Question Convertible for '08 Subaru Forester

Annarella · Oct 24, 2011

My 8 months old daughter is growing out of her infant car seat, and we are trying to find a good convertible to fit RF in the ridiculously tiny backseat of our '08 Subaru Forester.

Daughter is the long and slender type. Dad is tall and likes the driver seat as far back as possible. I would like to be able to sit in the front passenger seat some days and in the backseat next to daughter other days. I'm not that big and don't mind being crammed in a small space as long as it's safe.

I have read that the Cosco Scenera is a good, affordable option, but we looked at it at Walmart, and it looks very cheap and hard. Isn't it uncomfortable for the kids? Any experiences with that? And is it really safe?

Then we looked at the Britax Marathon 70. It looks great and comfy but the prize :-O

Can anyone suggest other affordable options that for sure will fit in a second generation (2003–2008) Subaru Forester.

Kaitsmom · Oct 24, 2011

You could look at the Britax Roundabout 55, Target usually has them. Can you measure your daughters torso? Sit her against the wall and measure floor to shoulder. Britax seats are shorter shelled tgen other brands. You can try the Graco MyRide as well. The Scenera is a good seat, but very basic no frills, and takes up alot of front to back room.

Cryssy Jane · Oct 24, 2011

The graco myride fits beautifully with both front seats all the way back in a second gen forester!!! With both seats all the way back there's about a cm of room between the front vehicle seats and the back of the car seat. Super easy install that's rock solid as well.

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Annarella · Oct 24, 2011

Kaitsmom said:
You could look at the Britax Roundabout 55, Target usually has them. Can you measure your daughters torso? Sit her against the wall and measure floor to shoulder. Britax seats are shorter shelled tgen other brands. You can try the Graco MyRide as well. The Scenera is a good seat, but very basic no frills, and takes up alot of front to back room.

Thanks I'll take a look at the Roundabout 55 and Graco MyRide.
She's only 8 months now so her height isn't a problem yet, but i would like to RF as long as possible and i believe she will grow out of seat by height before weight. The Rondabout is shorter than Marathon, right? It would be nice with a height comparison for the car seats, even if it's just an estimate because of body differences.

Cryssy Jane said:
The graco myride fits beautifully with both front seats all the way back in a second gen forester!!! With both seats all the way back there's about a cm of room between the front vehicle seats and the back of the car seat. Super easy install that's rock solid as well.

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Thanks a lot. It look like a nice seat. Are the other 2 seat belts in the back still usable? (I have heard that some seats cover them up)

Cryssy Jane · Oct 24, 2011

Annarella said:
Thanks a lot. It look like a nice seat. Are the other 2 seat belts in the back still usable? (I have heard that some seats cover them up)

This is the only picture I could find. Hope that helps.

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Kaitsmom · Oct 24, 2011

Remember, installing with a sestbelt means you can get seats closer to the door, leaving more room for the center, if you are going to have passengers. Does your Forester allow center LATCH? Its one of those things I never remember

Cryssy Jane · Oct 24, 2011

Kaitsmom said:
Remember, installing with a sestbelt means you can get seats closer to the door, leaving more room for the center, if you are going to have passengers. Does your Forester allow center LATCH? Its one of those things I never remember

No center latch. Subaru itself doesn't allow center latch. And remember even though you are far from it at this point that Subaru allows latch to 60lbs car seat plus child.

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Annarella · Nov 1, 2011

Tether anchor '08 Subaru Forester?

After way too much reading and trying out car seats, I decided to buy the Britax Marathon 70. The Graco was too bulky with all the cupholders, and I never liked the Scenera, especially not after reading how it tends to tip over when taking a sharp turn.

So.. a Marathon 70 seatbelt-installed RF in the middle backseat. But what to do with the tether anchor? Right now it's just dangling down. I read the car owners manual back to back but didn't find out where to anchor it RF. What to do?

Oh, and any comments on the installation are appreciated. I can't find a car seat checkup event in Seattle until next year

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Kaitsmom · Nov 1, 2011

Im pretty sure the black seat protecter needs to come out from under the car seat.

Athena · Nov 1, 2011

We have the same model of car, tall DH, and used Britax convertibles in it (both classic and new generation). We found the classic seats puzzled great in the middle between the front seats so that they could still be all the way back and that the new generation let us move our passenger seat back a couple inches when installed outboard behind it. (We never tried the new gen in the middle because we had two kids by then.) We loved our RA55 and our 3.25 yo just outgrew it by height (but she is as tall as an average 4 yo). I hope your MA70 works out as well for you!

As far as rear face tethering, you use the D-ring and anchor it to one of the front seat legs, where it is bolted to the floor of the car. We pulled the plastic covers off so that the leg is exposed and easier to access. if it is not clear in your manual, Britax has lots of great install videos on their site and I think they have one of this. I would take a pic to show you, but like I said, she recently outgrew it so it is gone. I hope this helps! LOVE the pic of your little one. So cute!

Annarella · Nov 1, 2011

Kaitsmom said:
Im pretty sure the black seat protecter needs to come out from under the car seat.

Thanks, I had no idea.

Athena said:
As far as rear face tethering, you use the D-ring and anchor it to one of the front seat legs, where it is bolted to the floor of the car. We pulled the plastic covers off so that the leg is exposed and easier to access. if it is not clear in your manual, Britax has lots of great install videos on their site and I think they have one of this. I would take a pic to show you, but like I said, she recently outgrew it so it is gone. I hope this helps! LOVE the pic of your little one. So cute!

Thanks. I have looked all over Britax' website but can't find any videos about tethering RF.

Am I supposed to anchor it to the rail of one of the front seats? Wouldn't that pull the car seat to the side? Or is there a rail in the middle also? I understand that you can't show me the installation, but maybe you can point out the spot I'm supposed to anchor it to?

Qarin · Nov 1, 2011

Re: Tether anchor '08 Subaru Forester?

Annarella said:
Oh, and any comments on the installation are appreciated. I can't find a car seat checkup event in Seattle until next year

http://www.800bucklup.org/carseat/inspections.asp

No regular events in Seattle proper, but if you look at South King County, Highline Hospital's 3rd Friday is November 18- Burien is not impossibly far from Seattle...

Or you can call WendyTThomas- she's listed there and is on here, or Crystal Stegman (eastside), also from here.

wendytthomas · Nov 1, 2011

There's also an event at Evergreen on Saturday. I'll be working it, I don't know if Crystal is as well.

And yes, I do appointments in Seattle. Cryssy's across the lake.

Oh, and as for the tether:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2upADev-UrM"]Installing a Rear-Facing Tether Connector Strap (D-Ring) - YouTube[/ame]

Wendy

Cryssy Jane · Nov 1, 2011

wendytthomas said:
There's also an event at Evergreen on Saturday. I'll be working it, I don't know if Crystal is as well.

And yes, I do appointments in Seattle. Cryssy's across the lake.

Oh, and as for the tether:

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2upADev-UrM

Wendy

Yep! I'll be there too

I'm in the Bellevue area but the bf is in northgate area so I'm over there a lot more these days.

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Annarella · Nov 2, 2011

wendytthomas said:
There's also an event at Evergreen on Saturday. I'll be working it, I don't know if Crystal is as well.

And yes, I do appointments in Seattle. Cryssy's across the lake.

Yay, I might be able to make it there Saturday.

wendytthomas said:
Oh, and as for the tether:

Installing a Rear-Facing Tether Connector Strap (D-Ring) - YouTube

Wendy

Thanks, that looks easy

But is it okay to tether to the side like that when the seat is in the middle of the backseat?

And how important is tethering anyways? Does it really make the seat safer in a crash, or is it just a "gimmick" that makes the parents feel better?

wendytthomas · Nov 2, 2011

Annarella said:
Yay, I might be able to make it there Saturday.

Ask for Wendy or Crystal to be pointed out.

You'll get whoever is next available, but we can at least come by and take a look.

But is it okay to tether to the side like that when the seat is in the middle of the backseat?

Yup. Even if you put it on the side you'd be tethering off center.

And how important is tethering anyways? Does it really make the seat safer in a crash, or is it just a "gimmick" that makes the parents feel better?

The great unknown. Britax likes it, and there appears to be at least a benefit in side impacts (both with a study and anecdotally). I've used tethered seats, untethered seats, and seats with antirebound bars. I think any rear facing seat is safe, and part of what you're buying with the Britax is the ability to tether rear facing.

Wendy

Annarella · Nov 3, 2011

wendytthomas said:
Ask for Wendy or Crystal to be pointed out. You'll get whoever is next available, but we can at least come by and take a look.

I called Evergreen, but they don't have any more spots, so I have to find another date/place.

wendytthomas said:
Yup. Even if you put it on the side you'd be tethering off center.

The great unknown. Britax likes it, and there appears to be at least a benefit in side impacts (both with a study and anecdotally). I've used tethered seats, untethered seats, and seats with antirebound bars. I think any rear facing seat is safe, and part of what you're buying with the Britax is the ability to tether rear facing.

okay, thanks.

wendytthomas · Nov 3, 2011

Cryssy and I do private checks as well.

PM one of us if you're interested.

Wendy

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