Anyone have older Toyota Solara or other 2 door and fit 2 car seats just fine?

My first thread was here: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=136913 trying to figure out what type of 4 door vehicle to get. Without test driving, I believe I have it narrowed down to Honda CRV, due to safety, reliability, and ease of use for car seats.

So this morning I mentioned I will need to check out a CRV at a dealer today, and DH starts griping at me about buying another vehicle. We basically have no extra $$, I have been out of work since April (on the max for unemployment benefits). What I planned on doing is figuring out what my car is worth and then buying a used vehicle as close to that price as possible.

Now he doesn't want me to do that and thinks it's a 'waste of money'. I told him then we would have to permanently trade vehicles so that HE is the one with the 2 door and 2 car seats in the back, and I get the SUV. He's already complained about his back hurting trying to do car seat in the 2 door the rare times he does drive my car (he's always had back problems). He also blamed me for buying a 2 door! Hello, I bought it at the end of 2001, we weren't married until 04 and DS born in 06!! Not like he had a kid friendly car, when I got pg we sold his MUSTANG for the SUV.

So, am I in the right to want to get another vehicle? Since I cannot get a minivan (too much gas), any vehicle I get I am going to have to have each car seat on the passenger side, instead of being able to have the infant seat in the middle. So for that reason, I feel safer with a vehicle that sits higher up, in case someone slams into the side in an accident

Has anyone here had a Solara or simliar car and fit 2 car seats just fine? I just can't figure out how that would work. DS's Graco Nautilus would have to go behind the driver seat (he is 4yo) and the infant RF would obviously have to go behind passenger seat. At this point I'm not even sure if they would fit like that. He is going to have to check it. The new infant seat is a Graco Snugfit 35.

Winters are horrible here in MN and I just can't figure out trying to get 2 kids into car seats in a 2 door in the winter. The baby car seat would have to sit out in the cold until DS gets strapped in?? Yes I have a cover for the seat.

Do I have ANY other options? This is very upsetting I am due in Feb. and since it is freezing and snowy here in the winter, I wanted to trade vehicles SOON.

Oh honey, I am so with you on this.

I had *four* kids in a 2-door VW Golf. We did that for about 3 years, until we could afford a new car.

When we took the Golf, my youngest would RF in the center at first (later she was FF in the center.) She was in a Marathon, and the top of the shell rested just above the vehicle seat's "shoulders." The two middle boys went on either side, in boosters. It was a tight fit, RF or FF.

The boys could unbuckle themselves, but not buckle because it was so tight. Every time we got in the car, I'd pop both of the front seats forward to give me room in the back. I'd climb in with dd, and sit/crouch over a booster while I got her into her seat and buckled. Then I'd have the boys climb in. I had to squat/crouch on the floor in front of them, leaning on the front seat, and squeeze one hand between the carseat & booster from the front, and the other hand down along the back to buckle. Lather, rinse, repeat for other kid. I called it my daily yoga routine. I also had pretty severe back problems at that time - not really caused by this routine, but it didn't help.

My oldest rode in the front passenger seat. When it was cold or rainy, or DS3 was still at risk of bolting and running off, I'd pile all the kids into the car first thing and shut the doors. It was rather crowded.

So yeah, it's a total PITA, but it's do-able. I'd trade cars with dh in your situation - if he's not transporting the kids very often, it's silly to use the least-convenient vehicle as the "family car."

Thanks! Wow, a Golf is pretty small, isn't it? Well, warned him about not harrassing me about buying a 2 door in the first place (almost 5 years before DS!) and he understands about that now. I also told him that this weekend he needs to check out the carseats in the back of the car. It's going to be a pain because we'll have to remove the Nautilus in order to see if it fits on the passenger side, but it needs to be done. And then set the new baby seat behind the passenger and see how well that fits.

I'm still worried about safety, but apparently money is more important right now

ophelia1920 said:

I'm still worried about safety, but apparently money is more important right now

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Hey, don't beat yourself up. Sometimes it is about money, and that's okay - money buys food and pays rent, and those things are important for kids, too. When we were using the Golf and I was putting my oldest in the front seat (at age 11), we had a minivan, too. We didn't use it very often because the gas mileage was so terrible in it! We needed that money to pay the bills, yk?

Sometimes we can only do what we can with what we've got. What's important is that you're doing what you can. Make sure the seats you have are installed and used correctly, and you're doing a LOT to keep your kids safe, no matter what car they're in. :thumbsup:

My parents have a Solara....its got a decent sized interior, for a 2 door anyway. You might be suprized, they might fit pretty well! I'm totally with ya that a 2 door and carseats is totally awful!!!! But if you have to make do, as far as 2 doors go....the Solara might be one of the most car seat friendly since it is pretty roomy. I'm pretty sure its built on the Camry frame, which means it would have a similar sized interior to a full sized Camry.

All that said.....I still hope your DH agrees to give you the SUV!

Thanks! Yes, the Solara is roomier in the back compared to other 2 doors. We checked the car seats yesterday, and it is do-able but a pain. And if the baby needs to be fiddled with AFTER popping the bucket in the base, whoever is the driver is going to have to crawl around it and into the middle and sit down to do it.

Although I don't know what my job situation will be by the time the baby arrives, I will be doing the majority of driving WITH both kids so it does make sense that I switch to the SUV, especially since I will be recovering from birth and need to be comfortable as possible. Like he is probably more likely just to have DS than both DS and the baby.

My other BIG REALLY BIG concern is having both kids sit on the passenger sides of a vehicle that sits so low. It seems common sense to me that if someone slams into the side of the vehicle, kids are less likely to get hurt if they are sitting higher up, which is one of the reasons I would definitely feel more comfortable in the CRV. Is there any way I can find out crash statistics on things like this? Since it is snowy and slippery here in the winter, cars slam into each other all the time Thanks!

Anyone? Will my kids be just as safe in a lower-to-the-ground sedan type car, as compared to a small SUV that sits up higher? (in regards to any potential side-impact accidents)
Thanks!

In general, it is better to be higher up. The protection beams in doors are designed for a car of similar height hitting it. If the car is higher up, it'll go over the designed impact point. Of course, if you don't have side impact bags, you don't really get much protection either way. Those beams don't provide that much protection. If the new car doesn't have side impact bags, it's really not worth worrying over.