I have a 2011 mustang which has a super tiny backseat! I really like the idea of starting DD off with a convertible carseat when she arrives in February. I really like how narrow the base of the Diono Radian RXT is, as the backseats in my car are super narrow. My problem is that I would like to have some use of the front passenger seat without it having to be pushed completely forward. I've searched on carseat.org(not a lot). The radians' shell looks like it would take up a lot of room(front to back). I would like to keep DD rear facing as long as possible.
Any suggestions or experiences are greatly appreciated!
Re: Carseat for 2011 Mustang
I'm no expert, but I was looking at the The First Years True Fit Premier Convertible Car Seat for my small backseat car. Because it looks like you can remove the top portion when rear facing.
Good Luck!
Our seat isn't the most expensive but it worked best with our car and they all go through the same safety tests.
We started out with an infant carrier and transitioned to the Coccoro around 9 months. The infant carrier was nice since I didn't have to climb into the back of the car to get DD in.
Definitely check out car-seat.org as other poster suggested. There is tons of great information on there.
I have the True Fit Premier in my car (a Pontiac Vibe) and yes, you can take off the top head rest until the child is 22lbs or an inch from the top of the seat. After that you have to add the head rest but can still rear face until 35lbs. It does take up more space front to back but at that point you can install the seat slightly more upright than for an infant (infants need seat at 45 degree angle but some seats allow the more upright 30 degree install for older children, some don't).