Wanting to get a new car

Hantelsay

New member
Right now I have 2005 toyota Camry and have my daughter who just turned 3 in back in the middle. I'm needing a bigger car that haul 6 people. I'm really wanting to stay with a car as they get better gas mileage. It wouldn't be used all that often just when I need to run other family members places. I'm thinking about a 1999 mercury sable sedan. My question is how safe would it be to put daughters carseat up front in sable? She is 3 feet tall and weighs 34 lbs. She would be in a convertible.
 
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Audi Guy

New member
Another vote for a Mazda5. It has sliding doors like a minivan, but it's small and drives like a station wagon. The middle row captain's chairs are great for installing car seats, and they slide back and forth to let you put adults in the third row behind. You can also get car seats into the third row, which we do when we carpool other peoples' kids. Mazda5's also are remarkably affordable if you get one with only the basic options, with many available on the secondary market. We have one for the exact reason you describe -- if we have to drive our family plus the grand parents somewhere -- and have loved it.
 

lgenne

New member
Another vote for Mazda 5. The 3rd row might be ok for small adults (neither DH nor I qualify as small) but it's great for car seats. I've heard it's not great for boosters, but the 2010+ model is at least better than earlier models. I love having RFers back there. I think it's easier to buckle them in that way than from the side in a "normal" back seat. Just buckle through the hatch.
 

Beloved

Member
I don't think the OP is looking for a brand new car when a 1999 was mentioned.

OP - I think in most states children under a certain age need to be in the back seat unless there are more children than rear seat-belts and the oldest would then go to the front.

Keeping your daughter in the middle back-seat would be the safest and easiest when you had other people riding with you.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
You said you need to haul 6 people, right? And you're looking at a two-row vehicle, meaning three in front and three in back?

Having a car seat in the front seat (as long as it's not rear-facing in front of an airbag) is usually legal. However, there are lots of things to consider, like how practical it is to have three people squeezed into the front row, and whether the car seat will interfere with the driver's ability to see or steer properly.

Also, a vehicle that old won't have a shoulder belt in the center, meaning it's not safe for anyone not in a child restraint, so that's something to consider for the future.

Keep in mind, too, that especially in older vehicles, the front seat is not as safe as the back.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Are you sure the Sable can fit 6 people? This article I found http://www.motortrend.com/cars/1999/mercury/sable/ls_sedan/1012/specifications/interior.html says two 3 point belts in front and two in back along with lap belt in rear centre. So 5 belts. And most pics show a non-removable centre console.

I did find pics that had a narrow little seat thing with the shifter on the steering column instead. Maybe those are a different model year? Anyway, the back that flips up is very short. Like barely up to someone's shoulder blades. They would have no head support. And if there is a belt there, it seems it would have to be a lap belt? So your body can just slam into the dash in a collision along with the wicked whiplash from lack of neck and support. And it looks much to narrow for a car seat to work.

I would verify if the model you are looking at has 6 seat belts, and if so, try installing a car seat there before you purchase.
 

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