Quote:
Originally Posted by MEDISIN
^ x 1000: Just because you CAN do something, doesn't make it WISE.
First - congratulations and welcome to parenthood! Your life is over as you know it 
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends children remain rear-facing until age 2 or they reach the max height/weight for the seat rear-facing. Absurd? Inconvenient? Perhaps.
In the unlikely event of a collision, how in the world would you get a small child out of the back quickly? I couldn't even fit my head out of the front window of the 5th gen without turning it sideways lol
While I realize the current recommendations are inconvenient for MANY reasons, even a conservative 18 months contorting in and out of the Camaro on a regular basis with an infant in a rear-facing seat is beyond what I consider prudent. If you have to climb into the backseat every time you need to put a child in/out, I would consider alternatives. Just my opinion.
It's much easier when the child is old enough to climb in/out, buckle/unbuckle in a forward facing seat.
The other challenge with kids in the backseat is the long doors. Look for parking spaces with natural barriers (curbs, grass, empty space etc) on the side you get the kid in and out of. A tight parking spot will make loading a kid a nightmare. Of course, park way out in the open with empty spaces all around and when you come out of the store a jalopy will be parked right up next to you on the side you put the kid in on. Never fails!
As others have said the Chevrolet SS is calling you. It wasn't available when I had my first so I ended up with a V. Now with 2 kids in car seats, and all the grocery runs, fitting a stroller and baby baggage, I couldn't imagine being in a coupe today! |
If you want to know if a vehicle is a safe car for your child, look at proven data like IIHS rating. It is not how fast and easy you can get out a chldren or a body of the vehicle that makes it safe. At the very end it is if the body is alive that maters.
As an example, IIHS rating for the camaro 2017 is very good and compare to the CTS, it is even slightly better (I think this is what you are driving, if not, that was just to give an example)
Camaor:
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...oor-coupe/2017
Cadillac:
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/cadillac/cts-4-door-sedan
I would also add that buying a good quality car seat and installing it correctly is the most important and will determine how safe your setup is at the very end and this is what this thread is all about.
I do agree it is safer to keep rear facing as long as possible. American tend to switch to front facing seat as soon as they can no mater the car. While I read somewhere Sweden are keeping their child in rear facing position until 4 years old. You can always put the car seat in the middle if you want to keep it for very long. The Diono I suggested, you could put 3 in a row in the back of the camaro, they are built very narrow.
I agree also the reality of driving a coupe or a sport car is different than other car, long door, etc. But when you are into sport car, you don't care about that, at all. You already park far from other car and choose parking spot carefully because you want to avoid other vehicle to slam door, etc.
At the very end it is a mater of choice and you don't have to give up on things you love because of children and this start with keeping the Camaro.