In the market for a new (used) car and thinking mini vans may be too expensive, especially with gas.
Are there any good cars you recommend that can comfortably fit 3 carseats? We have a '99 Toyota Camry, which is pretty roomy, but it still doesn't fit 3 seats back there. I was thinking about a Subaru Outback, anyone have one?
How about thinking about using Sunshine Kids Radian car seats then you don't have to worry about the car. As long as the backseat isn't two distinct bucket seats, they will fit. We have a matrix and it works!
Thank you for asking this question because some have mentioned the Sunshine Radian, and I think that's the answer to our problem! When our baby is born in about seven weeks, we will have 5 kids in car seats in our Honda Odyssey (we have a mix of small kids and close in age), and we've been trying to figure out how to fit them all in. A slimmer car seat would do wonders!
We really like our Honda Odyssey, and it easily fits three car seats. But maybe buying new car seats (like we'll likely have to do) would be your answer.
My hubby was really talking to me about these so I just looked they are way too small for 3 car seats,there is no room to put anything else in the back so I ended up with a Ford Freestyle with full bench seating in the second & third row the second split it has room for 2 car seats on each side & a passenger in the middle no carseat,the back doesn't split it is full for 2 carseats or passengers then the hatch back,all the seat fold flst with no passengers if needed to use as a truck bed.The Freestyles are nolonger but range anywhere from 17,000-10,000 depending on mileage & features & if there is a huge demad for them in your area.Mine we have came across alot they were out of town 2-3 hr. drive but the mileage is way too high for the asking price worth looking into especially if your wanting used,as for the mini vans I would go with the 2006-2007 Hoda models or the 2004-2007 Toyota models the gas mileage isn't to bad on them.Any other SUV's are horrible in gas if it has over a 3 liter motor Freestyle is around 24 city 27 highway fwd will give better gas mileage but mine is AWD just about 2 miles difference.
We have a Ford Explorer 2006, we can't fit 3 seats in the 2nd row, when a friend recently came out with us, we had to use the 3rd row seat , which is a problem in that you have to get to the child through the boot (trunk?), as you can't fold down the 2nd row seat to get to the 3rd row. An adult or infant car seat can sit in the space left beside the two car seats, but with armrests on car seats you can't fit another biggy in. The two seats in the back are a Britax Roundabout and Eddie Bauer Deluxe. I love my car, but it is a gas guzzler around the city. Guess it depends on the kids car seats you have - is there a car wide enough for 3 full car seats?
We have a Kia Rondo which is kind of a tall station wagon or a small minivan, with a third row seat. It gets good mileage, and is very roomy, so of course it was taken off the American market. It was consistently recommended by Consumer Reports.
You should be able to find good 2007 - 2010 models for $9000 - $12000. Not all have the third row, so you have to be specific when you look.
We love ours, it's changed our life ;-)
My Honda pilot (2010) fits 3 Britax carseats in the middle row easily and still has a 3rd row if needed. Gas isn't too bad since it's a V6, but it's worth the space needed for traveling.
we have a minivan and the gas isn't terrible, however we're also thinking about getting a dodge durango. I've heard they're pretty ok on gas and some of them have three row seating.
I have a 2003 Honda Accord with 3 seats in the back, though I did have to invest in a Sunshine Radian to get that to work. I have seen 3 in the back seat of the larger Pontiacs (Bonneville maybe?) and Dodge Chargers. My husband runs a tire shop and pulled in a Crown Victoria with 3 seats in the back, he said there was at least 6 inches between each seat. With the right seats and combination of forward and rear facing, many of the midsize 4 door cars can work, Sunshine radians are the narrowest on the market and have excellent safety ratings. Our next vehicle will probably be a Mazda5, it has 3 rows but is classified as a compact mini van, not full sized and not a crossover or suv. It is supposed to be much better on gas and handles like a car.
I have a Mazda cx7 which is pretty giod on fuel, and fits our three car seats. It also has a good trunk space. Very nice to drive too.
