3 carseats in backseat of '06 Outback?

I posted this in another Subaru forum and someone there suggested I also post it here.

 

I have an '06 Outback. We can't afford to replace this car. Our other vehicle is a 2 door Toyota Yaris.

 

We are expecting baby #3. I have been researching compact carseats since I found out I was pregnant. None of the stores within driving distance of me- not even any of the stores in our nearest *BIG* city carry these in their store. I'm going to have to order them, but the return policies say they do not accept opened merchandise. Obviously I would have to open the car seat box to see if it would fit in my car.

 

What seat can you fit rear facing behind the passenger seat with the front seat slid pretty far back? For my toddler she doesn't have to be reclined like infant.

I also need a seat to go in the middle for my baby that will fit with both front seats slid pretty far back. I've tried several newer carseats than the old one we have that will not pass inspection due to it's age and they're all too wide for another seat on either side (let alone both) and too long to go in the middle or on either side for that matter, unless the seats are slid too far forward for me to fit at 5'6".

I've read great reviews of the Combi Coccoro & Sunshine Kids Radian for compact cars, but alot of the negative ones have involved newer Subaru's that do not have the cheap flat back seat that compact cars have. Also have read a few that said the Radian wouldn't fit rear-facing. Does anyone have any experience with either of these?

My oldest still has 30 lbs & 7" to grow before she can legally ride without a booster seat. Right now with just one other carseat she has a hard time getting herself buckled because on both sides, the seat belt receptacle is behind the car seat installed in the middle for our toddler, b/c it's so narrow. I am not oppposed (nor is she) in getting a convertible seat with a harness that has a high weight limit for her. The Radian is supposed to go fit kids up to 53" I think, but I've read that some people can't even fit their 5 yr olds in them.

As many Outbacks as I see on the road, surely someone somewhere has had to install 2 rear-facing carseats and a booster seat, and still have room for people with legs up front. Please help!

i wish you luck..i have a foward facing seat for my 3 year old, and our 6 month old in a rear facing carrier. i have no idea how i'd fit a 3rd seat in the back of the car.

I had a 2001 OBW and at one time, my family consisted of my wife, an infant son and a 4 yr old daughter. There were a few times when my wife, my daughter in her booster seat, and my son in rear facing carseat, all sitting in the back seat. I remembered the OBW had plenty of rear legroom. At 5'-10", I was sitting comfortable in the driver seat, and the carseat which was fitted in the middle of the backseat fit just fine.

 

I've seen a 09 Jetta Wagon with a booster seat and 2 carseats in the backseat. One of the carseat was rearfacing and positioned in the middle. And according to the following link, the interior of the OBW is slightly larger than that of the Jetta:

 

http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/interior.aspx?c=0&n=3&i=0&ph1=t0&ph2=t0&tb=0&dt=0&v=t104043&v=t107384

 

I suggest getting the widest and longest dimensions of all your carseats and measure them against the backseat available space and see if they'd fit. I wish you luck, hopefully you can find some carseats that fit well.

So far here is what I figured out-

 

The Sunshine Kids Radian claims to fit 3 across at 17.5" W. The big selling point on this for me was that the 80 version will hold children up to 80 lbs & 53" tall. I almost ordered 2 of these- 1 for my 2 yr old and 1 for my almost 8 year old to ride in until baby # 3 outgrows an infant seat at that point my 8 yr old would ride in a cheap booster seat until she grew to the height & weight requirements for our state. But the height on this seat kept me from ordering it b/c I didn't think I would be able to get it rear-facing.

In exasperation from listening to me, my husband went to Wal-Mart and bought the narrowest high-back booster seat (for the added side impact protection) and convertible seat, which were both 16" W. (Evenflo Tribute & Evenflo Big Kid Booster). They both fit and the armrests can be removed from the booster, which we will have to do for DD1 to be able to reach her seat belt receptacle. YAY!

Until yesterday when my SIL brought us her infant seat which is 16.5 W without the base. It would not fit. Because of the shape of the back seat, I could get a few more inches more width from my back seat if the outside edge of the seat cushion didn't slope towards the middle of the car. Also the LATCH is very narrow, so that also determines the side-to-side placement of the carseat on the side. I folded some towels and put them under the outside seats - the booster and the convertible to make the back seat 'flat'. The booster has to use the car seat belt anyway, so why not the convertible seat, since that belt path is wider? I was actually able to get a much tighter installation of the convertible seat (in the dark, below freezing, with a flashlight, by myself at 8 mos. pregnant than my hubby & I together did the other day with the sun shining).

The infant seat fit then, all crammed together but still without the base. The seat belt path for the installation without the base goes over the top of the seat, which means not only am I going to have to lean over the booster seat to put the baby in the middle, the seat will stay there, b/c I am NOT going to buckle & unbuckle it every time we get in & out of the car AND the seat belt will be going over the baby's legs. I pointed out that eventually the infant seat will have to be outgrown and we will have to buy ANOTHER seat, why not just get a convertible seat for the baby now, which will sit up higher, won't have the seat belt over the baby's legs, give my SIL her car seat back and be done with it.

I ordered the Combi Cocorro which is 14.5" W. It has the same height & weight limits as the Evenflo Tribute that we got at Wal-Mart, but narrower (and about $100 more, but price was never an issue since car seats are still cheaper than a new car). I am going to try it with my 2 yr old, rear-facing on one side & the middle. If I can get a solid install in both places, I'm going to order another one and return the Tribute & just use a Combi for both, the extra $100 is worth not having them 'crammed' together.

Let us know how the Combi Cocorro works out for you. We only have a 6 month old in a snugride 32 which she is outgrowing quickly. I've been hunting for a perfect convertible seat and there is no way a Radian could fit RF (I tried fitting one at BBB). Still looking for a better option that will allow use of the front passenger seat (the snugride 32 forces the passenger seat too far forward as it is now). Darn backseats are so tight in these cars.

Update for ALL-

 

The Combi Coccoro came today! The fit width wise is great- has to be there isn’t a narrower seat on the market that I’m aware of. I was able to install the Graco Snug Ride with the base in the center. I'm going to use the Combi for DD2 and the Snug Ride for DD3 until she's too big for it, since I can now use the base. (Though, DD1 still has to have the inner armrest off of her booster to buckle herself.) It fits nicely right over the hump and isn't too 'long' of a seat for the front seats to not be slid all the way back.

 

I tried the Combi facing both directions, in the center & on the side, with the LATCH & with the seatbelt.

 

Here is the problems I encountered.

 

1. Center RF is a PITA (but it can be done), b/c the seat belt receptacle isn't recessed like the outboard ones are, it's impossible to get the seat belt tight enough (this is with the car's seat belt lock engaged) b/c the receptacle comes up to far where the seat belt feeds thru & comes out the side of the Combi. The seat does come with a plastic 'Lock Off' to install on seatbelts that have the buckle sliding freely along the belt. IF you put all your weight on the seat, have the seat belt lock engaged, and pull it as tight as you can, then clip the Lock Off right above the slidy part so it can’t ‘suck back thru’ when you take your weight off, then it's tight. Forward facing is a piece of cake.

 

2. On the outboard, the LATCH is a joke. It gets loose with a few side to side shakes of the carseat. With the seat belt locked, and all your weight, then it gets pretty tight, with no Lock Off (or I shaped metal locking clip that I prefer). Forward facing on the outboard was the simplest, but again with the Suby's seat belt lock engaged, with all your weight. I didn't try the LATCH FF.

 

I’m going to use the Snug Ride as long as I can tolerate it. I’m still not completely satisfied with this arrangement, but I think it’s mostly b/c I wanted the 2 younger ones in matching seats that didn’t clash horribly with my interior. If I see that I’m leaving the whole seat in the car more than I’m taking it out, I’ll probably go ahead and get another Combi, or at least when she outgrows the Snug Ride.

You must be a small person to tolerate a carseat behind the drivers seat. We have a Chicco Keyfit behind the passenger and the seat still has to be moved almost all the way forward. So uncomfortable.

The only one I've ever had behind driver's seat was the booster for the oldest. Sadly enough, when she was born and was in an infant carrier, I could fit her in the back of my Mazda MX-3 with no problem. In-laws gave us their '98 OBW when she was a few months old, and there was all kinds of room in that back seat and it was FLAT!

 

The infant carrier types are the worst, followed by rear-facing convertibles for small babies that have to have the recline. For babies over 1 yr rear-facing, the angle of the seat isn't as crucial.

We have friends that have an '06 or '07 Forrester & '05 OBW. They just had their first baby. She's average height, but he's pretty tall. When they are all in the same car, baby has to go from middle to behind mom for dad to fit.