Question about two carseats in a Cooper S Cabrio

[minicpst]

I'm hoping someone has experience with this. I have a six year old who is in a harnessed seat, and we're going to be adding to our family next year. Is it possible to put a forward facing child and a rear facing infant in the car? I'm short, so my seat is all the way forward. But is it possible, and would I like to do it every day? I'm worried that it would simply be impossible to accomplish, and be a daily hassle. We've had my husband, myself, and my daughter in the car, the three of us work, but with two kids there wouldn't be a way for it to be a four person car until the second child is forward facing, so in about three or four years.

I desperately want this car, and it's been on my list longer than baby #2 has, so I'm hoping it will work. If not a Mazda5 is in my fugure. Fun and zippy, but not a Cooper S convertible.

Thanks!

Wendy

[bobj]

I think you would find it difficult on a daily basis.

[tigwantstoplay]

We have a family in our club, West Coast MINI, that does this.

"Matt" and his family have a Hot Orange MCSc. Their boys are 2.5 and 5....adorable children. When we go on runs/trips, the whole family goes - usually decked out in hot orange t-shirts

Matt and his wife are both "standard" size people....and they put a booster/safety seat in for the 5 y/o and a full-size car seat for the 2.5 y/o.

They LOVE the MINI.

Their (then) 2 y/o has become a legend in our club...for something he said on a run a few months ago....as we're carving some twisties in our local canyon, top down, his binkie falls out ....and he's screaming "no more binkie, more fast"!!!!!!!!!!!........... Totally a future MOTORER.

Anyway....can it be done, you betcha. And there are motoring families who look incredibly happy doing it.

[minicpst]

Thanks. My thought right now is that the baby will go behind me, as my 5'11" husband can sit behind me with PLENTY of leg room, and then some to spare, so the baby will fit. I'll get in the passenger side and put the baby in (we're doing a convertible seat from birth, no infant seat), my daughter will hang out on the driver's seat. Then she and I will switch and she'll buckle herself in and I'll buckle myself in and we go. If it's a nice day and the top is down, then hey, it'll be easy. :-) Just need to find a hat that won't blow away.

So in a Cooper, not a Clubman, it'll be too annoying for daily use? We passed someone on the way back with a Cooper with the top down and a little kid in the back. It's the perfect night here for the top down. If I can't get one now it'll be probably a 2013 model that I can get, when the baby is forward facing and we can work it a little better. And I'm rather impatient. hehe

Thanks for the replies. So far one of each.

[bobj]

I didn't mean to discourage you from getting a MINI, minicpst. Perhaps it is just my old back not keeping up. I keep 3 car seats available for the grandchildren (only 2 in the mini at a time), and the rear facing one is particularly difficult for me. Maybe it would not be for you. Also the poorer rear visibility of the convertible is something you should consider if it increases your risk of an accident, since your kids are in the car all the time. Take the convert out for a test drive on some crowded multilane streets to decide for yourself. Also the visibility can be greatly improved with stick-on convex mirrors. I'm just being a (overly?) cautious old grandpa ..... like I said I don't want to discourage you, I just want you to make an informed decision.

[minicpst]

Thanks, Bobj. We've taken the convertible out with my daughter in the back. The first carseat we had back there put her head way too close to the rollbar for my comfort. But I had another seat I brought out (cpst stands for child passenger safety technician, I have some six or seven seats she can use, and more that aren't safe for kids anymore) and that worked just fine. She was down low enough that she wasn't in my way, and she could still see out enough in the backseat to not be upset.

A rear facing infant would be lower than I could see, at least until s/he was sitting up more. Then that would be something to deal with, though that happens in any car with a tall carseat. I have horrid visibility in my Xterra now on my right side because of my daughter's seat right now. I just use the side mirrors more.

I was ok with the visibility on the interstate when we took it out for a test drive. It's not great, obviously, but I wasn't stressed. I'm used to not seeing what's directly behind me, since I'm high up in an SUV anyway. Plus I've had a big carseat blocking my visibility for the past six years. :-)

I thought the 2009s were supposed to have pop up rollbars? I keep hearing rumors of that, that's why my dealership says, but all the spy photos still have them there.

My back is just fine. :-) I bet I'm also shorter than you and wouldn't have to lean down as much to put a baby in. Plus it's just a baby, no infant seat. Those things are a pain to lift in and out of cars, IMO (being a CPST I hang out with a lot of parents and babies and I'm constantly moving seats around, either mine or theirs, and I've lifted a lot of babies in and out of cars).

I see what you're saying, and I'm just being stubborn about this. I decided about six months ago that instead of going the minivan route and being uber practical I wanted to go the fun route and we'd use something else the four times a year I needed practical. I decided on the Mini Cooper, and just with their schedule and our funding I haven't been able to place an order yet, which puts me into 2009 to get one. Then we decided to have another baby, and I'm throwing a very immature, unbecoming of a brand new 31 year old, hissy fit that I want my car. But if it really won't work (and there's no way I can try it before I'd get the car since we're looking at a baby in September 2009) then I need to suck it up and get something else. I've got a 2001 Nissan Xterra and I just want something safer with better gas mileage, and I'd prefer it had a soft top, said Cooper on the back, and had a little squiggle of an S on it. :-)

Thanks. :-)

WEndy

[bobj]

Well, you could always get it and if it does not work out give it to hubby. Since you are doing all the hard work carrying and delivering the baby, he should buy into that agreement. (OK with you hubby?)

[minicpst]

Hubby doesn't want it!!! He says that it's "girly." I think he's insane. Plus I don't particularly want his A4. Nice car and all, but it's got an automatic transmission and leather, things I don't want.

Wendy

[minicpst]

Ok, I thought about it today. You're right, I should get it and if it doesn't work then move it along. No reason I can't at least enjoy one delightful summer with the top down, right? Baby won't be here until next August at the earliest, preferably September. And if I find by Thanksgiving that I'm annoyed daily and I can't deal with it then I'll sell it. There's such a shortage of Cooper S Convertibles on the market that it shouldn't be too tough to sell it close to what I paid for it, and that loss will still be worth the summer o'fun. Plus no matter what we'll have more than enough for cash for a Mazda5. :-)

I feel much better now. I will happily order my laser blue Cooper S convertible at the first possible moment and then take it from there.

Thanks!

Wendy

[bobj]

After he drives it a few times, it will become less girly. you will need to hide your keys!
so, GO FOR IT!!! I feel better too!

[bobj]

I inquired on n.c. personal license plate site and look what is available:
It would look good on an Audi - Christmas present?

[minicpst]

LOL Thanks!!!

[tigwantstoplay]

[zanary]

I'm replying to an old thread, but we now have pictures of the 2009 Convertible with two car seats (front facing unfortunately). I would still say that rear facing would be a very very tight fit.

The full set of pictures can be found here: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...59-post13.html

[Keeper]

It's a tight fit either way. We have one forward and one rear facing and either way it doesn't change how far back we can put the seats by very much.

[veg1515]

What seat do you have for the rear facing seat?