Car Seat Causing Problems
 

We got our X5 as our baby mobile but I've run into an issue when the rear-facing car seat is installed in the middle of the 2nd row. The belt used to hook to the LATCH system gets in the way of the belt buckles for the outside seats of the 2nd row. My wife sits in the back with the baby so we have no choice but to mount the car seat by the window so my wife can buckle up while back there. The problem is, I don't want to mount the seat next to the door because of the airbags. Has anybody gotten a car seat installed in the middle while retaining the use of the belt buckles for the outside seats?

Rear seats don't have side impact air bags. The only thing that reaches back there is the HPS (head protection system).

In any event, you're right about the LATCH Mounts being "in the way" because the center seat does not have the it's own "bottom two" LATCH points - the ones near the seat hinge. It has a latch point behind the seat, but you have to use the side seats' LATCH points. The only alternative is to go old school and use the seat belt and then use the LATCH point behind the seat.

That or to use the full LATCH system for the side seat.

Why is your wife in the back???

That's very odd to me...

By the way, I assume that the side places next to the door are safer than the one in the middle!

To calm a screamer! It happens to us all the time...I felt like I was a chauffer for a while :)

We mount our car seat in the middle without any problems...our seat lifts up high enough to enable the straps to fit over the catch for the outside seatbelts. I've been on trips with a person on either side of the car seat with this setup without issue.