carseat gurus: what to do in my Honda Accord?

Here's the scenario: DD is due in October. I currently have DS#1 (48", 58 lbs) in a Regent, and DS#2 (37", 32 lbs) in the Fisher Price wanna be Marathon (the one they discontinued, I forget the name).

I need to fit the 3 kids across in my 2001 Honda Accord. I'm thinking I need to lose the Regent. :( DS#1 will be 6 years, 3 months when DD comes. DD will go into a Graco Safeseat 32.

Scenario 1: Buy a backless booster for DS#1 (he'll go into the middle, as the least protected, and I don't want visibility issues with a HBB), keep DS#2 in the "Marathon" and DD in the Safeseat. Which backless booster to buy? The Graco Turbobooster is on sale for $19 this week at Target. Is this a good buy? Is this a good seat?

Scenario 2: Buy a HBB booster for DS#1 now, wait for DD to outgrow the Safesat (around 1 year), at which time she will go into the wannabe Marathon, move my DS#2 into the HBB (he'll be around 4.75 years old, but is peanut sized), and buy a backless booster for DS#1 at that time.

What to do? Too many decision!!!! Either way, the three seats will need to fit in the back of the Accord...too expensive to buy a new car.

Thank you thank you thank you if you've followed me this far. Looking forward to everyone's advice

--Jennifer

Hmm, how does DS1 do in a backless? I might think HBB (I don't know that it would obstruct that much more than DS1's head?) - if you get a HB Turbobooster, the back will come off later if a backless is desired.
When DD outgrows the SS1 and takes over the FisherPrice, I might consider getting DS2 a Nautilus or something, especially if he's still a peanut... also, one year seems kinda early to outgrow the SS1 (I've heard 16-18mo. average), although my DS is on the smaller side (we still have room at 19mo.- he's a leggy booger) and I don't know how your kids trend size-wise.

A couple thoughts, based on working three across in DH's 2006 Accord....

1. You most likely will not be able to use a backless booster in the center as there is no headrest there. If you put a booster center, it must be a highback if there is no headrest.

2. Buckling a booster center in a three-across is painful at best and impossible at worst. You also risk the booster child unbuckling the other seats.

I think I would look at getting a Radian for your DS2 and putting that center. That will give you the most room. Since you have lower anchors, you can use them to aid the center install (you can't install with them, but you use them to get it tight and then unhook them after the seatbelt is tight). Then put the SafeSeat outboard on the side where the center seat buckles (probably driver's side) and a highback booster outboard on the other side. You will have to use the seatbelt to install the SafeSeat, but that isn't a big deal. For the booster, I would look at something with decent side impact protection, but not huge, like the Recaro Vivo, or hopefully this summer the new Parkway will be out as well as the Chicco Strada - in your case I would really wait to see if those two come out by the end of summer. When the SafeSeat is outgrown, you can see if the Fisher Price seat will fit next to the Radian RF, or possibly get something narrower if it doesn't.

Good Luck!

O_mom: thanks for the excellent advice! I did not know that backless boosters need to be installed on a seat with a headrest. I just figured since he'd be the least protected, I'd stick him in the center.


Do you mind sharing what three seats you have across in the Accord?

Thanks again,
jennifer

On the backless, you technically don't need one if the head (top of the ears) is still below the top of the vehicle seatback when using the booster. Since you were worried about obstructing vision, that is only a concern if his head is above the top of the vehicle seat, in which case you need a highback booster - kind of a Catch-22. Make sense?

I have had in order of Driver/center/passenger:

RF Roundabout/FF Radian/Parkway
FF Radian/RF Roundabout/Parkway
FF Radian/Ridesafer Travel Vest/RF Roundabout
FF Radian/RF Radian/Parkway
Backless Turbobooster/ FF Marathon/SafeSeat1

Here are some that other people reported from the successful three across thread over at car-seat.org:

-----
2004 Honda Accord

all seatbelt
FF or RF MA/FF Radian 80/FF MA
Snugride/FF Radian 80/ FF MA
SS1/ FF Radian 80/FF MA

snugride, SS1 and MA take up about the same space.
----

2003 Honda Accord

FF Radian
FF Boulevard
FF Radian

All installed with seatbelts.
All tethered

Not checked by tech.

FF Radian
RF Boulevard
RF Scenera

All installed with seatbelts
Radian and Boulevard tethered

Not checked by tech.
----------