RX Guy

For those of you have already picked up your car and will be or have been taking little passengers in the back seat, were the beakseat big enough for infant/toddler car seats?

If you are successful or unsuccessful in installing a child safety seat, what make and model was it?

It'd be a bumper if my kid can't experience the joy of rotary. Gotta start them young you know.

RXhusker

Took the family on a test drive today while I am waiting for my car to arrive. My 2 yr. old was in his car seat behind me (I had the front seat all the way back). He had plenty of room. Thought he might not enjoy the ride much because there really isn't any view for kids from the back seats but he was all SMILES -- the sound of the engine and kick when I shifted were great fun for him (and my 7 yr. old who was riding next to him). He isn't in a rear facing seat anymore but it looked like it would fit back there. The seats are pretty deep.

jd62

We put our great-grandson in the back seat with no problem. It was a rear facing car seat, I don' t know if that makes a difference.

deks

I put my son in a rear facing convertible seat - a Britax Roundabout, behind the passenger seat. It's not quite easy to get in since it's pretty tight putting the lower anchors in and the space on the sides is a little tight (not that wide of a rear seat), although it might get better with practice. But it does go in, and fits fine. You need to have the front passenger seat fairly far forward if the back of the car seat is at a proper 45 degree angle. This is also with a lower tether around the front passenger seat rail. With the car seat in, I fit comfortably in the front passenger seat at 5'6", and my wife even better at a couple inches shorter. If you are much bigger it'd be a problem for more than a short ride. It's also a little bit of maneuvering to get my son in the seat without clonking him on something, but not any worse than in my Impreza wagon, just different.

If you have the infant car seat that comes out with a base, you might not be able to put anyone in the front passenger seat, although I think it'll fit. If it's just 3 of you, the other adult will likely be in the back anyway with an infant. We always are/were.

I think it'll be a lot better once we flip around to forward facing on the seat, both in terms of being able to move the front seat further back and ease of putting him in (where I think it'll be easier than the Impreza).

The stroller also fit fine in the trunk, just needing to be angled slightly. It is a smaller stroller, a Combi Ultra Savvy. It suffices as our only stroller, but we live in San Francisco, where everything is narrow anyway and I don't know how people with big strollers get around.

RX Guy

Thank you for the responses everyone. I was about to lug the car seat to the dealer and try it on the car. I haven't been able to find time to go down there yet (too many baby parties in the weekends). Your responses really ease my mind (my wife's mind too).

Happy driving.

RotoRooter

I am the token Pediatrician on the forum.

Let me put in my 2 cents on this one -- I will bill for email


The rx8 is a GREAT family car. There has already been a thread about this, but I don't mind repeating myself here. All the air bags are well placed for children. The cabin is very secure. The frame is among the best built in its class. That is why the 8 is actually a bit heavier than some sports cars -- they have made safety (particulary for that back door) a priority. Those back doors are not flimsy either -- heavy, nicely sealed. The prelim crash tests are all great.

You can easily fit a Toddler in the rear seat. They are very happy, even is you slide the seat all the way back. I am 6foot and my driver's position is a few inches up from that, no problem. We also have a little one in the oven. I have fitted the car with reverse car seats as well -- no problems. Just don't choose the gigantic ones. The LATCH system is very nice-- horizontal hooks with their own premade cuts in the leather so you don't have to fish for them. Toddlers and 3-4 yr olds love "their" space and "their" spot -- that's why minivans work so well.

The Rx8, with the "special door" and center console with cup holder gives children a sense of comfort and security previously afforred to them only by a van or SUV. Trust me all you worried parents out there, I already have my child and my 8 -- they are perfect together. Any specific probs about either the front or rear facing car seat -- let me know.

RossComer

Using a Centruy Brevera Ascend booster seat, I find it's a bit tricky to buckle my son in. The booster sits against the center console making it difficult to reach down to do the buckle.

Now, he manages to unbuckle himself when it's time to get out, so it's really can't be that bad.

Just something to watch for. As has been previously suggested, be careful with oversized seats.

rossc

PUR NRG

What is this proper 45 degree angle you speak of?
________
Honda cl450

RotoRooter

Not all car seats need to be at 45degrees, read the side of them. Also, the problem with the rear facing car seats are not that your 21inch infant can't fit in the car, but that the back of the car seat is too high and huge. I say, keep the kid, keep the car, buy a non-combo pure infant car seat +/- stationary carrier.

If I can figure out how to post some pics I am willing to go over to Babies r us and chuck the different car seats in to show you what I mean. Willing to help anyone near ATLANTA at the very least

deks

Not all car seats need to be at a 45 degree angle, but the Britax convertible in rear facing should have the seatback at about 45 degrees according to the user's manual.

I actually had a pure infant car seat and carrier, and it's great when they're really young and fall asleep in the car to be able to just pick up the whole thing out of the car. Note, at least with my model, you were supposed to put the carrier bar in the forward position, taking up even more room than the convertible seat. But the problem we had with the dedicated ones are they usually are only good until like 20 lbs (usually not the problem) and about 24 inches in length (this is the problem). I may be misremembering the exact inch value, but whatever the value, my son, and every other child in his play group, had passed the length requirement by 7-8 months at the latest.

RotoRooter

The latest studies have revealed that regardless of length, the most important 2 indicies for reverse facing car sear is wt < lbs or Age < 12.

So, any child under the Age of One and any child under 20lbs should be reverse facing. This is because of developmental issues surrounding the neck of infants. It does not matter how tall/long they are. It is all about age and wt. Hence:

a 15month old who weighs 18lbs == rear facing
a 13month old who weighs 21lbs == front facing
a 7 month old who weighs 29lbs == rear facing

get it?

deks

Yeah, I get that for rear facing, but I was talking about a dedicated (non-convertible) infant car seat - which is what I assumed you meant with "non-combo pure infant car seat +/- stationary carrier". I checked ours, we had a Graco SnugRide, and it was actually 26" in length that was the limit (although length tends to be a little fuzzy with babies). You can look at their web site at http://www.gracobaby.com and their infant car seats have a length and weight restriction.

After that length & weight they need to be in a convertible seat, but rear facing until the 1 year AND 20+lbs you indicated. This might just be Graco.

I just checked Evenflo, and they're the same:
https://plweb.evenflo.com/consumers/...aspx?faqid=410

ATL RX-8

If you are having problems with buckling the seat belt, and have some spare money, do what I did. I went and bought a brand new child that utilizes the LATCH system. It will make use of the 2 bars located at the base of the back seat and not require the seat belt. They are deep down in there, but my wife was able to hook it up with little difficulty.

You may want to put a towel or some other padding down to protect your leather seats, if you have leather. The car seat stays in the little cubby hole in my trunk until needed. In fact, it's such a perfect fit, it doesn't roll around at all.

RX Guy

Which manufacture/model of child seat did you get?

musicola

The towel is a good idea for seat protection.

ALSO, the cops providing free seat checks in our town put some sticky sort of fabric (sold at craft stores?) under it to prevent slippage on leather seats. And they used some of those foam "water noodle" things to adjust the angle of the seat. (Just to clarify, this was not in an RX-8.)

Stats show that something like 80% of car seats are not installed as well as they could be. Free-play in any direction is bad -- even slipping around a bit on the leather seats.

pelucidor

Babies-R-Us sells a rubber mat (with cutouts for LATCH) that goes under the baby seat to protect the leather (about $10). I got my baby seat installation checked at a police station to make sure it was fine - they have certified people in car-seat installation that really know what to look for.

danRX8man

Trying to fit a rear facing infant car seat with removable base (Graco Snugg ride).

It seems like a tight fit . I have to bring the passenger seat so far forward that my wife (co-pilot) is sitting at an uncomfortable position.

Is anyone else having to shoe horn their infant seat in ?

BTW -- this is my first post. Love the site!

Azarax

Picture includes dealer's RX-8
Me
Our Peg Perego infant seat
Borrowed Baby
Borrowed Baby's mother

Picture taken by my wife (due about end of October)

Azarax

Picture includes:
Dealer's RX-8
Me
Our Peg Perego infant seat
Borrowed baby
Borrowed Baby's mother

pelucidor

I have a top of the line (i.e. big) Graco Snugride rear facing baby seat and base installed. I cannot easily sit in front of it (I am 5'9" tall) - actually make that I will not sit in front of the baby seat as my knees are splayed on the glove box. But my wife at 5'1" can easily/comfortably fit in. More realistically if my wife and I are both in the car with the baby then whoever is not driving will always sit in the back with the baby to keep her company - problem solved. Best of all in 1200 miles of driving the RX-8 the baby has been in it for 0 miles so it's still clean and uncluttered, she normally travels in the other car (an MDX).

I have a question for when that inevitable day comes when we take the baby out in the RX-8. What stroller fits in the trunk? My Graco stroller with big 8" rubber air-filled tires does not fit. I am looking at a Combi Ultra Savvy (can fit Graco infant carriers) or similar. Any ideas?

myrx8

My daughter is just over 25 pounds - I put her in the back with a forward facing car seat. Installation was real easy. I have a Graco car seat. I also bought from Babies R Us a rachet system that tightens the seat pretty well.

Since I only have two cars seats and three cars, I don't use the Latch system. If you are goign to leave the car seat in the back for daily driving, you should use the Latch system.

Zaphod

An umbrella stroller, of course.

Racer X-8

I was wondering if anyone would finally bring up the latch system - equipped as standard equipment in every RX-8.

My question is, how much do those specially equipped kiddies go for? Talk about convenience!

And thanks everyone for leaving that one for me. :D :p

deks

As I think I mentioned earlier in this thread, the Combi Ultra Savvy is a fine stroller that accepts most infant carriers and fits nicely in the 8's trunk. You have to angle it just right, but it's easy once you get the hang of it.

I'd imagine something like a Universal Carrier would fit as well, although I haven't tried. Something like:
http://store.babycenter.com/product/.../standard/4496

Just as an FYI, all new cars with backseats must have the LATCH system.

Racer X-8

To interface with brand new children?

Seriously though, I certainly hope that all new infant carriers must have the LATCH system too. Or are we going to lobby to force all new cars to come equipped with that too?