It was rather interesting race to see which one would be delivered first.
In anticipation of being a dad and a new GT-R owner, I was concerned about how I would merge the two loves of my life...my new family and my new car.
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| My Kid Friendly GT-R |
One of my daughter's first words were "GTR" and to this day she asks if I can pick her up in it from school or activities.
0-1 Year:
I looked into rear facing car seats for the GT-R and it was simply not feasible to have a baby seat without having the front passengers seat completely folded, not to mention getting it in and out was a circus act. We were using a Maxi Cosi Mico Seat at the time.
I tested and confirmed that in the case of an emergency, I could use this car seat, without the base, in the rear seat of the GT-R secured via the shoulder belt. Not an ideal case for daily usage, but safe and possible way to transport precious cargo.
1-4/5 Years:
After much research and talking with other GT-R owners, I settled on buying a Sunshine Kids Radian 80, which is now known as the Diono Radian R100. I cannot say enough nice things about this seat. It does not have a huge base, which is key to fitting in the GT-R. My daughter has been seating in it since the day she was 1 year old as that is the legal minimum here and still uses it at almost 5 years old. She loves the GT-R because this seat made it possible. The "Daddy go Vroom Fast followed by a Weeeee!" is priceless.
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| Radian 80 (R100 now) in GTR Rear. |
In a forward facing setup, this car seat goes from 20lb to 100lb. I secured it using LATCH (up to 40lbs, then seat belt after 40lbs). I also used the rear top LATCH tether of the GT-R. It fits perfectly on the GT-R rear seat. It is also easy to remove and reinstall, though a bit on the heavy side. It is the only seat that conforms to the shape of the GT-R rear bucket seats well and uses the space most efficiently.
While I could have continued to use this seat as a booster, my kid being 44" tall was having a tough time fitting in the back, especially her feet did not have enough space to hang. So onto the next one. Her little sister rides in this one now.
4+Years:
I tried a few different backless boosters car seats, which allow the child to use the car's shoulder belt instead of a 5-pt harness, but ran into problems such as: the booster seat would slide forward and cause my kid to slip behind the booster, or would be too big to fit in the back due to dual large cup holders, etc. I eventually came across the Graco AFFIX Backless Booster Seat. It has 3 key features that make it a great seat for the rear passenger in a GT-R.
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| Graco AFFIX Backless Booster |
1. It fits nicely. If the extra compartment on the left side of the seat is kept closed, it fits perfectly in the GT-R rear.
2. It has a LATCH system to keep it held in place and prevent it from sliding around. This feature alone makes the seat worth it in my opinion.
3. It has a shoulder belt harness clip that can be used to adjust the car's shoulder belt so that the belt rests nicely on the child's shoulder rather than neck.
This seat allows my kid to move quite a few inches backward in the GT-R's rear bucket shaped seats, thus allowing for more leg room. My kid is able to put her feet on the rear seat cushion or let them hang now.
I would recommend these car seats to any GT-R owners. Of course, please read the specific seat instructions to determine the age, weight, height restrictions. When to use or not use LATCH system based on weight, and when to use the shoulder belts. Lastly, follow your local laws as well.
Have fun sharing the joys of a GT-R as I have and continue to do with my kids!
