X5 MSport Space Grey delivered

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by TurboAL47

there are standard latch anchors on the side seats but not in the middle so i will be using the seatbelt to anchor my kids recaro child seat. there are 3 top tethers on the back so i will probably use the middle one as well (have to read the instructions again if this is required for seat belt strapping). should be comfortable for 2 adults in the back with the seat in the middle. will probably be good for an adult in the middle in your case. interested to hear about that if and when we have another one.

Why not use the inside latch points from each of the outside seats?

Regarding 2 car seats, we had 2 in an Mercedes ML350 and small-ish adults could fit in the middle. In our X3, only very thin adults can (very). That's why we're going back to a bigger car (only my wife can do it and we want the grandma's to fit )

[TurboAL47]

Originally Posted by chrisny

Why not use the inside latch points from each of the outside seats?

Regarding 2 car seats, we had 2 in an Mercedes ML350 and small-ish adults could fit in the middle. In our X3, only very thin adults can (very). That's why we're going back to a bigger car (only my wife can do it and we want the grandma's to fit )

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/vehicl...system_10.html

Here is a good article about using center latch systems. Basically the distance between the inner latch points of the left and right seat can be too wide compared to the standard 11" which is usually not recommended by the car seat manufacturers. This can cause car seats to move too far side to side in the event of a crash.

[Singh97]

Congrats.. I really liked the LED headlights.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by TurboAL47

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Here is a good article about using center latch systems. Basically the distance between the inner latch points of the left and right seat can be too wide compared to the standard 11" which is usually not recommended by the car seat manufacturers. This can cause car seats to move too far side to side in the event of a crash.

Makes sense. I would think more cars than that article implies would fall within the 11.02" rule though. We used center seat with outer seat latch in the ML and it was every bit as snug against the car seat as it is when we use the outer seat positions (now that we have 2 car seats), absolutely no room to slide from side to side. Certainly makes sense to check the manuals for the car and seat though.

[TurboAL47]

Originally Posted by Singh97

Congrats.. I really liked the LED headlights.

it's just led rings and eyebrows. the headlights are still xenon, but thanks!!

[TurboAL47]

Originally Posted by chrisny

Makes sense. I would think more cars than that article implies would fall within the 11.02" rule though. We used center seat with outer seat latch in the ML and it was every bit as snug against the car seat as it is when we use the outer seat positions (now that we have 2 car seats), absolutely no room to slide from side to side. Certainly makes sense to check the manuals for the car and seat though.

yeah i'm sure it's fine and has more to do with the design of the actual child seat but better to follow the guidelines just in case. i'm a little nervous about using the seat belt but will give it a shot tonight and make sure that sucker doesn't move at all.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by TurboAL47

Standard Xenon. The LED rings and eyebrows look fantastic though.

They're pretty impressive for not being LEDs...
Any more pics of them?

[richb811]

Looks good! Congrats on the purchase!

[TurboAL47]

Originally Posted by Kief

They're pretty impressive for not being LEDs...
Any more pics of them?

will try to get better pics this weekend. they look outstanding in person.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by TurboAL47

yeah i'm sure it's fine and has more to do with the design of the actual child seat but better to follow the guidelines just in case. i'm a little nervous about using the seat belt but will give it a shot tonight and make sure that sucker doesn't move at all.

That's the thing, I just measured and my 335 is 12" apart, ML had to be even wider. So while the latches were tight against the seat, seems I didn't follow the guidelines. But the cop that more recently told a fiend of mine about using the seat belt in the center also left it a little loose, so I didn't trust his (albeit trained) opinion. Still seems to me the latch is safer as long as it's snug, but I'm not the expert and now wondering if I got lucky using the latch. The seat was not going anywhere, I can say that much.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by TurboAL47

will try to get better pics this weekend. they look outstanding in person.

Thanks. Look forward to it. From your headlight pics, makes it hard to justify $1900

[BMWMN1971]

Great car!!! Question for you: when driving during the day did you notice if the dashboard lights up in white? I mean the speedometer and tachometer not the odometer. Mine lights in orange at night but looks off during the day with no illumination at all on those two gauges. Not sure if that is the way it should be but thought they would had white LED backlight during the day. Tks

[TurboAL47]

Originally Posted by BMWMN1971

Great car!!! Question for you: when driving during the day did you notice if the dashboard lights up in white? I mean the speedometer and tachometer not the odometer. Mine lights in orange at night but looks off during the day with no illumination at all on those two gauges. Not sure if that is the way it should be but thought they would had white LED backlight during the day. Tks

only drove the car twice and both times were at night. i can try on saturday morning and let you know. these short days suck!

[TurboAL47]

couldn't install the recaro performance ride with lionheart seat protector in the middle seat without blocking at least one seat belt buckle for the left or right seat. ended up placing the car seat on the passenger site but still leaves plenty of room for an adult in the middle and drivers side. good thing was that i was able to use the lower latches and upper tether so that thing is solid and extremely secure. if anyone else can install their seat in the middle (with the seat protector and using the seat belt, not the lower latches) without blocking the left and right side seat belt buckles, let me know.

[chrisny]

You may want to try the Summer Infant Elite DuoMat seat protector. Less intrusive on the belt receptacles and the guy at Buy Buy Baby said they're better than the prince lionheart. I had the prince in our ML and that thing had some serious dents in the seat when we traded it in on the X3. Car seat was also rear facing the whole time we had it though, which seems to me to be harder on the seats