Small SUV for rear facing convertible in center seat

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi, all,

We're looking for a small/midsize SUV where we can rear face our tall, skinny 12 month old DD in the center seat as long as possible and probably add either an infant seat or another birth + convertible with one in the center and one outboard in the not too distant future. Any recommendations on a) the SUV and b) the convertible seat (right now we're leaning Radian). We've driven the 2014 Rogue which we love but are concerned about the center seat option (their Snug Kids brochure says not to use the center seat). We also drove the CRV which felt kind of blah. Any other options or recommendations? THANKS!
 
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DawgDad

New member
Compact SUVs to consider:
Mazda CX5
Subaru Forester
Subaru XV (going to be small like the Rogue...but better)
Ford Escape
Toyota RAV4
Honda CRV (last year of their body style, so it will be more "blah" than others...but it's the biggest of all choices next to the Forester).

Midsize SUV:
Toyota Highlander
Honda Pilot

Car seats:
Chicco NextFit
Graco MyRide (and all the clones from different stores)
Britax Boulevard 70
Diono Ranier

All great options...Diono will last you the longest, but I seem to hear more complaints on tall kids, so read a few reviews on it. Every seat will be different depending on your child. The first two offer longer ERF height, so that's a plus.
 

cantabdad

New member
Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) among small and midsize SUVs are:

Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Acura MDX, Mercedes M-class, Volvo XC60, and Volvo XC90.

Of these, the Forester has arguably received the most favorable reviews from the automotive press, at least among non-luxury models (e.g. Motor Trend SUV of the year & top compact SUV from Consumer Reports).

The CX-5 also gets good reviews for its sportier, car-like handling and feel -- however some folks have posted here on this board that the middle seat is practically unusable, with only about 10" from seatbelt to seatbelt, because of the 40-20-40 folding split of the backseat on some trim levels.

I'd also take a look at the Subaru Outback and XV Crosstrek, both of which are IIHS Top Safety Picks in other vehicle categories -- though they have many SUV-like characteristics including all-wheel drive and additional ground clearance.

In terms of carseats, we've been happy with our Diono Radian (w/Angle Adjuster) and my 3-year-old is still happily rear-facing in it despite being 90th percentile for height.

I personally can't fit any rear-facing seat behind my driver's seat or even in the middle seat -- it doesn't leave enough space for me to drive comfortably -- but you might have better luck if you have smaller adults in your family or choose a vehicle with greater legroom.
 

meljc

Active member
Double check the seatbelt issues on toyotas - I think if you install in the middle, you can't have a passenger on one side.

We have an 07 cr-v (prev gen) and Nextfit. Both are great for both, though if you plan to regularly have 5 people of any age in your car I would recommend something larger.
 

hope41more

New member
Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) among small and midsize SUVs are: Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Acura MDX, Mercedes M-class, Volvo XC60, and Volvo XC90. Of these, the Forester has arguably received the most favorable reviews from the automotive press, at least among non-luxury models (e.g. Motor Trend SUV of the year & top compact SUV from Consumer Reports). The CX-5 also gets good reviews for its sportier, car-like handling and feel -- however some folks have posted here on this board that the middle seat is practically unusable, with only about 10" from seatbelt to seatbelt, because of the 40-20-40 folding split of the backseat on some trim levels. I'd also take a look at the Subaru Outback and XV Crosstrek, both of which are IIHS Top Safety Picks in other vehicle categories -- though they have many SUV-like characteristics including all-wheel drive and additional ground clearance. In terms of carseats, we've been happy with our Diono Radian (w/Angle Adjuster) and my 3-year-old is still happily rear-facing in it despite being 90th percentile for height. I personally can't fit any rear-facing seat behind my driver's seat or even in the middle seat -- it doesn't leave enough space for me to drive comfortably -- but you might have better luck if you have smaller adults in your family or choose a vehicle with greater legroom.

I've RF a foonf behind my husband's drivers side in a grand am and a Grand Prix, so I would tend to think this would work in an SUV as well.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) among small and midsize SUVs are:

Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Acura MDX, Mercedes M-class, Volvo XC60, and Volvo XC90.

Of these, the Forester has arguably received the most favorable reviews from the automotive press, at least among non-luxury models (e.g. Motor Trend SUV of the year & top compact SUV from Consumer Reports).

The CX-5 also gets good reviews for its sportier, car-like handling and feel -- however some folks have posted here on this board that the middle seat is practically unusable, with only about 10" from seatbelt to seatbelt, because of the 40-20-40 folding split of the backseat on some trim levels.

Both these models were not only IIHS Top Safety Pick+ models (when equipped with advanced safety features), but also did very well in the NHTSA crash testing, as did the Outlander, Highlander, MDX and XC60/90. The great thing about the Forester is that you can add the excellent Eyesight system as a stand-alone option even on the modestly priced Premium trim. And for 2015, Eyesight gets a nice improvement as well.

The Rogue was also highly regarded by the IIHS, but had dismal NHTSA frontal crash results:-( The Equinox/Terrain did reasonably well in the NHTSA testing, though.

I am reviewing the 8-passenger 2014 Highlander right now. There is a minor issue with some center seat belt crossover, but there is plenty of room to put a rear-facing seat in the middle. But honestly, with as far back as the 2nd row seats can move, you could even put an average or smaller rear-facing model on an outboard seat with enough legroom up front for all but the tallest passengers.
 

kookaburra

New member
Double check the seatbelt issues on toyotas - I think if you install in the middle, you can't have a passenger on one side.

We have an 07 cr-v (prev gen) and Nextfit. Both are great for both, though if you plan to regularly have 5 people of any age in your car I would recommend something larger.

This is true for our 07 Rav4, although I don't know about more recent models. We had DD in the middle (before DS was born), and the seatbelt was available for the person on the passenger side but not the driver's side. When DS was born, we opted to use LATCH and have both seats outboard.
 

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