I'm not sure if this will be useful for anyone, but I wanted to share a couple of photos of car seats installed rear facing (one three year old and one 5 month old) in my Fit LX (2017). I know a lot of people say you cannot install rear-facing especially in a convertible car seat and especially not when you are rear-facing a preschooler...I tried a lot of different car seats at Babies R Us and the Graco Extend2Fit and the Graco 4Ever both fit perfectly rear-facing in my Fit. The passenger seat and the driver's seat are all the way back with no issues - and my 3 year old's seat has a couple of inches clearance between the driver's seat and the car seat just as it should. Hope this might be helpful to anyone wondering how realistic it is to use the Fit as a family car - VERY realistic, very spacious...so grateful I am not forced to drive an SUV.

 

In the old days, the logic was that rear facing seats were safer than front facing seats in the event of an accident. I don't know when that logic became irrelevant. If I were a baby, I would prefer to sit facing the front because I want to see and enjoy what is going on ahead of me.

 

Rear-facing is safer because they don't get as much whiplash - in kids under 2 they can actually be internally decapitated from front-facing. It's recommended to stay rear-facing until 4 years of age when possible - and two years of age at the minimum (I think it's become law in a lot of states)

 

I have a Graco Ride 65LX in mine for my 1 year old. Thanks for sharing, maybe people will find it helpful.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1345797&postcount=28

 

boy am i glad i am on the very last stretch dealing with child related seats. my younger kid is almost tall enough not to need his booster.

i forget which rear facing infant seat i had but i believe it was a graco cause we had that stroller adapter thing for it. since then i ran recaro child seats and boosters on my 3 cars, not just a bench booster under the younger kid's butt to keep the shoulder strap from touching his neck.

it was funny how some folks did not know the brand recaro when i was selling them locally. lol

 

My god! However did my generation survive to adulthood? We used to pile into the bed of a pickup truck and ride. My brother and I used to squeeze into the jump seats in the back of Dad's Austin Healey when we 3 and 5.

 

I think cars go a lot faster, people are a lot more stupid/distracted, there are more people on the road...so there are a lot more accidents. Research speaks for itself on carseats...I was just so nervous as to whether or not I could pull off hauling two kiddos in the Fit...it's no problem at all. In fact, it is a tighter squeeze in my husband's Hyndai Tucson! I actually like having them in the seats, makes me feel like they are more secure...I'll be sad when we ditch them :P

 

Good reading here:

Why Rear Facing: the Science Junkie's Guide - Car Seats For The Littles

 

I find it interesting is that for such a small car, rear seat room is quite spacious. The 2015-2017 Fits have more rear leg room than a Honda Accord.

 

Humm. I used to stand up in the front seat in a car with a metal dashboard. Mom's quick, fast arm kept me from going through the windshield. Guess if I was born today, I'd be dead..

 

Yes, I bought my Fit when one of my kids was still in a rear-facing convertible car seat, a giant Britax. The Fit was the only car I shopped where that seat would fit without impacting a front-seat user (Focus, Mazda 3, etc).