convertible for Civic

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Dec 11, 2007

• #1

I'm looking to buy a convertible for my almost 10 month old dd. Does anyone have recommendations for one that will fit well in a 2001 Honda Civic? I'm leaning towards Britax Boulevard, but I don't know how well it will fit and if it will bother her to have the wings as she gets older. Basically I want the safest seat, and I'd like to keep her rear-facing and in a 5pt harness for as long as possible. Also, I need a convertible seat that can fit with an infant seat (Chicco) since we are planning on TTC in the next few months.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!!

 

bombedier

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #2

There is no safest seat - all seats sold have to pass the same crash tests. However, you want a seat that will install correctly and you will use correctly 100% of the time. That may be a $40 seat, it may be a $250 seat.

Is your Civic a 2 door or 4 door model. Trying to picture how much rear-facing room you are going to have with a seat installed on the side.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 11, 2007

• #3

It'll fit fine . It may not fit directly next to another seat, however, so you'll have to put them both 'outboard' in the window seats.

 

Jewels

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #4

Yep it should fit.

If you do want seats to be side by side then you might want to look at the Radian. I know you can get 3 across in a Civic but you won't be able to with 3 Britax seats.

Here is 3 across in my Accord

 

ThreeBeans

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #5

A Britax Boulevard will fit just fine in your car.

As far as the headwings go, neither of my kids (3 and 22 months) have ever had a problem with them, but that is of course my personal experience.

 

N

natalie's.momma

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #6

In my experience (and as I posted over on babycenter as well) the BV only fits rf in the middle seat. The front seats can only go back about halfway before they run into the adjusting knobs on the side of the BV. The front of the seat (where the child's head goes) sticks out through the two front seats. I just cannot picture how this seat could RF outboard without the passenger seat being pushed so far up that no one could safely sit there. If anyone has any pictures I would greatly appreciate if you could share because if we have another baby in the next couple years, the seat is going to have to move outboard and I just don't see how it's possible in this car. BTW I have a 2002 4dr civic.

 

Jewels

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #7

natalie's.momma said:

the BV only fits rf in the middle seat. The front seats can only go back about halfway before they run into the adjusting knobs on the side of the BV.

Click to expand...

I'm just looking at the BV on the Britax site with the 360 viewer and I don't understand how the vehicle seat would interfere with the BV knobs if the seat is outboard The back/top of the BV should come into contact with the driver/pass. seat not the side of the seat where the knobs are. I can see how the knobs would be hard to acess when outboard but that shouldn't affect the performance of the seat.

For older children the seat doesn't need to be reclined at a 45' angle and Britax allows the vehicle seat to brace the carseat (BV).

 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #8

We had a 2000 Civic SI-R (2 dr coupe) and had an Evenflo Triumph in the back. It fit very well.

I'm thinking the Triumph Advance would work very nicely. The seat kind of slides forward in the base when it reclines which gives it more front to back space for installing.

At 10 months you don't need a 45 degree angle anymore, so a more upright install will give you the front to back space you need for leg room for the people up front.

The Triumph Advance rear faces to 35lbs and then forward faces to 50lbs. It has nice tall top harness settings and should last most kids to age 5 or 6 which is a good booster age.

 

N

natalie's.momma

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #9

What I mean is, with the seat installed in the middle, it sticks through the space between the front seats up to the adjuster knobs. I don't see how it could fit outboard, because that whole distance between the end of the seat and the adjuster knobs (a few inches) would have to be behind the passenger seat, so the passenger seat would have to be way far forward.

Here's a picture of the seat in my car - please ignore the horrible installation, this was before I fixed it (fixed the recline, took out the seat protector). With a less angled recline it fits a little bit better but not much.

(sorry you may have to cut and paste the link, I couldn't get it to work right)

 

Jewels

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #10

Natalie's.momma, maybe you could start a new thread on this as to not hi-jack the original posters thread and questions.

 

N

natalie's.momma

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #11

Sorry, dont' mean to hijack. For the OP, I just mean to say that unless you have your seats really far forward I don't think the BV will fit rf outboard in a civic (at least not the 2002 which I'm guessing is similar to the 2001)

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 11, 2007

• #12

The front passengers may have to make do with a slightly more upright seat and a bit less legroom (one of the smaller compromises we make in our parenting careers, really), but I've installed quite a few Marathons (same seat, basically) in Civics and smaller cars, and they fit fine rearfacing.

 

K

Kalismom

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #13

Thanks so much for all the replies. It's really helpful! This is my first child and I'm new to the whole car seat thing. I never realized there were so many choices and things to think about when it comes to car seats!

Our Civic is a 2001 4 door.

Does anyone have other suggestions for seats that might fit better rear facing when/if we have a second child and need to put the convertible behind the passenger seat? Also, I usually ride in the back when my husband is driving to keep dd more content. It sounds like that would not be a possibility if we have more than one carseat in the back!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

 

cryswilkins

New member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #14

My best friend has a 01 4 door Civic (and my 99 4 door) and I have gotten a Marathon behind the passenger RF no problem in both. As long as you install more upright you are fine. You can't have the seat all the way back, but for almost all passengers that is acceptable. Even my 6'4 Dad is comfortable.

 

littleangelfire

Well-known member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #15

I have a 2 door '99 Civic, undoubtedly smaller than your Civic, and the Marathon fits rear facing outboard. I've never tried middle rear facing, though it fit in the middle forward facing of course. I fit a Graco Turbobooster outboard, Marathon middle and a passenger on the other outboard side without issue.

Any seat rear facing in there doesn't leave a lot of front seat room, but its of course a necessary evil. The Trimph Advance fits well.
Amy

 

Jewels

Senior Community Member

• Dec 11, 2007

• #16

I think any of the Britax seat will work. Britax allows bracing and if you got the BV and the knobs did smush up against the front seat it really shouldn't be a problem with how the seat performs. The knobs are for raising the headrest/harness slots so if you need to move them you could always pop the front seat up a bit to adjust, which really isn't all that often.