rear-facing car seat - Mondeo Mk3

CarPark2

Hi
I drive a 2006, Mondeo TDCI.
We have a 13 month old daughter and she has grown out of her first car seat, and we are looking for another. All of the recommendations seem to favour rear-facing child seats up until the baby is 3 or 4 years old (http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/).
However, we are having difficulty finding one that will fit in the Mondeo. The only one that seems to work is the Britax two way elite, but i am not very enthusiastic about that seat for other reasons.
I was just wondering if anybody had a rear-facing child seat for their 1 year + baby and if so, what is the make and model of that seat?

I appreciate that people will have differing opinions on the need for a rear-facing child seat once the child is one year old, but this is a different thread. I am not looking for advice on whether it is necessary or not, just to see if anybody has done it successfully.

Thanks,

Moonbeam

Do you have isofix?
We use the besafe izi kid , you can get it to fit non isofix cars too.

CarPark2

Don't have Isofix. Tried the BeSafe, but it doesn't fit well in the Mondeo Mk3. The back seat dips towards the back, and it means that even in the most tilted formation, the Besafe ends up being only just level.
We have spent ages looking, but finding it really difficult to find anything that fits apart from the Britax 2-way elite. That has more or less no side-impact protection though and it rests against the front passenger seat (instead of the anti-roll bar that the Besafe has). In an accident, it seems that there would be a lot of force transmitted to the person in the front passenger seat.

January

Contact this guy: http://www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk

He's also on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SimonCarSafety

He will give you the best advice on car seats for your car.

TooManyDogs

We have the Britax Prince, it's meant to do from 9 months to 4 years. My girl is 22 months and still rear facing

http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/prince

January

TooManyDogs wrote: »

We have the Britax Prince, it's meant to do from 9 months to 4 years. My girl is 22 months and still rear facing

http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/prince

I'm really sorry... but I can't find anywhere online that suggests this car seat is suitable for rearward facing!? What group is it?

CarPark2

Thanks January.
I visited InCarSafety recently. His recommendation was the britax 2-way elite, but as i mentioned above, i am not very enthusiastic about this option. I would prefer a seat with more side-impact protection and one that doesn't lean on (and depend on) the front passenger seat.

It would be great if anybody with a Mondeo Mk3 can tell if they got a rear-facing seat to fit.

TooManyDogs

January wrote: »

I'm really sorry... but I can't find anywhere online that suggests this car seat is suitable for rearward facing!? What group is it?

I was sure that was the name of it, it's group 0 - 3 anyway, came with a newborn insert and instructions on the seat for rear and forward facing.

EDIT - Just looked again, it's the First Class Plus, says it's suitable for newborn to approx 4 years old.

CarPark2

Thanks TMD,
Just to confirm, do you have a Mondeo Mk3?

caprilicious

I have the Britax Hi way and have found it to fit in the most compact of cars.
It has quite deep sides on it also, so might help with your concerns about side impact?

http://www.carseat.se/swedish-car-seats/installation-videos/britax-hi-way/

Its actually so deep I found I've had to start using a forward facing seat temporarily while I'm pregnant, as I found the Hi way torture on my back lifting her in/out of it.
That said, I'll definitely revert to it though when no. 2 arrives.

They're a very good seat, bit of a pain to install initially (seat belted in, bar adjusted to floor and two tether straps to floor) so not ideal for swapping between cars, but once its fitted in its grand.

The most recent car I had it in was a city rover (about the size of a micra) and it fitted fine. Also had it in my passat which has sloping rear seats and with a few adjustments to the floor bar it sat fine.

If it is a case that you are not successful finding an extended rear facing seat, the alternative I am using temporarily is the Kiddy Energy pro.
It uses an alternative system to the regular front facing, in that there is no harness holding the child in, instead there is a padded type bar that seat belts in.
The theory behind it is that the child's chest as opposed to their neck/head will absorb the impact God forbid in the event of an accident.

It just might be an alternative if you find it difficult to get an ERF seat.

http://www.kiddy.de/en/childrens-car-seats/9months-4years/kiddy-energy-pro.html

I know the ERF seats are much safer, but it was a compromise I had to make and felt reassured that they're still rated safer than regular forward facing seats.

HTH

TooManyDogs

CarPark2 wrote: »

Thanks TMD,
Just to confirm, do you have a Mondeo Mk3?

At the moment I have a VW Sharan but I did have the same seat rear facing in our 1999 Skoda Octavia which would have been a similar size to a Mondeo I'd have thought. Front passanger leg room was quite reduced but I'm nearly 6 ft and could still travel ok in the passanger side.

lilmizzme

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I was sure that was the name of it, it's group 0 - 3 anyway, came with a newborn insert and instructions on the seat for rear and forward facing.

EDIT - Just looked again, it's the First Class Plus, says it's suitable for newborn to approx 4 years old.

The First Class is suitable rearwadfacing until 13kg then it HAS to be turned forward facing until 18kg. So while it is suitable from birth-18kg, it is not suitable rearward facing until 18kg.

ToomanyDogs, if your 22 month old is over 13kg, then s/he shouldnt be rearward facing in that seat.

TooManyDogs

lilmizzme wrote: »

ToomanyDogs, if your 22 month old is over 13kg, then s/he shouldnt be rearward facing in that seat.

She's not over 13kg yet, she's very petite

January

TooManyDogs wrote: »

She's not over 13kg yet, she's very petite

My 22 month old is the same, she's 10kgs

-Corkie-

January wrote: »

My 22 month old is the same, she's 10kgs

So when our small one is over 13kg can we use the forward facing seat???. She is nearly 6 months old now and is too big for the seat shes in now and she hates it..

January

I think they say 13kg or 9 months,,, their necks won't be able to take the force of a crash before the 9 months I think... although it's better if she stays rear facing for as long as possible, lots of companies do extended rear facing car seats now up to about 20/25kg.