# Honda Civic Car Seat Questions



## Jennifer3141 (Mar 7, 2004)

It's time for me to get another car and I noticed the other day that it's getting time to get new seats for the kids as well. Both of my kids are tall and both are in Britax Boulevards. DD is 41 inches tall and Ds isn't too far behind.









Here's my dilemma, I'm thinking about the next baby who will also be in this car. I started both of my kids out in the Britax infant seat and I'm wondering if it will even be possible to fit three seats that are as bulky as the Britax in the backseat of a Civic.

DD will be 6 and DS will be 5 most likely before a baby would come. They will grow, what 9 more feet before next year? Will they be in boosters by then? Would and infant seat and at least one booster then fit?


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

You won't be able to fit 3 bulky car seats in a honda civic. I could never fit 3 of any combo, including one backless booster, in my mom's civic. I don't even think a skinny child w/o any seat could fit in between two car seats, especially if even 1 was a Britax.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

*maybe* 2 radians and an infant seat. But your kids will outgrow the radian, and boosters are wider...


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I think you'd be hard pressed to fit any 3 seats in a civic. Perhaps 3 radians. Or two radians and something like a blvd that's up on a base- puzzled together.

-Angela


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I know there is NO room between to MAs in a civic, I mean like a few inches. I was able to get two sceneras in there with myself, probably could have fit another scenra in there but maybe not and that wouldn't work for you anyway.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Any booster is going to be a major PIA to buckle if you can get one in there, think scraping your knuckles every time you go to buckle it. Like other posters said, if you can get radians in there, one isn't going to last your 6y that much longer.


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## Jennifer3141 (Mar 7, 2004)

Eep!

That was my "big" car choice after the Prius was clearly out. So, anyone have a favorite environmentally friendly sedan they are in love with?


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## ~Amy~ (Jun 7, 2009)

Here's a thread from car-seat.org with lots of info for you
http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=70428&highlight=civic

Note there are combos listed there using 2 boosters & a RFing convertible. Also one listed using 1 booster, 1 infant seat & 1 FFing convertible. You may need to buy new seats, but seats are cheap compared to a car.


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

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jennifer3141* 
Eep!

That was my "big" car choice after the Prius was clearly out. So, anyone have a favorite environmentally friendly sedan they are in love with?









yeah, it sucks but I definitely would not intentionally buy a small sedan with 3 kids in mind. We had a Mazda Protege (DH bought it when we were expecting #2) that we were just barely able to fit 3 across, but only b/c we had to and the carseats likely weren't in 100% correctly. It was awful, IMO. We couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

My mom gets sad she can't take more than 2 kids with her -- she had a civic and now a prius.


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## Evergreen (Nov 6, 2002)

I have a Civic. I can not fit three seats in any combination in there including three backless boosters. It's upsetting to my 6 year old to not be able to go places with more than one friend. Even if she only takes one friend we have to leave my 2 year old at home .


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I have an accord and DH has a civic - I can't imagine 3 seats in the civic, nor really in the accord either. *MAYBE* 3 in the accord... but really, if we have any more kiddos (I'm due in august), we'd need a new (bigger) car.


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## Eman'smom (Mar 19, 2002)

Why are you looking at only small sedans with 3 kids, honestly that just seems like you want to create frustration for yourself. To answer the orginal question, we could ALMOST fit our Marathon and 2 compass boosters in the back of our Civic, it didn't work, but it was close enough that I think the right combo of seats could work. Boosters are rarely the answer when it comes to smaller seats, they aren't really all that narrow and you need to buckle them in every time.

If you need something on the smaller side what about that Mazda minivan that seats 6 people but no luggage? Is is the Mazda 5? It's way to small for me but it would fit 3 seats in it better that a small sedan


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## lexbeach (Mar 6, 2002)

We fit 3 radians in the back of our 2-door honda civic, but only with the center radian rear-facing. The problem is that there aren't any boosters on the market as narrow as the radian, so once the kids outgrow the radians (which is looking like it will happen right around age 7 for us), we would no longer be able to all drive in the civic. But then, we're having another baby anyway (#4), so I already gave up on the civic being our family car.

I do think it makes sense to get as small of a car as possible. I'm not sure what the biggest (i.e. widest) small car is . . .

Lex


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I wonder how narrow the new parkway actually is. Britax claims it's good for 3 across, but who really knows...


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## Suzuki Momma (Oct 11, 2005)

We have a volvo and we can easily fit 3 graco nautilus in a row. I was really shocked that there was so much room in it. I don't think a booster will be easier at all. Boosters are difficult because you have to reach inbetween seats to buckle and it is a pain in the butt! I would stick to a 5point harness if possible. I think even 3 britax's would fit.


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## mommy amber (Mar 29, 2008)

I have a boulevard (britax's harness-booster) and a roundabout in my 4dr civics rear seat and there is no way another car seat (let alone anything else) would fit back there.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommy amber* 
I have a boulevard (britax's harness-booster) and a roundabout in my 4dr civics rear seat and there is no way another car seat (let alone anything else) would fit back there.

The boulevard is a convertible seat







the booster with a harness is the frontier.

FWIW I have a regent and a blvd in the back of our civic. But obviously nothing else fits.

-Angela


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

I have an 09 Kia Spectra and I can fit 2 radians and a hbb in my car.

I have a minivan for camping and going to the cottage, but I wouldn't use a minivan for my main vehicle. Since we had our 3rd baby and my husband has been on parental leave, we have only used our van once, and that was for a trip to the cottage.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I have a Civic and have had two Sceneras and one Comfort Sport across the back, but one had to be forward facing. I now have one Marathon and occasionally one Scenera, and they only have about 8 inches or so between them when both are rear facing.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I used to drive a Honda Civic. I had both girls in boosters when DS was born. I got the narrowest infant seat on the market for DS, and used it without the base. When he outgrew it at 4mo, I had to move DD1 (then age 7) out of the booster, even though she wasn't quite ready.

I recomend getting a wider car, if you can afford to do so.


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## Jennifer3141 (Mar 7, 2004)

I want a smallish car because of who I am, not because of money. I am not really a minivan/SUV type of person. I need to look at some wagons apparently.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I wouldn't count on wagons having a wider back seat, necessarily. What you really need to look at is a car with a wide back seat if you need 3 across.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

Even a mid-size or large car would be much better for a 3-across. Like a Honda Accord instead of the Civic. The Accord even comes in a hybrid version I think. I'd personally avoid a compact car for 3 children if I had the option.


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## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

Yes, go with a bigger sedan









If you're dead-set on a Civic, maybe 2 radians and a RSTV?

But yeah. Tons of cars out there that can fit 3-across a back seat--but ask me how I know the civic ain't one of them


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## Natsuki (May 4, 2004)

A Toyota Camry would allow for 3 across (depending on the seats you used).


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