2017 Lexus NX 300h: Car Seat Check
CARS.COM — Lexus’ smallest SUV comes in gas- and hybrid-powered trims in the NX 200t and NX 300h. Families with kids in forward-facing car seats or boosters will find enough room, but those with younger kids in rear-facing seats will feel the pinch. For this Car Seat Check, we tested the NX 300h.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
What We Like
- The two sets of lower Latch anchors sit less than an inch into the seat cushions and access is easy.
- After removing the head restraint, the forward-facing convertible fit well and was easy to install. We had no trouble connecting to the top tether anchor. The NX 300h’s two outboard top tether anchors are well-marked and midway down seatbacks under hinged plastic covers.
What We Don’t Like
- The middle seat’s top tether anchor and seat belt are in the ceiling. When in use, both reduce the driver’s already limited rear visibility due to the small rear window.
- Although the rear-facing infant seat went in without a problem, we had to move the seat forward significantly to fit it. Our 5-foot-8-inch tester’s knees were about a quarter-inch from touching the glove box.
- The rear-facing convertible installed easily and took up less legroom than the infant seat, but we still had to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.
- The booster fits well, but the buckle stalks are embedded into the bottom cushion, making them difficult for kids to grasp and use independently.
Grading Scale
A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.
B: Plenty of room. One fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room. Two or more fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger, Jennifer Newman and Matt Schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we 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 shorter 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.
We 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, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
