Rear facing conv seats in a 2004 Subaru WRX Wagon?

Mark

New member
So I hear this is the forum of car seat gurus. I am in some serious need of some car seat magic. It all comes down to the (common?) problem of big car seats, facing rear, and a small back seat. Your mission (please accept it) is to help me find a car seat that will meet our needs. The hardware involved:

1) (the most important part) The most wonderful little boy in the world (yes, I am biased)- he's 13-months old, currently weighs in at around 26lbs, I don't know his exact hight, but he is tall (95th percentile for height at the 1-year checkup), and he has a big (adorable) head (also in the 90s for percentile).

2) The current seat- he is currently in a Chicco KeyFit 30. He still has some room to grow in it, but we are definitely not wanting to be caught off guard if he has a sudden growth spurt. His current seat necessitates the passenger seat being pushed up to the point where it is uncomfortable for me to be in the passenger seat (almost as cramped as a coach airplane seat, with a super recliner in front of you..). i.e.- my knees are pushed against the dash. My wife seems to do OK- must be nice having shorter legs..

3) The car- a 2004 Impreza WRX wagon. Yes, that fun, sporty little thing that looked like the perfect car for our lifestyle. Great for camping, the dog, throwing our bikes on the rack, etc... Turns out it is not so good for car seats. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to be Mr. Moneybags, and just say "lets buy a nice new car," it isn't going to happen.

So, we'd like to find something that he could remain rear facing up to 35-40lbs, AND, I'd like to be able to sit in the passenger seat on those rare occasions where my wife would like to drive ;). So, any tips?
 
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gsdguenter

Well-known member
Well, we sold our WRX when I got pregnant because we couldn't imagine kids fitting in it :p. But, I do sure miss it. Anyway, I would try the Graco MyRide. I can rf to 40 lbs and the shell is not that tall. Another option would be the True Fit, it only goes to 35 lbs., but it has a taller shell.

I've never installed seat in the WRX so I'm not much help, but I can almost guarantee a Radian would NOT fit rfing. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
Oh, and good for you for wanting to rf! We love that here:thumbsup:
 

Maedze

New member
For a child in the 90th percentile for height, go ahead and skip the My Ride. It's a fantastic seat (I have two), but it's really not great for keeping very tall kids rear facing forever.

I agree with the Radian not being a good fit.

The True Fit is a possibility, but I'd rather steer you towards the Safety First Complete Air. The shell is as tall as the True Fits, BUT it can be installed more upright, meaning it takes up less back-to-front space (non-negotiable in your car ;-) ) and it goes to 40 pounds rear facing rather than 35. While 26 pounds is not off-the-charts for a 13 month old, it's certainly no teeny-mini either, and I think you'd be better off with a 40 pound rear facing seat :)
 

gsdguenter

Well-known member
Yeah, the Complete Air would be good. I ave a personal dislike for the seat so I always forget about it, but I am definitely in the minority when it comes to that, so go ahead and try the CA. You'll probably love it :p
 

MySillyKids

New member
Just going to sit here and sulk that we got rid of our 2002 WRX wagon. I loved that thing! Agreed, not the best for carseats. (hence why we traded in our two WRX's for a Honda Odyssey :p)
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
I, too, will sulk. We had to get rid of our STi when my first baby was 2 weeks old. :(

AR000402-1.jpg


Unfortunately, we only had experience with an infant seat in it, no convertibles. Do you have your Keyfit outboard on the passenger side? Could you not put it in the center? We had a Britax Companion in the center of our car and with that infant seat the handle has to be in the lower position, so it took up a lot more room than a Keyfit. I am almost positive you can get your Keyfit in the center with the handle up and still have plenty of room for you and your DW up front.

With convertible seats, you can install them more upright than a 45 degree angle (from vertical) like you need for a newborn. Most seats you can go up to a 30 degree angle, except the First Years True Fit, which only allows for a 35 degree angle. Like Maedze said, this allows for a lot more front-to-back room.

With stats like your baby has, I would steer clear from the Britax convertibles. They have shorter shells, shorter harness slots, and lower weight maximums. You want to get something that is going to keep your little guy rear-facing to at least 2 years, but preferably 3 or 4. I also think the Safety First Complete Air would be a nice place to start. Do you have a Babies R Us nearby or a boutique store that allows you to try out the install with a display model, before you buy?
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
I have a Subaru, too. My son rode rf behind the passenger seat for nearly 4 years, and my 6'4" husband could ride in front of him without eating the dash. :) The day we turned him around I made a big production of sliding my seat back after so long and it moved one click. one. The first thing you need to try is putting the front seat back more upright by a couple of clicks. It may take a ride or two to get used to sitting that way, but it will allow you to slide the seat back farther. I believe it's safer that way because not only are you a better distance from the airbag, the seat back is more fully behind you to absorb more of the crash force.

Ds was in a Marathon (which I actually wouldn't buy for a child your son's age and size, though they're being redesigned and may be more of a contender later this summer), but I can even get a Radian upright enough to leave the front seat usable. It's not nearly as far back as some other seats, but not all the way forward, either. The Radian also works in the center of my car - the top of the shell puzzles between the front seats. The Marathon and Radian are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of how much space they take rf, so I'm confident there's a seat out there that will work for you.

I'd recommend finding a local store where you can try some seats in your WRX before you make your decision. If that's not possible, order from a store with free returns, return insurance, or local brick and mortar returns. No matter which seat you choose, it will probably be better than an infant seat. Convertible seats can generally be more upright than infant seats - especially for older children with good head control.
 

jessi f

New member
I dont have any experience with your car but I do drive a tiny little SUV. :rolleyes: We love our Complete Air in it. It's installed rearfacing behind the drviers seat and my 6'5'' husband can still drive comfortably. We could have never done that with our infant seat. There is barely enough legroom in the backseat for an adult to sit back there if that gives you an idea of how small it is. My daughter has a True Fit and it works pretty well too but I keep her behind the passenger bc her seat does need a little more room. It would probably work in the middle if it was the only seat back there.
 

wavegal

New member
Have you tried the Evenflo Triumph Advance? Even you could probably get the momentum65(released tom). I know of quite a few people fitting the ETA in Subarus!
 

Mark

New member
Thanks for all the great tips everyone! It looks like the safety first complete Air has the best chance of fitting. Lucky for me it is on sale at one of the big online retailers, and I have free shipping + free return shipping if it doesn't fit. I think we'll give it a try.

One question- does anyone know the difference between the models? I am seeing Complete Air O2, LX, and SE? Any thoughts on the differences?
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
One question- does anyone know the difference between the models? I am seeing Complete Air O2, LX, and SE? Any thoughts on the differences?

Not a lot of difference. The LX features a 4-position recline. along with the SE which also features premium fabrics with custom embroidery.
 

Cryssy Jane

New member
I have both the o2 and the lx models (in a subaru none the less) I like the lx for my younger daycare kiddos as I can never seem to get a full infant recline with the o2 without a large pyramid of noodles, so in that respect the base is easier.

Although at 13 months old, your child has head control already and would probably like it better a little more upright. The o2 model instals upright naturally and is great for mid-older rear facers!

Like I said, I have both models and really don't prefer one over the other.
 

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