Buying a car- Weird?

[orriskitten]

DH and I are going to buy a car today and we were thinking that we want a car that can have the 2 carseats in the back, in the middle and on the passenger side. In our current car we cannot get a good install using the LATCH (or seatbelt) in the center.

Would it be weird to request that we attempt to install the carseat in the middle before we buy the car? I don't want to look like some giant weirdo for asking this.

[katfco]

I don't think that's weird at all. They encourage test drives, why wouldn't they be okay with making sure the car seat would fit? Not all car seats fit in all cars well.

[orriskitten]

Aug 31, 2013 10:03:12 GMT -5 katfco said:

I don't think that's weird at all. They encourage test drives, why wouldn't they be okay with making sure the car seat would fit? Not all car seats fit in all cars well.

That was my thought, and anything for a sale.

[muppetinma]

If they have an issue with it, they're not the people you should be buying a car from. If it's going to be what makes or breaks a sale, they'd better be okay with it.

[Deleted]

I've heard of this before so I think it's kind of common. I would look in the car's manual to see what it says about center latch. Some don't have it and some have specific rules about it

[puppylove64]

We did it! I told him I was buying a new car because my current car didn't fit the car seat well. We test drove the new one with lo. Then I told them I didn't want it because it had bucket seats in the middle row, and I wanted a bench... Really, I didn't want to buy that day. The car seat was a great excuse

[teamhayes]

I would do it

A girl I work with brought all 3 carseats to dealer to see if they would fit in the tiny mini cooper she got.

Fyi they did fit!

[sjh722]

I don't post here but saw this on the app.

We just bought a new car. We tested the carseat at 3 or 4 different dealers and no one batted an eye. I think it's pretty common to see how it fits. (And surprisingly you can't fit a rf seat in some pretty large cars behind my 6'4 husband.)

[browneyedhunni85]

I don't think it's weird at all. It's important that you see how her seat fits.

[browneyedhunni85]

Aug 31, 2013 10:47:45 GMT -5 teamhayes said:

I would do it

A girl I work with brought all 3 carseats to dealer to see if they would fit in the tiny mini cooper she got.

Fyi they did fit!

I couldn't imagine wanting a mini cooper with three car seats in the back.

[fusion]

Just warning you that I had the 2 carseats next to each other and I finally had to split them up because they were messing with each other too much and Jameson would wake up Anna if she ever fell asleep. I did like having that passenger side open though.

[teamhayes]

Same here but to each their own

[orriskitten]

Aug 31, 2013 11:03:55 GMT -5 fusion said:

Just warning you that I had the 2 carseats next to each other and I finally had to split them up because they were messing with each other too much and Jameson would wake up Anna if she ever fell asleep. I did like having that passenger side open though.

I figure we might have to face that, but I also need to transport my grandma and GG, neither of whom could climb to the center seat. If they mess with each other, not much I can do if I need to have both grandmas in the car.

[mumegs]

I don't think it's a weird thing to do and no good salesperson would bat an eye at that. You don't want to buy a car and then find out the seats don't fit.

[shevacc]

We tried our carseat in the car when car shopping -- the salesman encouraged us to. It must be common.

[laurack]

How do you fit three car seats in a Mini Cooper?!!

[tuck]

When I bought my car, the salesman encouraged me to get the kids in to see how they liked it. I don't think it's a strange request at all.

[sno&2peas]

I don't think that's strange! I was thinking about SUV's today and when I sell my house I will get one and I thought about seeing how the car seats fit in the SUV's I was interested in before I buy one! 

[thedahliharpa]

Aug 31, 2013 10:26:07 GMT -5 ladybug said:

I've heard of this before so I think it's kind of common. I would look in the car's manual to see what it says about center latch. Some don't have it and some have specific rules about it

This. I was looking at this recently and most vehicles do not allow for latch borrowing in the center from the way I interpreted it.

[thedahliharpa]

Aug 31, 2013 13:00:00 GMT -5 laurack said:

How do you fit three car seats in a Mini Cooper?!!

You better be buying Dionos/Radians for those multiples you are gestating. :-)

[thedahliharpa]

Aug 31, 2013 10:55:11 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

I don't post here but saw this on the app.

We just bought a new car. We tested the carseat at 3 or 4 different dealers and no one batted an eye. I think it's pretty common to see how it fits. (And surprisingly you can't fit a rf seat in some pretty large cars behind my 6'4 husband.)

My DH is the same height so the RFing carseat always had to be opposite of where he would sit with my oldest. Did you find any models that were comfortable with it behind him?

[claralou]

Aug 31, 2013 21:27:07 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

Aug 31, 2013 10:26:07 GMT -5 ladybug said:

I've heard of this before so I think it's kind of common. I would look in the car's manual to see what it says about center latch. Some don't have it and some have specific rules about it

This. I was looking at this recently and most vehicles do not allow for latch borrowing in the center from the way I interpreted it.

Definitely this. Ours is relatively new (2011) and is an SUV/crossover and it specifically states in the manual to not use latch in the center. According to the dealer, few cars do. I was surprised.

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2013 21:27:07 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

Aug 31, 2013 10:26:07 GMT -5 ladybug said:

I've heard of this before so I think it's kind of common. I would look in the car's manual to see what it says about center latch. Some don't have it and some have specific rules about it

This. I was looking at this recently and most vehicles do not allow for latch borrowing in the center from the way I interpreted it.

Yeah. My 2011 Toyota wouldn't allow it but I used the seat belt instead when she was in her bucket. I much prefer latch so it was a bummer.

[livinreality]

Aug 31, 2013 11:03:55 GMT -5 fusion said:

Just warning you that I had the 2 carseats next to each other and I finally had to split them up because they were messing with each other too much and Jameson would wake up Anna if she ever fell asleep. I did like having that passenger side open though.

They do mess with each other, my children do not sleep so I just let them mess with each other. Maybe if they were both rear facing it would be better?

i have center latch, but I have a Honda minivan not a car (which I love, I opened the doors and the kids ran in and were in there seats yesterday! First time.)

[fusion]

Sept 1, 2013 7:09:38 GMT -5 livinreality said:

Aug 31, 2013 11:03:55 GMT -5 fusion said:

Just warning you that I had the 2 carseats next to each other and I finally had to split them up because they were messing with each other too much and Jameson would wake up Anna if she ever fell asleep. I did like having that passenger side open though.

They do mess with each other, my children do not sleep so I just let them mess with each other. Maybe if they were both rear facing it would be better?

i have center latch, but I have a Honda minivan not a car (which I love, I opened the doors and the kids ran in and were in there seats yesterday! First time.)

Mine are both rearfacing They would take each other's shoes off, kick each other, take each other's snacks and drinks, etc. Stinky kids. One of my friends has three in a row and she ended up shoving a big tupperware lid in between the two that would fight.

[formerlyllizzyb]

We took both the bucket seat and convertible seats with us when we test drove cars!

[livinreality]

Sept 1, 2013 9:20:42 GMT -5 fusion said:

Sept 1, 2013 7:09:38 GMT -5 livinreality said:

They do mess with each other, my children do not sleep so I just let them mess with each other. Maybe if they were both rear facing it would be better?

i have center latch, but I have a Honda minivan not a car (which I love, I opened the doors and the kids ran in and were in there seats yesterday! First time.)

Mine are both rearfacing They would take each other's shoes off, kick each other, take each other's snacks and drinks, etc. Stinky kids. One of my friends has three in a row and she ended up shoving a big tupperware lid in between the two that would fight.

LOL there goes that theory! 

[sjh722]

Aug 31, 2013 21:32:30 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

Aug 31, 2013 10:55:11 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

I don't post here but saw this on the app.

We just bought a new car. We tested the carseat at 3 or 4 different dealers and no one batted an eye. I think it's pretty common to see how it fits. (And surprisingly you can't fit a rf seat in some pretty large cars behind my 6'4 husband.)

My DH is the same height so the RFing carseat always had to be opposite of where he would sit with my oldest. Did you find any models that were comfortable with it behind him?

Sorry, I was on the app and just saw this notification.

We bought an Acadia. The 2nd row bucket seats are adjustable - we didn't test one with a second row bench. It's very comfortable for him. We had trouble with a Ford Edge and Explorer (actually, with it on the base, I was even a little crowded in the passenger seat and I am 5'9). The Ford Fusion had a ton of room inside - we liked it a lot but decided to get an SUV because I have herniated discs in my back and bending to get DD in and out of the car was doing a number on my back. It was also tight with a seat in a Honda Pilot.