Tuesday, January 29, 2013

2013 Chevrolet Traverse: Car Seat Check

2013-chevy-traverse
For 2013, Chevrolet's three-row crossover got a mild update, with updated exterior styling and an upgraded interior. The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse may have enough room for a growing family, but connecting to its Latch anchors is anything but comfortable.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

2013-chervolet-traverse-booster-2nd
The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat. We also install the infant seat in the second row's middle seat with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit. If there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible.

Here's how the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse did in Cars.com's Car Seat Check:

2013-chervolet-traverse-latch
Latch system:
In the second row, there are two sets of Latch anchors in each bucket seat. Although the anchors aren't set too deeply in the seat bight, they're high up against the seatback's firm cushion, complicating access. Each seat also has two tether anchors midway down the seatback; they were easy to connect to thanks to lots of clearance.

The third row lacks Latch anchors and has only one tether anchor. It's in the middle position, midway down the seatback.

2013-chervolet-traverse-booster-3rd
Booster seat:
In the second row, there was plenty of space for our high-back booster. It fit well on the seat and installed easily thanks to buckles on firm bases. The buckles in the third row are floppy, however; they might make it tough for kids to buckle up independently. This seat also had plenty of space in the third row (pictured above), helped by a flat seat bottom cushion.

2013-chervolet-traverse-forward-conv-2nd
Convertible seat:
In the second row, the forward-facing convertible (pictured above) was tough to install due to the position of the Latch anchors and the seat cushion. Also, the seat's fixed head restraint pushed the convertible forward; reclining the seatback helped nestle it at the right angle. In the third row, it was easy to install the seat using the seat belt. Because the head restraint here is also fixed, it caused the seat to sit at an angle.

2013-chervolet-traverse-rear-conv-2nd
In rear-facing mode, the convertible had plenty of space in the second row. The front passenger did not need to move his seat forward to accommodate it. Installing it was tricky, however, thanks again to tough-to-access Latch anchors.

2013-chervolet-traverse-infant
Infant-safety seat:
This seat's traditional hooklike connectors didn't make it any easier to install. There still wasn't enough clearance around the Latch anchors, complicating installation. It would be easier to use the seat belt to install this seat. Also, the front passenger had to move his seat forward about an inch to accommodate the infant-safety seat.

2013-chervolet-traverse-entry
Third-row access:
Getting to the third row is pretty easy. Pulling a combination of a seat-mounted tether strap and a lever slides the seat and tumbles the seat bottom cushion forward. Although the step-in height is pretty high, the resulting opening is wide enough for an adult.

How many car seats fit in the second row? Two — one on each captain's chair.

How many car seats fit in third row? Two

Editor's note: For three car seats — infant-safety seat, convertible and booster seats — to fit in a car, our criterion is that a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat.

Related
Research the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
More Car Seat Checks on Cars.com
More Safety News on Cars.com



from KickingTires http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/




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