3 Across? Subaru Outback or VW Jetta....2009-2010

I need to get in two car seats full time, but be able to fit the occasional adult in the back, too. Or a kid my son's age in booster. That would be nice too.

My current seats are a Boulevard and a Frontier/Nautilus. With the set-up, there is no way of getting an adult in either an Outback or a Jetta. However, I'm thinking a RF Radian XTSL would free up some space to replace the BLVD. And, for the times when we have that extra adult, we could put DS in a high back booster to gain more space on the other side.

Does that seem like it could work? Any of you get three folks in the back of these cars?


The 2009 Outback is a different vehicle from the 2010, just in case you're not familiar. The 2009 is a station wagon. It's nice and low to the ground. Easy access to bike rack on top. But, the back seat is mediocre.

In comparison, the 2010 is way more like a crossover. Rack is 6-8" higher and poorly designed. But, there is more width in the rear seat AND tons and tons of leg room. Handling is worse though, I'm told. Havne't driven one yet.

The 2009-2011 Jetta is sized like the 2009 outback. It's much larger than my 2001 Jetta....but still not spacious.
I'm looking to replace my Odyssey with a wagon that I ENJOY DRIVING. Big issue here. My Ody is great. It does what I need, exactly. But I hate it. I am a huge car fanatic. I have spent 14 months and 30k miles wishing I was in something else. it's time to change.

Key needs:
Really good MPG. Mostly highway miles need to be over 25 mpg. That's my bare min.
Three across in the rear.
Room for cargo.
Good roof rack for four bikes.
Handles like on rails, or at least really "sporty,", stable, and a huge pleasure to drive.
Must have good upgrades: Leather, heated seats, iphone interface, etc.
Large aftermarket scene and cult following is a huge perk. I love to mod stuff, especially my cars.

I'm open to suggestion on other makes and models. My ideal car is a 2001-2003 525i wagon. But, they're aging and the new BMWs are lower MPG. I could still consider 2006ish 5-series, but leaning away from it for MPG and not fond of new body style.

Price is under $25,000. Needs to haul four bikes up top, racing gear for four people, cooler, snacks, small dog, two tall adults (5'9" and 6'2.5") plus random other stuff at least three days a week. We race BMX an hour away three nights a week, plus homeschool trips, etc. Logging about 30,000 miles a year.

Thanks for ANY input you might have. My car search is over a month old already....I'm getting tired of trying to pin down the right model.

I'll come back to this thread tomorrow when I'm at my computer but as a subie person (I rock an 06 impreza) I actually really liked the handling of the 2010 outback and I'm not a hatchback person at all. While it was no impreza it wasn't bad in the least bit. As far as back seat room went that baby is spacious. Nearly any three across I tried (and I'm a tech so I have quiet a few seats) fit with so much room they were hardly puzzling unlike my impreza where everything has to fit perfectly in order to work correctly.

I have a few photos on my computer but even with the front seats all the way back a radian fits beautifully rear facing in the center. I didn't quite get to test it outboard.

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Thank you. I look forward to photos and more info.

My personal preference is heavily for the 09 Outback or the Jetta. But if the '10 Outback is what I need, that's okay, maybe. I just really want a wagon, not a van, suv or crossover. :-/

When the radian was in the center, was there room for an outboard adult on one side and outboard combination seat or HBB on other?

Thanks again!!

Ps. Looked at wrx wagon. Loved it but not enough cargo space for my needs. :-(. Imprezas are awesome.

I know you said you don't want a crossover, and I'm not sure if it's sporty enough, but have you looked at the Mazda 5? I average 25mpg in mine, and have gotten up to 30 on the highway. There's lots of cargo room if you're only hauling four people. I'm not sure about upgrades; mine's the cheapest version. With the 3rd row folded down, my car looks & feels more like a wagon than a minivan, and it drives like a car, not a minivan.

3-across in the Jetta is possible but it's not easy. I've looked at the newer VWs and the center seating position is even tinier than in my dh's '01 Golf. But, the newer ones don't have the contoured outboard seats that make 3-across such a pain in the older ones. You might be able to get the Nautilus side-by-side with a Radian, or you might need two Radians to fit a third seat. Keep in mind that boosters don't necessarily take up less space than a harnessed seat; there are some that are narrower, but most are nearly the same width as harnessed seats, with the additional need for extra space to reach between and buckle.

Thanks defrost! That's awesomely helpful. A friend has a Mazda 5. It's really nice, but don't think I want one. I will look more critically at it, though.

The booster I have now is the HB Turbo. It's pretty narrow, but don't know if it works. I will be taking Turbo and a friend's Radian to dealer today. Will also have my Blvd and Nauti, the installed seats.

Mach Knockers said:

Thanks defrost! That's awesomely helpful. A friend has a Mazda 5. It's really nice, but don't think I want one. I will look more critically at it, though.

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Fold down the 3rd row and then DRIVE it. I promise you'll lose that minivan-feel as soon as you can't see the sliding doors.

The booster I have now is the HB Turbo. It's pretty narrow, but don't know if it works. I will be taking Turbo and a friend's Radian to dealer today. Will also have my Blvd and Nauti, the installed seats.

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Can you post back how well they fit? Dh is car-shopping and while he doesn't need to fit 3 boosters or carseats, he'll have 2 teens and a booster in the back seat, so I'm really curious about the space!

I used to get two Turbos on either side of a Marathon in dh's Golf, but buckling wasn't fun at all, and because of the contoured seats, the boosters sat a bit wonky.

Just stopping in quickly. Just dawned on me that my car will be in the shop tomorrow and I will likely have a '10 outback as a loaner car if you have any specific combinations you'd like to see in there.

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I borrowed a friend's Radian and brought my turbo booster. Turns out, I can install Radian outboard passenger, turbobooster in center and can fit myself comfortably but snugly behind the 6'3" salesman/guinea pig. I'm 5'9" all leg, 125 lbs., for reference.

I'm shocked. I would have bet $100 it wouldn't work.

I got some photos of seats installed with kids and of me with empty seats. Will post later of I can't get them to load from phone. With no Radian experience and a quick effort, I got a technically passable install. With effort and more research/help, I could probably get it rock solid. If it's allowed to rbace like a Britax, there is plenty of front passenger space. If not, it's iffy.

For just the two kids in back, I see there being a zillion combos that would work. For the adult to fit, the above combo is absolutely doable.

I have an assortment of seats I can test in a 2010, myself, so I won't pester you with it. Also, I'm leaning hard at the Jetta due to the above findings.

I'll let you all know what I decide. Want DH to play with one and then must deidr if I can tolerate an automatic. Manuals are SOO hard to find. :-/

Wow, that's a great fit! Thanks for sharing the pics.

And yes, the Radian does allow bracing. :thumbsup:

I meant to type a reply much sooner! Thanks so much for hte bracing info.

Still up in the air between a local 2011 and ordering a 2012.