what SUV will fit my 3 car seats across?

ballfam

New member
hi,

Expecting #3 and we are looking for a SUV midsize if possible to fit 3 car seats across. I like the Acura MDX, Pilot and a few others but not sure if they will fit my 3 car seats in the 2nd row all together. I have an Orbit infant seat, Britax Marathon and Britax frontier booster. I would love to hear what would best fit these seats using LATCH for all 3. I am wondering if I have to bump up size of SUV to something larger like a Tahoe.

Thanks for your help!
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
How heavy are your kids? LATCH has weight limits, and it's not safer than the seatbelt, so it seems you're restricting yourself quite a bit by having that as a requirement, especially when your kids may be too heavy for it anyway.

You also have three of the widest seats. Would new seats be something you'd like to get, or do you need to fit those three seats in?

Wendy
 

Kaitsmom

New member
There are a bunch of 3 across posts to give you an idea of what will work, I suggest you check them out. Im mobile and cant link, sorry. 3 across can be achieved in most vehicals, it just depends on what seats you are using (i can get 3 across in my moms Ford Focus.) Im not familure with the Orbit seat at all to know how wide it is, hopefully someone else can help.

I have recently started looking at SUVs, going to buy one once I graduate in 2 months. I really like larger suvs with 2nd row captains chairs, or the fold down middle seat and 3rd row bench. I like to be able to take passengers too though. The Yukon hybrid was really nice, but not much cargo space with the third row, same with the Armada. I dont know what price range your shopping in, or how much "stuff" you need to fit in the back, but there are lots of options that people here love.
 

ballfam

New member
Okay, that is why I am on here getting help from you all!! I def. need your help I see, I thought LATCH was the most safe but of course if there is a weight limit that would not be the case!

My kids are 33 lbs in the Marathon and 41 lbs in the booster and he is also in a marathon in our other car, so 2 marathons and the orbit or the britax booster, marathon and orbit.

I of course want them to be the most safe, latch or seatbelt so thank you very much for the heads up of that. Price is not a huge issue for us we don't have a limit. My hope is for all three kids to fit across in the second row and not have the driver/passenger front seat have room for their legs, my husband is 6'5 and I am 5'2 so not an issue for me but him for sure but it will be my car so I will drive with the kids alone 90 percent of the time :).

I appreciate all your help and input! thanks
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Ok, both Honda and Acura (since they're the same company) have a 40 pound LATCH limit. As does the Frontier if no higher limit is specified up to 48 pounds. So what car are you using now? You probably need to switch to a seatbelt installation for the Frontier in your current car as well.

The Pilot is wide, I've seen a Frontier and two Roundabouts in one across the second row. I have friends who have three across in a Sequoia (Toyota defers on their LATCH limits, so that would be 40 pounds for your Britaxes).

Wendy
 

ballfam

New member
we have a chevy tahoe now that we are selling soon (in the market for 2 new cars/suvs) and I drive an infiniti m35. WOW, I feel so silly for not knowing the latch limit! So does that include the weight of seat plus the child? or just weight of child?

Thank you for your help!
 

Admin

Admin - Webmaster
WOW, I feel so silly for not knowing the latch limit! So does that include the weight of seat plus the child? or just weight of child?

Thank you for your help!

Please, don't feel silly at all! Between the manufacturers, government and even some advocacy organizations, the confusion when to use or even if to use LATCH is simply inexcusable. Sadly, there is almost no way for a parent to know what the limits are with many combinations of vehicles and child seats. We do our best to provide guidance within the limitations we are provided in instruction manuals (which are often unclear).
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
For you it's the weight of the child only (only Subaru cares about the weight of the seat). A Chevy is 48 pounds, so you're ok for now.

Wendy
 

ballfam

New member
Okay, thank you! I will be checking in my infiniti manual to see the limit for latch, even though we will be changing cars soon I want my kids as safe as possible until we do.

My next question is once the kids are above the latch limit then we use the seatbelt....where do the tethers come into play that I read about? Or do we just use the seatbelt to secure.

Thanks! I guess just the size of SUV and fitting 3 across is most important and not the use of LATCH, good to know!
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Tethers have been required all along with LATCH. It's Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. But after you switch to the seatbelt you continue to use the tethers.

Infiniti is Nissan and they defer. So 40 pounds for the Britaxes.

Wendy
 

hrice

New member
What are the ages of your children?

I drive a Yukon XL and can get pretty much anything 3 across in it. It has a very wide back seat. I think that is larger than you are looking for though.

Here are some of the 3 acrosses I have done.

RF Safety First Complete Air LATCH/Frontier 85 SICT LATCH/backless Monterey
5e3986d0.jpg


RF Radian LATCH/RF Coccoro LATCH/Frontier 85 (booster mode)
31700c66.jpg


RF Radian seatbelt/RF Marathon 70 LATCH/plenty of room for Me :)
beachcarseat.jpg
 

ballfam

New member
okay, thank you!! My kids are 4 (5 in Dec.) and 2.5 and new baby will be here in December, thanks for showing me all your different configurations. I really didn't want to go that big, but if its necessary for space for the front seat people and also for my seats to fit okay next to each other then I will bump the size of the SUV.

Sorry for the silly tether question! I am learning more and more as I read through this site and everyone's posts.
 

ballfam

New member
what about the top tethers? when are those necessary? right now I have my britax marathons connected in the LATCH in the seat cracks.
 

hrice

New member
Have you considered a smaller 3 row SUV like the Traverse? You could put a child in the back.

Or you could switch out your 2yo's Marathon for a Radian. Radians are very narrow and are what make many 3 acrosses doable. A Radian would rear face your 2 year old for a good while as an added bunus. :D

The picture in my signature is my 2 year old rear facing in a radian.
 

ballfam

New member
I see Radians make a few different models of convertible and boosters, are they all narrow?

I will add Traverse to the list to check out if that switch out helps with a smaller SUV, thank you!
 

ballfam

New member
okay got it now use top tether's with my forward facing britax marathons and or britax booster , thank you! you guys must be like wow, miss clueless over there ;) I appreciate your help!!
 

ballfam

New member
okay, thanks. I was reading also, those have super latch up to 80lbs if car is manufactured later than 2005? Now is that just one specific Radian model? I am not sure that alone would be a selling point along since with 3 across I may need to use seat belts to have them all fit, but thought I would ask.
 

hrice

New member
okay, thanks. I was reading also, those have super latch up to 80lbs if car is manufactured later than 2005? Now is that just one specific Radian model?

The Radian 65SL will LATCH to 65# and 80SL & XTSL LATCH to 80# as long as the vehicle is manufactured after 9/05.
 

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