4 kids In a Jetta

I am looking at buying a 2002 Jett's diesel off my friend. For the most part I am going to be by myself driving back and forth to work, But on occasion I will have my kids with me. Their ages are 9, 7,5 and 2. Most of the time the 2 year old wont be with me though, while i drive the other 3 to school. What would be the best scenario for seating and what booster seats/car seats are narrow enough to fit three across the back? Any help would be appreciated, thanks mike

I would say your best bet would be a radian for the 5 year old and 2 bubblebums.

The Radian might install easier with LATCH (which a 2002 Jetta has) but only in the outboard positions. If you do wind up with a Radian just know that you can only install it using the lower LATCH anchors until the child weighs 48 lbs. Over 48 lbs you must install using seatbelt and top tether. The Radian's SuperLATCH feature is only for vehicles made after 9/2005 (basically Model Year 2006 or newer).

How much does your 5 year old weigh? How tall is she/he? What seat does she/he ride in now?

As for the older kids - the BubbleBum is definitely the narrowest booster on the market but it's also very shallow and pricey.

Personally, I would try a Harmony Youth booster (Wal-Mart) or Harmony Cruz booster (Target), or a combination of the 2, first. See if that will do the trick. The Cosco Top Side is a very narrow backless booster too but it has quirky belt routing so just be aware of that. On the Top Side, you have to route the shoulder belt *over* the little armrest which is different than most other boosters.

My daycare lady had a Jetta, not sure what year, but it was older. We fit 2 Maestro outboard and a Scenera in the middle.

Given your 2yo is going to need a seat for awhile and you are always going to have a 3 across. I'd buy the 45# RF one. I'd put it in the middle RF. Then, I'd try 2 Harmony boosters for the oldest two.

When I had all 4, I would put the 9yo in a booster in the front in one Harmony. 7yo in back in Harmony. 5yo in back in High Back TurboBooster if it fits? Should if the Maestro fit w/ a Scenera in there, right? 2yo RF in the Radian.

If I had the 3 kids. I'd put the 9yo and 7yo in the Harmony in the back. The 5yo in the RF RN in the middle. My oldest RF in the RN until he was almost 6yo. He still fit, but YDS needed it. Rode in it a few times after, still fit...Obviously that would be if the 5yo fits.

If the 5yo did not fit, I'd tell the 9yo and 7yo to suck up the shoulder space it is going to cost them and put it FF. Then, I'd either switch it when the 2yo rides. Or if you have no airbag, put it RF in the front. So you don't have to switch it all the time. BUT, the straps have to be coming from above the child's shoulders for forward facing. It works for my 3yo and 6yo to share a seat FF, but one is tall and one is short...

tam

We have a 2001 diesel Jetta. We have a Marathon and Radian in there now, and an adult could still ride behind the passenger seat. If you have a radian in the mix with two boosters, it should work out pretty easily. The Radian is very easy to install FFing or RFing in our Jetta. We can fit the Radian RFing behind driver with an angle adjuster, and we usually have it FFing in the center.

But, it also depends on how big your 5 year old is?

Totally forgot that we tried my MA beside the Scenera, in place of the Maestro. D/C lady liked the Maestro better and all the seats were FF anyway, so we left it the way she liked...

tam