Using Graco Snugride in center seat w/outboard LATCHes?

[netarc]

We recently purchased a Graco Snugride LX5 w/LATCH, and will be using this in our '03 Jetta wagon. The Jetta only has _outboard_ LATCH restraints ... but we'd like to be able to place the Snugride in the center of the rear seat (for safety/convenience).

I realize we can secure the carseat using the center seatbelt, but I'd prefer to use the LATCH system if at all possible; since we may periodically remove the base, I presume LATCH will be easier _and_ assure a "tighter" fit.

I'm wondering, then - since the LATCH belt that comes with the Snugride is relatively long, is it safe to use the _inboard_ LATCH anchors of each side to secure the carseat in the center?

[Momof3Labs]

It is only considered safe if both Volkswagen and Graco say that it is. And it really isn't hard installing with a seat belt - if you really want the middle position (a good idea), just learn how to install using the seat belt. Honestly, babies outgrow their infant seats so fast that you probably won't have to reinstall it as many times as you think that you will! Plus, you can use the Snugride without the base, so you don't really *need* to move the base at all.

[lilye13]

We also have a Volkswagon, a Jetta, (01 or 02 ? don't remember) and a Snugride Cobalt. According to my carseat installer-my hubby- we have the same situation and we use the the ones from the sides to attach the base in the middle. I have also installed it using just the seatbelt and that wasn't too much of a problem- just need some extra muscle to pull the seat belt tight. The only problem we had with our snugride in the middle was that there was very little room on either side for people to sit and more so for me to nurse in the car. ( Baby's feet would get under the base). We have another car now, a Volvo, and they recommend that the safest place for the car seat is behind one of the passenger seats-there is latch there but none in the middle as well. This may be becasue of the particular safety features of the car. But it did prompt us to move our base in the Jetta as well and it ends up being so much better for many reasons- it's easier to put baby in and out of it, it is more comfortable for me to sit with him in the back as well as nurse him there when I need to. I have also installed the car seat without the base and once I was shown how to do it it was quite easy. On another note we actually we have recieved many comments about how big our carseat is and there is no question in looking around we have noticed that it does seem bigger and bulkier all around but not really on the inside because baby hasn't been all that comfy in it.
Sorry to be so long -don't know if any of this is helpful but I hope so.


elizabeth mummie to nicholas, July 22, 2003

[netarc]

We also have a Volkswagon, a Jetta, (01 or 02 ? don't remember) and a Snugride Cobalt. According to my carseat installer-my hubby- we have the same situation and we use the the ones from the sides to attach the base in the middle. I have also installed it using just the seatbelt and that wasn't too much of a problem- just need some extra muscle to pull the seat belt tight. The only problem we had with our snugride in the middle was that there was very little room on either side for people to sit and more so for me to nurse in the car. ( Baby's feet would get under the base). We have another car now, a Volvo, and they recommend that the safest place for the car seat is behind one of the passenger seats-there is latch there but none in the middle as well. This may be becasue of the particular safety features of the car. But it did prompt us to move our base in the Jetta as well and it ends up being so much better for many reasons- it's easier to put baby in and out of it, it is more comfortable for me to sit with him in the back as well as nurse him there when I need to. I have also installed the car seat without the base and once I was shown how to do it it was quite easy. On another note we actually we have recieved many comments about how big our carseat is and there is no question in looking around we have noticed that it does seem bigger and bulkier all around but not really on the inside because baby hasn't been all that comfy in it.
Sorry to be so long -don't know if any of this is helpful but I hope so.


Thanks for the info, Elizabeth ... helps _greatly_, since you folks have the same car and carseat as us! I didn't realize the Snugride was so much larger than other infant carseats?!? In fact, in comparing them over the past few weeks (had mostly compared w/the BT Latchloc and Britax Companion), it seems comparable, if not smaller? Is it the seat+base, or just the carrier that seems larger? Anyhoo, that's neither here nor there, as it's already on the way from Amazon ;)

Curious - how do you like the Cobalt Snugride? I _almost_ got this one from Babycenter, but went w/the "Heatwave" from Amazon instead, as it _seemed_ like it may have better padding ... honestly, I was just guessing, though. How comfy does your child find yours?

I'd prefer to use the LATCH on the passenger side, as it *does* seem like it'd be _really_ tight for rear-seat passengers w/the Graco (or any, for that matter) carseat in the middle ... but the wife's concerned that this would require the front seat to be moved to a position that's just too far forward. I suppose we'll find out once the carseat's here, though ;)

Again, many thanks for your info & feedback!

[kwc]

Oooh, Netarc, do you feel like I'm stalking you yet?

Sorry if this is too creepy... but we have the Cobalt Snugride from Babycenter (DD loves it... I haven't made a lot of comparisons but it seems cushier than some SRs I've seen though it has some "pilling" near the harness adjuster).

My parents live pretty close by, and when our old car died last month and we were shopping for our new car (the Subaru Outback I hit the hydrant with), we were driving around in the '03 Turbo Jetta wagon my Dad had bought for himself after learning he was going to be a grandfather. It has had a SR base in it since before DD was born that we installed using the outboard LATCH restraints.... and it is in there TIGHT. My dad actually just called because he is driving some clients around tomorrow and is having trouble getting it out.

MY DH is pretty tall (6'1") and it was pretty tight with him driving even with the SR in the center (which actually dissuaded him from getting a Jetta wagon) but my parents are pretty short so it normally isn't an issue. I think unless you are pretty small, you would find the Snugride in a passenger position a tight fit.

I have an app't with the CHP to check my Snugride in the Subaru on Friday (also in the center using the 2 inner outboard LATCH anchors) so if they think it is _not_ safe, I will post again.

BTW, good call on the Dekor... it probably wouldn't be worth the space right now.

Karen

[netarc]

Oooh, Netarc, do you feel like I'm stalking you yet?

Sorry if this is too creepy... but we have the Cobalt Snugride from Babycenter (DD loves it... I haven't made a lot of comparisons but it seems cushier than some SRs I've seen though it has some "pilling" near the harness adjuster).

Hahaha, no worries - when you show up in our neighborhood w/cobalt carrier in hand, _then_ we'll start to worry ;)

Good to know that the Cobalt version is more padded than other SR's ... I'll tell you, I was _stunned_ when I checked these @ Lullaby Lane and found how *little* padding they had! Ouch. I just hope the "heatwave" version I ordered from Amazon has adequate padding.


My parents live pretty close by, and when our old car died last month and we were shopping for our new car (the Subaru Outback I hit the hydrant with), we were driving around in the '03 Turbo Jetta wagon my Dad had bought for himself after learning he was going to be a grandfather. It has had a SR base in it since before DD was born that we installed using the outboard LATCH restraints.... and it is in there TIGHT. My dad actually just called because he is driving some clients around tomorrow and is having trouble getting it out.

MY DH is pretty tall (6'1") and it was pretty tight with him driving even with the SR in the center (which actually dissuaded him from getting a Jetta wagon) but my parents are pretty short so it normally isn't an issue. I think unless you are pretty small, you would find the Snugride in a passenger position a tight fit.

Thx so much for this info - really glad to hear that the Snugride fits *tight* in the Jetta Wagon, as your dad's is the _exact_ car we have ('03 turbo wagon, that is).

That's what I'm concerned about - that my wife's going to be uncomfy w/the the SR in place behind her ... she's ~5'6", but likes her xtra legroom ;) Dang....guess we shoulda sprung for the Passat after all :( (just didn't want to get such a large car, living in SF, y'know?)

Funny that you guys have the Outback, incidentally - when I was shopping for a car several months ago I _really_ wanted an Outback (mostly for the AWD) ... alas, the base engine seemed somewhat anemic, and they only offered the 6cyl w/automatic tranny - I may have been about to become a dad, and may have been looking to buy (gasp!) a station wagon .... but wasn't _quite_ ready to throw in the towel completely and buy an _automatic_ ;) (heh...luckily, the wife felt even more strongly about this than I did!)

If you guys thought the Jetta was too small, though, I'm surprised you ended up w/an Outback - I'd have thought the Outback's rear seat dimensions were similar to (if not smaller than?) the Jetta's??


I have an app't with the CHP to check my Snugride in the Subaru on Friday (also in the center using the 2 inner outboard LATCH anchors) so if they think it is _not_ safe, I will post again.

Yes, that would be GREAT! Please do!! Who did you contact to make this appt, btw ... wondering who in SF offers this service; is there a charge for it?

Thanks again for sharing your experiences - really helps us out!!

- Ali

[lilye13]

Glad I could help a little. We chose our snugride for the special breathable fabric because we found ourselves relocated out here in oh so sunny Scottsdale ( from Palo Alto!:>) and we knew heat is actually a major issue especially with a baby due in the summer. I can't even begin to describe how unbelievably HOT it was here,. Anyhooo. as far as 'liking'the car seat, we love the extra padding, felt the material was going to be a plus but honestly couldn't tell and well, you should really ask the lil' guy how HE liked it and well......he was none to pleased with it. Now would he be pleased with any car seat- we'll never know.(he's our first). But all he would do till from the beginning till about Thanksgiving was cry and cry. And of course all we had heard was how babies LOVE the car seats, the position being so 'womblike', the motion of the car etc. Was it him , was it the car seat, neither , both>>??? He has gotten much better. He doesn't freak out -every- time we go out but now he has begun to outgrow it anyhow.(sigh). So now we are on to seriously researching the 'next' step in car seats. ugh. Now that's confusing! Does it ever end? And as far as the whole car thing, it is a tight fit I am sorry to say and I loved my Jetta. Either way you have to adjust the seat whether you place it in the middle or the side. But once we realized just how small the whole car had gotten with baby and the gear, we went looking for one with abigger back seat,( and my lease is coming to an end soon). We actually started with VW , Jetta , wagon, Passat and Toureg, and found the dimensions of the back seat very minor. My husband found that most cars in that size/class have the same back seat space. SO we ended up with the Volvo for safety and space and as a combo replacemnt for his truck and my Jetta. We are looking into the Prius to counterbalance it and have read that it is actually a midsize car with a back bigger than the Jetta et al. Of course they are hard to find and back ordered. But I digress....sorry. Also I am not sure it the car seat is larger than most of the new ones but it is certainly bigger than past ones from what we see when we are out. Just out of curiousity what stroller are you going with? I really do recmmend the Universal car seat carrier, i was really surprised how much I ened up using it and how much I enjopyed it. It's easy to fold, doens't take up too much trunk space, and moves easily-one handed when needed and has a great size basket. Anyhow, good luck!

[kwc]

Wow! I am _so_ hijacking this thread!
Elizabeth, I grew up in Palo Alto and my parents still live there (with their Jetta wagon!).
Sorry your little man didn't like the Snugride... our DD loves hers, but maybe she would be happy in any car seat, too... we are also starting to research convertibles but DD is pretty small (13 1/2 lbs and just a few weeks younger than your son) so we are hoping to keep her in the Snugride, until, say, the prom?

Karen

[kwc]

Zoiks, you'd better not tell me what part of the city you live in! ;)

CHP is on 8th St, check seatcheck.org for phone number... leave a message and they'll ccall back. I don't think there is any charge. Was also going to try Daly City PD if they didn't call back... but don't bother calling the guy listed for SFPD on the website... called him numerous times and never got a call back.

Funny how we all end up looking at the same cars... here in my (small garage) area of SF, I've noticed a lot of Outbacks and VW wagons and Volvo wagons.
We actually had thought for a couple years that we'd buy a Passat, but have a number of friends that have electrical problems with their Passat so I was not ready to deal with the reliability issue, even if only by anecdotal evidence (in contrast, my bro has Subaru Legacy manual AWD wagon with over 200,000 miles that has never needed major engine service).
DH _loves_ the way the Passat looks and wanted that or a low end BMW, but this was supposed to be _my_ car and I commute to the Peninsula and park in a county lot, so reliability and "non-flashiness" were important to me. However, DH still was not about to get a _wagon_ unless the word AWD or Turbo were attached... so we looked at my dad's Jetta and the Outback (my dream car!).
Agree with you about the anemic 4-cyllinder Outback. Despite the space issue, DH strongly preferred the interior and drive of the turbo Jetta, until we drove the 6-cylinder Outback (with leather, hahaha... can you tell this is our first new car?) which we ended up getting. I am a wimp... with all the freeway commuting/ stop&go/ hill parallel parking I do, I actually preferred the automatic so it wasn't a problem getting the 6-cylinder. However, as my brother points out, maybe with the 4-cylinder, I might not have damaged that fire hydrant!!!!! :P

Can't tell you about the actual rearseat dimensions... but we brought DD in her Snugride on test drives with us, and found there to be more room with the Outback. It is a tighter fit in our garage, though. However, if you can get the SR in the center of your Jetta, even if your wife likes her legroom, it prob won't be a problem... I am 5'4" and it wasn't an issue for me.

Hope you like your Jetta... my dad loooooves his... when he called yesterday asking how to take out the base, I asked him why he didn't just take my mom's 5-series BMW sedan. "Because I want to take MY car!!!!!"

BTW, did you get the Bugaboo? If your wife needs more convincing, you guys should hang around Day One in Laurel Heights (esp. during the 0-3 and 3-5 month new parent classes)... I was there once and there were _3_ that were parked or came through in a 1 hour period!!!! Other than that, I can't help you... don't have that one!

Karen

ETA: Just wanted to let you know, we never got the seat officially checked in the Jetta as it is my dad's but it does not budge at all. But, I think that many of the Volkswagen dealerships (inc. Sunnyvale, where he got his) have seat checkers on site.

[murpheyblue]

We installed our Snugride in the center of the backseat of our '03 Passat wagon. We had it checked by the certified people at the Orinda firestation and that's where they said it should be. They used the LATCH under the right and left rear seats to install it. I didn't want it on either side because of the airbags.

Ali

[netarc]

>CHP is on 8th St, check seatcheck.org for phone number...
>leave a message and they'll ccall back. I don't think there
>is any charge.

Thanks for the tip - I called and talked to a helpful officer, who's going to call me back w/an early Feb appt.


>However, if you can get the SR in the
>center of your Jetta, even if your wife likes her legroom, it
>prob won't be a problem... I am 5'4" and it wasn't an issue
>for me.

I think we'll try this, then ... after confirming w/VW and Graco, of course. Then I'll have the seatbelt tech check my installation and sign off ... that should be enough due diligence, I'm guessing :)


>Hope you like your Jetta... my dad loooooves his... when he
>called yesterday asking how to take out the base, I asked him
>why he didn't just take my mom's 5-series BMW sedan. "Because
>I want to take MY car!!!!!"

Heh...I like it very much, surprisingly! I previously had a VW GTI, and thought I'd miss it oh so much, particularly since I was buying not just a Jetta, but a Jetta _wagon_ ... ugh! As far as I was concerned, just one step away from faux wood side-panels ;)

But as it turns out the Jetta is quite peppy, and the "sport supension" actually allows it to handle better than my old GTI! (though I am considering adding a rear tie-bar to help reduce sway)


>BTW, did you get the Bugaboo? If your wife needs more
>convincing, you guys should hang around Day One in Laurel
>Heights (esp. during the 0-3 and 3-5 month new parent
>classes)... I was there once and there were _3_ that were
>parked or came through in a 1 hour period!!!! Other than
>that, I can't help you... don't have that one!

No, not yet - as the baby's not due for another ~4 weeks, and we have a freebie Graco to use for the time being (sigh...let it not come to that!), I've decided to defer the decision for ~1 month, until a) the Zooper '04 models are released, and b) I find out how much of a bonus my company gives me for '03 .... hahahaha :)

[netarc]

Hi, folks...so I finally installed the SR and got it checked out - you can read the details at this thread

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=13&topic_id=13084&mesg_id=13084