FF, RF & Booster in '02 Buick Regal

Hi! We are expecting #3 in 3/09 and are trying to figure out the puzzle of car seats to avoid purchasing a new vehicle. Here what we're going to have at that point:

'02 Buick Regal, bench seat about 50" across, 3 sets of latch
6yodd 40 lbs--need to purchase a narrow booster
4yods 33 lbs--harnessed in Apex 65
new baby--?? have either a Graco infant seat w/base (I think it's a Snugride? Came with the Glider Travel System & was made in '04) or can use Cosco Scenera RF that ds is currently using.

Currently we use the Apex 65 & Scenera FF and there is a miniscule 11" between the two seats. :thumbsdown: I really want to keep the Apex as it harnesses til 65#, but will consider switching if necessary.

For the booster, I've read that the Britax Parkway and FPSVB are very narrow and might be good options.

TIA for any advice...thought I would see what y'all thought before I went the store and started wrestling seats in and out.

The Apex will HAVE to go... it's so wide, we're talking about the only seat as huge as the Britax Regent... it completely takes up a full captain's chair with no leftover space.

the first thing I advise anyone trying 3 across to do is avoid those two seats.

both of those boosters are discontinued, and your 6yr old is small, so will need a booster or seat for a good long time, so I'd want to get one with all of it's lifespan (the FPSVB would likely be about 2yrs old at this point)

What I would do is save the Scenera for the baby (as long as it won't expire by then)... it's narrow and has a nice high rf weight limit.

I would then get both other kids (if you can afford it) Radian 65 seats.

When baby outgrows the Scenera (unless it is expired, then it would be when baby outgrows the snugride), I would then be more comfortable (because this would be when your oldest is quite a bit older and thereby bigger, too) with a booster.

An narrow option would be the Recaro Vivo or Vivo Light. It's also a nice booster for height, as it goes very tall.



Now, if two Radians is making your budget scream in agonizing pain from stretching, then I would get one Radian and go ahead and get a less expensive booster like the Graco Turbobooster.

As long as you have the Radian in the middle (so the snugride and then scenera would go on one side, booster on the other), there should be enough room.

Which reminds me... if you can swing two Radians... I'd put the middle child in the center and the other two outboard, unless it doesn't mesh well this way.

A third option, if you really love the Apex THAT MUCH would be to go ahead and order one Radian, pull out the infant seat and Scenera, and try and see if the Radian being in the middle would allow one of the two for the baby to mesh with the Radian and the Apex.

Aka... see if the apex will fit next to the Radian... if it does, you'd be able to put one of the other seats next to it.

Aahhh, thank you, thank you!!!

I didn't know those two boosters were discon't...been reading all kinds of posts and guessing there were some older ones.

I'm going to take your advice and start with one Radian and then see about the other. I figure $400 is still less than two months of car payments on a van...so totally worth it!

I just bought the Scenera a couple years ago so it will be good for the baby for quite a while. We had my son in it RF until he was 3...really liked that feature!

Thanks again!

no problem!

I happen to agree completely that I'd rather spend 400 dollars on new seats than getting a different car until you need a new one, anyway.

since the scenera would work for the baby, I'd definitely be thinking of the Radian's long 8yr lifespan as the reason to go for it.

even if you can use the Apex with the Radian and scenera, once the scenera is outgrown, you could put baby in the Radian, the middle child in the Apex, the oldest in a booster, and not have to worry about another seat for baby until it's outgrown (unless baby is so tiny that he'd last past age 7.5)

Honestly I think you could swing a Radian and a Graco Nautilus back there. I had a 97 Regal and fit tons of 3 across combos without any issues. It's just that Apex that's going to kill you

That back seat is killer-wide. I fit a Graco Comfortsport, Boulevard, and Uptown back there and they hardly touched each other... (all RFing btw). I rode for a long time w/ the Radian in the center, BV outboard, and me on the passenger side outboard with TONS of stretching room. You may want to try using seat belt installs for the outboard seats because you'll be able to install them closer to the door that way

thanks sunny... I wasn't sure about saying nautilus since I havent' had a buick in a long time and never had the regal.

Now that you mention it, I think the Nautilus, Radian, and another seat would work

and if it does, that is how I would go.

Scatterbunny and I have done 3 across in her Focus with a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Booster, Nautilus and RF Scenera. I bet it would work with a Radian, Nautilus and RF Scenera though. You might even be able to swing 2 Nautilus' (Nautili?) and a RF Scenera. Do you have a Babies R Us nearby you could try it?