infant seat (forward facing) front or back

read up on some old threads but maybe there are some new thoughts to this one. have a one year old, who will probably face forward in the next 3-4 months. If you have kids you'll know what I'm talking about..... options: 1-front seat (with dealer deactivation switch & $450 Porsche seat made by Brittax) downside is that my wife would have to sit in the back (impossible except unless she cuts off her legs) 2-rear seat (remove the base) and strap in as usual (no modification to programming necessary) I prefer option 2 since that means the car gets out of the garage on weekends....and I don't have to trade in for a sedan. Any suggestions, opinions

Doesn't option 1 also cover option 2. That what I do. Kid rides up front when there is only one of them, and move to the back if two kids or mom is along for the ride. They will love sitting up front with you when mom's not around. Nice one on one time. Also, the best porsche mod yet is the sight/sound of a grinning, giggling child in the passenger seat as you zoom around a turn a whole lot faster than mom can in her SUV!

I have the under 20lbs. rear seat model. I have to admit that it does not leave me feeling very secure about safety. I actually had the police install it (they always have someone specifically trained to do it and they do it for free...little known fact). I am curious as to everyone's experience. I find that I never take my child with me as it just does not seem very safe.

I do believe it's always safer to put kids in the back.

It's always safer to put anyone in the back seat. Unfortunately the auto manufacturers forgot that not everyone who rides in front of an airbag is an average sized adult. I use a britax car seat up front (with the airbag off) or in the rear. It's the same seat we use in our other cars and the same seat I used in my boxster which doesn;t have a back seat. Riding in any car is inherently unsafe -- we could all just stay home.

My son is now 5 ands rides in the front and back in the Porsche "Zoom" seat with the deactivation in the front. He has ridden in my 996s since he was 2 in both the front and back. He always prefers the front where he sits right next to you and gets a great view. I still have the under 20 seat if you want it please send me an e-mail. The deactivation at my dealer was only $50.00 since I already had the seat.

thanks all. And thanks BSG03Cab for the offer for the seat but my kid is past the 20 lb limit. question: does the base of the Porsche convertible seat fit the back seat (or front seat) any better than standard seats? I agree with the back seat as being the safest spot, though I did not think of my daughter wanting to sit next to me when Mom is not around....makes sense.....I think she'll have to wait till she is bigger though. Brittax (manufacturer of Porsche seats) has come out with a seat designed to improve protection against side impacts with extra bolsters around the head. incidentally, I think the 996 is just fine for carrying the family (safer than an SUV in terms of fatalities ...61% of rollover fatalities involve an SUV.) one just has to remember to turn on the "passenger aboard light" in your head when driving, something the Unfortunate M3 driver did not do....comes with age I guess. will try out the seats in my car and see which one fits better in the back. Someone had mentioned removing the base of the seat to lower the seat.

Hey 996blue, I have a little one and am beginning my search for the best options as well. The Britax seats are widely accepted as being the best around but I don't know if the Marathon or the new Wizard will fit in the back or not. They're slightly bigger than the Roundabount, which is the model that I believe Porsche uses. The Marathon and Wizard are 19.5w x 28h x 25d and the Roundabout is 18.25w x 25h x 23.5d and have different bases. Anyway, I'd love to hear the results of your search so I don't have to spend the better part of a day lugging seats in and out of my car! Thanks and good luck!

hi everyday. I have a Britax Advantage (adjustable headrest) seat in my SUV which I'm really pleased about. Will either get another Advantage or the new Wizard which I need to test out with my daughter to see if she can tolerate the additional side impact protection and to see which seat fits best. suggest you check out www.elitecarseats.com for seat reviews. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a listing and pictures of Porsche seats anywhere not even from PNA. If anyone has a complete listing or photos of the seats, that would be great. The new Cayenne junior seat looks good but I doubt would fit the 996. I've decided to always keep her in the back seat until she is bigger, so for now, I don't need the airbag deactivation switch and am more concerned about finding the best seat that can fit in the back....besides, its a pain taking the seat in and out as you mentioned and the whole idea is to toss the family in the car and go. will post when I get more details.

I'm working on this issue myself. I'm picking up an 03 996 tomorrow. I have a roundabout and a marathon in our other cars, I'll see how well they fit in the back. I'm probably going to keep the seat in the back so that the three of use can use the car on weekends together. I don't want to move the seat back and forth. And the 911 is small enough that the back seat feels pretty close anyway. Does anyone know if the 03s have LATCH? Aren't all cars supposed to have LATCH by now? Thanks! I'll report my experience with the marathon soon. The wizard is the same size.

Nova996, yes, your 03 will have the LATCH system on it. I'm looking at the Marathon because there are too many complaints about the wizard's head restraint system. The review's I've read say that it's uncomfortable and that kid's end up leaning forward all the time just to see from side to side. I'm planning on keeping the carseat in the back as well, please let me know if your Marathon fit. One suggestion, take out the back seat bottom pad so you don't scuff up the leather. It's just attached with velcro so it will pull right out. Thanks!!

Yes, thanks for the suggestion. The car isn't here yet , so I haven't had a chance to test yet. I did stop by the baby store and let my son try the Wizard and he didn't like the head restraint. So I'll probably buy another marathon if ours fits.