# 3 seats across in Ford Escape?



## Ellenems (Feb 3, 2003)

We currently have a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, and don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon. I'm wondering if anyone has car seat recommendations that will fit my 3 kids across the back seat.

Right now DD (8) is on the driver's side in a Britax Parkway booster, and DS (3) is on the passenger side in a forward-facing Britax Roundabout which expired a few months ago. I'm trying to decide which seat to buy him so that I can squeeze in a third seat when our next baby comes in February. I'm assuming DD will move to the center with DS on one side and baby rear-facing on the other. We're planning to skip the infant seat and start with a convertible, since we never take the seat out anyway.

While DD is technically old enough in our state to be out of her booster, she doesn't meet the recommended height - 4'9". She's only 4'3" right now, so I'm assuming she'll still be in a booster when the baby comes. However, I can't picture her Parkway fitting with a car seat on either side. Am I looking at buying 3 new seats? Should I switch to a backless booster for DD? What should I get for DS? And what for the new baby?

Sorry for all the questions! I appreciate any advice you might have. Thanks!


----------



## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Fitting 3 seats in a small car like the Escape will likely be impossible without at least 1 Radian.

If DD still fits well in her HBB, keep her in it. They provide more protection than a LBB. Since a kid in a booster is less protected than a kid in a harness, she should be in the most protected position of the car, if possible- the center.

The Radian fits most newborns, but it takes up lots of front to back room and may not be a feasible option in a small car unless you can put it in the middle position, fitting the shell between the 2 front seats.

Since your DS is FF, he does not need a convertible seat like the Radian, but you might find that it's necessary to buy him a Radian too, because they are so narrow. Having a FF Radian next to a RF Radian works nicely, if you can fit baby in the middle and DS outboard. Of course, this still leaves DD outboard as well, but it might be the only way to make it work for you.

Another idea is to get DS a Radian, and new baby a Coccoro. The Coccoro is a tiny seat (in the CUTEST colors! Get the cherry pie one so that I can live vicariously through you.). You could maybe do the Coccoro behind the passenger (it doesn't take up much front to back room, it won't get in the way too much of the front seats), DD in the middle, and DS FF in the Radian behind the driver. Because the Coccoro is small, it won't fit all kids RF until 2+, but it should work for now. Buying another seat for the baby in 2 years is certainly cheaper than buying a new car now!


----------



## elus0814 (Sep 21, 2009)

One of our cars is an 04 escape. We have never put all three kids in it at once, we have tried but there didn't seem to be any safe way to do it. I have tried with 'one radian, two marathons' then 'one radian, one marathon, one graco infant carrier' then 'one radian, one graco booster, one infant carrier'. None of the seat combinations would work, even the last one which was all the small seats at once. I could see it being an outside possibility with three radians but I'm not even sure that would be possible, the escape has a pretty narrow backseat. If you try three radians (which I wouldn't be comfortable using with a newborn, even though it says you can) then it might be best to buy them from somewhere with a really good return policy.

I should add that I personally would not use a radian rear facing in an escape. It's such a high seat that it could not go behind the driver. It could go in the center but would obstruct your vision while driving and barely fits between the front seats. It will fit behind the passenger seat but that seat needs the headrest taken off and the seat must be all the way forward so that seat would be unusable plus, IMO, it would be dangerous because it would block your view of the blind spot on that side.


----------



## orangecanoe (Aug 3, 2003)

I would actually just start by measuring the backseat. If you aren't at least at 51" I can't see how three will fit. The Cocorro is 16" and the Radians are 17". Agreed that your DD would be safest in the center, but realistically it might be damn near impossible to get her seat buckled w/ the other two seats on either side. Only saying this because I recently had to sort out how to get three seats in an Outback.

Also because you have an '05, I don't think the super-LATCH for the Radian is an option FF past a certain weight so depending on how easy/difficult your seat belts are in the Escape, that might be an installation issue.


----------



## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *orangecanoe* 
I would actually just start by measuring the backseat. If you aren't at least at 51" I can't see how three will fit.

Rear-and forward-facing seats can puzzle together, reducing the room needed. A rear-facing Radian and a forward-facing Radian nestled together need ~29", not 34" -- they're 17" at the widest part of the shoulders, but much narrower at the base.


----------



## Ellenems (Feb 3, 2003)

Thanks for the replies! I came across a few threads on different forums and several people were able to manage 3 seats in the Escape with no problem, so it definitely can be done - I just need to find the right combination. Supposedly, the trick is to use the seatbelt to install rather than the LATCH, as is allows the seats to be positioned further from the center seat. I also read that the Radian is especially difficult to install in an Escape with leather seats, so I'll have to look for some other options.

I also would prefer to keep DD in the center with the Parkway, but it's going to be nearly impossible for her to buckle herself. Would it be crazy to put her back in a 5-point harness that I could later on use for the baby after it outgrows its first seat? Should I switch DS back to rear-facing? Would that make more room with 2 RF on the sides and 1 FF in the middle?

I think I'll see if I can borrow some friends' seats to try out with the Parkway and Roundabout and see if anything fits.

BTW - mama2soren - my DS is Soren too!


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

It's certainly possible to get 3-across in an Escape (and the Marathon fits beautifully RF outboard, with plenty of room). Not super easy, but possible. I did a backless Turbo booster, FF Scenera, and RF Scenera in my SIL's 2005. I couldn't get the Scenera in RF, no matter how much I tried.


----------



## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

I don't think harnessing your oldest is a terrible idea, but I do think you might have a hard time finding a narrow enough seat that's tall enough for an 8yo. The Complete Air is a fairly narrow convertible that your DS would fit in either FF or RF (so you can have options to see what works best) and the Turbobooster is an inexpensive narrow booster. I'd be ok with backless for an 8yo if it's what you can make work (and if she has a headrest behind her). Maybe a CA for the 3yo outboard, RF, a booster (either her current one or a LBB) for the 8yo in center, and the infant seat or possibly something like the Coccoro outboard for the baby. The Coccoro is outgrown young (2-3years old) but you'd have the Complete Air to pass down at that point.


----------



## triscuitsmom (Jan 11, 2007)

A Ford Escape is an SUV not a small car isn't it? Or am I mistaken? I don't actually own one but I had to install carseats last October in what I was told was a Ford Escape. We had a rearfacing Marathon, Radian and True Fit all independently installed.

For whomever said that the Radian was too tall to be safe to see over, it reclines in the center enough that it is actually lower than the seats on the side. Both the True Fit and Radians also fit newborns well so for the OP they could be possibilities.

If I'm not mistaken about the Escape being an SUV not a car here is a picture of the three kids last fall (disclaimer: the chest clip on Frog (in the center seat) is not in the correct position but we fixed it prior to driving)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/IMG_0034.jpg


----------



## elus0814 (Sep 21, 2009)

I'm the one who said the radian is too high to safely see over to check the blind spot and I stand by it. I tried it and it is not safe, at least not for me. I suppose it could be ok for someone who is taller and able to see over it but I tried it in both the center seat and behind the passenger seat (which renders that front seat unusable) and I was not able to see the blind spot from my regular position in the driver's seat. That post was written by someone who wasn't sure what type of vehicle an escape is let alone by someone who owns one as well as those exact car seats so please take their advice with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if it feels safe to you.


----------



## triscuitsmom (Jan 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elus0814* 
That post was written by someone who wasn't sure what type of vehicle an escape is let alone by someone who owns one as well as those exact car seats so please take their advice with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if it feels safe to you.

In fairness "that post" was written by someone who thought she did know what an Escape was until someone here posted that it was a small car. It was also posted by someone who did install those exact car seats in that exact vehicle in the picture above and then drove in it. I also never said it wasn't unsafe for you, I merely posted about my experience with a Radian in the middle seat the same as you did.


----------

