Who drives a Sport M3, and uses rear facing child seats?

[amiro]

Who drives a Sport Mz3 (edit), and uses rear facing child seats?

Is this true? I read this in Consumer Reports:

Rear-facing child seats can be difficult to install securely due to excessive side-to-side tilt. The contoured center rear seatback complicates seat installation.

Has anyone found this? Is it just for putting a seat in the rear, or front too?

 

[wongpres]

Mazda3 rear seats, like all other vehicles (because its been mandated in the US since Sep 2002), conforms to the LATCH system. You can read more about it here:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/LATCH/QandA.html

For virtually all cars they recommend not putting child seats in the front passenger seat. This includes the Mazda3. Even though the Mazda3's front passenger airbag will automatically disable if it senses low weight in the seat, it is still recommended to place child seats in the rear.

 

[Mikey444]

In any car, you should never put a child seat in the front, it belongs in the rear.

 

[AzMz3]

I have a rear-facing child seat in mine. There was no problems with it at all. It is installed on the passenger side though. There is no latch to put a rear-facing seat in the middle of the Mazda3, atleast the 4door. But there is a latch to install the seat forward facing when the time comes, which is one more month for me. I was looking at the hump in the center and was wondering if it will cause any problems, I guess I will find out in a month.

 

[amiro]

I understand that child seats are best put in the rear, not the front.

But I thought that's exactly what the Consumer Reports article is talking about... that it's difficult to securely install rear-facing child seats in the rear, especially in the centre rear seat. Is that the case? Did I misunderstand their comment?

 

[AzMz3]

I understand that child seats are best put in the rear, not the front.

But I thought that's exactly what the Consumer Reports article is talking about... that it's difficult to securely install rear-facing child seats in the rear, especially in the centre rear seat. Is that the case? Did I misunderstand their comment?

No it looks like you did not misunderstand it. It looks like the Consumer Reports article does not know what they are talking about since the rear-facing seat does not belong in the center. There are no hooks for the seat to be connected to the middle seat.

 

[vaMP5er]

I'm a little slow, but I just realized that you were asking about the Mazda 3, not the BMW M3.

 

[Loose]

I waited.

The rear facing car seat was somewhat difficult to securely plant in the BACKSEAT. I had mine on the driver's side though. My son recently got larger and was converted to foward facing and the seat went in without a hitch. I would check the car seat styles, many are diffrent and some may fit better rear facing than others. In the mean time we used the wife's car to transport the kid. Now that he faces foward in the BACKSEAT he regularly appreciates the zoom zoom.

 

[amiro]

Thanks, I'll make sure to try the seat in the car first before buying it!

 

[AzMz3]

I'm a little slow, but I just realized that you were asking about the Mazda 3, not the BMW M3.

Aren't all MP5 drivers alittle slow... (braindead

LOL

 

[ag bullet]

I guess if fit is an issue, make sure your child seat is LATCH compliant. If it is an older seat, it may not work. We use a Britax roundabout. It isn't LATCH compliant as it was made before that. However it has a strap for the back that can anchor it to help hold it steadier than a regular pass through belt connection.

 

[Screamin'3]

We have both a 3 5-door and a Hyundai Elantra GT. The Elantra's rear seat is MORE sculpted than the 3's and we still were able to get a rear facing car seat to be secure. In the 3, our seat is rock solid without using any finagling. If you have problems there are foam inserts to place under the seat to give it more support. Also, If you live in the US, go by a Babies-R-Us or a firestation and they will help you get the seat secured. Babies-R-Us also have lots of differant classes and programs for parents.
BTW, very few compact cars have LATCH anchors for the center seat. I know the bigger Volvos have them, but not the smaller cars.
If you can swing the cash get a Britax (sp?) seat. It's one of the best seat available and the LATCH clips design make it a snap to install. We have two (one for each car).

 

[mazdaspeedpower]

Aren't all MP5 drivers alittle slow... (braindead

LOL

oooohhhh, SNAP SNAP!!!!!...lol...you're just asking for trouble with this comment ...I love it...lol
























Wait a second, I used to be a MP5 driver....lol