The Lexus ES (e.g., the ES 300, ES 350, ES 300h, etc) is the most popular Lexus sedan sold in the United States. It competes in the luxury mid-sized market with sedans like the Volvo S60 and S80, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class among drivers interested in style and an enjoyable driving experience. However, being a luxury vehicle, it’s also equipped with an impressive array of safety features, which is perhaps why it’s also frequently chosen by families interested in safe transportation for their little ones.
Knowing that the current generation of the ES shared many features with the current generation Toyota Avalon (they’re made in the same factory in Georgetown, Kentucky), I made it my goal to find out if the ES was as car-seat friendly when it came to installing 3 car seats across the back row as the Avalon and other vehicles in its class (full-size, per the EPA). The good news is that the ES is a rather standard car as far as car seat installations go, and you aren’t likely to have any unusual issues with it. Before going into the details of car seats I was able to make work, though, I always like to review some elements of best practice, in terms of which kinds of seats to use and when.
First of all, I suggest keeping your youngest travelers, such as infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children in rear-facing infant or convertible car seats for as long as you can (ideally until 4!). Once you turn them forward-facing, you can keep them in harnessed convertible or combination seats through the early elementary years, or as long as you can (ideally until 8!). Once they outgrow their harnessed seats, I suggest keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re physically and psychologically ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). My goal with these suggestions is to keep your kids in the safest seats for as long as possible.
I was able to find a number of infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats that worked well in 3 across setups in the Lexus ES; I’ve arranged them below. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.
You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Lexus ES (XV60)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Clek Fllo, Graco Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Size4Me 65.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Contender.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The current generation of the Lexus ES is 193 inches long and 72 inches wide, which makes it a rather typical example of a mid-sized sedan, despite its large car classification by the EPA. What this means is that, for all intents and purposes, you’ll be able to fit several car seats across the back row as long as they’re relatively narrow ones. This, of course, presumes you’re using the seat belts for each installation.
You have lower LATCH anchors in the two outboard seats but you’ll want to avoid using those unless you don’t need to install a car seat in the center position. If you do use LATCH, keep in mind that the passenger outboard anchors are more difficult to find and attach than the driver’ side anchors for some reason.
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Lexus ES (XV40)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Clek Fllo, Graco Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Size4Me 65.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Contender.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 2007-2012 generation of the Lexus ES is 192 inches long and 72 inches wide, or only 1 inch shorter than the generation that follows it. As a result, you can expect most, if not all, car seat configurations to be compatible between the 2007 and 2015 model years. As usual, use seat belts to get the most space out of your back row, and save LATCH for when you only have one or two seats to install (that aren’t next to each other).
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Lexus ES (XV30)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Cle
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Clek Fllo, Graco Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Size4Me 65.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Contender.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 2002-2006 generation of the Lexus ES is 191 inches long and 71 inches wide, or 1 inch shorter and narrower than the succeeding generation. Car seats that work in the following generation should also work in this generation, although you’re likely to have a tighter fit to deal with. The standard advice of using seat belts instead of LATCH anchors to install the seats still applies.
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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.