Should I upgrade my 2013 SUV before baby #1?

[Anonymous]

Car seat tech here: what’s the issue/concern with putting the infant seat in the middle?

[Anonymous]

Something I haven’t seen mentioned yet is leg room. Even in vans and mid-size SUVs, rear facing car seats eat up a lot of leg space for the driver and front passenger. If you plan to have another kid within 2 years, you’ll have 2 rear facing. My 6’ DH is uncomfortable in the driver’s seat of our Ford Explorer when there’s a RF car seat behind him.

We now have 3 kids and 2 biggish dogs that we travel with often, and I drive a Suburban (bought it right before DS3 was born, DH took the Explorer). We also have a tall family friend who switched to a Suburban after seeing the front leg room difference between our vehicle and their van. The Explorer is great now that two of our kids forward-face/sit in a booster, but in those baby years we didn’t love it.

The Tahoe is the same size inside as the Suburban, just a shorter trunk. If you folded down half the back row, you’d have room for a dog.

[Anonymous]

Odd question. If it runs well and you maintain it, then keep it and just buy when you need a new car and the supply issue has been resolved so prices are more reasonable.

- Mom of two with a 2013 SUV that runs great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something I haven’t seen mentioned yet is leg room. Even in vans and mid-size SUVs, rear facing car seats eat up a lot of leg space for the driver and front passenger. If you plan to have another kid within 2 years, you’ll have 2 rear facing. My 6’ DH is uncomfortable in the driver’s seat of our Ford Explorer when there’s a RF car seat behind him.

We now have 3 kids and 2 biggish dogs that we travel with often, and I drive a Suburban (bought it right before DS3 was born, DH took the Explorer). We also have a tall family friend who switched to a Suburban after seeing the front leg room difference between our vehicle and their van. The Explorer is great now that two of our kids forward-face/sit in a booster, but in those baby years we didn’t love it.

The Tahoe is the same size inside as the Suburban, just a shorter trunk. If you folded down half the back row, you’d have room for a dog.

Not OP, but my husband is 5'11" and drove a Subaru Impreza (far smaller than a RAV4 or Ford Explorer) with a rear facing car seat directly behind him for a year. Not an issue.

Anyway, it sounds like this is OP's car, not her husband's. I also wouldn't buy a gigantic gas guzzler just for a year of convenience. DH can deal with it for a year to save money/keep the air cleaner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we had an infant, we put her in the middle. You can use the latch connectors from the outer seats (one from each side) if those are not in use.

Once she got heavier, then we moved her to a side seat.

Thanks! I’ll try that.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had an infant, we put her in the middle. You can use the latch connectors from the outer seats (one from each side) if those are not in use.

Once she got heavier, then we moved her to a side seat.

Thanks! I’ll try that.

I was told specifically not to do this. Check with a car seat installer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had an infant, we put her in the middle. You can use the latch connectors from the outer seats (one from each side) if those are not in use.

Once she got heavier, then we moved her to a side seat.

Thanks! I’ll try that.

I was told specifically not to do this. Check with a car seat installer.

+1 please do not do this unless your car’s manual and the car seat manual specifically say you can. Better yet, consult a car seat tech. If the anchors are too far apart, you risk the seat not doing it’s proper job in a crash.

[Anonymous]

My kiddo is 6 and has been in the middle in every car we’ve had fwiw. I would get the pilot now IMO.

[Anonymous]

Keep it for sure. You have all the safety features that have really mattered in the past 20 years.