Xterra and Infant Seat

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Oliver

New member

• Dec 17, 2007

• #1

We are expecting our first in April, and have started shopping for a new car and car seat. Any feedback on the Xterra (2006) and infant seats would be helpful. We are currently looking at the Keyfit 30 seat.

Thanks,

Oliver

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 19, 2007

• #2

Welcome! I moved this to the carseat forum so you should get more responses now!

 

miraclebabies

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #3

We have a Nissan Xterra 2003 as my DH company vehicle. We bought the Graco Safe Seat for our DD 1st carseat. It fit really well in the middle and either side. If it was on the side you had to tip the carseat a little so the handle would not hit the door frame. Which was not that big of deal to us. The carseat is a little big but I loved that it went up to 30lbs. She is a 18# 10mon. old right now, so I think it will last till your babies 1st b-day or past that. I loved the lock off that the base had , you could get a really tight fit. I was able to adjust the base to make it level enought without needing a noodle or towel. We had a extra base which makes it really easy if you have two vehicles. The carseat combo is a life saver too, she was a winter baby and you could unlatch it from the car and right into your stroller.. Good luck and I hope this helps you..



Andrea Mom to Waverly (my miracle baby)
DD-10mon., 18#, 30 in[/COLOR]

 

Kalinky

Senior Community Member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #4

Hi, I have an '05 Xterra - LOVE it. The Xterra wes redesigned starting in '05. We had an Evenflo Embrace infant seat for DD. Do NOT get that seat if you have/get an Xterra! Or any other seat that requires the carry handle to be in the "down" position in the vehicle. The Xterra has adequate roominess for us, but not with that Evenflo seat. The Keyfit allows the handle to be up in the vehicle and it's overall a great seat. For next child, I will probably get a Keyfit. We now have a Britax Marathon (convertible seat) rear-facing behind the passenger seat and it allows a front passenger to have plenty of room - unless that passenger is SUPER big or tall.

 

miraclebabies

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #5

In my message about having to tip the carseat a little so the handle did not hit the door frame. I meant that when you put the seat in the vehicle it hit the top of the frame. We did not tip the base, it always rode level. When she was in the vehicle I always had the handle up and it had enough room. She always rode in the middle and it was easy to get her in and out. My DD now rides in a Roundabout Rf in the Xterra and it fits really well behind the driver seat. My DH is 6 ft tall and he can ride comfortably. I'm sorry if I did not explain it very well.

 

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Oliver

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #6

Thank you for all of the wonderful information. Buying a car is not to bad, the car seat is harder, trying to do both may drive me nuts. Your reponses have been a great help.

Thanks,

Oliver

 

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ccjones

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #7

Well, I used to have a 2005 Xterra (same body style as yours) and we used a Graco SnugRide installed with LATCH behind the passenger seat. DH is a little over 6' and never complained about not having enough room in the front passenger seat with the SnugRide installed behind it.

I did want to share with you some pics from when my Xterra was T-boned last year while we were vacationing at the beach. My son wasn't with us, but hubby and I both walked away with just scratches (and aches and pains, of course). I had the Off-Road edition Xterra, which was a 6-speed manual and did NOT come with side airbags or curtain airbags.

We rolled 2 and a half times before hitting a lamp post and coming to a stop, and I think the b-pillars did a really good job from keeping the roof from collapsing on us while we rolled. The X was obviously totaled, and I gave serious thought to replacing it with another Xterra, but I got a good deal on a Pilot and bought that instead.

 

mimieliza

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #8

ccjones -

Glad you walked away from that crash - it looks awful!

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #9

mimieliza said:

ccjones -

Glad you walked away from that crash - it looks awful!

Click to expand...

Yes. Wow.

 

Kalinky

Senior Community Member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #10

I keep looking at the pics - wow. Just wow.

 

wildeyes

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #11

wow... that makes me feel better about dd1 riding in a booster with her father, even tho he is not a great driver. he has one of those. yikes. i showed her the pics, just to drive home the point about why she needs to wear a seatbelt at all times. she even asked me if the grownups were wearing seatbelts. of course i told her yes. and thats why they didnt get hurt real bad. lol i have a carseat nut in training!!! lol

 

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Oliver

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #12

I used to work on a Neuro Trauma unit, so I know first hand what can happen in those types of accidents. I am so happy to hear you walked away.

Thank you for sharing the photos, I feel better about that car now than I did before. We are looking at the X model, but it would be the same body.

Oliver

 

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ccjones

New member

• Dec 19, 2007

• #13

I'm glad that I could make you all feel better about the Xterra. I know on the www.informedforlife.org website, it didn't do very well in the crash ratings (rated a score of over 100).

I was able to find two more pics, both with the Britax Marathon insatlled rear-facing behind the driver's seat.

The first pic was taken when the truck was still upside down. The Marathon was still installed rock-solid, even after all the rolling! lol I had it installed with LATCH and I was using the RF tether.

In the second pic, the X was back on it's wheels (more than an hour after crash) and the roof finally did cave in, which is what you see resting on top the Marathon seat shell.