# wide sedans?



## delicious (Jun 16, 2003)

so, we have 3 kids and a honda civic hybrid. i love my car so much. but it is SO cramped. we are thinking about getting a new car. well, new to us, or new, i don't even really know at this point. right now if we all ride together, the adult not driving has their knees up in their chin, which is not really safe. i'm also really not happy with our carseats. they are not as easy to install or sturdy feeling as the old carseats we had, before we had our 3rd child.

if we did get a sedan type car, we'd have to be fitting a radian, parkway and something convertible for the baby...possibly a diplomat or marathon or whatever britax makes that will last a long time for him right now. i would use ds1's old marathon, but i think it's expired.

so what we need is a nice roomy sedan that's still smallish enough that i can parallel park it, which i have to do a lot. (this is why i'm thinking no minivan.)


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## lightheart (Jul 2, 2005)

I can tell you a Kia Optima has only enough room back there for 2 Regants, they fit well but unless you could find a seat that's about 12 inches across you would be out of luck.


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## goodheartedmama (Feb 1, 2007)

I had a toyota avalon that could fit 3 across


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## Eman'smom (Mar 19, 2002)

What about a Mazda 5? It's not a sedan, but it's not exactly a mini-van either. It has 3 rows but only seats 6. It might fit everyone better but still be small enough to park.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

I loved my Taurus for 3 across, but it's kind of long I guess. I'm not a parallel parker at all so it doesn't matter, lol, I thankfully live somewhere I can get away w/ that. I would just get a Radian for the baby.


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## tinyblackdot (Aug 31, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eman'smom* 
What about a Mazda 5? It's not a sedan, but it's not exactly a mini-van either. It has 3 rows but only seats 6. It might fit everyone better but still be small enough to park.

Thats what i was going to suggest too. Or what about a Kia Rondo that has the 3 rows of seats? My friend had a Toyota Camry and we fit a marathon, and a regent, and a Graco safeseat all in it at once.

I have a accord, and i can barely fit 2 car seats in it.


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## delicious (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
I loved my Taurus for 3 across, but it's kind of long I guess. I'm not a parallel parker at all so it doesn't matter, lol, I thankfully live somewhere I can get away w/ that. I would just get a Radian for the baby.

aren't those really long, though? i'm worried about legroom in the front. he is only 3 months so he will be rearfacing for a long time.

i will check out the mazda 5, thanks! dp is looking at saabs? i don't really know anything about them, though. he says they are safe.


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

We had a civic and bought a CRV so I would be able to sit in the middle between the carseats when we drove MIL somewhere.

We had thought about a sedan or wagon as well, but it would have been a wide sedan to fit everyone.

FWIW, I can fit 3 carseats in our CRV - two Radians (one FF outboard and one RF centre) and an Eddie Bauer 3in1 (RF outboard).

We test drove a Passat wagon and I'm 99% sure 3 carseats would have fit back there. Also test drove a volvo v50 and sure that 3 would *not* have fit. Both these would be the same width as the sedan. We thought fleetingly of the Camry hybrid, but my DH thought it was a 'dorky' car.

It's hard to tell based on a car's specs (shoulder room, hip room, etc) because it has to do with the placement of the seat belts and/or latch anchors too Sorry I can't be more help, but there's a great site: car-seat.org that might have more info.


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

Get what fits and learn to drive it. Parallel parking isn't hard once you learn the distances and techniques to do it properly.

And you'll nver learn how to do it properly if you don't try. So buy the vehicle that fits your kids and their seats and practice your parking ability. You'll master it within a few weeks.

I drive a 25' truck just as well as my 18' long minivan.







:


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## delicious (Jun 16, 2003)

i'm actually a really good parallel parker. but in the city a lot of the spaces are really tight.

thanks for the link, allison's mom. i will check that out.

i just want something...roomier.


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