Car Shopping- What Year?

Janelle210

New member
Hello all!

So, we need a new car. We can't afford a new car or even a recent used car.

I'm in the $4000 and down range, price-wise and I need some help, specifically with safety features and accomodations for car seats.

I'm in the market for an SUV or Mini-Van if possible because I'd prefer to rear-face my toddlers as long as possible and most older sedans won't have the adequate room between the front and back seats to accommodate that.

What year did they make the new regulations for cars to be able to accommodate car seat needs like the anchor in the back and the ones on the sides?

I looked at a car recently that was I believe a 97 and it didn't have any anchors or anyway whatsoever to secure a carseat beyond the belt- which did NOT have a locking feature, so we passed on it.

I know all the newer ones have these things standard, but when did they become standard? Basically what I'm asking is - how far back in years can I go while I'm looking for a replacement vehicle? Is 2000 to far? I used to have a 2000 Saturn and we couldn't put my toddlers in it once they got past the infant seat stage because they were missing the anchors that are now standard.

My 4 year old is in a Graeco that is about 3 years old now and we just invested in a Clicktight Convertible for my 2 year old.

Thanks for any insight you can offer!

J:D
 
ADS

AllieK

New member
I used to have a 2000 Saturn and we couldn't put my toddlers in it once they got past the infant seat stage because they were missing the anchors that are now standard.

Just because a car lacks LATCH doesn't mean it's unsafe or not compatible with car seats! All lower anchors have weight limits so once a child reaches a certain weight you've got to use a seat belt anyway. Does LATCH make life easier? Yes, but it's not necessary.

My sister has a 2001 CRV and it doesn't have lower anchors, just top tethers. The seat belts lock and once I figured out what I was doing the seat belt install of our FF and RF seats is pretty easy.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
It's definitely possible to keep kids RF in some sedans. I had kids RF until age 4 in a 1998 Escort and a 2003 Focus. I didn't have particularly small car seats, either.
 

jjordan

Moderator
It's definitely possible to keep kids RF in some sedans. I had kids RF until age 4 in a 1998 Escort and a 2003 Focus. I didn't have particularly small car seats, either.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. With a very tight budget and only two children, I'd look for a sedan rather than a minivan or SUV. We had two children rear facing in a 99 Altima (smaller than current generation Altimas) for years. The Ford Taurus comes to mind as a very roomy sedan, but you can usually fit two RF children in a sedan even if it's not super roomy and your seats aren't that small. :)
 

kathysr98

Active member
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. With a very tight budget and only two children, I'd look for a sedan rather than a minivan or SUV. We had two children rear facing in a 99 Altima (smaller than current generation Altimas) for years. The Ford Taurus comes to mind as a very roomy sedan, but you can usually fit two RF children in a sedan even if it's not super roomy and your seats aren't that small. :)

I agree. With your budget and two small children, I would be looking for a Ford Taurus or the Ford Five Hundred which was the same vehicle with a different name that they used for a few years in the 2000s. Working with a CPST to get upright installs in a full size or mid size sedan will give you far more room than in a small SUV.
 

allibut

New member
We recently bought a 2006 Sienna. Our budget was around 10k, but even that was a tight squeeze for one in really good shape with low mileage. We wanted it to be the main family car to be used on driving vacations, trips to visit family, etc. I would agree that with your budget you should be looking for a sedan, unless you are willing to get an older car in worse shape, that you would just be driving around town and not putting a lot of miles on.

I had a Taurus before the van and that car was huge. You could definitely ERF in that thing! We only got rid of it because we didn't like not being able to have an adult sit in back next to the baby.
 

oakster

New member
It sounds like maybe you're talking about pre-2000 cars missing the top tether points, not the lower anchors--those would cause a problem with installing many forward-facing seats. However, you can retrofit an older car with tethers pretty easily/inexpensively in most cases, so definitely check with a dealer/mechanic before ruling out an otherwise good candidate.

Also echoing everyone saying not to rule out sedans if the only reason you're looking at minivans is for extended rear-facing--particularly given that you already have a Britax seat, you'll have no problem with many older cars. Our Britax Marathon G3 fit rear-facing in our 2001 Toyota subcompact sedan with no problems.

LATCH (both lower anchors and top tethers) became standard for the 2003 model year, but many manufacturers adopted them earlier (e.g., our 2001 Toyota Prius sedan had them). But I'd probably try to stick to cars newer than that anyway just from the maintenance/longevity perspective. Good luck!
 

CMeMeC

New member
I would also look at cars rather than vans or suvs, you will likely have more options and get more for your money

I had a 1999 alero. It had latch and would have worked for car seats. It was the 4 door version. An older impala might also work well. My parents had a 2007 model in good shape they sold for less than $4000. It fit all three of my kids well and 2 were rear facing at the time.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,655
Messages
2,196,895
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top