Help me chose a car seat for my Saturn SL2!

[choopi]

My dd is 9 months (almost 20 lbs. and 28") and is ready for a convertible car seat. I have a 2001 Saturn SL2. The back seat is tiny. I went to Babies R Us and put in a Britax Marathon to see how it would fit, and the car seat was too high up because of the base. My car has a low roof and it looked like it would be hard to get my dd out of the car without bumping her head.

I have been using a Graco Snugride, which works fine and is secure as long as it's in the middle seat. When it's on the passenger side, it's hard to get it to not slide because of the way the rear seats are inclined towards the middle. I don't have the latch system.

I went ahead and bought a Safety 1st Alpha Omega because it seemed to sit lower, but now I'm second guessing myself! I don't even feel like trying to install it because it's way too cold outside. I should probably give it a chance, but I feel discouraged because it doesn't look like it got great reviews online.

At this point I'm thinking of trying the First Years Tru Fit Convertible Car Seat. Can someone please give me some other recommendations? This decision is driving me CRAZY!!! Thank goodness it's the last big baby purchase I'll have to make for awhile!

[citymama]

We have a Saturn as well (I think the same model) and use the Marathon without any problem. No head bumping issues at all. We LOVE our Marathon.

[KrisM]

DH drives a 2000 Saturn SL2. We've had a RFing Boulevard in the middle without too much trouble. I tried our Radian in the middle for someone here and it worked well, too (RFing). Our first seat was the Scenara.

We currently have only FFing seats in it and put a Boulevard and a Frontier in.

One thing that might help is to remember that at 9 months, the seat can be more upright than for an infant. You'll save front-back room that way.

ETA: Compared to my Malibu, it is harder to get kids in and out of the Saturn because of the roof/door. I would look at the Radian. It was a breeze to install in the middle either RFing or FFing. I could not put it outboard though and get it tight (only tried FFing). But, for one child, having it in the middle would be a great choice.

[AnnieW625]

Someone else here posted that they have Combi Cocorros and love them, and it's a general consensus that for a small seat it's able to keep rear facing longer than the other smaller seats (to past 2). This seat ffing should last past 3 too. Check on car-seat.org for reviews and some photos of kids in this seat.

I'd also look at the True Fit if I were you.

[Swimfreak78]

We have a Saturn SL2 as well. We put DS RF on the passenger side -- only bad part of course is you have to slide the front seat up in order to get the recline right tho as he has grown we have decreased the recline so he is now nearly upright and you can sit in the front seat.

[choopi]

Thanks for all of your feedback! And I thought that choosing a stroller was hard!

[WhiteIris]

Good luck, choopi. For anyone else out there researching this topic, I just want to add that I'm another Britax Blvd owner with a Saturn - a SL1 1999. I agonized about getting the Blvd, wondering if it could possibly fit... but it did. I had my daughter in it RF for about 1 yr (until she turned 2) then FF ever since. RF it was a squeeze, but it definitely fitted!

[jjordan]

Hearing that a Radian seems to install well, I'd definitely recommend that. It has the same seat back height as the marathon, but sits much lower. Also new Radians can stay rearfacing to 40 or 45# (depending on the model), and since rearfacing is the safest way for kids to ride, that is great news!

[choopi]

WhiteIris, Could you tell me a little bit about how it fits both RF and FF? Is it in the center or outboard? Does the front passenger seat have to be all the way forward? Thanks :)


Good luck, choopi. For anyone else out there researching this topic, I just want to add that I'm another Britax Blvd owner with a Saturn - a SL1 1999. I agonized about getting the Blvd, wondering if it could possibly fit... but it did. I had my daughter in it RF for about 1 yr (until she turned 2) then FF ever since. RF it was a squeeze, but it definitely fitted!

[WhiteIris]

WhiteIris, Could you tell me a little bit about how it fits both RF and FF? Is it in the center or outboard? Does the front passenger seat have to be all the way forward? Thanks :)

Oh sure! Both RF and FF it is/was in center. Now, RF it is a squeeze, that's true. The front passenger seat and driver's seat both had to be far forward, but definitely not all the way forward. The back of the carseat pressed up against the front seats somewhat, but that was never a problem.

The trick is to make use of the tether strap (attached to the driver or front passenger seat bases, bolted to the floor) to ratchet the seat down firmly in position. This makes the seat super-secure -- it won't budge, which I felt was so much safer -- but also pulls the back of the carseat way down low so it doesn't obscure your view out the rear window and so you can get your child in and out w/o bumping their heads. :)

I remember when I first placed the seat into the back, but before I had actually installed it I thought "yikes!" this will never work. But it did, and as I say it's all in the tether strap.

I will also add it did take me a few tries to get it just right, using a rolled up towel, I think as well to get the angle correct.

FF was no problem at all. I am still surprised how little room it takes up.

[jjordan]

Just be careful to not pull the head end of the carseat too far down - it needs to have at least a 45* angle with horizontal (ie 45* or more upright than that).

[KrisM]

The trick is to make use of the tether strap (attached to the driver or front passenger seat bases, bolted to the floor) to ratchet the seat down firmly in position. This makes the seat super-secure -- it won't budge, which I felt was so much safer -- but also pulls the back of the carseat way down low so it doesn't obscure your view out the rear window and so you can get your child in and out w/o bumping their heads. :)


Britax has advised not to use the tether to change the angle of the seat. I think this was a year or so ago and I haven't heard they changed it back to where we can do it that way again.

So, try to get the angle right with pool noodles or a rolled up towel and use pull the tether taut.

[WhiteIris]

Britax has advised not to use the tether to change the angle of the seat. I think this was a year or so ago and I haven't heard they changed it back to where we can do it that way again.

So, try to get the angle right with pool noodles or a rolled up towel and use pull the tether taut.

I was not using the tether to change the angle of the seat. But using the tether at all means the seat goes way down from the upright position it is in when you first set it into the back seat of your vehicle. Therefore the seat ends up fitting in a small car once installed *correctly* even though you might not think it will fit when you first see it in the car/take it out of the box. That was my point.