# Are there any cars that will fit 3 carseats?



## my3peanuts (Nov 25, 2006)

We're looking to trade in our van and I'd like to get a car because of gas prices and such but we'll have 3 carseats for quite a while. Any option?


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

Lots of cars! you just have to have to right carseats.









I think pretty much any car that has three legitimate seating positions in the back row would work with the right combination of seats.


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## Marlet (Sep 9, 2004)

We have a Grand Am (98) and it fits a rear facing infant (eddie bauer brand? can't remember right now center spot), forward facing convertible (costco brand and behind front passenger) and a full backed booster (unsure of brand and behind driver) just fine.

Like the pp said, just a matter of what carseat(s) you have.


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## Kerrie (Jul 23, 2003)

We used a contour for a while and it was tight but did work. DH had a protege (1992) and we couldn't get our 3 seats in. My mom had an outback wagon and I couldn't get our 3 seats in - the seats were molded weird. I'm sure that a pro could have but I couldn't. Good luck!!


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## fujiyama_mama (Apr 25, 2008)

I need some of those magic seats!! Right now we have a Rav4 which gets decent gas mileage 24 mpg..not too bad, but we'd like to do better. And 2 Britax monsters hogging up the backseats. By the time we had number 3 (Fall 09 most likely) Our oldest could probably do a booster but I would like to keep her a in a 5 point.
So what car and seat combo accommodates? Anyone have any personal experience making it work?


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

Ford Taurus... but I only get 19 mpg.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I really think it'd be hard to get 3 across in the back of a subaru wagon. The backseat is narrow and there is a "hump". I have two in mine (a radian and a marathon) and there is maybe 10" between them.


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## supermuma (Dec 12, 2005)

Thank you for this thread! I am having a similar issue..though I just want to get 1 car seat and two booster seats in. It can be done in my moms Honda Civic...but VERY tightly...I was looking at Subaru Wagons....we have a mini van right now..but it gets HORRID gas mileage and I feel guilty buying another mini van...I want good gas mileage for our budget AND for the environment..I look forward to reading more replies to your question...








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## sweetcheeks (May 21, 2005)

We have a Dodge Intrepid and we have 3 across in the back seat . . . 2 Radians and a SnugRide (will be a 3rd Radian after babe is a couple months old). All of them fit in just great and we were able to get nice, solid installs. Oh, and we usually average 30-32 mpg on the highway.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Amylcd* 
Ford Taurus... but I only get 19 mpg.









This is what I was going to say too, I loved mine, I have no idea how much gas I went through though. Is yours older? I know they just started making them again.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
I really think it'd be hard to get 3 across in the back of a subaru wagon. The backseat is narrow and there is a "hump". I have two in mine (a radian and a marathon) and there is maybe 10" between them.

Agreed, Suburu's can be really tricky to get 3 across. Radians which are the narrowest carseat out there, are tricky to install in some Subarus, add in the fact that there is a center hump in some models and it can be difficult.


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## supermuma (Dec 12, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Peony* 
Agreed, Suburu's can be really tricky to get 3 across. Radians which are the narrowest carseat out there, are tricky to install in some Subarus, add in the fact that there is a center hump in some models and it can be difficult.


darn!there goes that plan....back to the drawing board.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
I really think it'd be hard to get 3 across in the back of a subaru wagon. The backseat is narrow and there is a "hump". I have two in mine (a radian and a marathon) and there is maybe 10" between them.

I can get three across my 2001 Subaru Legacy wagon, if two are Radians.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

I have installed Radians forward-facing center in the above-mentioned Subaru Legacy wagon and a 2003 Subaru Forester. The hump does indeed make it tricky, but it is not impossible. Britax seats with bases (Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon) tend not to be bothered by Subaru humpiness, so if you had a big Britax center, you could maybe do Radians or narrow boosters outboard.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
Subaru humpiness









:


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

Our Kia Spectra does, but our old Civic did not.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

I have three in a 2001 Chevy Malibu. Two Britax and one Radian.


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## hockeywoman (Nov 6, 2007)

We have a Radian, Nautilus, and Marathon-ish seat in our 2003 Mazda Protege, though the installs are somewhat difficult.


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## supermuma (Dec 12, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
I have installed Radians forward-facing center in the above-mentioned Subaru Legacy wagon and a 2003 Subaru Forester. The hump does indeed make it tricky, but it is not impossible. Britax seats with bases (Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon) tend not to be bothered by Subaru humpiness, so if you had a big Britax center, you could maybe do Radians or narrow boosters outboard.

This is good to know...right now our littlest is in a Graco Safeseat..but our next seat for her (sitting in our basement, currently) is a Britax Marathon.

Now, if I can just find boosters skinny enough for the outside seats.
I don't even know what the ones we have now are...but they are rather wide..which is what makes them a tight squeeze in my moms civic (and our old civic).


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I was not able to install my radian in the middle of my subaru with the marathon outboard. there was not enough room. I don't know if it would work the other way or not, but I would definitely try before buying.

The other problem I had with the radian is that you have to install it with the seatbelt in the middle because at least in my 2001 model there are not center lower LATCH anchors, and the seatbelt stalk on the non-buckling side is long because of the part where the shoulder belt connects to it from where it goes up to the roof. It's built that way so the shoulder part can be disconnected and retract back up to the roof when the center seat is not being used.


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## hockeywoman (Nov 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *supermuma* 

Now, if I can just find boosters skinny enough for the outside seats.
I don't even know what the ones we have now are...but they are rather wide..which is what makes them a tight squeeze in my moms civic (and our old civic).

The fisher price boosters are supposed to be narrow, and are relatively cheap from albeebaby.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

Albee has the FPSV Boosters for $30 and $40.

http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bi...+price+booster


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

I have had three carseats across the back of my 1999 Chevy Cavalier for quite some time now !

I've had :

FF Generations; FF Intera; RF Snugride
FF Generations; FF Intera; RF SafeSeat 1
FF Radian; FF Intera; RF SafeSeat 1
FF Radian; FF Radian; RF Regal Ride


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## naturemama1 (Apr 30, 2007)

I have three carseats in our Prius -- two forward-facing five-point harness seats and one infant carrier. It's a 2001 model, so it's slightly different than the hatchback models they have now. I like to call it my clown car, LOL, but it's actually pretty roomy for them back there.

With the next baby, we'll have to do something different. No getting around that. We're hoping that in a couple of years, the ridiculous price of gas will have brought a bunch of new models to the market. We share/trade the car, and I only drive it once a week or so, so we're going to take our time finding the right large-family vehicle for us. In the meantime, though, I adore my car (not to speak of getting 53 mpg!), so we'll hang on as long as we can with three in the back.


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=33226

Five pages of pictures of three across installs. Many different kinds of cars, lots of different car seats!


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## katbomumof3 (Sep 16, 2007)

we have a chrysler sebring, and it (barely) fits 3 seats. We have a graco booster (with a back) but it's pretty narrow, an evenflo bucket seat in the middle, and a graco 5 pt harness seat - its a 20-80 pds booster/carseat combo
It's working for us, but i'd like to get a convertable seat for ds so he can stay rear facing longer and dd2 can keep the 5 pt harness longer, but i don't think that i will find any that will fit








good luck!


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

Have you tried any Radians?


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Yeah, I would guess a rfing radian would fit fine in a sebring.


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