[cubantexan]

Calling all parents.

Being that the regular Focus hatchback has the same cabin as the RS, and that I have never owned one, can anyone share their experiences with how much space there is left for the front passengers with car seats in the back?

I currently have an Audi A3 2.0T Quattro Sportback (it's what Audi calls their hatchback) and with a forward facing seat behind me with a 3 year old who tries to not kick my seat and a new born on the passenger side where my wife is practically kissing her kneecaps, I am wondering if the RS will be better or worse.

I currently have an allocation on order with a small deposit in place so if I had to back away I will.

Thanks in advance for your help everyone.

 

[Schultz]

Looks like you'll be improving on the rear seat space if you purchase the RS.

 

[ACornRS]

I think it'll be much better than the Audi. I have a newborn and a 2015 Escape (kinda like a lifted Focus), and we still have plenty of room up front. I'm 6' 0" and not concerned with space in my RS.

 

[Soundwave]

The escape has a good amount more space then the focus. It's the same frame but the escape has more leg room and rear storage.

 

[focus pilot]

Been awhile since I had a rear facing seat, but now I stuff 3 kids in the back and they kick the seats. Its prolly no bigger or smaller than the audi

 

[BlackDragon]

This is probably the biggest reason for me going with the RS. I wanted the rear seat space for my son. The mustang doesn't cut it with a rear facing seat.

 

[Ekliptix]

I'll be using mine with my 5 yr old and another one on the way. I haven't tried a baby seat in a focus but figure it'll be similar to my GTI or Evo which was doable. The rear facing ones when they are infants are the most bulky and annoying ones.

 

[Daddies race car]

just to give you some perspective, my 12 WRX hatch had enough room for a rear facing seat plus a passenger. Now the passanger couldnt be all the way back the seat had to be about half way. Any more and it would go into to locked handle. Still only person that ever wasnt comfortable was someone like 6 feet tall. Most others their knees were bent a bit up but not touching glove box or anything. I figure the RS would be slightly bigger.

 

[bcRSguy]

For reference I'm 5'7" and the RS is my secondary vehicle. Just got my focus today. Put in car seats so the kids could bomb around with me. I have one rear facing infant seat and two forward facing convertible car seats. Infant seat is behind passenger seat. There is may six inches of space in front of my legs seated there but I'm left a bit upright. The convertible seats are in the middle and behind the driver's seat. I can keep the driver's seat in a comfortable driving position this way.

I probably wouldn't go on a trip longer than 2 hours with this setup though, as it's packed a bit tight.

 

[STD]

Child seats fit fine. My daughter is 4 and sits behind me in a front facing. I'm 5'6", so she has plenty of room behind me for her legs. I'm coming from an ST, which I owned when she sat rear facing. No issues. Plus, my wife owns the RS of mini vans, so my daughter can deal with it when she's in my car. Couple pics attached...may be a little dark.

 

[TheFall]

I can seat two adults and a car seat or three car seats or two of one and one of the other.

 

[Kung Fu English]

Anyone using seat covers to protect the back seats? Amazon reviews are equivocal and some mention the stick rubber melting and embedding into the seat. Any opinions on this?

 

[ethosguy]

Kids, any age, makes rear seat cover essential fitment - especially when SWMBO has them unsupervised in 'ýour' car...

 

[350bhp]

For reference I'm 5'7" and the RS is my secondary vehicle. Just got my focus today. Put in car seats so the kids could bomb around with me. I have one rear facing infant seat and two forward facing convertible car seats. Infant seat is behind passenger seat. There is may six inches of space in front of my legs seated there but I'm left a bit upright. The convertible seats are in the middle and behind the driver's seat. I can keep the driver's seat in a comfortable driving position this way.

I probably wouldn't go on a trip longer than 2 hours with this setup though, as it's packed a bit tight.

Wow - I am super impressed that you fit 3 car seats on the rear bench!

I have one rear-facing infant seat (a Britax BSafe) installed on the passenger's side of the rear bench. It does compromise the front passenger's knee room and seat tilt, but I think it is okay for shorter passengers for around town trips. As it is, usually the other parent in my family usually sits in the rear next to the kid anyway, so we don't use the front passenger seat much anyway. I'm 6'2" and my spouse (5'7") has enough knee room when she sits behind me on the rear bench.

 

[350bhp]

Anyone using seat covers to protect the back seats? Amazon reviews are equivocal and some mention the stick rubber melting and embedding into the seat. Any opinions on this?

I got terribly worried about that too when I was first researching commercial seat covers (those that go between the infant seat and car's OEM seats). In the end, I skipped all of the commercial seat protection and purchased a yoga mat which matched the seat color so that if anything melted, it would blend in. So far I've had no problem with the yoga mat melting. I am in SoCal but my car is not parked in the beating sun too much.

To address pressure point indentations that the tightly cinched infant seat could put in my car's seat back, I sandwiched piece of cardboard in between the 2 halves of the folded mat. (Fold the mat lengthwise once and slip some cardboard between the layers to make a yogamat-cardboard-yogamat sandwich.) The cardboard distributes the pressure of the infant seat across the rear benchseat's back, and so indentations have been avoided.

 

[bcRSguy]

Child seats fit fine. My daughter is 4 and sits behind me in a front facing. I'm 5'6", so she has plenty of room behind me for her legs. I'm coming from an ST, which I owned when she sat rear facing. No issues. Plus, my wife owns the RS of mini vans, so my daughter can deal with it when she's in my car. Couple pics attached...may be a little dark. View attachment 16953 View attachment 16961

Are those Recaro seats shorter than a regular car seat? My one son is graduating to a booster so I need to get him a new seat and it looks from your pictures like there is a bit more room than I have.

 

[ControlNode]

I'll looking to get the recaro boosted in blue. Like the idea of latch system securing the seat while the seat belt is just for my son. Current lap only booster seat is not cutting it in the corners. Son is 7.

 

[RS Speed]

Are those Recaro seats shorter than a regular car seat? My one son is graduating to a booster so I need to get him a new seat and it looks from your pictures like there is a bit more room than I have.

I have that same set up. When you switch to forward facing seats you have to keep the seat upright which therefore creates more space than the rear facing reclined position.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[shadrack]

Any suggestions on a convertible car seat that provides a better fit when rear facing? i tried my cheap evenflo seat in the RS and it left very little room for the front passenger. I am going to buy something else but want it to fit more compactly if possible.

 

[NeoBear]

I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old and haven't had an issue only thing I recommend are these seat covers to place under child seats so your seats do not get indents (also you want the 2 year old to kick the covers and not your seat), of course you don't have to get this brand.

http://www.target.com/p/munchkin-ca...uuh-551PM0FQnIIMsoE9saAmPk8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds