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View Full Version : Which car is safest?



Cheryl
06-17-2001, 10:06 PM
Does anyone know which new cars already meet the tether AND anchor standard for car seats that is set to go into effect next year (I think)? Does anyone know which new cars have built-in child seats? Any recommendations on the best cars to use with certain car seats?

jenny_o
06-23-2001, 03:32 PM
I don't know which cars do meet the new standard, but I can tell you I checked today on the 2001 Mercedes ML320. It does not offer the LATCH system.
The M Class does have an infant seat, available from dealers. It is made by Britax. The only difference between it and the retail version of the Britax seat is that it works with the Mercedes Baby Smart system- the sensor to turn off the front airbag should you decide to put the carseat in the front.

cillakat
06-29-2001, 10:04 AM
the one that fits your vehicle properly, fits your budget, fits your child properly, and is used properly every time. Because of compatibility differences between cars, different carseats may be recommended in different scenarios.

There are currenly about 60-65 2001 model cars available with LATCH anchors. I don't have the list handy, but if you go to the carseat board at parentsplace.com I'd suspect someone there could direct you to it.

There are currently two convertible carseats made that are LATCH compatible - the Cosco Triad and the Fisher Price Safe Embrace II. the Safe embrace one is the same model without latch anchors.

There is a 'compatibility database at www.carseatdata.org You can enter certain carseats or certain cars and find info on the fit. Remember though, that the info is only is as good as the person doing the installation. There are many installations listed as not fitting well, that I've been able to do *very* very well. It could be that the person trying to do the installing didn't know one of the many helpful tricks for getting a proper fit.

Century has a LATCH retrofit kit for their convertible seats...and possibly their infant seats as well. I'm not sure. You could call century to find out. This would add all of the century seats to the list of LATCH compatible carseats.

If the century LATCH retrofit kit works with their carseats, then that would be the only LATCH option for an infant seat...there are currently no others.

Of the century infant seats, the only one I'd purchase is the Avanta 5pt *EX*. Not that they're not all good seats, because they are....but *none* of the other century infant seats have front harness adjustors - and ime, a front harness adjustor is necessary to get a proper harness fit every time.

:)
katherine in atl
[email protected]

Cheryl
07-01-2001, 09:44 PM
Thanks for your very helpful suggestions.

mom@home
07-02-2001, 09:05 AM
The Graco Snugride DX5 also has front harness adjustment.

cillakat
07-02-2001, 09:31 AM
Right, the snugride DX-5 does also have front adjustors, so does the FP SIV, the Britax HWC, the new Peg Perego infant seats and one of the EF infant seats.....but she was talking about century infant seats so I mentioned that the only *century* infant seat with a front adjustor was the Avanta EX


;)
katherine in atl