# 3 kids in a Kia Soul (my intuition says not possible)



## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

We're in the market for a second vehicle. We already have one Kia, a Rondo which we LOVE. As soon as the Soul was released, DH fell in love with it and wants one for our second car. We definitely wanted something smaller for the 2nd car.

The problem though is I don't think 2 carseats and a booster will fit in the backseat of a Soul. We purchased the Rondo specifically because it was NOT a minivan but still had a 3rd row seating option and room to spare for groceries and such. However, I will admit to kicking myself after the purchase because our Rondo ended up getting the same gas mileage as the Kia Sedona minivan gets.







Either way it's still been an awesome car.

DH says because the second, smaller car will primarily be used when he has to travel for work, it doesn't matter whether or not all three kids can fit inside it because we'd be using the larger car whenever we take the kids. I think both vehicles should accomodate all of the kids, you just never know. What if the Rondo has a problem or breaks down? What if there is an emergency while someone is out with it and only has the smaller car?

Did I mention I hate thinking about buying cars and everything involved with that process?







Thoughts?


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

We won't be getting a second car for about a year and a half but will end up having one car that fits our whole family and on that doesn't. I kind of agree with your DH that if he mostly driving the second vehicle to work than a good reliable car with good gas mileage is the most important thing. We will probably end up with a minivan or suv and then a car for DH to take to work.


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

Also, I am not sure how small the backseat of a Kia Soul is but with the right seats it might be possible!! Someone just recently posted a thread about getting 3 car seats across the back of her small car, 1 FF and 2 RF and we figured out how to fit 2 RF and 1 FF in the back of our Liberty so you never know


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

DS1 is in a booster, DS2 is in a huge, bulky convertible w/5pt harness because he's still small for his age and I am nowhere near comfortable letting him sit in a regular booster like his brother. DD is in a Cosco Scenera. I really think DS2's seat is the space hog. Grandma took all three kids yesterday in her Ford Escape and we couldn't fit all three of those seats in, so we had to use a different seat my mom had. (Which really surprised me because the Escape looked big enough to accomodate. And what's with the rear tethers being mounted on the ceiling? Weird.) Perhaps with the right combination of seats it would work? UGH!

Okay just found the interior specs: 53.3 inches rear hip room, 55.2 rear shoulder room. Hmm...


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

It sounds like you could do it with some different seats... I have gotten a TON of advice from the ladies on here about slim car seats, and the Radian and Complete Air are 2 that constantly get mentioned. We also have a Combi Coccorro which is a smaller convertible that is very slim, doesn't have as long a life since it is more compact but fits in our car so we are going with it for now.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

What are the ages, heights and weights of your kids, and what seats are they in? The Escape is quite tight; I had alot of trouble trying to get 2-RF seats in it (a Scenera and a Marathon) and my nephew's backless booster. I ended up having to put the Scenera FF because it simply would not fit, and even then it was very hard to buckle the booster. The Escape is alot narrower than it looks


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

DS1 will be 5 in August. He is 45lbs, can't remember his height. I'm 5'0" and he comes up to my ribs, almost to my chest. A tall kid, LOL. Anyway, he's in a backless booster. DS2 is almost 4, 32lbs, 36 inches tall. He's in a FF Cosco Summit. The thing has an enormous, ridiculous base. DD is 24 months, 24lbs, cant recall her height but she's short and small for her age. She is in a FF Cosco Scenera.

The interior specs for our Rondo are a few inches larger than the Soul, and we still cannot get all three seats across the 2nd row/hence the reason we purchased one with the 3rd row option. Sooo not sure how this would work in the Soul if we cant work it in the rondo. Hmmph

Edited to add, spending more than $100 on a carseat isn't possible right now. If anyone knows of slim seats under that price, that would be useful info.


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

Could you just get a second Scenera? I don't know what the weight/height limits are on them but its an inexpensive seat that might work...


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chely7425* 
Could you just get a second Scenera? I don't know what the weight/height limits are on them but its an inexpensive seat that might work...

We had DS2 in a Scenera, but his shoulders reached the top slots and I ASSumed he needed to be in a larger seat, so I went out and got one. I think he had exceeded the height limit for it. I'll double-check that, but I'm fairly sure that's the reason we got a different seat for him.

If he can still ride in the Scenera, that would be super-cool because we still have that seat. I think we're going to the dealership tonight. My sales guy is gonna think we're nuts bringing along all these different carseats and trying to stuff them all into this car!


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

The dealer will deal... You gotta make sure things fit


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Will someone correct me if I'm wrong? The Summit, IIRC, top harness slot can not actually be used in harness mode. Unless the Summit has been changed a bunch in the last couple of years, the top usable harness slot is only about 1/2 inch taller than the Scenera's. You are absolutely right, that if harness is below the child's shoulders the seat is outgrown FF. Is it possible that DS2 has outgrown his harness on the Summit? Unfortunately, the Cosco combo seats aren't known for making safe boosters









I wonder if (assuming DS2 hasn't already outgrown the harness) you could make it work by flipping DD to RF (if she still has 1" of shell above her head in the Scenera) in the middle. Sometimes having a RF seat between FF seats helps them puzzle better.

I know you gave a $100 max should a new seat be necessary. I can't think of any narrow seats at that price point. If you can swing $50 more, you could get a Complete Air (with a bit of scanning for online deals!) for DS2, which is a narrow seat. The perk would be that it could be passed on to DD when DS2 moves to a booster in a couple years. It should fit even very tall kids well until boostering age.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Mayapple* 
We had DS2 in a Scenera, but his shoulders reached the top slots and I ASSumed he needed to be in a larger seat, so I went out and got one. I think he had exceeded the height limit for it. I'll double-check that, but I'm fairly sure that's the reason we got a different seat for him.

If he can still ride in the Scenera, that would be super-cool because we still have that seat. I think we're going to the dealership tonight. My sales guy is gonna think we're nuts bringing along all these different carseats and trying to stuff them all into this car!

Shoulders must be below the top slots, so once they go a smidge over the seat is outgrown. So you are correct that the seat was outgrown.


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

Having DD be rear-facing again isn't possible I don't think. Her legs were too long and she had to bend them. It didn't look safe at all, and she hated being cramped up and unable to stretch her legs.

I was incorrect. We have a Summit by Safety 1st, not Cosco. DS2 still fits into this seat, but probably not for much longer. However, when my mom took them yesterday in her Escape and we couldn't fit the Summit in with everything else, we had no choice but to use a backless booster for him. His Summit does convert to a backless, but then we're still left with that giant base. Again, DS2 is 32lbs and 36 inches tall. I'm not a rear-facing-for-eternity type, but with him still being so light I just get nervous about him not being in a 5-point harness, even though he is nearly 4 years old.

We ended up not going to the dealer tonight anyway. I think we still need to research more and decide what is best before we go. I don't generally go to the dealer until I am absolutely ready to buy.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

First, the 4 year old needs a high back booster--a Turbo booster is around $40. For the middle child, I'd look at the Evenflo Maestro. It's narrower than the Summit. I'd get another Scenera for the youngest, and RF. Legs being bent is not a safety concern in the slightest; RF is much, much safer.

ETA: a 3 year old is never ok in a booster, even for a quick or emergency trip.

nak a squirmy baby...


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## Aliviasmom (Jul 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Mayapple* 
Again, DS2 is 32lbs and 36 inches tall. I'm not a rear-facing-for-eternity type, but with him still being so light I just get nervous about him not being in a 5-point harness, even though he is nearly 4 years old.

The law is 4 years AND 40 pounds AND 40 inches.

My daughter is 5.5 years (6 in November) and is still in a 5-pt. IIRC, she's just a smidge over 40" and the last time she was at the doctor, she was like 38-39 lbs. We have a Nautilus, but I think it's wide. It will convert into a high-back booster, and then a regular booster. I'm not taking her out of the 5 pt until she's "safely" over the 40 lbs. (As in, even after she poops!







) She has no clue really that there are any other options. She's kinda used to being small.

Alright, end size tangent.

But have you thought maybe about getting a taller car seat that converts? The carseat we have was $180 at Toys R Us, but I figure it's the last carseat we'll need....

And just wondering, if you can only afford $100 for the carseat and you're concerned about getting them all to fit in the new car, have you thought about buying a used car instead?


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Aliviasmom* 
The law is 4 years AND 40 pounds AND 40 inches.


Where is that the law? Because it's certainly not the law here.


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## ssh (Aug 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
Where is that the law? Because it's certainly not the law here.

Different states have different car seat laws. The laws are a bare minimum not a guide to safety. There have been deaths associated with using a booster too soon. And a backless booster is especially unsafe if a child is too small. fatal abdominal injuries and sliding out of the bottom of the car seat are the common things. Just google "why use a 5 point harness" .

My 4.5 year old is 44" and about 48 lbs. and is in a 5 point harness, a Graco Nautilus. She will never ride in a backless booster, the high backed ones are just safer.


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssh* 
She will never ride in a backless booster, the high backed ones are just safer.

For younger, smaller kids, certainly. But not for a 10 year old who doesn't pass the 5-step test but is much too big for a Graco HBB.


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## rcr (Jul 29, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Mayapple* 
We purchased the Rondo specifically because it was NOT a minivan but still had a 3rd row seating option and room to spare for groceries and such. However, I will admit to kicking myself after the purchase because our Rondo ended up getting the same gas mileage as the Kia Sedona minivan gets.







Either way it's still been an awesome car.

We have a Rondo for that reason - the third row and the fact that it is not a minivan or an SUV. Love it.

DH has a little Kia (damn, I forgot the model), that does not have a baby seat, and me and DS have never even been in it. I suppose we could all fit (only three of us), but we never need to because the Rondo is the family car.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssh* 
Different states have different car seat laws. The laws are a bare minimum not a guide to safety. There have been deaths associated with using a booster too soon. And a backless booster is especially unsafe if a child is too small. fatal abdominal injuries and sliding out of the bottom of the car seat are the common things. Just google "why use a 5 point harness" .

My 4.5 year old is 44" and about 48 lbs. and is in a 5 point harness, a Graco Nautilus. She will never ride in a backless booster, the high backed ones are just safer.

Yes, I know that. But, I have never heard of a state that had a weight and height minimum for a booster. Just age or proper use clauses.

And my 5 1/2 yo is in a hbb, and he'll go in a low back when he's too tall for it because that's safer than putting him straight in the seatbelt if he doesn't pass the 5 step test. I don't know if many (if any) hbb will get a child to safe seatbelt age. That's why there are low back boosters (and thankfully we have side curtain airbags).


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

A backless booster is a fine choice for a child who has outgrown the HBB but is not appropriate for a 3 and 4 year old.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
a backless booster is a fine choice for a child who has outgrown the hbb but is not appropriate for a 3 and 4 year old.

ita.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Right. I'd probably even be okay with it for convenience and preference somewhere around age nine (assuming proper use including vehicle head support), but not at three or four or even five.


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## a-sorta-fairytale (Mar 29, 2005)

Can you wait another little bit to budget for more seats instead of getting the car right now?
I had just dropped a ton of $$ getting a regent and a marathon when i got pg with #3.

I had to buy 3 new seats to get a good fit but i was able to fit in the back of my prius 2 rf radians and 1 ff radian. I searched for deals and coupon codes and got the seats for under 120 each with free shipping. So my 6 y/o is in a ff radian, my 2 y/o (30lb 35 inch) is in a rf radian and the newbie has both a slim bucket and then will be in the rf radian.

It was a pita to do because the prius has stupid contoured seats so we had to waste a lot of space but my friend who is a CPST got them in safely with me.

if you are doing 3 across it would be easier with carseats vs any boosters because with the booster you have to buckle/unbuckle which is a huge pita

If your ds2 is as short as my ds and he doesnt have a super long torso he might be able to rf as well as your dd. so you could have 2rf and 1 ff or if he wont fit then you could do 2 ff and 1rf. Like someone else said they puzzle better that way


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## libranbutterfly (Jan 12, 2007)

I agree, your DS2 is probably close to outgrowing the summit, and is still too young for a booster. Also, the base of the summit does not make a backless booster. Could you be thinking of the Safety First Intera? If it is the intera, you can remove the backless booster from the bottom to give you a little more room with DS2 using it as a harnessed seat. Your DS1 should be in either a high back booster or a harnessed seat, low backs are for children who no longer fit in high backed boosters. Your DD would still be 500 times safer RF.

If I were you, I would look for a sale on the Sunshine Kids Radian for your DS2 (keep looking for sales), and at the very least a highback turbobooster for your DS1. You DD can continue to use the scenera until DS2 is old enough for a booster or she outgrows it. I would turn her around and keep her RF as long as possible!

If I could not afford car seats to fit my child, I would not be buying a new car. I currently drive a 1993 Buick LeSabre, and hubby drives a 1998 Chevy Blazer. My almost 4 yr old and my 5 yr old are both in harnessed car seats as they lack the maturity to sit in a booster seat correctly 100% of the time. I had top tethers installed in my car, and hubby's car allows tethering in the outboard seats.

There are cheaper options that would work in the rondo, since you have more space, but since you are looking for seats that may work in the soul, that is what I would get.


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## SaoirseC (Jul 17, 2009)

you never know. I was able to fit two boosters and an infant carseat in the back of my Ford focus.


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## libranbutterfly (Jan 12, 2007)

I fit 3 car seats in the back of hubbys 87 corolla hatchback, LOL


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

Wow, a little judgey and preachy are we? My original question was about fitting 3 carseats into a Kia Soul. The reason I asked the question was to further make a point to DH that it probably would NOT be the best option.

If you would have read further instead of pouncing all over me for tons of non-related issues, you would have seen that we didn't go to the dealership. Yeah the Soul is awesome but we can't afford it and my DH needs to get a life and realize that.

As for the carseat suggestions, I appreciate the advice, but could really do without the judgment. I am comfortable with our current setup. DS2 has a few more months left in his current 5-pt harness seat. Since he is lighter, we will look into getting a booster with a harness.


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## Lady Mayapple (Apr 26, 2010)

Ohio Revised Code, for those who are so concerned about "the law".

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.81


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I'm sorry you are feeling judged, that was not my intention. You are, however, transporting your children unsafely. That is not judgement, but mere statement of fact. The law is the absolute bare minimum; best practice dictates rear-facing until at least 2, forward facing in a harness until 5-6, high back booster until it's outgrown (at least 8), backless booster until the child passes teh 5-step test (usually around 10-12).


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

perhaps make him fall in lurvvvve with an older scion xb (the boxy style)? they have a huge backseat! and very very boxy.
I think the Soul is awesome, but slightly overpriced and getting a bit of a premium b/c it looks awesome and people like it.


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## Angela512 (Dec 22, 2007)

We had a Chevy Equinox and could fit all 3 kids in the back seat....however, it was very cramped and while the doors closed, they would push against the seats. Not my idea of safety.

So, we bought an Expedition. It has plenty of room to fit all 3 kids, has a 3rd row bench if needed and no one is pressed up against a door.

I would say to take your seats and visit the car lots and install them on the cars you are interested in and see if they fit. It's not safe if all the seats are smashed together or you have to slam the door hard enough to get it to latch because it presses against the seat.


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