[gobears157]

I was looking into more details about the Ascent 2nd row (bench v. captains chairs) for the purposes of baby car seats, and found the following helpful site/article. I'm sure there are many others on this forum who will use car seats as well, so hope this article will be helpful to you as well.

One question that I haven't been able to find an answer to: does the Ascent have the mirror where the sunglasses holder is usually? This is the mirror that allows the driver to view the back seats that I know is on the Pilot (see picture below).

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[jacket4256]

yes it does

 

[Burutoo]

yup that in cabin mirror and sunglasses holder are one piece. you press up to release it to reveal the sunglass holder and press back up half way to click to the mirror and press fully up to close completely.

 

[EMDSS]

I posted pictures in the picture section with a rear facing car seat. We ordered the captain’s chairs and with our ClickConnect car seat the third row is accessible with the seat out but the base in. With a front facing car seat the third row is also accessible with the second row seat slid back.

 

[imalittle1]

I was looking into more details about the Ascent 2nd row (bench v. captains chairs) for the purposes of baby car seats, and found the following helpful site/article. I'm sure there are many others on this forum who will use car seats as well, so hope this article will be helpful to you as well.

One question that I haven't been able to find an answer to: does the Ascent have the mirror where the sunglasses holder is usually? This is the mirror that allows the driver to view the back seats that I know is on the Pilot (see picture below).

You are being redirected...

Thank you for posting this! The link was super helpful and further supports our reasoning for getting the 8 passenger versus the captain's chairs. We only have one child right now, but with another child in the future, the seat in the middle will be needed for when a parent needs to sit between both children.

 

[quotus]

In the Car Seat Lady article, she states that the 3rd row is not accessible with 2 car seats installed in the 2nd row.

Having just seen the Ascent in person, I do not agree that's always true, at least not for my use. The second row seats (in both bench and captain's chairs configurations - I checked both) slide forward enough that it's possible for a small-medium adult to get into the back seat without having to fold the 2nd row seats down. (I'm only talking about forward facing car seats here, NOT rear facing!) Certainly more than adequate for kids to access the 3rd row, which would be my primary use. I didn't check with car seats installed, so take that observation for what it's worth, but that was my primary concern about the Ascent, and now I feel it's fine. I will always have 2 combination or convertible seats installed (in 2D and 2P) and once in a while, I will have extra passengers in the third row. I have narrow seats (Britax Frontier and Clek Fllo) so it's possible they could be 2D and 2C so that 2P could fold down to allow for greater access, but I won't put my kids next to each other unless I absolutely have to!

Another (probably obvious) thing but one that I wanted to check in person was - the 3rd row headrests do come out so they don't interfere with car seat installation.

Hope that helps others in a similar situation.

 

[Gueromeister]

Are 2 car seats together possible in the second row of bench seat

Possibly a dumb question but here goes.......to put two car seats in the second row can one be attached using the lower attachments on the left or right seat and the tether attachment and a seatbelt on the center car seat, allowing 2 car seats to be put together? This would be for forward facing car seats for a 3 and 5 year old.....
It is strange that there is only 1 bottom attachment in the center seat.....What could that be for ? I am a grandparent trying to accommodate my grandchildren while getting some seating capacity for their parents or for all six grandchildren (4 are older) at once....
If my initial question is possible, what would be 2 good , skinny/narrow , inexpensive car seats?
Be gentle, thanks

 

[Gueromeister]

In the Car Seat Lady article, she states that the 3rd row is not accessible with 2 car seats installed in the 2nd row.

Having just seen the Ascent in person, I do not agree that's always true, at least not for my use. The second row seats (in both bench and captain's chairs configurations - I checked both) slide forward enough that it's possible for a small-medium adult to get into the back seat without having to fold the 2nd row seats down. (I'm only talking about forward facing car seats here, NOT rear facing!) Certainly more than adequate for kids to access the 3rd row, which would be my primary use. I didn't check with car seats installed, so take that observation for what it's worth, but that was my primary concern about the Ascent, and now I feel it's fine. I will always have 2 combination or convertible seats installed (in 2D and 2P) and once in a while, I will have extra passengers in the third row. I have narrow seats (Britax Frontier and Clek Fllo) so it's possible they could be 2D and 2C so that 2P could fold down to allow for greater access, but I won't put my kids next to each other unless I absolutely have to!

Another (probably obvious) thing but one that I wanted to check in person was - the 3rd row headrests do come out so they don't interfere with car seat installation.

Hope that helps others in a similar situation.

How do you attach the car seat in the center of the 2nd row bench seat? It only has one lower attachment place in the center seat area, doesn’t it? So how would that work?
I am a grandparent and have been spared from knowing about this stuff(latches,tethers) for a long time....until enlisted recently for some baby sitting duty....

 

[ilikeascent]

How do you attach the car seat in the center of the 2nd row bench seat? It only has one lower attachment place in the center seat area, doesn’t it? So how would that work?
I am a grandparent and have been spared from knowing about this stuff(latches,tethers) for a long time....until enlisted recently for some baby sitting duty....

This older thread might help.

 

[Gueromeister]

This older thread might help.

No .....

 

[ilikeascent]

No .....

So the short answer is attach one car seat to each side (driver and passenger) and not the middle.

I attended the Chicago Auto Show in Feb with a tape measure and took pictures plus measurements. I then 'rebuilt' the 2nd row bench seat on a banquet table and tried to install 3 car seats with every configuration I could think of; nothing worked for my 2 Clek Foonfs (as narrow as a Diono but also ~US$600) and a Chico Keyfit 30.

My best guess on the oddly placed middle LATCH anchor is for placement of one car seat in either the center seat or nearest outboard seat when you have a car seat with atypical LATCH spacing. But again, just a guess.

 

[BoxerRules]

How do you attach the car seat in the center of the 2nd row bench seat? It only has one lower attachment place in the center seat area, doesn’t it? So how would that work? I am a grandparent and have been spared from knowing about this stuff(latches,tethers) for a long time....until enlisted recently for some baby sitting duty....

You use one of the center latch connections and then one that would have been used by the outer seats. Which means that in order to install three seats, one of the seats will need to be installed with a seat belt. Check the owner's manual to make sure you're using the correct latch connections (I have the captain's chairs in mine or I'd be able to tell you from memory).


Also, with most car seats you don't want to use both the latch and the seatbelt at the same time on an individual car seat installation. Check the manual for the car seat for their recommendations.


For the narrowest seat, check this site: https://mommyhood101.com/fitting-three-car-seats-in-the-back-2018 . I've definitely heard for more than one source that Diono makes the narrowest boosters.

 

[ilikeascent]

How do you attach the car seat in the center of the 2nd row bench seat? It only has one lower attachment place in the center seat area, doesn’t it? So how would that work? I am a grandparent and have been spared from knowing about this stuff(latches,tethers) for a long time....until enlisted recently for some baby sitting duty....

You use one of the center latch connections and then one that would have been used by the outer seats. Which means that in order to install three seats, one of the seats will need to be installed with a seat belt. Check the owner's manual to make sure you're using the correct latch connections (I have the captain's chairs in mine or I'd be able to tell you from memory).


Also, with most car seats you don't want to use both the latch and the seatbelt at the same time on an individual car seat installation. Check the manual for the car seat for their recommendations.


For the narrowest seat, check this site: https://mommyhood101.com/fitting-three-car-seats-in-the-back-2018 . I've definitely heard for more than one source that Diono makes the narrowest boosters.

This is all good stuff. My two comments are:
1. Per the old thread I linked to, one post indicates that maybe 2 car seats negates adding a 3rd passenger to the 2nd row bench. Odd, but someone referenced the manual IIRC
2. I don't think he asked about a booster but a car seat, right? FWIW, I don't think it's accidental that all the pre-release marketing materials showed 2 seats in outboard locations with a booster in the middle. I could fit 2 car seats in outboard locations and an infant seat *base* in the middle (2 Clek Foonfs and 1 Chico Keyfit 30) but I couldn't actually fit the infant seat into the base between the Foonfs.