Best seat for a 2010 Dodge Caravan

I will soon be purchasing a car seat for my DD. We just purchased a 2010 Dodge Caravan. She will be in the second row captain seat. What car seat would be the best for this van? Does it matter what side of the van she is on?

I am looking at the following: Radian XT, Graco myride 65 or Britax Marathon. Cost is not an issue I just want the seat that will work the best and last for the longest amount of time/ My DD is small 15lbs. @ 9 months.

Hi! I'm sure someone with a better feel for your specific vehicle will be along soon, but in the meantime I wanted to ask whether your DD is tall for her age/weight or more average/short. The MyRide and the Marathon are about the same for stats, but tend to have a shorter shell than some other options like the Radian and a couple of seats not on your list, the Complete Air and the TrueFit. For a lighter but taller child, a seat with a tall shell is a better choice.

In general, the Marathon does not get recommended around here right now because it has a low, 30-lb limit for RF, and that combined with lower slots/shorter shell, less leg room for RF (not a real issue but why not get more) and a higher pricetag makes it a less desirable choice. Britax is putting out new seats sometime this fall which should be better in terms of weight limits but the current models are not as good for ERF. If your child happens to be petite, though, she may have plenty of room to RF in this seat to a good FF age (ideally 3-4yo) if you feel you love it after considering the options.

Another consideration if you plan on having more children to pass seats down to may be the life to expiry for the seats. The MR and MA are both 6 years. The Radian and CA are both 8 years, and the TF is 7 years.

It doesn't matter which side of the van the seat is on in terms of safety, but it may make a difference in convenience and fit.
- Are there any other kids in the van? Where do they sit? What age/wt and what do they ride in (and are you able to pass down an older seat and upgrade the older child instead)?
- Which side fo you load from? I like being able to access all the kids from curb side - I unbuckle from driver's side then have everyone climb out the pass side.
- If you need more room for the driver's seat to go back, put the seat in the pass side.
- If you have advanced air bags and need to be able to touch/brace a Radian to make it fit, you may need to put it on the driver's side which usually doesn't have the same sensors that make the pass side unable to brace.

Hope that helps!

Thank you. I'm thinking I want to put her on the passenger side.

As far as height goes she was 26.5" at 8 months so about 50%. I'm thinking the MY Ride 65 should wok for us?

She is my first so its only her that I have to worry about at this point.

The MyRide should work fine. I wouldn't take it off the list. Does she tend to be longer in the leg or torso or about proportional (wearing same size clothes up as down)? I really like the MyRide a whole lot for RF but it seems to not fit so well FF in some vehicles, and it might be a good idea to check it out before you buy. Or, if you don't mind doing so you can pass down or sell the MR when she outgrows it RF (which is what I am doing) and then never mind how it fits FF. It fits well without taking up a huge amount of room. It looks like it's very comfortable and the cupholders come in handy for sippy cups, snacks, small toys, sunglasses, etc. She may be under 40lbs when she outgrow the harness by height in a MR if she remains light but grows taller. If that is the case, though, you can buy a combo seat with higher slots to tide you over.

The Radian would last you longer by height, and of course longer RF. The Radian can be a bit difficult to install in some vehicles, so trying it out is always a great idea. I really like my Radians as well, but I never used them RF.

I like our TF as well.... Am I any help? LOL

Eek, I gotta run.

Thank you! You have been very helpful. I was set to buy the Radian XT until I started reading reviews that said it could be difficult to install which is why I started looking for other options. She is wearing 6 month clothing both tops and bottoms. I am strongly leaning towards the MR now.

Just wanted to chime in that the Radian installs wonderfully in the T&C (and Caravans, since they are sisters).

If possible, I would probably go out to a store or two that carries the seats and test them out. Try DD in them, try adjusting the harness, see which one you like and if there are any you hate. If the store will let you (TRU/BRU and many baby boutiques will), do a test install in the van, try DD in the installed seat and check the adjustments again. Sometimes it's the little quirks that make the difference in whether you will like the seat or not.

HONEYhas3 said:

Just wanted to chime in that the Radian installs wonderfully in the T&C (and Caravans, since they are sisters).

Click to expand...

I have installed my Radians in a few 2007-2010 Caravans and all fit SWIMMINGLY... :thumbsup::twocents:

Okay now I dont know which way to go. Too bad there wasn't one store here that carried both seats! I guess I'm going to see if I can try out each seat and go from there. Thanks for all the help.

Next question is the Radian easy for just anyone to install? I have no idea where I would even go to have it checked in my area.

Well... the Radian can be easy, in some vehicles. And in others, really not so much. At all. It does sound like it is doable in your car from the posts above though.

Are you willing to share where you are located? Maybe there's a tech near you, or we can make store suggestions.