Car or van for three kids?

Unregistered · Jun 17, 2011

Car or Van for 3 kids?
We had our 3rd baby in March, and I have been driving my husband's pickup (with a back seat) since then because it holds all of our children. I do not really care for driving the truck, and he would like his truck back, so I am now on a the quest to find the perfect vehicle for myself. I have test-driven sedans, crossovers, and vans, and feel like the van is probably the best choice, but when I commute to work my kids are not with me, and I was considering something with better mileage because of that. However, I do not like putting the infant into the middle of a loaded sedan, it seems awkward. My other kids are 3 and 6, so we will have the carseats for quite a while yet. Can anyone comment on these things: do you have a sedan you LOVE for 3 children? Do you have a van you love for 3 children? Do you have a van that gets good gas mileage? Does anyone with a car put their INFANT on the outside for accessibility? If considering crash safety in a van, where do I put the tiny infant? The captain's chairs right near the doors seem too close to the doors for side-impact.

Chely7425 · Jun 17, 2011

We have 3 across in a Liberty right now, so not a sedan but a small SUV. I *hate* minivans but OMG I can't wait to get one in the fall!! It is totally doable (been doing it for 8 months now) but it is seriously annoying.

todzwife · Jun 17, 2011

I have 3 kids and DH is married to Subaru so despite my begging and pleading, we ended up with a Tribeca instead of an Oddy. I can't even tell you how many times I have wished for a van instead...the car seat config has given me more headaches than I'd like to admit.

kam1011 · Jun 17, 2011

I have had three across in a Malibu for almost three years. While it's not the best, it's totally doable. I've had several different configurations of seats as the kids have grown, but my youngest has always been on the passenger side by the window. I believe she's considered safer than the others bc of RFing. (also my husband has three across his aveo, which is super small but the seat is flat so the seats fit easier there than in my Malibu)

ketchupqueen · Jun 17, 2011

Whatever fits your price range and lifestyle. We had 3 across a Corolla for years. I loved the trunk... And it took less time to load than in a minivan! I do like having them spread out as they get older, but mostly we got the van because we expected another child. Do you plan on any more children? What about carpooling/giving friends rides? That would figure heavily into what I got.

miraclebabies · Jun 17, 2011

We have a bigger suv and love it... I had a van for a little while before having kids and hated it. I also dislike my husbands BMW car, it seems so small to fit all three kids across. 2 erf kids and 1 ff kid..

mylittlet · Jun 17, 2011

My sis had an impala. It is awesome for 3 across. Lots of space.

The baby is rf and the most protected. So outboard for the most protected. The ff 5-point is the 2nd most protected. Then a boostered kid. I always like the booster kid outboard though for buckling reasons.

If you get a minivan that's a 7 seater you could put 2 kids in the 3rd row and 1 in the 2nd and stow/remove the other carseat. If you get an 8 seater you could put all 3 in the 2nd row.

scoutingbear · Jun 17, 2011

I drive a Highlander and love it for my 3 kids. I have the folding backseat so if I need to give a friend a ride, I can, but for the most part, I have plenty of cargo room and the baby is in a radian in the center. It is great being low profile and all and I reach across the lower of the 2 outer seats to put her in.

Kegracin · Jun 17, 2011

I don't like doing three across and my kids fight when they are two close to each other...I dont like hearing "hes kicking me, he just bit me". So I would get a van or something with a third row.

Ninetales · Jun 17, 2011

The only car I'd want to do three across in would be an Impala. I could probably make that work with more options. Once we go beyond two kids I plan to get a minivan.

Your infant is actually the most protected, so my choice would be to put that seat outboad. That will help with loading too. Another rear facer or forward facer in a harness would be my choice for the other outboard, with the booster in the middle if you can manage it.

Unregistered · Jun 17, 2011

We have a Mazda 5- have you considered one? We love it for its flexibility and room and also great gas mileage. I've had my own two kids (RF in a BLVD 70 and harnessed in a Graco Nauti) plus my two nieces (Graco Turbo and Roundabout 40) in the car with no problems. The third row is small for adults to sit there often, but fine for kids. I recommend it to anyone!
Monica

DahliaRW · Jun 17, 2011

Van. I know no one wants a van at first, but the space is awesome. And as your kids grow, it gives you room to carpool or give their friends ride places, etc. And, like a pp said, you can seperate them if they are bickering, which you can't do in a car!

Defrost · Jun 18, 2011

I'd also recommend the Mazda 5. It's pretty much the only way to get the convenience of a van AND decent gas mileage. You could also do fine with a sedan, of course, but the Mazda 5 is a great compromise.

As for seating arrangements, it's fine to put your infant in the outboard position. Rear-facing provides much more protection in both frontal and side-impact crashes, so she's actually more protected in the outboard position than an older child who is forward-facing.

cookie123 · Jun 18, 2011

Get a van. My dd has an 04 Sienna. She has the passenger side captains chair taken out. The older 2 are in back both outboard in Nautiluses, and the baby (age 3) had been rf in the Radian until recently, and is now ff in the Radian. It works out great!

bobandjess99 · Jun 18, 2011

If i had any choice in the matter I'd never try to have 3 kids in a car. A van, definitely.

I can not tell you how much my life has changed since getting our van. Every single thing about it is awesome.

acoro · Jun 18, 2011

Van. As much as I didn't want a van before
I had kids I would never go back now. I love my odyssey
Two carseats in my matrix was the turning point for me. Passenger had to kiss the dash to accommodate the RFer

We went with a van so we could comfortably rear face behind the passenger, carry adult passengers and two car seats and seat 8 people and still have lots of cargo room. Expecting baby 3 in November and am so glad we got the van 2 yrs ago!

Spam · Jun 18, 2011

I've always been anti-minivan, but now I'm lusting for one

I can fit three across easily enough in dh's milan, and I plan to put baby outboard in the fall, and I'm hoping Austin won't fight or pick on Tucker or the baby too much. I also have a durango and it easily fits three across and I have the third row, but it's a pain to load kids in the way back. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a minivan next spring even though dh is against it at the moment. Maybe after number three is here he'll get it. My mom has a van and I love driving it

amyd · Jun 21, 2011

Another vote for a Mazda 5! I

mine

. I only have 2 kids so far but I'd keep it if I had 3. A seat for each and room for the stroller and groceries.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

Lea_Ontario · Jun 21, 2011

Van.

But man, I wish it had more of a "trunk" idea than just a space behind the third row. Kind of a cover like a hatchback has would be perfect.

T4K · Jun 21, 2011

I may be the oddball. I like my Altima with all three kiddos. I have a Maestro, Shuttle, and lite rider and they all fit fine. Sometimes the quibble but most of the time they keep the baby company.

I have my shuttle in the middle because that's where it installed the best and it really isn't bad taking it in and out of the middle.

We also have a large SUV with tons more room as I still like my Altima more.

My opinion would change if I were doing carpool a lot or if I planned on having more children.

On my iPhone...Probably NAK or PAK ;-)

Car or van for three kids?

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