on top of the steering wheel rather than a lounge position. I have seen people with seating positions where their seat backs are at 135 degrees or more and that's not me. I got kicked in both. If you want to avoid that, get the LS460 Long Wheel Base.

I owned the RX and drove it on more than just loaner situations. Have you actually owned one and driven it daily? In the RX, the flat seat actually allowed the seat to shift more from side to side which I didn't like. The seat stay in position better in my 535. The lower cushion kept it locked down better. AND yes, I did cinch the latch as tightly as it could go.

And like I said, I and many people have been able to install a seat and sit comfortably in a vehicle the size of the GS or smaller. Everyone has different seating styles. My understanding is the OP doesn't have a baby yet so he may not have a baby seat to test with. But, maybe he can borrow a seat and go to the dealer to test out in the RX and GS.

We're just talking in circles here because we just don't know how he sits. Drive both. Test the seat in both. Both CAN work depending on your seating position. All I want to say is it may not have worked for you but it does for me and others.

rijc99

Can we just agree to rest the point on that either car could work. DEPENDING on the OP's preferred seating position and baby equipment? AND that he should take the baby set he plans to get with him to the dealer and try both cars to see which he would like to live with for the next few years?

SW17LS

It COULD work sure, but there are big tradeoffs in the other direction too. The tradeoffs aren't worth the benefits to me, and I have and love the car.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

I'm with SW13GS on this one. A rear facing infant seat behind the driver's seat just isn't comfortable if you're over 5'5 unless you like sitting upright with no recline. I'm 5'10, my wife is 5'5 and she's more comfortable sitting behind me when the kid's in the car than in the passenger seat. Rear facing seats (which infants should stay in for a while) take up a massive amount of space. Heck, my 4'10 mom was uncomfortable sitting in the passenger seat with the infant seat in there.

Jkenny

I've had both and currently have the GS and like everything about the GS more than the RX. GS is a lot more fun and comfortable to drive.

chromedome

Dissenting opinion here but why not the ES?

I can put two seats (convertible front and rear facing ones) in my ES without anyone being kicked in the back. The ES seat isn't as deeply sculpted or angled as the GS so it's easier to fit child seats. On my old RX, a Britax seat in front-facing mode gets close to the driver's back but there's tons of room in the ES left to spare.

As for driving enjoyment, the GS wins hands down.

SW17LS

Of course, the GS is a better car.

Do you have two rear facing car seats in it?