Seat belt - spare tire question RX350

jacks2

I have two questions regard the 2007 AWD RX350.

Re- the middle rear seat, does it have a shoulder seat belt so a Childs booster seat can be placed in the middle?

How do you release the spare tire?

I somehow managed to overlook these two concerns during a test drive.

Thx

md_outback

jacks2,
Yes, the middle rear seat does have a shoulder belt. There is also a latching point on the back of each of the three rear seating positions to tether a child seat.
The spare (it is full size on a matching alloy wheel) is stored outside of the vehicle (it has a plastic cover to keep it somewhat clean), but you access it from inside the vehicle. You open one of the pop-up storage bins in the rear cargo area. Then you pry off a small round plastic cover to reveal a nut. You then attach a special socket to the nut and crank the spare down using the same rod you use to crank the jack. As you crank it, you will see the spare slowly drop to the ground, suspended on a cable. If you get an RX350 (I love mine!), you should practice this before you actually need to do it in an emergency. And be prepared to get pretty messy if you have a flat on a dark, rainy night. Better yet, call the Lexus Roadside Assistance number and let them do it for you. Good luck!

md

jacks2

md

Thank you very much!
j2

maximafan

I have read throughout these forums and in
several magazines that the Goodyear Eagle tires
on the Lexus RX350 will barely last past 20,000
to 24,000 miles. I had also read this in this
month's Car & Driver on the long-term test of
a RX 400h. They had to replace the tires at
around 22,000 miles. I don't get this. I could understand this happening on a high performance sports car, but a luxury SUV??

I would think this SUV should be getting at
least 40,000 to 45,000 miles out of these tires. My 2002 Maxima didn't need new tires
until 44,000 miles and it had the V-series tires on it. What gives?

I would love to hear input from anybody about
these tires on the RX and why they are wearing
out so quickly. I've got almost 10,000 miles
on my '07 RX350, and so far, so good. But I
guess we'll see what happens in another 10,000
miles.

avery1

It is a surprise that Lexus is putting Goodyear tires on since they don't appear to last. My '99 AWD had them and I replaced them at approx. 30,000 but have been using Michelin and getting 45,000 or 50,000 out of them. I have 140,000 on the car and just put on a new set.

jasdmw

On the RX 350 I just bought, the tires are Michelin. I have the "standard" 17" wheel/tire combo. The 18" set are Goodyears (badyear in the trade, LOL). Those are a "high performance" tire, which are of a harder rubber compound that wear faster. You get better cornering, but pay for it 3 ways; ride harshness and less tire life. Also, the sales rep suggested a separate set of snow tires would be appropriate if the 18" option was purchased as those tires are not the best in snow. The 17" set have a more agressive tread design to accomodate snow to a degree we get around here.

maximafan

I'm surprised that Lexus would put a performance-type tire on an SUV. Do you mean to say that the Goodyears are a V-rated tire?
That's what I had on my 2002 Maxima, except they were Bridgestone Potenzas. I would have thought most SUV's would have H-rated tires.

A friend that I work with has a 2005 RX330 and
she got almost 40,000 miles out of her Goodyears. Sounds like a little bit of an anomaly though. I hope I get at least that many miles out of my Goodyears.

jeremyholly

I have Micheline Energy MXV4 tires on my 2004 Lexus RX330 an they have 52,800 miles on them. I have not had one problem with them but I definetly need new tires. I am not sure which tires to buy. Does anyone have an opinion on great tires for this vehicle? I can go with the same tires, but looking for better if there is.
Thank you

md_outback

jeremyholly,
Depends on what you are looking for in a tire, such as quiet & comfort versus better handling versus improved traction in wet conditions, etc. I found that the handling and wet traction of the original Michelin Energy MXV4's on my '07 RX350 weren't what I wanted, so I quickly switched to Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza's. The dry and wet handling improved quite a bit, though at the cost of being a bit noisier and the ride is harsher. I suggest you look at all available tires at www.tirerack.com, review their tests and owner surveys and select a tire that best meets your particular needs. Good luck!

MD