Hello, we are interested in purchasing a new vehicle and would like one that would allow for 2 car seats to be fastened in the center seat of the 2nd and 3rd rows with access to the 3rd row being comfortable. Is there such a thing????
Thanks :)
Yes I'm super paranoid mom and safety is my first consideration. I would feel much better being able to keep them both in center seats. I also worry about being hit from behind so I'd be somewhat concerned about how close the 3rd row is to the end of the vehicle.
We have an 8-passenger 2008 Toyota Sienna and LOVE IT! The middle row middle seat is quite large and fits a carseat great and the other two seats in that row, fold up for easy access to the back seat. Also, there's TONS of storage in the back so the back row is probably... two feet? or so from the end of the van.
love my honda odyssey
i think the odyssey lets you move the 2 center seats wherever you want them, hence in the center and the side, and you can use the other side for moving to the back.
The larger Ford Expedition. My friends have twin baby boys, a two year old, and a 12 year old and 10 year old. It accomodates them very nicely.
Yukon XL or Suburban. We have ford expedition and even though it's an 8 seater third row seat is very close to the trunk door. If it's a big enough impact it does not really matter. There is a story on utube where truck crashed into a mini van from the back and killed all 3 kids in the 3rd and 2nd row. I am paranoid too, that's why we just got our 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 Britax frontier 85 with side impact protection. And start up our trips with a prayer:)
Our GMC Yukon XL does a great job with that. The second row is a bench seat (as opposed to captains chairs) so a carseat can go in the middle. The seat directly behind the passenger side folds down completely so access to the rear bench seat is a piece of cake. Of course, a Chevy Suburban would be the same. And since you're clearly safety conscious, it doesn't hurt that you'll be driving one of the largest, most solidly built (fully framed) vehicles on the road.
We had my two year old son and 5 month old daughter in the "middle" bench of our Suburban several years ago when we were slammed into from behind while we were sitting at a red light. The driver of the van that hit us did not even try to brake and the police estimated he was traveling at over 50 mph when he struck us. He did not survive the accident, unfortunately, but we were all fine. One police officer observed that if we had been driving a vehicle any smaller (like the Toyota Scion in front of us, for example) then the night would have ended very differently. Our Suburban was totalled, of course, but I firmly believe that it (along with the grace of God) saved my family that night.
EDIT: after reading another response, I just want to assure you that we have put two carseats in the second row before and had NO problem folding down the passenger side (it's a 60/40 split) so we can access the rear seats.
We have a Honda Odyssey EX. It can seat 8, with two captain's chairs and a jump-seat in the middle row and then your typical 3-seat bench in the back. However, the jump-seat can be removed and stored in the floor of the vehicle, and then one of the captain's chairs can be moved to the center. This provides extremely easy access to the back row if you'd like, and each captain's chair also easily fits a large car seat. Finally, unlike most SUVs, minivans tend to have larger trunks (plenty big enough to fit a full-sized stroller back there), meaning that those sitting in the rear row are still a good distance from the rear of the car. I know a lot of people seem to object to minivans, and I'll admit that I was a little reluctant to give up my sporty Mazda 3 when we found out Baby #2 was on the way. But we have 3 dogs in addition to the potential 2 kids, and just going to the park as a family would no longer be possible in my little hatchback. However, I LOVE my minivan. It is SO convenient. I especially like the automatic doors that I can open or close with my key-fob when my arms are fully of bags and babies. Good luck.
I just heard a radio ad today for the Buick Enclave that said it had room for two car seats plus an extra seat behind, so you didn't have to move the car seats. I think it's kind of pricey, starting at 35,000 new. And it may be a hybrid.
The ad started out saying the people were Toyota fans, I think, and didn't want a Buick until they took the Enclave for a test drive. It's being marketed to moms/families.
Oh I'm interested to hear what people are going to say. I'm looking too and I was interested in the Honda Pilot but someone told me that you can't access the 3rd row when you have 2 car seats in the middle row. It seems like we might have to invest in a mini van (which I am not looking forward to at all). A family friend has a Toyota Sequoia and she is able to put 2 car seats in the center and still access the third row easily. However, it's a big car so I don't know how big of a car you are interested in. Plus there is the gas issue too. Good luck.
