Vent High end cars, crappy seats

mlohry

New member
Yep, I'm stepping on some toes here and I'll duck, but why is that I see these high dollar, high class cars with crap seats in them all the time?! It happens way too often! Just today a friend who I'd consider well off on FB posted an old junk seat with her DD sleeping in it. Really she could afford any seat and still baby rides in an old seat! Ok done with rant.
 
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laurengt

Active member
I see that all the time and am confused too. Different priorities maybe or... I suppose a myriad of things could be going on. Its definitely frustrating to see!

I do enjoy seeing older, junky cars with high end seats. My car isn't junk but it's 11 years old and DH was rocking a '99 Buick until 6 months ago... Both with Radians. I always see this old Oldsmobile at the grocery store and they have new Britax seats (marathon, I think, and a frontier). I smile when I see these anomalies.
 

Brianna

New member
I don't understand it. My aunt has some flashy loaded SUV with all the bells and whistles that she just loves to show off... and her toddler is riding in her older sister's expired Evenflo convertible- it will probably be outgrown by the little girl's 3rd birthday too :(
 

Baylor

New member
I don't get this either. I care about my kids comfort not just their safety. I try and buy then good car seats with cushion that are cool looking.

I am always amazed at what people do with their money..
 

jjordan

Moderator
Right now our 97 Subaru wagon has a Prosport and two Radians in it... Pretty sure the car seats are worth more than the car!

Around here old, expired car seats are pretty common, but fancy new cars are not. It makes it easier to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they're doing the best they can...
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
My cars are not high end, but my daughter likes her $13 Literiders better than her $$ Olli. I got a really nice rental (dumb luck) when someone backed into me, and she rode in her Literider in it.
 

Mags462

New member
most people around here at least just know nothing.... they think the Argos at Target IS the top of the line because its the most expensive thing on the shelf..... people just aren't exposed to all the options. I know i personally had NO clue about what's out there. I have never seen a non Evenflo, Britax, or Graco seat in my area (well Chrissy doesn't count! ;))..... people ask me all the time what DS3 is riding in (a Radian or a TF) because they think they look cool and have never seen one.

But yes, in general i find people don't want to spend a lot on seats because the benefits of the higher end seats aren't really ever properly explained.... and i will be the first to admit that the #1 reason i prefer "nicer" seats is for the easier installs!!!! Oh my gosh - i still have a scar where that stupid chase would dig in to my hand when trying to install it! :mad:

And Okie is the capital of the 25K shack with the 55K mega truck in the driveway :rolleyes:
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Because often high end cars are older people who have earned and saved and retired, and then they have a seat in there that they don't use that often and don't need to spend a lot of money on for when their grandkid comes to visit.

Not always, but enough.

All carseats pass the same testing. All cars don't pass the same tests. It kind of makes sense.

Wendy
 

Baylor

New member
My cars are not high end, but my daughter likes her $13 Literiders better than her $$ Olli. I got a really nice rental (dumb luck) when someone backed into me, and she rode in her Literider in it.

Yeah, thats different. My son has a literider too because it worked best for him but it was not filthy and worn..

To me Im thinking of the really nasty seats.. Not necessarily cheap, because There are cute sceneras but just look like they were picked off the side of the road..
 

mlohry

New member
wendytthomas said:
Because often high end cars are older people who have earned and saved and retired, and then they have a seat in there that they don't use that often and don't need to spend a lot of money on for when their grandkid comes to visit.

Not always, but enough.

All carseats pass the same testing. All cars don't pass the same tests. It kind of makes sense.

Wendy

I totally agree with this, that seats have to pass the same tests, but what I'm talking about is badly expired, nasty seats. That's what I'm seeing :(
 

kam1011

New member
It is definitely a matter of priorities. To all of us on here, carseats are important lifesaving devices. To many, carseats are required by law and as soon as they can not be bothered with them, they get rid of them. Why buy an expensive seat when there's a seat for $39 at Walmart? Then you have more money for that Hawaiian vacation...

ETA: I spend money on carseats and Disney vacations, not on home furnishings or lots of new clothes...
 

nevaehsmommy

New member
And Okie is the capital of the 25K shack with the 55K mega truck in the driveway :rolleyes:

Ok this made me laugh. Thank you.

My grandma lives in Afton and on the way to her house I see these really sad looking houses but with out fail they all have a nice boat and even nicer truck in the side yard.
 

Phineasmama

New member
I have wanted to say this SO many times and was afraid to LOL!!

I was at the Kohl's Safety Center here one day, looking at seats and chatting with their tech dude. This woman came in, hair done all nice, nails freshly manicured, super nice obviously expensive clothes, big leather Coach purse that looked brand new....

She chose the cheapest Evenflo convertible they have, because "she just couldn't see herself spending that much". DIRECT QUOTE.

Now, I know that Evenflo seat is totally safe and whatnot, but she didn't even consider specs, height and weight, heck she didn't even care about the COLOR of the dang seat! All she cared about was getting the cheapest thing she could get. I was completely and totally mystified.

Also I have a friend who is extremely intelligent, is not poor, but is EXTREMELY thrifty, to a fault. She has her precious little girl (who should be RF) in one of those awful Cosco high back "harnessed booster" seats. I know she bought it because it was the cheapest thing available. I wish she would have spent a little extra, JUST THIS ONCE, to make sure her daughter is safe for the next couple years.
 

Phineasmama

New member
Why buy an expensive seat when there's a seat for $39 at Walmart? Then you have more money for that Hawaiian vacation...


I understand that rationale for most people, but I also don't understand why you would willingly deal with a Scenera, if you can afford otherwise, just because you don't care that much about car seats. I mean that thing is a complete pain in the butt to install, has NO padding whatsoever, I had one and the cover was always falling off and the stupid continuous harness was enough to drive me absolutely insane. And I bought the thing before I knew ANYthing about car seat safety or ERF.
 

mamakc

Active member
If it helps restore faith in humanity, I will share that yesterday I saw an early 90's honda sedan with a rf proride, pro sport, and vivo in it. Not confident they were installed/fitting properly, who knows, but hey--someone out there has priorities, right?

-Krista
DD~5.75~ Diono Monterey/HBturbo
DS~3.75~ FF Radian XTSL/Maestro
DN~2.25~ RF Coccoro
 

cowgirlsmommy

New member
Lol we had a 96 explorer with a radian and kwp in it.
Our 04 elantra now has the kwp and a tfp in it.
My 09 grand caravan has a advocate 70 cs and cruiserfix in it.
 

clmchrissy

New member
most people around here at least just know nothing.... they think the Argos at Target IS the top of the line because its the most expensive thing on the shelf..... people just aren't exposed to all the options. I know i personally had NO clue about what's out there. I have never seen a non Evenflo, Britax, or Graco seat in my area (well Chrissy doesn't count! ;))..... people ask me all the time what DS3 is riding in (a Radian or a TF) because they think they look cool and have never seen one.

But yes, in general i find people don't want to spend a lot on seats because the benefits of the higher end seats aren't really ever properly explained.... and i will be the first to admit that the #1 reason i prefer "nicer" seats is for the easier installs!!!! Oh my gosh - i still have a scar where that stupid chase would dig in to my hand when trying to install it! :mad:

And Okie is the capital of the 25K shack with the 55K mega truck in the driveway :rolleyes:

lol Maggie someone in my neighborhood has Radians!! I almost ran off the road Bc the Primrose cover caught my attention :eek: it wasn't a fancy car either something pretty average.
 

VoodooChile

New member
I don't know how much the "average" parent understands about the difference between high end seats and the more inexpensive seats, honestly. Unless they come here, or manage to find someone at BRU/BBB who actually gives them good information, they probably don't get that the more expensive seats will be THAT much easier to install/use until they've shredded their hands. IF they've even done that, since so many techs have reported back about the high percentage of seats that aren't installed/used correctly. So if the average person's rationale is "a car seat is a car seat", most people aren't going to spend $200-300 for a "fancy" seat (because they might not think they're getting anything more than a plusher cover and a designer name) when they can get something "just as good" for $40. Of course, when their child outgrows the seat at 2-3, when they have trouble installing, etc., they may have buyer's remorse, or not. It depends on how aware, of if they're aware, of higher-end seats, I guess.
 

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