# What kind of car/suv/etc do you have with 3(or more) carseats?



## SquishyBuggles (Dec 19, 2008)

Right now we have a 2004 Cavalier but we're looking into getting something new. Our car is getting old and we're planning on having another baby sometime in the near future. What do you drive? Pros/cons?


----------



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

#3 is arriving this spring and I have a minivan, a Toyota Sienna. I personally like the space for trips, the option of having other people ride with us, and the seating options a minivan offers.


----------



## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I have a 2001 outback. After hoursd and hours I finally got a radian installed securely enough in the middle rfing. I could do a radian ffing on either side I think. But no way! I'm getting a sienna before our 3rd is born. Getting 3 kids in and out in a 3 across situation would be a pain. Plus, I'll need to have 2 rfing car seats!


----------



## biochick (Aug 9, 2007)

We have a Toyota Sienna minivan. I never ever EVER thought I would own one but it made the most sense. We have in three in car seats and it just seemed access would be much much easier with a minivan vs an SUV.


----------



## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

we drive a Nissan Pathfinder with the third row. we can fit 3 carseats in the second row if needed but we prefer to have the older two in the very back and the younger two in the middle. We have 1 RF'ing Marathon, 1 Apex, 1 BPB, and 1 high back booster.


----------



## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

Pathfinder with 3rd seat here too...I have a RF true fit on one side, infant bucket in a base center and a Radian on the other outboard. I could fit another true fit there is I needed...there is room

14 yr old (on monday..holy cow!) sits in the way back in just the belt.

My dh has a Versa and we got three radian across the back, two RF and one FF...but we also check to see if we could do it all FF and we could!


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

We drive a 2004 VW Golf TDI. We have three Radians in the back... two forward facing and one rear facing.

We also drive my parents' Ford Focus when we visit. We've had two Radians forward facing and a Graco Euro infant seat in their car. The infant seat didn't have the base.

We prefer Britax seats to Radians, but not enough to buy a new vehicle.


----------



## apple_juice (Apr 17, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ChetMC* 
We drive a 2004 VW Golf TDI. We have three Radians in the back... two forward facing and one rear facing.

We also drive my parents' Ford Focus when we visit. We've had two Radians forward facing and a Graco Euro infant seat in their car. The infant seat didn't have the base.

We prefer Britax seats to Radians, but not enough to buy a new vehicle.

3 across in a golf!? You guys rock!


----------



## SeekingSerenity (Aug 6, 2006)

I have a 2000 GMC Sierra x-cab. It has the rear suicide doors on both sides. I have to admit, though, that I have the baby-bucket base on the side instead of in the middle, with a high-back booster in the center and a carseat on the other side of the back seat. I didn't have a choice, I was physically unable to lift the baby up and over the side seats to snap it into the base when it was in the center. He weighs too much, and with my arthritis, I almost dropped him a couple of times before I asked my dad to rearrange the seats for me. I know it is not the safest, but I'm on my own getting them in and out of the truck and I just couldn't do it anymore.


----------



## Eman'smom (Mar 19, 2002)

We drive a Windstar, I love the features a van provides, but the Windstar wasn't our first choice.


----------



## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

I have an 2007 Kia Spectra and I can fit 2 radians ff and an evenflo seat rf.

We're looking to buy an 09 Corolla, so we've tried out 3 seats in the back of that, and itw orked as well.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

We have an '08 Sienna 8pass and I LOVE it. Seriously. I have never cared about cars and I love it.

-Angela


----------



## ledzepplon (Jun 28, 2004)

06 Honda Odyssey. And it's the best car I've ever owned.


----------



## SomedayMom (May 9, 2002)

I just bought an 09 Toyota Sienna in anticipation of TTC my 3rd. I love it.


----------



## cschick (Aug 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SquishyBuggles* 
Right now we have a 2004 Cavalier but we're looking into getting something new. Our car is getting old and we're planning on having another baby sometime in the near future. What do you drive? Pros/cons?

We aren't doing more than one carseat--but we could easily do up to 4 in our Mazda 5 (two middle row, two back row--they're setup to accommodate carseats like that and all seats have LATCH) . It's a wonderful car for the price, and gets better gas mileage than a lot of the SUVs/mini-vans out there. (We get about 30 highway and 25 combo, better than the Jetta wagon it replaced.)


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *apple_juice* 
3 across in a golf!? You guys rock!

A diesel Golf... five people traveling 1000km per tank of biofuel.


----------



## delicious (Jun 16, 2003)

civic hybrid. pros, i never have to fill up. cons, we are all on top of each other.


----------



## Alison's Mom (May 3, 2007)

We have a 2007 Honda CRV. I've fit two radians (FF outboard, RF middle) and Eddie Bauer 3in1 (RF outboard) in the back.

We were trying to avoid getting a mini van (no offense to mini van drivers!) and looked at the CRV, the jetta and passat wagons and the Volvo V50. FWIW, it looked like the passat would fit three across and the Volvo maybe would not have.


----------



## elle7715 (Jun 3, 2006)

2008 Chevy Cobalt. Another new car isn't possible so...my kids will either learn to love each other at all times or I'll get really good at tuning them out.









I'd love a Mazda 5!


----------



## sweetcheeks (May 21, 2005)

Another Sienna owner here -- LOVE it! We just got it a little over a month ago and now I'm wondering why we waited so long to make the jump to a mini-van. Previously, we had 3 across in Radians in an Intrepid (2 FFing, 1 RFing) and while it worked, I couldn't just move to the back if someone was fussing or acting up. LOVE the space our Sienna provides and I love how it doesn't look like a typical mini-van (ie, Windstar, Freestar, Caravan, Grand Caravan). IMO, if you're looking for a mini-van, you really can't go wrong with Toyota or Honda reliability. Plus resale on them is through the roof.


----------



## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

r320cdi has latch in all rear seats and i get about 32/30 mpg..its diesel


----------



## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

I have an Acura MDX, it's like a Honda Pilot, except that it seats 7 instead of 8 (one less seat in the third row). Pros, the second row is so wide that I can do three across with a Regent, Boulevard, and a Radian. Or three "normal" sized seats.







It's also pretty good on gas. I do a mix of highway and city driving and I get an average of 19mpg on a tank.


----------



## neetling (Jan 24, 2006)

we have a 2008 Jeep Patriot and have 2 Fisher Price Safe Voyage boosters outbound and a rear facing alpha omega, We'll replace the AO with a radian at some point. It works but it's tight!


----------



## tulipmama (May 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ledzepplon* 
06 Honda Odyssey. And it's the best car I've ever owned.

Same here! We love it!


----------



## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

We have 3 across the backseat of a Nissan Murano. Two Marathons (originally both rear-facing, but DD1 is forward-facing now) outboard and a Radian 65 in the middle. DS is in the middle and he climbs up and buckles himself in, after I get in I reach through the seats to make sure he's buckled correctly and later reach back between the seats to unbuckle him and DD1 before I get out.


----------



## tempestjewel (Apr 18, 2005)

I can fit 3 across my 03' Toyota Corolla. I know for sure I can fit 3 radians accross, even with 2 RF. I can do seatbelt installs and put a FF Radian, a RF snugride, and a FF Cosco AO. I can also do a RF Radian, Snugride, FF Radian. I've seen pics of someone else with my car do a RF Scenera, FF Radian, RF Radian as well as a RF Scenera, RF Radian, FF Radian (which I never would have thought to try!). I've also done a FF Radian, FF Marathon, FF Radian. It really is just a matter of trying out seats and reading up on the fabulous car safety message boards until you find what works









Course for me it helps that I have a sister an hour away with a bunch of carseats I can borrow to try in my car


----------



## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

Our main vehicle with all three kids is our 1995 Ford Econoline Conversion Van! It is a beast and I love it. We get about twenty mile to the gallon so better than most big SUV's, can easily fit 5 carseats of any size or style, room to walk around when needed, tons of cargo space, and we even have an onboard flush potty! (a marine potty, needs to be cleaned out when we get home/to destination, but it keeps potty contained and smell free when we travel and no worries about finding a clean potty or unlaoding everyone)

We can fit three across in my Dodge Avenger, we had an evenflo Triumph, Graco HHB, and a narrow graco (can't remember which model) Now we have a Nautilus and the Triumph in there both as harnessed seats and just use the van when all three kids are with us. Could not take them pulling each other's hair out any longer


----------



## mags (May 4, 2004)

Baby #3 is due this summer. It makes me glad that we have a 2001 Honda Ody. I think I will put my older two in the third row and the baby in one of the captain seats and then I will remove one of the captain seats so it makes getting in and out of the back easier. So, that means if we have an extra passenger, that person gets to squeeze into the back row with the two carseats.

Has anyone ever tried to fit an infant carseat, a britax booster and a cosco scenera in a Subaru WRX? That's my DH's car (yeah, almost 40 yr old guy who thinks he is 16) and I remember how awful it was to try to fit carseats in that car rearfacing...


----------



## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Ok, in our 99 saturn SL2 I recently had 3 cosco sceneras. They fit fine in all combinations of rear facing and forward facing. These 3 carseats are now in the back of our dodge neon. In my minivan I have accross the back two cosco sceneras and a graco snug ride (bucket). I have two cosco highback harnessed boosters.....if I need to put 3 seats across a bench seat I can only use one of these highback seats because they are too wide. I can put one high back seat in the middle and a cosco scenera on both sides if they are reardfacing. Forward facing all 3 of them won't fit. I love my cosco sceneras and wish I'd gotten more instead of getting the highback seats. The sceneras are PERFECT for fitting 3 across.


----------



## SquishyBuggles (Dec 19, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Red Sonja* 
We have 3 across the backseat of a Nissan Murano. Two Marathons (originally both rear-facing, but DD1 is forward-facing now) outboard and a Radian 65 in the middle. DS is in the middle and he climbs up and buckles himself in, after I get in I reach through the seats to make sure he's buckled correctly and later reach back between the seats to unbuckle him and DD1 before I get out.

The Murano is on our list!


----------



## jillmamma (Apr 11, 2005)

I can easily fit 3 across in our 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. DS rides RF in a Britax Decathlon, DS is in a high back Graco Turbobooster, and I can put one more in the middle.


----------



## Patchfire (Dec 11, 2001)

Another 2008 8 passenger Sienna here... I love that it held 3 kids and 4 adults for trip from Atlanta to Orlando, both ways, no complaints about space from *anyone*!


----------



## CortLong (Jun 4, 2003)

2003 Honda Odyssey (7 seater) with 3 carseats and 1 booster currently. In August we'll have 4 carseats and 1 booster.


----------



## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

Saturn Outlook.

Pros - Gas mileage of a minivan with the look of an SUV. Super roomy. Great value for what you get in a standard model. Saturn has a lot of green business practices. U.S. made vehicle. Option for captains seat in second row so you can step through to the third row. Lots of cargo space.

I'm just not a minivan person.









Cons - no LATCH in the third row. Can't really think of any other.


----------



## LindyLou (May 4, 2004)

Another Toyota Sienna driver here. I have had no problems with space and know that #3 will fit nicely.


----------



## Red Pajama (Jun 11, 2007)

I did not want a mini van. I hated the idea of the kids being so far away from me, and didn't like the idea of a bigger vehicle. But, with #3, there was just no way around it. We got a Pontiac Montana, which I'd never even considered, but was there on the lot when we went to look for used vehicles.

And now, I'm in love. I love the extra room. We actually have room for the dogs, and can pack for a trip. I love the sliding doors. I love how differently I sit in a van-- more upright, and I can see the road better. And we've all adjusted to having the twins in the back seat, where I can't reach them anymore. If they drop something, it's gone until we stop.


----------

