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Buick Enclave Child Seats
Is there anyone on this forum who has two infant car seats in the second row of the Enclave and another booster in the back seat ? We have a 2-1/2 old with twins on the way and are considering the Buick Enclave (along with Mazda CX-9 & Ford Expedition). We would like to have the twins in the second row seat and the toddler in the back seat. I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit two rear facing car seats in the 60% portion of the second row and be able to move the 40% portion to gain access to the third row. Also, would a twin stroller fit in the cargo with all rows up ? Preferably I would like to have the twin stroller along with an umbrella stroller also in the cargo.
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I have a fully loaded CXL AWD Enclave that I purchased in June. I also test drove a Mazda CX9. I thought the Mazda drove a liitle better, but I loved the 2nd row captains chairs for easy access to the 3rd row. My kids are a little older now (6 years and 11 years). When we haul friends and family, the easy access to the 3rd row is super!
I feel differently about the ability for an adult to get through the center asile to get to the 3rd row. My 12-year old and her friends sit back there all the time. Twice each week, I take a crew of people from my office to lunch, and at least 1 or 2 people sit in the third row. It is very easy to pass between the two captains chairs - there is plenty of room between the two seats. I jus measured, and there is about 7.5" of space between the arms rests. You don't have to slide the seats or anything, just walk past the front of the capatins chairs, then walk between them.
I test drove a Merdeze Benz something CUV when looking at vehicles in June. Now that was tight. I literally had to squeeze my leg though a 3-4" space betwen their capatins chairs armrests. Extremely tight - almost impossible.
On the otherhand, I think it is much harder to slide and flip the seats (bench or captains), and squeeze between the folded seat and the doorway to try and get into the back row. There is much less than 7.5" of cpace in that case, and in that scenerio, you are trying to fit your whole body - not just your knees and downward.
I can tell you that legroom in the third row and ease of access to the third row was a top priority for me. After looking at a dozen vehicles or so, I chose the Enclave with the captains chairs.
Just my opinion - for whatever its worth.
I really appreaciate your input on this matter. I will definitely try out what you've suggested on our next trip to the dealership.
budi,
First of all, Congratulations on the new additions to your family !
Best of luck to you. If you have time, post back your thoughts after visiting the dealership. I am curious about your findings.
The infant carrier is very deep and it hangs off both the captain chairs and 3rd row seat, more so in the third row. I gave a short amount of time trying to use the center seatbelt to get the infant carrier base secured. I could not. Mind you I was doing this at night in limited light. Anyways, I'm going to see if a
pro can get it installed nice and tight. Getting the Boulevard installed in the third row is/more of a challenge than in the captains chairs only for the reason of anchoring the upper strap.
The only upper anchor in the third row is behind the center position. I am using that anchor for my toddler seat which is probably a no-no.
Captain chairs installs
It is a snap to use the LATCH system for the Boulevard. I did not try the belt or plan to.
For the infant carrier the only thing that works is using the LATCH method. What I found using the belt is that the stop button on the lower part of the belt gets in the way of the "lock off" mechanism (prevents belt from moving) of the infant carrier base. Bottom line is that I can not get the base super snug using the belt unless i remove that stop button. Like I said before the infant carrier base hangs off the seat but is very secure using the LATCH method. I would be curious to know if the other infant carrier bases are not as deep as the Britax companion. I might look into exchanging the Companion for a more compact one.
Is it safe to place the carseat in a second row captains chair? Also, is it safe to put the carseat in the 3rd row?
The Tahoe comes with side airbags for all rows if that makes a difference.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Hope this helps.
I have the captains chairs with no 2nd row console (pass through).
I have one child (2yrs) in Britax Marathon, forward facing, and one child (pre-schooler) in a full booster. We use the car seat in the capt. chair attached with the in-seat anchors and tethered under the headrest (it does not move) and over to the rear of the seat. We pull that seat forward so she can reach the cup holder and leave that seat alone. When using the 2nd row tethers be aware the cover will snap off easily when you pop the 3rd row down if the seat is pushed back so be careful with that. Also, the angles of the seat makes for interesting installation so get some pool noodles to fill the space/gaps (what our police dept uses).
My preschooler's booster stays in the other captains chair but we push it back all the way and use that side as entry for all of us. We hop in that side, me squatting in the middle to fix seat belts and then I pop out that door (take off the child lock!)
When toting Grandparents they either walk easily between to the 3rd row or we move the booster back and let one ride in the middle.
We haven't had too much problem toting strollers but if toting around 3 kids and 2 strollers, I would definitely do an install run through before purchase. You may need the full size Escalade with pass through or a van til they are a little older. My Joovy caboose (sit n stand style) fits perfectly behind the 3rd row, but little room for anything else by then.