Can we get a convertible?

L

LauraW

Guest
We have a 2-year-old and an infant on the way. We're looking for a second car, and would absolutely love to get a convertible. Trouble is, from time to time we would need to put one of the children (in the carseat of course) in the convertible.

Is this out of the question in terms of safety? Are there certain convertibles that might be OK (like ones with hard tops, or a roll bar)?

Thanks for any advice!

Laura
 
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Dreaming_of_Speed

Senior Community Member
Are you looking at new or older convertibles? Some newer models have higher sides in the back to make it safer for rear passengers young and old.

I'm guilty of putting my nephew in my grandmother's miata (yeah i have the coolest grandmother) and driving him up to the mountains last summer. He was in the front seat with the airbag turned off in an evenflo triumph. As he was rearfacing i reclined the seat as far back as possible and the seat only stuck up a few inches over the cars sides. He loved the wind and being able to see the stuff above him.

Obviously a roll bar would make it safer but finding a car that puts a real roll bar in the vehical can be a challence. Many are more for looks than actual safety. Any type of 'roll bar' that is even with the seats can be passed on. Those types are below the heads of passengers and do not do much as the neck and head will already impact the ground in a roll over (they're also not designed to hold the wieght of the car). The PT crusier probabley has the best roll bar on the market. It is actually a beam that the egr's could not remove for the car and consider it safe so they stuck a cover over it and called it a roll bar (which is what it is. Its the supports for when the full top version rolls.)

I doubt the hard top is any safer than a soft top. Its ment generally fro winter driving and for ppl who cant stand the sound of the wind on the soft top or those who dont like the look of a convertible with the top up.

Volvo has a new Convertible comming out in '06 called the C70 that has a neat new feature when the car senses it is begining to roll it has airbags in the doors that open upward that holds the car away from the passangers and deflats slowly to even out the force being put on the cars frame. I dont know how soon you want your new car or if this is in your price range but this is defiately something worth looking into if your really worried.
 

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