Quite surprising. I wonder if this was influenced by how they performed their test (obviously they should really explain their test procedure). NHTSA always says that a properly installed belted seat is as safe as a properly installed LATCHed seat.

There are obviously some dangerous implications to CR's results. Even if it is true that some seats perform better in crashes with belts than with LATCH, the probability of installation errors increases with belts.

The problem is that we don't know the expertise of the testers for installation, their criteria for fit or the real difference between "better than average" or "much better than average". Given the same carseats and vehicles tested by another entity, I suspect the results could easily vary by a category.

The LATCH LOC results are a case in point. The ease of installation and quality of fit with this model is excellent in many vehicles. Unfortunately, rigid LATCH does not work at all in some vehicles with difficult anchor locations. Based on the CR comments, many parents probably won't even try that model even though it could well be easier and safer in their vehicle.

The NHTSA is developing its own ratings system. It will be interesting to see how that evolves. Manufacturers are already updating seats to get higher ratings. Many are improving manuals with more photos and diagrams, and Dorel (Cosco, Safety1st, Eddie Bauer) will soon include an easy to use tether adjuster on all their models. That was one complaint CR had in this review that will soon be fixed.

Darren
www.Car-Safety.Org