Yep, start him young, that's how the great ones become great. Tiger Woods was swinging a golf club as soon as he could walk, so there you go.

Yep, added to the family and changed my name. You've missed a lot around here !

 

wannamini- hey here! haven't seen you over in the detailing forums lately!!!

Ben sure is a good looking guy!!! and look at his BIG smile.

im glad to hear you like the young sport cause i have one sitting behind
me waiting to be installed in my MCS. it's part of my son's b-day
present later on this month. he's very excited to ride along with me.

 

WONDERFUL, Ken! What color did you get?

Yeah, I will be back over. Summer has had me SOOOO busy with autocrossing. But I have done a couple details that I have to post!

OMG, the install will be SOOO easy for you. Step one. Take out of box. Step two, measure son in seat. Step three. Clip in hooks into latch (SO easy). Step four. Put knee on seat, grab loops on side and pull. Step four. Run seat belt through. Step five, click in back tehter, and pull. VOILA!!!! You and he will LOVE it. Be sure to take a picture!!! That pic was taken his FIRST ride in the Recaro.

 

I got the charcoal color to match my charcoal interior.

i had him sit in the Recaro last week and it's all measured out.
will install it last week of Sept! he's going to be 3 already.


thanks for the quick steps on how to mount it in my car.

 

I did a search for this and wasn't returning anything except a blank page, so I'll ask the question.

My husband and I just found out I am pregnant. I still would like to get a mini cooper, but my husband wants me to start looking for a four door car! Is there anyone here with a newborn and a mini? Does anyone have any pictures of a mini with a car seat in it?

He already has a four door wagon! So, I don't think I really need a four door car.

Give me your input and opinion since y'all drive a mini everyday and I haven't been able to experience it yet.

 

You can keep the mini!! There's a thread here that talks all about it. Don't sell the Mini you don't need a four door car. I'll go find the thread and post it up here.

 

Here: The official babies in car seat thread

Update: Actually, I'm going to go ahead and merge the threads.

 

LOL. I was wondering what was going on.

 

Get the MINI. It's a bit of a hassle while you have to have the seat facing the rear, but that time will pass. I have two kids, one will be turning 4 next month and the other will be 1. The 4-year old LOVES the car and tells me that she's going to get it when she gets bigger. She doesn't want a different one, she wants Daddy's. The 1-year old really likes it when the sun roof is open.

 

Hi and congratulation! Try searching on infant seat. In any case, check out the official thread. and this one. That should get you started.

In my case, we started with the Graco metrolight. With the base mounted behind the front passenger seat, I could get baby girl in and out while she was in the carrier from the passenger side. Note, you will not be able set the front passenger seat all the back; rather, one would be sitting closer to the front. I was lucky that baby girl went from the carrier to a forward facing seat when she turned one. No need for a awkward rear facing convertible seat.

The front facing seat we are using is the Recaro! I'll see what I can do about pics.

 

Take a few minutes to reply and see what happens! :D

 

Good find. I'll merge that one into this one too.

Update: Done.

 

I've had my MINI before our daughter came along. We have a Graco rear facing and it works fine. My wife, 5'4", can site in the passenger seat comfortably with the car seat behind her. Though not comfortable for a several out ride I'm sure. But at least an hour is feasible.

Getting her in an out in the car seat is a skill to master. Not that it is hard. After a few times you'll know exactly how to stand and twist. After she is strapped in I can have her and the seat snapped in the base within 30 seconds of opening the door. There are easier vehicles but the MINI will do just fine.

I finally found a shop today to take a first hand look at the Recaro. Very nice in person. I'll be ordering one soon and have a question since all they had was tan. Which matches the interior panels better? Charcoal or Ebony? I have the English leather but it is more of a dark gray than black.

 

FWIW, Recaro has released some new child seats. I have 2 of their new boosters in the back of Blue Belle. They fit really well.

 

Nice

 

Wow, thanks for the merge. My search function didn't return any results at first. I think this thread is compelling enough to continue with buying a Mini. His main concern was getting the baby in and out of the car since, it will be my only mode of transportation. If the only real hassle is the rear facing seat for the first couple of months... big deal. I do hate the fact that people assume bigger is safer. It doesn't really matter how safe your vehicle is if you can't drive it! Thanks for the responses and hopefully this will make my husband not be as subjective.... maybe.

 

I'm only 5 feet tall, so I am thinking if I have another passanger the baby can go behind me in the back facing seat no problem. I have to have the seat pushed all the way up to drive any ways!

 

i mounted my son's YoungSport today and took him for a quick test drive.
he said he liked the seats and liked my MCS a lot.

no picts yet, waiting for a cloudy day to do a photo shoot.

 

bump

 

WOW!!! The thread is still going! I am so honored to have started an "official" thread!

Ben STILL loves his Recaro Young Sport. He is now 21 months old and about 31 pounds!

 

I've had my Britax Roundabout for about a year and a half now (my nephew is almost 20 months old, and tall for his age). I definitely recommend it. It's not super-cheap but it is reasonably priced, and once you get the hang of putting a rolled-up towel under the back when installing it, it's quite easy to put in. I've removed and reinstalled it three or four times now and the last time I managed it easily in under five minutes. If you move it between cars, it is super-easy to put it into any car with a center-rear seat with the LATCH system.

In rear-facing mode, it doesn't leave very much leg room for the passenger (assuming you put it on that side)-- okay for a short person, a bit tight for an average man, certainly not enough for a tall person. But that's only the first six months. I wouldn't want to remove and reinstall it every day, but doing it once a week wouldn't be too annoying. In rear-racing mode, I think it's easier to get the kid out through the boot than through the door.

In front-facing mode, without the child in it the front seat can go back as far as you like. With the child riding, it depends on his/her leg reach and how much you like being kicked. Getting him in and out is no more difficult that it is in any other car I've tried (a Prius, a 4-door Hyundia and a Subaru Impreza).

My nephew gets very excited to ride in the MINI, seems to like the seat just fine and even falls asleep in it sometimes. So it's toddler-approved.

The only drawback to the MINI/child combo is that those super-sized baby-SUVs they call strollers these days don't fit in the boot. I bought a medium-sized stroller made by Jeep from Babys R Us for $30 and it fits fine.

So, parents, future parents, potential parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and babysitter and nannies, feel free to buy that MINI.

 

I cannot recall if I've stated it in this thread or not...

I use two Britax Roundabouts in my MINI. This is by far the best car seat we've tried. Well worth the money, IMO. If I need a stroller, I throw a Peg Perego Aria Duo in the back. Nothing else will fit (and nothing else seems to fit for two), but I have a stroller for my two children.

 

Is it safer to have a 4 or 6 year old in the front seat (with a booster) or the back of a mini. My thought is the front seat due to my concerns over a rear end collision. I know this goes against conventional wisdom. But with the automatic passenger air bag cutoff, it just seems safer to me.

 

not sure how anybody deals with a rear facing seat in the back of the MINI. Our five month old has outgrown her infant seat....there's no easy way to get her in the backseat with a proper rear facing seat, so I didn't even try. I ended up picking up an '01 Cherokee and putting the seat in there - problem solved.

 

Well my son is almost 4 years now, and has been motoring since 3 weeks old. He also outgrew his infant seat at about 5 months. The rear facing seat fits--but the passenger up front needs to be pretty short and the seat back needs to be almost vertical. My wife sat in the back seat instead most of the time. Fortunately, the rear facing seat doesn't last forever, and you regain the space after about a year. =)