3 kids in the BRZ - personal experience

[Ohio Enthusiast]

I wanted to share my experience with stuffing my 3 kids in my BRZ. I daily the BRZ, which in happier times means I drive all 3 to school and the older 2 to after school activities.

My kids are 8, 6 and 2, all are fairly average in size (around 50th percentile in height and weight). I'm 5' 11" and weigh 140 lbs, so I have the front seat a little forward, leaving some leg room behind me (I can even squeeze in behind myself).

My child seat setup is like this - a booster seat behind the driver, a harness seat behind the passenger and a backless booster in the passenger seat. Specifically a Graco Affix, a Britax Boulevard ClickTight and a Cosco Rise.



The Affix and the Boulevard (secured with the seatbelt) fit very well in the back seats, but the front backless booster is a challenge to fit properly - a backless Graco Turbobooster was too wide, pushing on the seatbelt buckle and making in hard to buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt (even for an adult). The Cosco Rise is much narrower, but the shape of the "hand rests/belt guides" interferes with the passenger seat bolsters a little, so it doesn't fit all that well. I'm not happy with either and plan to get a better fitting backless booster.

The kids all get in through the passenger door (since the front seats don't return to the same position when folded and I don't want to keep adjusting the driver seat), with the younger kids scrambling on their own into the back. With the passenger seat folded and all the way forward there's plenty of room for me to buckle them up. Then the passenger seat gets pulled back and the oldest gets in the front.

Rear leg room behind me is enough for the kids when they have regular shoes. Winter boots don't fit, though, so they take them off. Measuring gives around 6 inches behind me:



Safety-wise the biggest concern is placing a child in the front passenger seat. Most organization recommend a minimal age of 13, and this is aimed mainly at proper position with the seatbelt and for the airbag. Digging a little deeper, the airbag is the main problem - it is designed to protect an adult occupant, and might injure a child when deployed, so the recommendation if you have to have a child in the front passenger seat is to disable the airbag and have the seat as far backwards as possible. With the capacitive occupancy sensor in the BRZ it is impossible to disable it, but I found that when my oldest sits on the backless booster the airbag is disabled (which is what I expected). Thanks to the youngest (and smallest) kid being behind the passenger seat, I can move it almost all the way back.

Finally, states (and countries) vary by law about this. In the US, most states allow younger children in the front seat if all other seats are occupied. Ohio is like that, but your state might not be.

At the end, everyone takes their own level of risk with themselves and with their children. I am on the stricter side in general (my older kids were rear facing until 4 years old, and the youngest is still rear facing in the Odyssey), but I feel that the compromise with the BRZ is good enough - the kids ride in the BRZ only for short trips (with all trips that include my wife are in the Odyssey) and almost exclusively in the city at lower speeds.

[mrg666]

I did exactly the same. I took my two boys and their friend to and back from school so many times. The looks I got from other parents was priceless. Some of them were judging and some of them were amused. But boys have grown up and the older even reached the age of driving. So, I bought a Mazda 3 HB for kid transportation and even teach my older son driving. My FR-S is too playful to practice driving. But it did its service and retired now as my second personal car.

[DarkSunrise]

Looks like a good time with all the kids loaded up. You must be a saint though dealing with the two child seats in the rear. I've got one (Graco) and it's not fun lifting a 30 lbs toddler into the seat and strapping him in while ducking under the roofline. Better than the alternative though!

[JCC]

My three kids are 17 girl, 15 girl and 13(next month) boy. When I got this car, they have complained about not having enough space. They are being a bit picky because they are used to being in SUVs(Trailblazer, Tahoe, RAV4 and Suburban) or pickup trucks(Dodge RAM or similar). They also have my ex wife and her silly boyfriend who has not bothered to marry her since 2011 constantly criticizing anything I do. I digress. My kids are not very tall nor am I. I am very comfortable in this car, but I am usually driving or in the passenger seat.

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[Ernest72]

No one can sit behind me when I drive. I am only 5’11 but need that seat all the way back. I have other cars so I just switch when more than 3 people are needed. In fact I find myself using my WRX even if it’s 3 people. So my BRZ is really a two seater.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Looks like a good time with all the kids loaded up. You must be a saint though dealing with the two child seats in the rear. I've got one (Graco) and it's not fun lifting a 30 lbs toddler into the seat and strapping him in while ducking under the roofline. Better than the alternative though!

The little one loves going "weeeeee" in the turns My kids are well disciplined in climbing in on their own, so I only need to buckle them in.

Originally Posted by Ernest72

No one can sit behind me when I drive. I am only 5’11 but need that seat all the way back.

That depends also on torso/legs/arms length and ratio, as well as weight and driving position. YMMV and all that

[thomasmryan]

times change...when I was 5, I got to steer the Buick but not the Chysler.

[JCC]

in my day, we didn't have seat belts

Lol

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[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by JCC

in my day, we didn't have seat belts

Lol

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LOL

My dad had a early 50s Studebaker. When I was about 4 he took a left turn too fast, the passenger door opened, and I fell out. My wife contends that explains a lot of things, but the truth is I managed to grab the frame for the vent window and held on till he stopped.

Seat belts - who needs em. Their absence lets kids hone their reflexes.

[Ernest72]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

LOL

My dad had a early 50s Studebaker. When I was about 4 he took a left turn too fast, the passenger door opened, and I fell out. My wife contends that explains a lot of things, but the truth is I managed to grab the frame for the vent window and held on till he stopped.

Seat belts - who needs em. Their absence lets kids hone their reflexes.

Crazy. My mom has a picture of me in a little seat with the tiniest little seat clip that was loose and just around my waist.

I also remember my mom flying over hills in the road so me and my sisters can get air in the back seat. Totally different time.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

LOL

My dad had a early 50s Studebaker. When I was about 4 he took a left turn too fast, the passenger door opened, and I fell out. My wife contends that explains a lot of things, but the truth is I managed to grab the frame for the vent window and held on till he stopped.

Seat belts - who needs em. Their absence lets kids hone their reflexes.

https://jalopnik.com/theres-actually...big-1791445206

https://jalopnik.com/almost-getting-...ted-1843245760

[Tcoat]

No seat belts when my kids were babies.
Car seat? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Laundry basket in back seat if asleep or mom's arms if awake.
They survived.

[GregSimon]

Jokes will not help. Do you think you're the perfect driver? I think so, but another guy who can race in the oncoming lane might not think so... It's pretty good to see a many baby seats in the cabin)

[soundman98]

i keep my kids locked in an air-tight safe until they're 19. just to be sure they grow up right.