E70 3rd row seats...safe for kids
 

Hi,
Does anyone know if the third row of seats are safe for young kids who would need a booster seat if in the second row?
In other words, since the 3rd row seats are so tiny, can my 8 year old who is only 40 lbs can sit safely in the rear without a booster?
I live in Canada.

I would say no, but since you live in Canada you should be good to go! :thumbup:

Have you read your manual? I'm guessing it probably says that's a no-no.
There's also a separate forum for E70's that you'll probably have more luck with. X5 (E70) Forum - X5world


From the E70 manual:
Children younger than 13 years of age or with a height under 5ft/150 cm may only be transported on the 2nd row seats in child restraint devices which correspond to the age, weight and height of the child.
...
Do not mount child restraint devices on the 3rd row seats, as otherwise the protection provided by these child restraint devices may be reduced.

[quote=clubba]
From the E70 manual:
Children younger than 13 years of age or with a height under 5ft/150 cm may only be transported on the 2nd row seats in child restraint devices which correspond to the age, weight and height of the child.
quote]

So what is the point of the 3rd row seat? Transporting midgets? Since normal adult really don't fit well back there... little space designed NOT for little people?

Simply to be able to advertise a 3rd row, nothing more. If you actually wanted to carry 7 people, IMO you would be better served by a van that has better access to the 3rd row.

> So what is the point of the 3rd row seat?


I assume it's for occasional use by adults for short distances, e.g., you want to take a few people out to lunch at work, etc.

And you can let younger kids ride back there, but just not when they are still so small that they require a booster seat. Hell, when I was young I used to ride facing backwards in the jumpseat in the back of my mom's Ford Taurus station wagon. I'm guessing the X's 3rd row is safer than that was.

Yeah, it all depends on how safe you want to be. When I was a kid I would talk my Dad into letting me ride in the bed of a pickup truck when he'd borrow one from work to take something to the city dump, like an old washing machine or stove.

Not that I'd recommend that to anyone...

You have to keep in mind that those recommendations/instructions are vetted by lawyers to minimize any potential liability for BMW. So it is difficult to determine what the real risk is, unless you can get some crash data from the government test and/or insurance organization crash testing, as they might use crash dummies in the third row and have some data/guidelines.

As long as those younger kids are over 13 years of age, and at least 5 foot tall, since that is the spec that BMW designed the seat to (unless a parent doesn't care about the seat design and the likely safety of their child).

1962 Ford Country Sedan station wagon

we don't need no stinkin' car seats.

the third row is barely fit for a dog let alone human occupancy.

one of my fondest memories from my childhood is my Dad leaning out the window of our baby-shit green Ford wagon alerting all who might have been in the way that the damn thing had no brakes somewhere on the NJ Turnpike. circa 1965.:bustingup

Undeniable the E70 3rd row is only for short distances. My dad's MPV minivan obviously has 3rd row and it was so much more comfortable compared to when I sat in an E70 3rd row. There's just no comparison. But in either case, those seats are right up against the rear window... you can't help but think in case of any rear-ender, your head is going to hit the glass. I wonder what the numbers are from the IIHS...

And I've been told I used to sit up in the front middle of my dad's Firebird. ... and to think they gave Britney Spears a hard time... ;)