Three car seats for a Volkswagen Rabbit / Golf

maestroperu

New member
We will be having a third child next February. Our first child is 5 and our second is 2. We currently have a Graco Nautilus for the first and a Maxi Cosi Priori for the second. We have a Chicco KeyFit 30 in storage (which was used when the second was an infant). Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think these three seats will fit in the back of a Volkswagen rabbit/golf (particularly when we upgrade the maxi Cosi Priori to something bigger. I am ready to buy new car seats if need be.

If these three models will indeed not fit in the back, and assuming we want to keep the Volkswagen:

1) will I need to replace the nautilus with something narrower? Should I just buy two of the same new narrower car seat and use it with my two kids (who will be almost 6 and almost 3 when the third kid is born). I like symmetry, so I would be ok buying the same narrower car seats for both of them.

2) once I buy the two new car seats for the older two kids, can I still use the Chicco KeyFit for the third kid when he/she is born?

3) if you advice me to keep the nautilus and just replace the maxi Cosi with the car seat you recommend in point 1) above, will I be able to use the Chicco KeyFit?

4) until when will I be able to use the Chicco KeyFit for the third? And will I be able to replace it with the old maxi Cosi Priori when the third turns one year old in early 2014, or should I assume that, when my kids are almost 7, almost 4, and 1, it will simply be impossible to use three car seats in the back of the rabbit/golf (and which point I would then buy a new car)

Thanks
 
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nannykates

New member
I have a few questions to help us make better recommendations- how much do the kids weigh, height, and seated shoulder height (from bum to tops of shoulder when sitting)? Is your 2yo rear facing(we advocate rear facing as close to the 4th birthday as possible because it continues to provide a safety benefit)? What year is your rabbit/golf? What is your budget for new seats?

That all asked, 3 across in a golf is going to be tight but we will try to find something that will work for your family! My first thought is two radians for your older two one rf (with angle adjuster)for your 2yo and one ff for your oldest then hopefully the keyfit would work with those.
 

maestroperu

New member
Thanks for your reply.

My 5 year old girl weights 41 pounds. Her height is 44 inches and her shoulder height is 17 inches. My 2 year old boy weights 30.5 pounds. His height is 36 inches and his shoulder height is 13 inches. Obviously, these figures will be higher in seven months when the third one arrives.

Both are forward facing -- 5 yr old behind copilot seat, 2 yr old in the middle (he didn't like the rear facing in the middle).

The car is a 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. (I guess if/when we upgrade to a bigger / wider car at one point in the future, these seats will work in the wider car).

We are shooting for $300 per seat or so, but we are flexible and could budget more so that we get the best possible arrangement.

Thanks for sharing your expertise!
 
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maestroperu

New member
Thanks for your reply.

My 5 year old girl weights 41 pounds. Her height is 44 inches and her shoulder height is 17 inches. My 2 year old boy weights 30.5 pounds. His height is 36 inches and his shoulder height is 13 inches. Obviously, these figures will be higher in seven months when the third one arrives.

Both are forward facing -- 5 yr old behind copilot seat, 2 yr old in the middle (he didn't like the rear facing in the middle).

The car is a 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. (I guess if/when we upgrade to a bigger / wider car at one point in the future, these seats will work in the wider car).

We are shooting for $300 per seat or so, but we are flexible and could budget more so that we get the best possible arrangement.

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

By the way, given that, when the new child arrives in February, my oldest child will be 5 years and a half and will weight more than 41 pounds (she already weights 41 pounds now), can I get her a booster seat by February and thus make things a bit less tight?
 

trippsmom

CPST Instructor
By the way, given that, when the new child arrives in February, my oldest child will be 5 years and a half and will weight more than 41 pounds (she already weights 41 pounds now), can I get her a booster seat by February and thus make things a bit less tight?

Boosters don't make it less tight, normally. While it may fit with more room to spare, is that enough room for the rider to buckle? Normally it is easier to use a harness as long as possible because it doesn't require MORE space between seats than what is necessary to install.
 

lanwenyi

New member
Just so you know, the standard answer for tight 3 acrosses is to throw a radian in the mix. A radian will work in a golf/gti (which I believe is the same as a rabbit) rfing with the angle adjuster, but I have not been able to get a good ffing install in a golf/gti or in our Jetta sportwagen. It gets tight side to side but I can pull it a good 3-4 inches forward by pulling on the bottom.

It's possible someone knows a trick to fix that problem (or maybe it's not even a real problem, I'm not a cpst, so I'm not an expert), but for now, I consider my radians incompatible ffing in my vw's and buy other seats for ffing. I do use my radians rfing in my vw's.

I don't have the same problem in all other cars (but have in a few).

It is unlikely that a Nauti will work in a 3 across.
A booster will take more room than a harnessed seat bc of the extra room needed to buckle.

You might be able to fit 2 surerides and the keyfit.

Your best bet is to take the keyfit to a place like bru that let's you try carseats in your car and start trying combos out. Make sure that any combo gets each seat independently tight (if you remove one seat, the other 2 are still tight).

Good luck!

on my phone, please forgive my autocorrect
 

maestroperu

New member
Thanks for your replies. I have been doing some research and want to know what you think of this idea. (My second child doesn't like to be rear facing).

1) first child on radian r120 ff, third child on Chico key fit 30 rf, second child in combi coccoro ff,

2) after a year or so, second child bequeaths the combi coccoro to third child and gets a radian r120. So it is radian r120 ff, combi coccoro ff, radian r120 ff

3) assuming that I can't fit 3 radians ff, when the third child can't fit in the coccoro, I change cars.

Opinions?
 

lanwenyi

New member
See my reply above. I cannot get what I consider an acceptable ffing install with a radian in a vw. I've tried in a Jetta sportwagen (which we own) and a golf/gti (that we are currently shopping).

If you are successful in getting an acceptable ffing install with a radian in a vw or a cpst comes along and says pulling out 3-4 inches at the base is not a problem, and your 2yo still fits in a coccoro, then your plan is fine. Otherwise, I'd look at other narrow seats like the securekids or the surerides.

Good luck!

on my phone, please forgive my autocorrect
 

nannykates

New member
With your 5 yo a radian won't be a long term solution for her :(
However, maybe a ff sureride, ff radian, keyfit would work. Then add another radian rf when baby outgrows the infant seat.
Another however, rear facing your 2 yo is totally worth another shot! Its so much safer (protects heads necks and spines), and will make this three across easier. Some kids don't mind being turned back around especially in a new seat :)
 

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