Need help adding new baby seat next to toddler in '10 Prius.

[Beauchamp]

My DD (21 mo) is RFing in a Britax Blvd in the outboard position behind the passenger seat of our Prius. Our new baby is due in June, and I'm hoping to put him RFing in the center seat, most likely in a Chicco Keyfit 30. Is this possible, or will he have to be in the other outboard seat? If I got DD a Radian, would that make a difference?

Any help is appreciated. We haven't ordered the infant seat yet. Thanks!

[Skippy918]

I'm curious too.  We have an 04 Prius and have the Radian in the center RFing.  I'm wondering if the Safeseat will fit next to the Radian so we can squeeze another adult in the backseat.

[Beauchamp]

Would your Radian fit RFing in the outboard? Curious because we may do this if we need to make the baby bucket fit in the center.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

I have 3 radians in an 08 Prius.  I have had it with 2 rf/1 ff and with 2 ff/1rf.  It is a hard tight install but my good friend (who is a car seat tech) was able to help me wrangle it.  We also had 2 radians and a chicco keyfit (i think?) at one point.  No other combo of seats worked (i had a regent, frontier, marathon, cosco 5pt/hbb, scenera.

[Skippy918]

a-sorta-fairytale- How far up did you have to move the passenger seat to get the Radian to RF?  I guess we'll just have to do some trial and error to get everything to fit properly.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by a-sorta-fairytale 

I have 3 radians in an 08 Prius.  I have had it with 2 rf/1 ff and with 2 ff/1rf.  It is a hard tight install but my good friend (who is a car seat tech) was able to help me wrangle it.  We also had 2 radians and a chicco keyfit (i think?) at one point.  No other combo of seats worked (i had a regent, frontier, marathon, cosco 5pt/hbb, scenera.

So, you're saying that a Keyfit next to a Boulevard probably won't fit? Darn! ...but it should next to a Radian? The Radian would still be RF, behind the passenger seat, Keyfit RF in the center. The passenger seat is already really far forward so the Britax can RF...would the Radian be even worse? I think it has a taller shell than the Britax.

Originally Posted by Skippy918 

a-sorta-fairytale- How far up did you have to move the passenger seat to get the Radian to RF?  I guess we'll just have to do some trial and error to get everything to fit properly.

Me, too. I was just hoping to avoid spending that amount of $$ on a Radian just for a trial. It's probably the only option though. Of course, I'll order the Keyfit first and check it out.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

We had to move it pretty far up.  It was a crazy puzzle game for sure.  Dh is 6ft4 but i am only 4ft11 so i was able to be really close.  With the one radian rf in the middle though dh is able to be very far back and it works fine.  The problem with the prius (at least ours) is that curve on the edges of the back seat.  That lost valuable inches. 

[mama2soren]

Check out this link for successful 3-across combos in a Prius.  In every scenario, at least one Radian was used.  Here's a thread about successful Radian installations in Priuses (Prii? )

You mentioned that your seat was already moved up quite a ways for the Britax.  For an older baby/toddler, you can install the seat as upright as 30*.  I don't know how a Prius compares to a Corolla in terms of roominess, but I have lots of room in our older Corolla even with a Boulevard RF in back of me.  It's at a 30-35* angle, and there's a decent gap between the car seat and my front seat.  The Radian has a taller shell than the Britax seats, and it tends to be more difficult to install upright.  It will likely take up more room than your Britax.

You might also consider looking at the Complete Air if the Radian doesn't work out.  It is slightly wider (about 18"), but it is a low-profile seat like the Radian is.  They usually carry it at Babies-R-Us.  Since they let you take seats out to your car to try them, you could see if it puzzles well with the KeyFit (which they also have at almost any BRU).  It is MUCH easier to get a compact, upright installation of a Complete Air.  It has a slightly taller shell than the Radian for lots more years of RF!

[CEG]

Not sure if this will be helpful but I have two radians and a marathon in my prius all FF.  The marathon is on the driver's side then the two radians.  The middle one is installed with seat belt and the two outside are LATCH.  Hopefully no one chimes in to let me know this is a problem;)  but hopefully it is helpful to know this can be done.