So we had our new DC and WZ checked by our CPS tech

[LisaD_MomtoEmily]

He said I did a great job on the DC in my 96 Corolla (yay me!!!!!)

I asked for special help with the WZ in my 98 Altima which, to get tightly belted and tethered, I knew was at a much greater angle than 45 degrees. After studying the install and reading in the manual, he said that the way the Altima is built, the WZ base is almost too big for the middle position. We had to loosen the tether to fix the angle such that the tether is not that taut and almost non-operational. He then re-tightened the lap installation to the way I had it when I brought it to him, it moves about an inch or so in either direction--he said it's adequate but I think he and I both know it's not a "great" install. He said I could move it to one of the sides or turn it front facing, none of which I wished to do. So I left it as it is. I asked him if it is safe/ok, and he said it is, but left me with the impression that it's just not ideal.

Has anyone encountered this with a Nissan Altima and a Britax?

Should I leave it the way it is?

Is it safer to drive around in the Corolla w/perfect DC install than in the Nissan Altima with WZ less-than-perfect install? My husband insists that the Altima is safer because it's bigger and heavier than the Corolla. He fears that the Corolla is too small compared to the vast # of SUV's now on the road and wants me to use the Altima. Can anyone, esp. a tech, shed some light on these questions?

Thank you so much.




Lisa D.
SAHM to Emily Rose born 6/22/04

[Joolsplus2]

Get out a ruler...is your WZ really moving a whole inch side to side or front to back at the belt path? Or is it just a little more wiggly than you'd like? If it's less than an inch, I'd just leave it and use the Altima (not sure about it particularly, but any seat with a hump can be "like that"...maybe a rolled towel, even if you don't need it for recline, would stabilize it a little more?).
If the Altima really does do better in crashes and is heavier, www.iihs.org then you'd probably rather be in that, yeah.
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kijip]

I don't think the Toyota is less safe than that Nissan. Other other hand, the Toyota is not any safer than the Nissan.

In frontal crashes (the most common), the Nissan Altima gets a marginal rating and the Toyota Corolla gets an acceptable (a higher) rating. The ratings are, from highest to lowest: Good, Acceptable, Marginal and Poor. Toyotas are well built and I have no worries about driving Toby around in ours (well no worries above and beyond my fear of cars that led me to become a Tech and WALK many places in the first place!). Both the Altima and the Corolla get low ratings for lateral (side) impacts unless you have side airbags. We have a 98 Toyota with side airbags (but that is moot for Toby since they are only in front) and I figure we are good to go.

To get the seat rock-solid in the Nissan I would consider moving to the outboard position. We had to do this in my Corolla due to a seat hump on our model year and that is why I picked the Wizard!

Heavier car does not always equal safer car. Today's small cars are pretty safe. The kids in the SUVs are in bigger cars but are at increased rollover risk. So its a trade-off.

Using the Toyota for the solid center installation would be a perfectly reasonable solution, as would using the Altima. I'm no help, am I?!

[LisaD_MomtoEmily]

Katie, and Jools, thanks. You are both a big help.

Since we have no idea what type of accident we would theoretically have, it is really impossible to gauge which car is safer. I will try the ruler before using the Nissan, in the meantime, I've been driving the Corolla (short trips--groceries, park, etc.)

I'm glad it's the Wizard that's in the Nissan, for greater side-impact protection.

Thanks for your generous help!

Lisa D.
SAHM to Emily Rose born 6/22/04