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if you needed 3 rows all the time you wouldnt be buying this vehicle, but something bigger like a suburban. I've always viewed third rows to be used in a pinch. A normal escalade, with the 3rd row up has 15 cuft cargo space. An LX570 is similar in volume too with its 3rd row up. Thats really not that much more considering how much larger and taller those vehicles are.
if you needed 3 rows all the time you wouldnt be buying this vehicle, but something bigger like a suburban. I've always viewed third rows to be used in a pinch. A normal escalade, with the 3rd row up has 15 cuft cargo space. An LX570 is similar in volume too with its 3rd row up. Thats really not that much more considering how much larger and taller those vehicles are.
Completely agree. Either that or a van. There's only so much you can do with an SUV this size.
I discussed this with the Lexus reps at the D.C. auto show last week. Part the problem is that Lexus took the simple, cheap way out, simply reworking the existing seats inside the current interior, and did not actually lengthen the wheelbase for the RX-L model like they probably should have. Of course, that would have cost a lot more, but the results would probably have been a lot more satisfactory.
Yes, the RX-L's total length is slightly longer overall (4.4")......but, without moving the position of the wheel-wells to compensate somewhat for the loss of second/third-row legroom, the basic reason for the cramping inside is obvious.
I've been saying this forever. They really should have done a "TX" based on the TNGA. It would have saved them money in the long run. Now when the regular RX moves to the TNGA in a few years, this thing will still be on an old frankenstein platform that's more expensive to produce. This is one of those times where asking an accountant would have been a great idea.
if you needed 3 rows all the time you wouldnt be buying this vehicle, but something bigger like a suburban. I've always viewed third rows to be used in a pinch. A normal escalade, with the 3rd row up has 15 cuft cargo space. An LX570 is similar in volume too with its 3rd row up. Thats really not that much more considering how much larger and taller those vehicles are.
Originally Posted by Allen K
Completely agree. Either that or a van. There's only so much you can do with an SUV this size.
Completely agree. This is how it is with our Highlander. Our 3rd row is normally stowed, leaving us a nice, large cargo area. When we have my in-laws visiting or are toting around an extra kid, we use the third row and it's super convenient. I put the kids in the third row (they love it!) and let the visiting adults sit in the second row. I have sat in the 3rd row and I'd call it "sufficient" or "tolerable" for an adult for a reasonable amount of time, but I would not call it comfortable, especially for an extended duration.
If I had extra people every day or the need for a third row on a more frequent basis, I would have bought a minivan.
I am somewhat confused by the cargo volumes though. The spec for my Highlander says 13.8 cu ft with the third row up. I haven't seen the RX350L in real life yet, but in pictures the cargo area does not look smaller, but maybe even bigger, than in my Highlander. This makes me think on the Highlander it's measured to the ceiling but only measured to the window in the RX. The RX-L is larger than the Highlander so I would not expect it to be much smaller inside, if at all.
by not extending the wheelbase though, they severely limited the packaging options
and that cutaway picture shows the third row is best for people with no legs.
Kids can sit cross legged in the back
Originally Posted by JDR76
Completely agree. This is how it is with our Highlander. Our 3rd row is normally stowed, leaving us a nice, large cargo area. When we have my in-laws visiting or are toting around an extra kid, we use the third row and it's super convenient. I put the kids in the third row (they love it!) and let the visiting adults sit in the second row. I have sat in the 3rd row and I'd call it "sufficient" or "tolerable" for an adult for a reasonable amount of time, but I would not call it comfortable, especially for an extended duration.
If I had extra people every day or the need for a third row on a more frequent basis, I would have bought a minivan.
I am somewhat confused by the cargo volumes though. The spec for my Highlander says 13.8 cu ft with the third row up. I haven't seen the RX350L in real life yet, but in pictures the cargo area does not look smaller, but maybe even bigger, than in my Highlander. This makes me think on the Highlander it's measured to the ceiling but only measured to the window in the RX. The RX-L is larger than the Highlander so I would not expect it to be much smaller inside, if at all.
Here are a couple quick pics from the RX350L, behind the 3rd row, the depth (floor length) isn't terrible, you could likely fit 2 carry on bags laid sideways there.
Sorry for the poor lighting, but here's the 3rd row, 2nd row is in furthest back position, making rear seat legroom non existent. You have to move the 2nd row up considerably to be able to have anyone, even children, use the footwell. And then that 2nd row person is jammed up against the driver/front passenger seat.
I had an appointment near a Lexus dealer today and stopped by hoping to see the new LS500. No luck there, but they did have an RX350L on the showroom floor.
Now, if anybody has read my posts I've wanted to see a 3 row crossover from Lexus for a long time.....but this vehicle is just stupid, so poorly executed.
Like ppm said, with the second row adjusted for legroom the third row is unusable, as in it has about as much legroom as an LC500 in the rear. If you adjust the second row so the third row has legroom you have the same issue, zero legroom for the second row.
What a joke, totally useless. Disappointing... much tighter than the Highlander.
Here are a couple quick pics from the RX350L, behind the 3rd row, the depth (floor length) isn't terrible, you could likely fit 2 carry on bags laid sideways there.
Sorry for the poor lighting, but here's the 3rd row, 2nd row is in furthest back position, making rear seat legroom non existent. You have to move the 2nd row up considerably to be able to have anyone, even children, use the footwell. And then that 2nd row person is jammed up against the driver/front passenger seat.
That picture and the cutaways show how bad the design is.
Wow, what idiot approved this design? They gave the trunk space too much space that it compromised the 2nd and 3rd row
I asked myself how is lexus going to pull this off?
(I had a feeling it won't be good also, seeing the GX470 trunk space went from bad (barely fit a paper grocery bag size) to the poor GX460 pizza box trunk size and losing 1 extra passenger seating).
I had an appointment near a Lexus dealer today and stopped by hoping to see the new LS500. No luck there, but they did have an RX350L on the showroom floor.
Now, if anybody has read my posts I've wanted to see a 3 row crossover from Lexus for a long time.....but this vehicle is just stupid, so poorly executed.
Like ppm said, with the second row adjusted for legroom the third row is unusable, as in it has about as much legroom as an LC500 in the rear. If you adjust the second row so the third row has legroom you have the same issue, zero legroom for the second row.
What a joke, totally useless. Disappointing... much tighter than the Highlander.
Why no luck with the LS500?
as the RX. It’s a strange design and much worse than the Lexus LX third row, but yet you can’t remove the seats as they fold up sideways. It kind reminds of why Lexus bothered putting useless seats in the back of a SC or LC model.
Lexus seems to have designed this for the small population of families who want a comfortable 5 seat SUV that has the capability of squeezing two more passengers in a pinch if needed, without the vehicle being too large. But that's not what the masses want, so idk what to think of this vehicle.
02-09-18, 07:37 AM
