Do we need a different vehicle?

We currently have a 2003 4-door civic as our main family vehicle. It works fine, but as we start considering adding baby #2 to our family, I'm realizing that we may need an upgrade.
My husband is tall (6'4"), and needs his seat as far back as possible. We currently have our 20mo DD RF in a peg convertible, which requires the passenger seat to be placed in a way that only I can sit there.
My question is - would there be a convertible seat that could potentially fit behind my husband in my civic, or should we upgrade to a larger vehicle? If we need to upgrade the vehicle, I'll take recommendations there too!

For car seats, we have the peg convertible, a Pacifica, and a TrueFit. I haven't tried the Pacifica behind my husband yet, but the TrueFit I know won't work RF behind him, haha. DD is 20mo, 33" and approx 25lbs (scale battery is dead). She's in 2T clothes, and isn't really leggy or long in the torso. No specific budget for a new seat. Anything is cheaper than a new vehicle!

If we do need a new vehicle... I'd like to be able to fit 3 car seats, have ample trunk space (like, a couple suitcases and cooler, or a large stroller and groceries, etc), and navigation. Not sure on budget, but we will be buying used. I am really not picky about vehicles at all. 3rd row would be cool, but I don't have my heart set on it. We are okay with this being an "in-between" vehicle that will be upgraded again in several years.


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jwilliams

New member
I would look at the Scenera NEXT and your Pacifica with an angle adjuster since those seats (all other Dionos, too) have no limit on how upright they can be for a child with good head control. For an infant I would stick with either an Aton or, if you don't want a bucket, a Coccoro.

IMO pretty much any car will do when you are only putting two harnessed seats in it. You will probably want to upsize to a mid or full size sedan for the legroom and trunk space!


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I would look at the Scenera NEXT and your Pacifica with an angle adjuster since those seats (all other Dionos, too) have no limit on how upright they can be for a child with good head control. For an infant I would stick with either an Aton or, if you don't want a bucket, a Coccoro. IMO pretty much any car will do when you are only putting two harnessed seats in it. You will probably want to upsize to a mid or full size sedan for the legroom and trunk space! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No Coccoro here in Canada, and not sure on the Aton. Not a huge fan of bucket seats either.
The Next is on my list to hopefully look at, but it's an online-only seat here in Canada, so I might have to test it out at an American Walmart (I know I can't buy cross-border)

I'll definitely give the Pacifica a try yet. Hopefully we can make that work!
 

featherhead

Well-known member
You can try my Boulevard sometime too. It saves about 2" of space I would say. Pacifica with angle adjuster may be even better though.
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I just sold my 03 Civic so I hope I can offer some insight!

Have you tried the TrueFit behind the driver, with the head rest piece off, for the baby? Do you expect your baby to be big enough to fill out the TrueFit from birth?

Any Diono RF with angle adjuster is JUST enough for an older kid to leave an okay amount of leg room for the passenger. My 6'2 husband wasn't comfortable with it.

The G3 Britax more upright allowed the front seat all the way back so that's good news. So did the new Graco Dimensions, that I tried just before I sold it. Here it is fully reclined with a MyRide fully upright in the background. I can check to see if I took a pic of it fully upright if you'd like?
20150731_173540_resized-225x300.jpg


I also put a NEXT in but not sure I have a photo handy. Here it is at newborn recline in a 12 Focus (small) with MORE room than I had n that same spot with a Radian plus angle adjuster.
20150704_132031_resized-300x225.jpg
 
I just sold my 03 Civic so I hope I can offer some insight!



Have you tried the TrueFit behind the driver, with the head rest piece off, for the baby? Do you expect your baby to be big enough to fill out the TrueFit from birth?



Any Diono RF with angle adjuster is JUST enough for an older kid to leave an okay amount of leg room for the passenger. My 6'2 husband wasn't comfortable with it.



The G3 Britax more upright allowed the front seat all the way back so that's good news. So did the new Graco Dimensions, that I tried just before I sold it. Here it is fully reclined with a MyRide fully upright in the background. I can check to see if I took a pic of it fully upright if you'd like?

20150731_173540_resized-225x300.jpg




I also put a NEXT in but not sure I have a photo handy. Here it is at newborn recline in a 12 Focus (small) with MORE room than I had n that same spot with a Radian plus angle adjuster.

20150704_132031_resized-300x225.jpg


Thanks for the pics! The TrueFit sans headrest DID fit behind passenger, but just barely. The front seat was barely useable. DD just barely fit in the TFP at first - she was 8lb6oz, but only 19.5" and had narrow shoulders. We ended up using an infant seat for a while with her because I wasn't comfortable with the TFP fit.


I'll see if I can find a Dimensions and a Next to try. DH will be happy if the Next works - an $80 seat is much easier to swallow than convincing him we need another $300+ seat! Haha.





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Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Thanks for the pics! The TrueFit sans headrest DID fit behind passenger, but just barely. The front seat was barely useable. DD just barely fit in the TFP at first - she was 8lb6oz, but only 19.5" and had narrow shoulders. We ended up using an infant seat for a while with her because I wasn't comfortable with the TFP fit.


I'll see if I can find a Dimensions and a Next to try. DH will be happy if the Next works - an $80 seat is much easier to swallow than convincing him we need another $300+ seat! Haha.

03 Civic at newborn angle:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXjDZS_Tw_Ialc1UTBfSHM0X3M/view?usp=sharing

Sorry I can't make that an IMG to view right here. I think the seat is nearly all the way back? I don't remember. But if you can put your oldest behind him in a NEXT and the baby behind the passenger you should be set.

Here's the NEXT more upright for comparison - seat IS all the way back and you can practically walk between them:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXjDZS_Tw_IVDVCUDlrb0Q0ekE/view?usp=sharing
 
03 Civic at newborn angle:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXjDZS_Tw_Ialc1UTBfSHM0X3M/view?usp=sharing

Sorry I can't make that an IMG to view right here. I think the seat is nearly all the way back? I don't remember. But if you can put your oldest behind him in a NEXT and the baby behind the passenger you should be set.

Here's the NEXT more upright for comparison - seat IS all the way back and you can practically walk between them:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXjDZS_Tw_IVDVCUDlrb0Q0ekE/view?usp=sharing


Awesome! Thanks so much. Now if only I'd won the NEXT giveaway the other day *cough*


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