# What car for 3 carseats?



## june'smom (Nov 8, 2003)

What is the most reliable, efficient (read: environmentally friendly) car for 3 car seats and a small dog?

We would prefer not a van because of the gas mileage. We also cannot spend a ton on this car.

Thanks!
Louise


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

i had a 2003 subaru outback impreza that i think fits your bill. you might have to get new carseats, depending on how wide your current seats are. i had two sceneras in mine, both RF one on the drivers side one in the middle and plenty of room for a third, though we only had two kids at the time and i usually sat back there with them. i bet 3 radians would work too.

oh, and it was a wagon so it had plenty of room for a bunch of stuff or a dog.


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## phoenixmama (Jul 13, 2007)

We have a Ford Freestyle, and we love it. Three rows...and much much much better gas mileage than SUVs or minivans with the same number of seats. We get around 26 mpg and it is AWD.


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## Savmay (Oct 18, 2005)

My subaru forestor is great and also my friends CRV fits 3 seats nicely.


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## *Aimee* (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Savmay* 
My subaru forestor is great and also my friends CRV fits 3 seats nicely.

Is your friends CRV a new body style? I just bought one and would love it to last through 3 kids but I'm not sure if it can fit 3 britax.


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## midwestmeg (Jul 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *phoenixmama* 
We have a Ford Freestyle, and we love it. Three rows...and much much much better gas mileage than SUVs or minivans with the same number of seats. We get around 26 mpg and it is AWD.

I wondered about these.... I'm always looking for something like a Subaru, but a little bigger!









So I was just going to recommend a Subaru as well... I can get three seats in mine, plus the Rottweiler! Love those station wagons...

But I can't wait to move to a van.







: You might look at a Caravan. They are so inexpensive used; they seem to depreciate very quickly. And anyone can fix them, unlike a Subaru, where you might want to have someone who is familiar with them work on them.


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## june'smom (Nov 8, 2003)

I am really not interested in an american made van. They have terrible emissions and they are not as fuel efficient as we want.
For that matter, the Subarus are not good on gas either.

I am just so frustrated that what we want in a vehicle just doesn't exist. I want 35 miles per gallon and great emissions standards. They just don't exist unless you drive a tiny car, which then won't fit three carseats.

I hate car shopping


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## Azuluna (Jun 26, 2006)

Depending on the seats, a Toyota Matrix *might* be able to fit three, but I'm sure it'd be a squeeze. Great MPG!


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *june'smom* 
I am really not interested in an american made van. They have terrible emissions and they are not as fuel efficient as we want.
For that matter, the Subarus are not good on gas either.

I am just so frustrated that what we want in a vehicle just doesn't exist. I want 35 miles per gallon and great emissions standards. They just don't exist unless you drive a tiny car, which then won't fit three carseats.

I hate car shopping









what about a rav4? that's what I have. it's a 2003 and it's pretty green for it's size. (it was best in it's class as far as emissions go the year we bought it anyway) it get's 38mpg. I have fit 2 car seats and a booster in the back. tight squeeze. but depending on the seats you may be able to squeeze 3 in. I say this because I think if we had something else besides Marathon's it would have worked way better. oh and the way back is big enough for dogs (and goats!







) easily. I have one of those gate things to seperate it.


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## june'smom (Nov 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rainbowmoon* 
what about a rav4? that's what I have. it's a 2003 and it's pretty green for it's size. (it was best in it's class as far as emissions go the year we bought it anyway) it get's 38mpg.

I thought about that, but my neighbor has one and he said he only gets 22 mpg in the city. Have you measured your gas mileage or just go by what the company says? I would love to get 38 mpg! If it really does get that, I would sure consider one.

Thanks for the info, keep it coming!!!!


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## Eman'smom (Mar 19, 2002)

Just curious what seats are you fitting in the Forester, my mom has one and there is no way we can get three seats in the back of her car. On our last trip we fit two boosters and I could barely squeeze sideways inbetween them. When I had two Marathons there was no way anything or person would fit.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

We have a scion xb and it fit seats, but very snugly. The kids fit fine now that dd is in a regular seat belt (in the middle) and the boys each have a carseat on the side. Ours is an 05 and the new models are a teensy bit bigger, but lower gas milage (though by only a few mpg). Dh drives 60 miles one way to work and gets about 35 mpg. www.scion.com Only about $15k new for a pretty loaded car (not sure current sale price).


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *june'smom* 
I thought about that, but my neighbor has one and he said he only gets 22 mpg in the city. Have you measured your gas mileage or just go by what the company says? I would love to get 38 mpg! If it really does get that, I would sure consider one.

Thanks for the info, keep it coming!!!!

I have not actually tracked it but it does get just about the same mileage as my former compact car! (so it seems to me anyway!)

I will track it next time I get gas and report back. I don't do alot of city driving though.

oh and mine is a 4x4 (manual) and it is the limited edition EX "Extreme" edition. not sure if that is the difference.

I get great gas mileage though whatever it is! I can drive approx 140 miles on a half of a tank of gas if that tells you anything?

ETA- I think I ammistaken and it might actually be 28/32 for mileage!







I will track it though and see.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *june'smom* 
I am really not interested in an american made van. They have terrible emissions and they are not as fuel efficient as we want.
For that matter, the Subarus are not good on gas either.

I am just so frustrated that what we want in a vehicle just doesn't exist. I want 35 miles per gallon and great emissions standards. They just don't exist unless you drive a tiny car, which then won't fit three carseats.

I hate car shopping









I have a Pontiac Vibe and it gets 30/36 mpgs. I am going to attempt 3 carseats tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes!

Oh, and we have a 35-40 lb dog who is able to ride in the back hatch.


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *june'smom* 
I thought about that, but my neighbor has one and he said he only gets 22 mpg in the city. Have you measured your gas mileage or just go by what the company says? I would love to get 38 mpg! If it really does get that, I would sure consider one.

Thanks for the info, keep it coming!!!!

Hmmm, my DH has an '07 Sport and I know for sure he doesn't get anywhere near 38 mpg with his.


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## june'smom (Nov 8, 2003)

My sister has a scion and she loves it. That was what we were originally going to get but we didn't think that 3 seats would fit in the back. I will have to check that out. Thanks again,
Louise


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

We have a 07 Kia Spectra and can fit 3 seats in the back.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *june'smom* 
My sister has a scion and she loves it. That was what we were originally going to get but we didn't think that 3 seats would fit in the back. I will have to check that out. Thanks again,
Louise

It was a tight fit when we had 3 in there, but they did fit safely (LATCH in all 3 positions). If it had ended up being the primary 'kid' car (instead of the van) I would have bought narrower carseats.


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## Mere (Oct 1, 2002)

I think the question is not so much which car, but which carseats! We have a subaru wagon, and it fits 3 across just fine...but only with very specific seats. Two Radians and a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Booster fit well, and certainly 3 radians would fit too.

We had some Britax seats before, and there was NO way more than 2 seats were going to fit in our Subaru.


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## Eben'sMama (Jun 29, 2006)

We have a 1998 Volvo V70 XC (Cross-Country) wagon and we just love it! We bought because 1) I have always loved Volvos and 2) another mama with 3 Britaxes recommended it in a thread last year. We currently have 2 rear-facing Decathlons and it works great. They are right up against each other, but they are in there safely and snugly, just as they should be. In addition, we can also fit my 6'3" husband back there with the boys when the baby needs to be soothed!

Great, safe car and the mileage isn't too terrible (20-30 mpg), considering that it weighs almost twice as much as most passenger cars! It also has a mesh divider that you can put up between the cargo area and the back seat that would be great if you need to keep the dog off the kids.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *StrawberryFields* 
I have a Pontiac Vibe and it gets 30/36 mpgs. I am going to attempt 3 carseats tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes!

Oh, and we have a 35-40 lb dog who is able to ride in the back hatch.

We didn't end up trying 3 carseats after all but I have 2 FF Graco ComfortSports right now and I am pretty sure that a RF infant seat would not fit in between them, even without the base. Maybe if I had narrower ff convertibles it would work.


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## Mirzam (Sep 9, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eben'sMama* 
We have a 1998 Volvo V70 XC (Cross-Country) wagon and we just love it! We bought because 1) I have always loved Volvos and 2) another mama with 3 Britaxes recommended it in a thread last year. We currently have 2 rear-facing Decathlons and it works great. They are right up against each other, but they are in there safely and snugly, just as they should be. In addition, we can also fit my 6'3" husband back there with the boys when the baby needs to be soothed!

I hate to burst your bubble, but as the ex-owner of '97 Volvo wagon, which is essentially the same as your '98, fitting three seats in the back of that car is challenging. The reason is the space between the seat belt in the middle seat is narrow, which is fine for Britax's, but trying fitting a booster in there it is a great deal harder. While I loved my Volvo, I am glad I don't have to struggle with three car seats/boosters any more. I now drive a six passenger Pacifica which is much easier. I would honestly never recommend a Volvo wagon for a family with three kids in seats.


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