Like the title says... I am so overwhelmed with all of the options online and mixed reviews. Our 4mo is going to outgrow his infant seat soon (tank!) and we won't be trading in our small car for an SUV until late 2016/early 2017. I am looking for a car seat with a decent weight limit that is good match for a small vehicle.
What do you have? What kind of car? Do you like it? What do you recommend? Help me, Bees!
pear / 1503 posts
My 7-mo old will be outgrowing his infant seat soon, and we are looking at the Clek Fllo. It's pricy and heavy, sure, but it's compact, and will fit in just about any vehicle. We also plan on having more kid(s), so the fact that it can be used three across is a bonus. The biggest thing for me is it's safety rating; it has crumple technology and an anti-rebound bar.
pomegranate / 3521 posts
@Astro Bee: I have been looking at the fllo! I was hoping it was as compact. I'm wondering about the angle for the front seat (is the passenger going to be smushed?)
grapefruit / 4988 posts
We have the Fllo in a Honda Fit and we love it. That being said, DH and I are both small and don't need a ton of legroom. Not sure if it would fit if one of us were 6 ft tall and needed the extra space up front.
Edited to add: We don't feel smooshed at all by it. I have plenty of room in the passenger seat. But I am 5'1".
grapefruit / 4903 posts
We have a Sebring and a Clek Foonf, and we've been really happy with it. The Fllo wasn't out when we bought it, but we tried the Nextfit in our car as well and because it's higher, the Foonf allowed the passenger seat to come back farther. It's not roomy, but it works behind our passenger seat. DH is 5'10" for reference.
pomegranate / 3521 posts
@catlady: good to know! I have a Nissan Sentra so it's still in the small car category but it seems "big" for a small car. I am 5'7 and DH 5'10(ish?)
watermelon / 14467 posts
I drive a Nissan Versa and we have a Graco MyRide 65. It's a bit bulky, but even RF I had enough room in the passenger seat to be comfortable. I wouldn't have been able to drive (I am 5'5 with very long legs), but behind the passenger was fine.
pomegranate / 3521 posts
@avivoca: I have the maxi Cosi infant seat and the passenger side is pretty smushed 
pear / 1503 posts
Clek's website indicates 32.5" from the seat back in rear-facing mode. That's about what our infant seat is, and it's more than tolerable for us. DH and I are 5'9" and 5'6" respectively, but I've had my dad in the front seat, and he is 5'11." Granted, we have a mid-size SUV, so YMMV. Not every seat manufacturer lists the dimensions, but most stores will allow you to try out their store models in the parking lot.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Is sitting in the back an option for your passenger? I know some people reacted very strongly when I made this suggestion before, but throwing it out there....
grapefruit / 4923 posts
we have a recaro proride in our 2011 corolla, behind the driver's seat. i'm 5'2" and my husband is 6'. he's usually the one driving. even with the recaro in the the rear-facing position, my husband had more leg room than i do in the passenger seat (we had the chicco keyfit for our 4-month old behind the passenger seat). i should note that my husband, while on the taller side, prefers to sit pretty close to the steering wheel.
with the recaro and the chicco keyfit in the backseat, sometimes i can squeeze myself in the middle if the baby is having a fit and needs a pacifier, but it is a tight squeeze that i only do for short 15 minute rides. i am a shrimp, though (again, 5'2").
cherry / 157 posts
I drive a Mazda 3 and our Maxi Cosi Pria 70 fit fine rear-facing behind the passenger seat.
That said, now with two LOs, we've rearranged the car seats a bit. My husband (VW e-Golf) now has the Pria forward facing and the infant seat. I just got the Diono Radian RXT forward facing (since it's really narrow - just like the Fllo, can fit 3 across) and the infant seat. I can sit in the back seat with the two car seats if my husband drives the Mazda (newborn hates the car seat so I try to calm him).
That said, we can't fit two rear facing in either car. Our cars are pretty small.
pomegranate / 3521 posts
@looch: of course! I generally tell the tall people to do that for their own comfort level anyway. I was just hoping I could find a car seat that would minimize the need to do that.
watermelon / 14467 posts
@Reese: I think any of the Graco clones (MySize/Size4Me/Fit4Me) woudl be a good option for you. They are fairly compact side to side and they are less bulky than what I have. The RF limits are very high and it's easy to install. But I would definitely check this link here, which Nissan puts out to tell you what seats will fit in your car.
http://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/nissan/pdf/owning/snugkids-english/2015/nissan-sentra.pdf
It was a lifesaver when I was trying to choose seats for my car (2011 Versa).
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