Hello, I came across this thread while image searching for LATCH systems in my brother's 2003 lexus ls. I, myself, have a 2010 lexus rx450h and have a carseat installed in the center position using vehicle seatbelt. FYI, the vehicle seatbelt is just as safe as the LATCH system. If you use LATCH then you'll have to keep a mental note of when to switch to vehicle seatbelt when your child reaches a certain weight. The weight limit differs from carseat manufacturer so you really need to read the carseat manual. It is recommended by the American Pediatric Association to rear-face until at least the age of 2 years old AND 20 lbs, or to the max limits of your convertible carseat (link below). Most infant only carseats are outgrown by the age of 1; only a few on the market can get you closer to 2 years old. With that said, they still need to be rear-facing after the infant carseat. The Britax Frontier Harness to Booster Seat states a child must be at least 2 yrs old AND 25 lbs (link below).

Some carseats are easier to install with vehicle seatbelt than others with the use of seatbelt lockoffs on the carseat. Here's a picture of the rear-facing clek fllo convertible carseat that I've installed via vehicle seatbelt and it is rock-solid in there; for reference, my daughter is 4yo, 39" tall & 35 lbs. If one is having troubles with proper installation, there are local CPST's who can help (link below).

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-...No+local+token

https://us.britax.com/car-seats/frontier-clicktight/

http://www.seatcheck.org/




Clek Fllo Convertible Car Seat with anti-rebound bar installed rear-facing via vehicle seatbelt in 2010 Lexus RX450h

 

I have used the center position for years in Toyota and Lexus cars. Toyota/Lexus does not provide the center Latch, however I have borrowed the LATCH from the sides PLUS I used the locking center belt.
This is double secured as far as I am concerned.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/t...647_story.html

Installing a car seat using LATCH in the center rear seat (when not permitted by the manufacturer)

In most vehicles, LATCH installation in the center rear seat is not supported. Using lower anchors that are intended for outboard car seats could cause the system to fail and the car seat could be thrown during a crash. Read your vehicle owner’s manual. Only use lower anchors in seating positions approved by the vehicle manufacturer.


Installing car seat with both LATCH and a seat belt

Using more than one system to install a car seat may put unnecessary stress on the car seat and affect its performance in a crash. The AAA says that two is not better than one. Install the car seat in the approved seating position with lower anchors OR the seat belt. Do not use dual systems simultaneously unless the manufacturers of the car seat and the vehicle permit it.

 

In case you guys are wondering:

"When installing in the rear center seat
There are no LATCH anchors behind the rear center seat. However, the
inboard LATCH anchors of the outboard seats, which are 18.1 in. (460 mm)
apart, can be used if the child restraint system manufacturer’s instructions permit
use of those anchors with the anchor spacing stated.

Child restraint systems with rigid lower attachments cannot be installed in the
center seat. This type of child restraint system can only be installed in the outboard
seat."

That is directly from the Car Manual.

 

So my wife and I are expecting kid number 2 and currently we have a 2013 RR Evoque with our 1 child. Now with 2, I have put both seats in her RR and its a very tight fit with both front seats as far forwards as they pretty much can go. I'm wondering if the RX350 works well with 2 car seats (one being a infant one) and other being the face forward one. We test drove the 2017 Highlander limited today and it rode very nice but I wasnt impressed as the stereo was meh at best, there was plenty of space for the seats in the back but it felt like I was driving a minivan almost. We both like her Evoque but just trying to find an alternative that drives almost like a car and not a SUV. We live 3.5 hours from the closest Lexus dealer or else I could just go look at it myself. Only thing we have in town is Mercedes/Porsche dealer for luxury and we looked at the Benz but one we liked was out of our price range, and the Porsche was way too small even in the Cayenne. Any help would be appreciated guys. Thanks

 

I also have two car seats, a front facing harnessed booster and a combination rear facing car seat. There is plenty of room in the front and the car seats work perfectly well in the 2016 RX 350 because the 2016 has more leg room in the rear. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

 

Yea if you could that would be awesome, I know if I talk to some salesman they are just gonna say yeah people do all the time to make the sale. We have the Chicco keyfit 30 and the Chicco nextfit convertible seat so both are pretty big I think in comparison to some I've seen.

 

Here are some pics of the car seats. We also had the Chicco Keyfit 30 until recently, which fit just fine, but the baby grew out of it and she's now in the Chicco convertible. I also use the Elite Seat Guardian under the car seats to protect the leather seats. I still have to install it under the combination seat. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

Brica Elite Seat Guardian by Munchkin

 

Thank you so much for taking those pics, makes me feel better about actually going down and looking at one and possibly trading for one now if she likes it.

 

We had no issue with car seats in our 3RX, including an infant seat. A 4RX should work well for you. Good luck in your search.

 

We have 2 toddlers and have no issues with car seats in the 4RX.

 

I absolutely love my RX450h, but have a 4 year old (booster or forward facing car seat), 20 month old (rear-facing car seat for now), and another on the way (rear-facing car seat). My wife has a GX which is great but I have a lengthy commute and enjoy the size/MPG of the RX.

Does anyone know if 3 car seats or 2 car/1 booster will fit? Would hate to have to trade my RX for something larger, but it is what it is. I was able to locate articles on this topic for the prior body style, but not the newer.

Any insight is greatly appreciated - thanks!

 

with the proper car seat - three across is doable.

the diono radian comes to mind - i have two of them (one rear facing and one forward facing) in an IS300 and there is enough room for someone to sit in between for a short trip.

your best bet is to install what you have and see how much room is left for the new rear facing seat - this will help narrow the search of seats that will work.

 

I work for Graco and Baby Jogger and we hear a lot about car seats. You should never use the outside latches if you are placing the car seat in the center. If you are placing the car seat in the center, use the seat belt only (this is what I do for my daughters car seat). Car seats are designed only use latch or seatbelt, not both at the same time. If you use both, it will not perform as designed if you were to get in an accident.

Most fire departments and police stations will install the base for free. They usually have a couple staff members that are certified in car seat installation.

Also note that if the child plus car seat is greater than 65 lbs, you should not use the latch system.

All of this information should be in your manual.

 

Thanks for posting this. We've been using both the latch and seat belt for years. Our seats were checked by the local FD as well.