Editor's note: This Car Seat Check was written in December 2015 about the 2015 Infiniti QX80. Little of substance has changed with this year's model. To see what's new for 2016, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
CARS.COM — The Infiniti QX80's cabin is so posh and luxurious that you might not want to put your kids in it. Chances are, however, a lot of families choose this three-row SUV as their daily-driver, and it excels where car seats are concerned. Its exceptionally roomy second row and easy-to-access Latch anchors make installation a breeze, but watch out for the third row — getting back there is a chore.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
How many car seats fit in the third row? Two
What We Like
- The second row's two sets of Latch anchors were easy to connect to, and the captain's chairs top tether anchors are clearly marked.
- In the second row, both the rear-facing infant and convertible seats went in well and had enough room.
- After removing the head restraint, the forward-facing convertible fit well. Parents should note that although the top tether anchor is clearly marked, it is at the bottom of the seatback and easy to overlook. We had a similar problem in the third row.
What We Don't
- Getting to the third row is difficult. The step-in is high and to complicate the process, there's another significant step up once inside. It's a multistep process — even with running boards. It's a lot for an adult to manage, so a child will need help. The captain's chairs flip and tumble forward easily, but can't be moved if a car seat is installed there.
- There are no Latch anchors in the third row and the sole top tether anchor is in an inconvenient location. It's under a plastic cover on the lip of the cargo area.
- Although the booster was easy to nestle in the QX80's wide, leather second-row bucket seats, the seat belt buckles sit in a pocket and are floppy when pulled out. They could be hard for kids to use independently.
- To install the forward-facing convertible in the third row, we used the middle seat belt since there are no Latch anchors. Click here to read how to correctly install a car seat with a seat belt. Because the seat belt buckle's webbing is long, we found it difficult to get a good fit; it took several tries. Parents might need to seek out a car-seat tech for help. Click here to find one in your area.
Grading Scale
A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.
B: Plenty of room. One fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room. Two or more fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
About Cars.com's Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-6 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. To learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks, go here.
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
from Cars.com News http://ift.tt/1TOlNHg
No comments:
Post a Comment