May 2011 Moms

anyone installed a snugride 35?

we just put it in our truck (Hyundai Santa Fe)...so maybe this is just a hyundai thing, but the latch system isn't in the middle seat, so we have to put it behind the passenger seat.  In order for the seat to fit, the passenger seat has to be pulled as close to the dashboard as possible, and pretty much sitting straight up.  I feel like we're doing something wrong...i'm going to make an appointment to get it checked out this week, but just curious if anyone else has installed it.  It seems like it wouldn't even fit in a smaller car...

**Kelly***

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Re: anyone installed a snugride 35?

  • I can't help.. but I have a Hyundai Santa Fe as well. We haven't tried putting the car seat in there yet, would you mind letting me know what you find out? I didn't even think about there not being a latch because the trunk is right behind the backseat.. Hmm... Let me know what you find (PLEASE!)
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  • I have a Dodge Caliber. We installed it behind the passenger seat as well. We also had to move the seat closer to the dashboard and sitting more upright but my DH who is 5'10 can still sit comfortably. It's a bigger car seat. I don't think your doing anything wrong. We were told that the passenger seat could be as far back as possible as long as it wasn't actually touching the car seat.
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  • there is the latch system, but just not in the middle seat (there are latches in back of the driver and passenger).  I was just googling though, and i found a video of how to just put it in using the seatbelt rather than the latch, so we may try to move it to the middle seat and see how it looks...although i'm kind of thinking that it will just prevent both the passenger and the driver from moving their seat back or reclining lol  i'll repost once we try it!  here's the video if you're interested:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4unJ6Ut71Fo

    **Kelly***

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  • We installed our last week using the latch system behind the passenger seat, but we have a Nissan Murano.  We had to move the passenger seat up a bit, but not too much where it's uncomfortable...and DH is 6'2.  I feel like if we would have not used the latch system and put it in the middle it would have forced me to move the drivers seat and I didn't want to do that...
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  • I've got a Graco Safeseat, which is pretty much the same thing. My car doesn't have LATCH (or a middle seatbelt), so it's behind the passenger. The passenger seat still has enough room to be useful, though.

    Some of it is just how the car is designed. You could try it in the middle with the belt install - one isn't really safer than the other, the LATCH is just faster and easier.

  • I drive a Santa Fe as well and we had our infant seat (chicco) installed in the middle with the seatbelt and it installs fine and might give you a little more room. I could still recline and have plenty of room. We had DD re-facing in the chicco and then the Britax Boulevard in the middle. The latch is really easy to install, but it isn't any safer than using a seatbelt and you can only use latch on the sides in the Santa Fe. Look at youtube there are plenty of videos on how to install using the seatbelt.
  • I used the  SafeSeat32, which is like the sungride 35 for my son, and we have a Honda Ridgeline.. I had to install it behind the pasenger seat b/c it was so large both the passenger and drivers seat would have had to pushed all the way forward. 

    It was perfectly safe, and secure, with the latch system behind the passenger seat. 

     

  • We took ours to the fire dept and let them put it in. DH has a F150 and when they asked about where we wanted it, I said that I thought the middle was the safest. He said it was and used the seatbelt to put it in. Now, it took 2 burly firemen to get it so that the seatbelt was positioned right, but it's not going ANYWHERE! 


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  • darmcadarmca member
    I have a snugride 35 and a Buick Lacrosse (large mid/small fullsize car). Someone short can fit in the front seat with the carseat behind (like me at 5'4") but someone tall like DH (6'3") cannot. Solution= take his Explorer, or have him drive my car, or move the carseat to behind driver when he is passenger. Not the best, but hopefully won't come up too often.
  • We have the Snugride 35 and two small cars (Hyundai Elantra and Mazda Protege).  Both cars have the LATCH system on the side only.  But we were told at our carseat class (and I believe it was in the manuals) that the best place to put the carseat is generally in the middle, even if the LATCH system is not available there.  

    I was a bit concerned about getting the seat in our cars - with the cars being small, not sure if the middle seat would be flat enough for the seat to sit properly, etc, but we really had no problem.  DH is 6'2" and there is plenty of room for him to adjust his seat comfortably, and our passenger seats are generally kept most the way back.  There is not much room between the carseat and the front seats, but it does fit nicely there.  

    Installing the carseat with the seatbelt, and not the LATCH system, is a bit more time consuming, but as long as you get it tight enough, it is not difficult.  DH and I each have a base and for the most part the base will stay installed in the middle in each car.  We may end up with a third base to be used by my mom and sister when they watch LO.  They both have cars really similar to ours.  I expect they would be installing the seat with the LATCH system behind the passenger because that is a quick and easy way to install - but they aren't going to be driving LO very often, and when they do they will rarely have a passenger.   

     

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  • We just installed our SnugRide 35 in my Ford Expedition this afternoon. I can't imagine fitting it in a smaller car and the front passenger having ANY leg room. I am amazed at how much room the car seat takes up! I was even thinking of downsizing vehicles until the car seat was in. THAT won't be happening anytime soon! We use my car for all of our road trips throughout the year & we would be miserable up front! Wondering if I should invest in a smaller car seat for the Grandmothers' tiny sedans? Regardless, it was pretty exciting to see the car seat installed and just waiting for the baby!!!!!!!!
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