Question 3 across in an Outback

We will soon need to put 3 seats in our 2001 Subaru Legacy Outback. In addition to expecting a newborn, I have a 7.5 year old who weighs about 45 lbs and is currently in a belt-positioning booster base (about to expire) and a 5 year old who weighs about 35 lbs and is in a very wide (22" I believe) 5 point harness seat that can convert to a belt positioning booster. Our back seat is 50" across and does have a hump in the middle, so it's not a flat seat. I have no idea what the latch system is like for rear-facing, as we didn't have this car when my kids were RF. I need to check it out but I'm not sure where to begin.

I am considering the Combi Coccoro for the infant, as it has such a small footprint and seems like it would be easy to use in the middle of the car, as well as it not being so tall that I can't peek over the top of it if necessary.

We are on a tight budget and I can't justify spending $300 on one seat, especially when we need to get 3. I'm content with the Combi booster (base only) for my 7 year old. I am hoping that my 5 year old will be in a booster base in a couple of years, and then whatever seat I buy for him now can be handed down to the baby so that we only really have to buy the booster base for him and then a booster base for baby when he/she is ready for that in several years.

In summary: what do you suggest for the 5 year old, and what experiences have you had with the Coccoro, especially as far as fitting it into a Subaru? And is it unrealistic to think that the 7 y.o. will still be able to reach his buckle to get himself in and out of the car?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences!

Keri

What seat is your five year old in? I don't know of any combination seats that are that wide.

Did your seven year old outgrow the high back portion? We don't recommend backless boosters until a high back booster is outgrown, usually 8-10 years old. If that seat is expiring, I'd buy your seven year old a high back booster if they fit.

So you want to buy a Coccoro for the baby, then move the baby into the five year old's seat in a few years, moving the five year old to a backless booster, then just buy a backless booster for the baby when the combination seat is either outgrown or expires? How old is the seat now, and how long does it last, do you know?

I don't think you're going to be able to fit the combination seat, booster, and Coccoro in your backseat. My guess is that you'll have to buy the five year old and the baby a seat right now. Depends on what the five year old is in. And like I said, buy the seven year old another booster since theirs is expiring. Preferably a high back booster (70% safer).

Wendy

It's probably a lot like our Forester, that middle hump makes it HARD to get a good fit.

I'd probably go w/ a Radian 65 for your 5 YO and a coccoro for your newbie unless your 5 YO is really tall. My 7 YO still fits in his (but he's all legs). I'd get your 7.5 YO a new turbobooster. By the time your 5 YO outgrows the RN, the newbie will be able to be in it and your 7.5 YO will be tall enough for a base only.

That said, I'm not sure what configuration you'd use, but those are by far the narrowest seats available.

Oh, and if you can't do both the Radian and the coccoro, you can put your newbie in a scenera, they are decent seats (not super padded but safe) and are only around $50.