Subaru Legacy '95 and Britax Boulevard Car Seat

[Unregistered]

I just bought a Britax Boulevard car seat that I'd really like to use in my 1995 Subaru Legacy Station Wagon. Ideally, I'd like to install it in the middle of the back seat as is recommended, but the buck on the seatbelt bends at the point where it is threaded through the car seat -- which Britax specifically states is not a proper fit. Do I have to install the seat by a window instead, or is there a way to use the middle belt properly? Has anyone had experience installing this or some other Britax in the '95 Legacy Station Wagon. Thanks!

[twokidstwodogs]

Older Subaru center buckle stalks are a royal pain.....

You can twist the buckle stalk up to three times to help shorten the belt. That may not be enough to get a good fit, in which case, you're better off putting the seat outboard.

[Defrost]

This is a lap-only seat belt, right?

You can twist the buckle stalk (the "female" end of the seat belt) up to three times, which will shorten it and usually pull the latchplate (the "male" end) down out of the carseat's beltpath.

OR you can flip the latchplate over (180 degrees) and buckle it "upside down." This will allow it to stay locked.

Either method may make it harder to install the seat; it helps to have a helper. It definitely should be possible, though!

[twokidstwodogs]

It definitely should be possible, though!

Maybe not. In my 99 Forester, it was necessary to twist 4.5 times to get a really tight center fit with the buckle out of the belt path on both a Snugride and Roundabout. (At the time, I was under the mistaken impression that you could twist up to six times safely.) Not sure about how different the 95 Legacy is, though.

ETA: It was not possible to get the buckle all the way through the belt path. But perhaps the Boulevard's belt path is different. I own MAs too, but can't remember how I had them installed in the center of the Forester.

[Defrost]

Hmm... if it's that long, is it possible to pull it all the way into the belt path? That is acceptable, too, as long as it's all the way in and not cocked on the edge. I can see that being hard with the Blvd base being so high, though.