ALMOST8IT

Hello all,

If anyone has recent experience with infant car seats and bases in the RX-8, please fill me in on any tips. Also, if anyone has pictures of the base/seat installation in the back of the 8 it would also be greatly appreciated.

I did a search and there were some older posts about the graco snug-ride and peg-perego seats, but the posts were missing the photos.

Wife's due in June and any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Elara

Someone said recently the Graco Snugrides worked really well, but you might just have to put something under the seat at first to make sure it's tipped back correctly for a new baby.

I'd be interested to know what kind of strollers and pack-n-plays fit in the trunk (if any) as well- don't remember too much talk of either of those.

jwitzer

Almost8it,

Trust me on this, I did a TON of research before my daughter (now 20 months) was born.

Britax Wizard.

Those units where a baby carrier snaps into a base strapped to your car and into a base mounted on a stroller sound very cool until you realize that they are only intended for use until your baby is of a certain weight, which will happen WAY before you know it (like 6 months), then you have to throw it all away and get a new car seat and stroller. The only benefit we could find was that it was easier to remove a sleeping baby from the car, but we found that removing our sleeping daughter from the Wizard never woke her up.

So, if you go with a regular car seat and stroller (say the popular Graco units), you'll find that your child will outgrow the car seat by 3 years old, if it lasts that long. The stroller won't. So by 3 you'll be getting a second stroller and car seat. Then a 3rd car seat when your child has outgrown this second regular seat but is too small for a booster.

The Britax Wizard will handle a normally sized newborn through booster seat time. Yes, it is more expensive up front, but it has a much better shot at lasting until your child outgrows it and its size means that will be a while. I also liked the head side protection. It does fit in the back of the RX-8 nicely, though I don't have any photos.

BTW, it is actually easier to put a baby in a car seat in the RX-8 than it is in our Honda Oddysey if you use the passenger rear seat. The passenger front seat slides far enough forward that you can step into the car and place your baby into the seat from the front, where you have to reach across and twist to put them in a car seat in the minivan.

I'd also recommend spending a bit more up front for a good stroller. You'll use this longer than you think. I went with the Peg Perego Venezia because it converts from a carraige (baby faces you, good for babies) into a stroller (baby faces front, good for toddlers and up). Metal parts will last longer than the plastic Graco uses in critical areas and it collapses well and is light enough for my wife to handle easily.

Good luck. You have many decisions to make!

Elara

jwitzer, does that stroller fit in the 8? We're going to be buying at least 2- your standard "baby" stroller(probably the Graco) for jaunts around the neighborhood, and then a nicer one later for the long haul.

I'm going to stay with the Graco Snugride for now just because of the ratings it's gotten. I have no problem buying another car seat later(they get so dirty so fast anyway!!)- I just feel safer with that than a convertible car seat right off the bat. Yes, more money in the end, but I've got to go with my gut instincts on this one.

Deslock

If you have questions about installing the infant seat, contact your local police department. At least one of the officers should've been trained for this and should help you with it for free.

You're going to need to buy a larger car seat at some point anyway... don't sweat it.

I don't use a stroller for my infant, but instead use a sling (which he loves to sleep in) or carry him in his infant seat (I hook its handle in my arm over my elbow). It also fits on top of shopping carts (it has lips that overhang the edges of the cart, keeping it safely in place), which comes in handy when I go to the grocery store or Target. For our 3-year-old, my wife keeps a large, fancy stroller in her car, but I prefer the smaller, simpler fold-up kind as it's easier to maneuver (it also takes up very little space in my trunk).

ALMOST8IT

I was looking at the convertable Britax seats, but I wasn't sure they would fit in the rear facing position in the RX-8 without making the front passenger seat unusable.

As for the infant car seats, there are some older (2004) postings that indicate the peg prima viagio fits better in the back of the 8 than the graco snugride. Since both companies have appeared to change their bases for 2005, I am not sure if the older postings still apply to the current models.

Finally, the May 2005 Consumer Reports online mag has an infant car seat test and the Britax Companion placed first, but the seat is on backorder until late May or early June. If anyone has tried this seat, please let me know if it fit in the back of the 8 without making the front passenger seat unsuable.

Thanks for the replies Elara, Deslock & jwitzer, your input is helpful.

nbthing

The bad news is that it can be pretty tight for the passenger seat with a rearward facing car seat in the back... the good news is that it gets better once that seat can be turned. Here's what I've used in the 8: (sorry... no photos)

Graco SnugRide (2003 model)-- I had the base angle adjusted as far as it would go and I still needed to wedge a towel or blanket under one side of the seat to get the seat angled correctly. Since all infant seats are pretty reclined (and rear facing), there's not much legroom/recline available for the front seat (in my case, the passenger seat). Fine for getting around town, not great for longer drives (especially with the transmission hump on the passenger side floor, it can make the passenger a bit claustrophobic)

Britax Roundabout: When used as a rear facing seat, it encroaches on the front seat adjustability almost as badly as the infant seat. But, once the baby reaches 1 y.o.-- switch to forward facing and it gets much, much better. The suicide doors make it easier to load a baby in than just about any small car with conventional doors (and infinitely better than any conventional 2 door).

Maclaren Global (2003 model-- fancy umbrella stroller): It just fits in the trunk opening, and fits pretty well in the trunk

Kolkraft $20 umbrella stroller (kind of a POS, but small, easy to use, and great for amusement parks/etc. where you leave an empty stroller unattended so there's a chance your stroller will be stolen) fits easily in car/ trunk

Pak N' Play... I don't remember specifically what model I have except that it's the standard size rectangular (not one of the new funky hexagonal ones) made by whoever has the Pak N' Play trademark. it (barely) fits through the trunk opening and takes up almost half of the trunk (I do not have a spare tire... not sure whether that would make it an impossible fit).

The 8 has great storage space for the sportiness it has, but you'll quickly find that taking all of the baby-related stuff for a weekend trip will eat much of that storage (i.e. a pak n' play, stroller, diaper bag, and the trunk is pretty much done... there'll be some room left for a small duffel or soft-sided bag or 2, but not much).

Elara

Oh come on- you don't need any luggage, do you? Just wear the same outfit all weekend! :D

I'm lucky in that I'm only 5 ft tall, so when it's not just me + baby, I'll let my husband drive and I'll take the squished passenger seat. Good to know about the pack-n-play, too- I'm looking at a travel lite version of a full sized pack-n-play so hopefully that will fit even better. I am, however, going to go check out the Mclaren stroller, as I can't imagine the Graco version of the stroller will even begin to fit in the back of the car, no matter how many pieces I turn it into.

nbthing

At 5', you shouldn't have too much trouble in the passenger seat. My wife is 5'6" and made it 2-3 hours before she started feeling cramped with the lack of room. (Unfortunately that was only a little more than half of our drive that day...)

I'm kind of a stroller snob I guess... I'm sure there must be one out there, but I haven't found a run of the mill American stroller that meets the folded size and weight requirements I think are practical/reasonable for everyday use. I'd definintely check out Maclaren strollers... ours weighs about 16 pounds, folds small (not as small as the cheapo umbrella stroller, but a lot better than the typical graco/evenflo that seems to need an SUV or minivan to haul it around), has a reclining seat (all the way flat for newborn), and can mount a graco snugride infant carrier (as well as another fairly common brand of infant carrier that I forget right now) to create a travel system.

Zooper is another stroller company to check out if you're looking for a lightweight full-featured stroller (in '03 they had a fancy umbrella stroller model with similar features to the Maclaren we have-- they've since changed their model line-up, so I don't know what it's called anymore)... usually a tad heavier than Maclaren, but with the same features and slightly cheaper pricing.

Also Combi (model with similar features used to be called the Ultra Savvy) makes some nice compact strollers -- although I found the handles a bit too short for me (I'm 6'2") -- Combi is japanese... across the board, I found their strollers to be more "efficient" (read "small") than their American and European counterparts.

dmp

I'll find a pic of my kids' seats in the back of my car and post-up.. I make them remove their shoes, as their legs aren't long enough to point downwards yet; their toes get jammed into my seatback.

WhiteDealershipRice

The Graco Alfa-Omega should fit pretty good too, and it goes all the way from rear facing infant seat to full up seatbelt positioning booster seat.

zoom44

the convertable car seat(goes from infant rear facing all the way to booster seat) i got at first i could not get at the proper angle rear facing and still sit in either front seat. so thats now in my wifes outback and suprisingly isnt much better in it. it will fit front facing just fine in the 8.

so i went out looking again and found this model which had just come out

http://www.babytrend.com/carseats/6169.htm the rigid latch base is THE BEST! had it in my car in less than 5 minutes. if you need an infant seat you must check this one out. that latch locks ar much better than a seat belt. its fits behind both me and my wife and she like the seat way back. but i keep it behind the drivers seat as its just easier for me. plus it comes with the COOL rotor shaped handle





for a stroller i got this one http://www.epinions.com/pr-Baby_Tren...splay_~reviews
which also happens to be babytrend but for some reason isnt on their site. its just a basic umbrella stroller but it fits easily into the 8 and leaves room for much more.

truemagellen

holy crap you let your infants drive your car?

zoom44

yes

rotten42

My kids are always making a mess of the back of my seat with their shoes. It drives me crazy

ALMOST8IT

Zoom, was it easy to get the level right on the Babytrend Infant seat in the RX8. I ask because the seat in the 8 seems to have a steeper angle than most cars.
Thanks

cgrx

anyone have those racing type baby seats.. ?

zoom44

was it easy ? well its easy to adjust- its got a **** you turn to crank it up or down. but i had to basically adjust it all the way one direction and its just barely in the "zone" of the indicator.

with the other seat there was no way in hell i could have level that on its own in either car so i had to get one of those foam wedges to support it in the rear facing position.

jtdwab

If you can go to a Babies-R-Us then you can try any seat they sell. My wife and I liked the Graco Snugride and Metroliner stroller. The stroller will fit in the trunck (only 1 way) and the seat will fit without the base behind either passenger fine. We haven't moved up the the stage 2 car seat yet but will soon. As for the stroller it will work for your baby for much longer than the infant seat. The snug ride fits on top fo the regular seat so when you stop using the infant seat you start placing you child in the stroller alone. I expect it to last at least 1.5 to 2 years.

mwc

BUMP!

Hey all. My wife and I are expecting our first child and we are starting to think about the baby essentials we'll need including.... car seats! I've dug up the old threads on baby car seats and all of the information is much appreciated. Peg Perego and Graco Snugride seemed to be a couple of rear-facing seats that could fit in the RX-8 provided the passenger seat was moved and tilted forward.

I'm reviving this thread to see if there are any new rear-facing car seats that are more compact and require fewer compromises than, say, this....https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...light=car+seat

My wife is grudgingly accepting the tight squeeze in the RX-8, but I was wondering if there was anything out there that was less bulky. I'm really only interested in advice and info on rear-facing seats since the forward facing seats seem to fit no problem (and we won't have to worry about that for another year). Thanks.

Cheers

P.S. My wife does not want to sit in the back seat with the baby, so that isn't an option.

DMRH

Well here is agreat shot of my little Angel snug in the back. She has grown up more since that shot in SEP-05 & now sits on a booster seat. Still not an issue.



REgards

balefire

iTrader: (2)

I would bet that the Recaro Signo Convertible would be more compact than the traditional Graco Snugride since it does not actually come out of the car. The downside is that you have to take the baby out of the Recaro Signo instead of leaving the little guy/girl in the Graco car seat carrier everywhere you go.

For a stroller that fits in the RX8, I used either the cheapo umbrella stroller when my lil guy was bigger, or the Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame:

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Snugride.../dp/B0007KMUH4

After I got this for my infant, my wife never used the real stroller in her own car. This fits in the RX8 no problem. My wife liked it because she could take it out of the trunk with one hand.

For reference, I have the Graco Snug Ride, the Recaro Young Sport and a Recaro Signo in pink is on the way for #2. =)

whitebeau

Yeah i'm in the same situation as MWC, The rear facing seat is going to be a PITA, With a carrier though of any model you won't have a problem. It's just that 6-7month to 1 year gap.

if anybody found a functional rear facing seat, fork over your seat model I want one to!


thx!

zoom44

http://www.babytrend.com/products.ph...0003.0000.0000

seriously - the baby trend rigid loc rear facing fit with no problem and a have great handle to boot



also check their "flex loc" seats http://www.babytrend.com/products.ph...0002.0000.0000

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

it's a bebe!