[SkyBaby]

I'm trying to figure out what's best for Lily and what kind of new car seat to get her. She is out growing the one she has been in since a newborn. Its not the weight rating so much she is beginning to get too long for it. I am well aware of the general consensus of rear facing being safest. The main car I'm driving with her in is a 2 door Ford Explorer. Her current car seat can get snug in the back seat of my car, but not as snug as it can in a car with a larger back seat. It's like the back seat of my car was a half-a$$ed after thought. It's not as deep as in most cars and that's why her car seat doesn't fit as well as it could. The bases of bigger rear fitting car seats look like they wouldn't fit well at all in my car or my husband's car for that matter.

My dilemma is, forward face her in a much snugger fit for my back seat or rear face her in a car seat that doesn't fit as snugly. Which models should I look at if rear facing is still the best option for a car with smaller back seats?

Edit:

We will be needing to get a car that seats more people eventually here that will replace my car as the main family car. My car only seats 4, despite being a small SUV. We want three kids. If I can't find a rear facing car seat big enough for her to use until at least two years old but that still fits in my car, should we consider getting that new(er), bigger car sooner rather than later?

[promises1]

I know this is a tough one. You want your kids to be safe but also not have to upgrade the car if you don't have too! We have a rear facing in my car but a front facing in our truck. The rear facing doesn't fit well in the truck. We only have to use the truck but 1 time a week to pick up from the sitters just down the street so it's not too bad.

[SkyBaby]

I just talked to DH about it and he said because of our car, front facing is probably our only option. We can't afford another car, used or new right now. I don't like this. At all. Front facing maybe our only option, but depending on return policies of BRU and other retail stores, we may be able to get one and try it and exchange if it won't fit.

[ohnicole]

I don't have any advice, but if you want to stay rear-facing, the ladies on the Car Seat board may have some ideas about seats that take up the least room rear-facing.

[SkyBaby]

Thanks! I just posted over there.

[mamato4andc]

I would do everything I could to get the bigger vehicle or I wouldn't be going anywhere. When we had Lily, we had an suv but because all three of her older siblings were still in car seats, two of them had to climb over the seat to get to the back. We got a 12 passenger van since we know there will be more kids. She is still in her baby seat and still rear-facing and will be that way until she's 2. My 3 and 5 year olds are still in 5 pt. harness and my 8 year old JUST weighed out on his.

[SkyBaby]

I've been wanting a 4 door for a while now anyways. 2 door car and a car seat really sucks. I likely won't be going anywhere if our only option is FF. DH is saying it's our only option even after seeing footage of crash tests. He thinks we can't afford another car, but used we might be able to.

[maybethistime]

we just had this problem. We have two children, and my husband and I are both tall, so we had to find a rear facing that wasn't too tall or wide. From my research, I found the Britax Marathon to be one of the shorter seats and it also has a narrow base part that touches the car seat. It is definitely one of the more expensive ones, but when you are thinking about the cost of getting a different car, it turns out to be the cheaper option We tried a few times to order the Britax Marathon but it has been backordered til Feb 28th, and we really needed one so I settled on the Safety First Air Protect, it is one inch taller rear facing but still worked ok.
Personally, I think a snug fit is the most important thing, if no carseat will give you that snug fit, I would forward face (we do that in my husband's truck).

[SkyBaby]

Because of how my back seat is designed, they don't seem to have the ability to keep anything rear facing super snug. It seems forward facing is the only way I can gaurantee a good snug fit. I won't give up yet though.

[Olivia&DelilahsMommy]

Rear-facing in both vehicles. There's always a way to make it fit. I've installed car seats for my friends from a Versa to a 2 dr civic to an Elantra.
Your child will not be uncomfortable, their legs aren't too long etc. Here's a recent post I made about Car Seat Safety: http://www.everythingmommyhood.com/2...-and-kids.html