Question 4 car seats in Acura MDX

Hello! I drive a 2012 MDX.

I am pregnant with #4, so when this baby gets here I need to fit 2 Britax Frontier 85s( for my 5 yo daughter, 48 pounds and 3 yo son, 38 pounds), a rear facing Britax Marathon(my 8 month old, 25 pounds) and my Britax B-Safe infant seat(for the new baby).

I am thinking of putting my daughter in the third row with one back seat down (giving me room for my stroller) since I walk her to the bus is she rarely in the car. I would then put the Marathon rear facing behind the driver, the Fronier for my son in the middle installed with the seatbelt, and the infant seat behind the passenger seat.
Does this sound doable? My daughter would have to access the vehicle via the trunk....grrr. Thanks for the help!

Welcome to the site! We're glad to have you. I'm bumping this in hopes someone with MDX experience will be able to help you. I can tell you that if she'll be riding next to cargo (stroller) you'll need to have a good sturdy securement system set up to tie down your stroller, and use it every time... Is there a tether anchor back there?

I'll text Techno. She has an 08 and has done every configuration possible with her MDX...

canadiangie said:

I'll text Techno. She has an 08 and has done every configuration possible with her MDX...

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Sending out the bat signal? ;p

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

The short answer is maybe...LOL. I've got more thoughts but have a tire, grouchy baby and have to feed the middle one. So I will come back later.

And KQ, yes there is a tether anchor for the 3rd row. In mine, it's in the silk of the tailgate so you lose the minimal cargo space you had behind the seat. I seem to recall that one of the minor changes in '11 or '12 maybe have been to move the top tether to the ceiling. ???

Okay, I don't know if the Frontier in the middle is doable. I thought it installed poorly as there is a large gap and you can see right behind it. I seem to recall that Britax doesn't allow this, but someone else will have to confirm as I've got a squiggly, exhausted nursing babe in arms and can only do so much right now. Oh, and long belt path does not work in the centre, the belt is not long enough. Here are pics of the problem (and the gap looks worse in real IMO):









The last 2 pics show how it hangs off the front of the seat. I can't recall if this is allowed and I'm hoping that foot part is supposed to be down like that because these pics were done last year before TechnoBaby was born so I can't remember everything I was taking pics of at the time.

On top of that, our SR35 wouldn't fit outboard beside it as the Frontier's armrests got in the way of the side round part where the handle is. The Frontier did work outboard with the SR35 in the centre. Frontier was long belt path and SR35 was seat belt install. This was a nice fit for both seats.

Thus, quick thoughts are right now, is that you'll need the 2nd Frontier outboard, and then the RF MA in the centre and the RF infant seat outboard. I am not sure if everything will fit, but I personally was not comfortable with the centre install of that Frontier (and it may not even be allowed).

As for Frontier in the 3rd row, I have not tried that. My opinion is that there is limited leg room for a child in any FF seat back there. But I do believe that others have said it worked, so you'll have to give it a shot if someone else doesn't pipe in. I'd try for you, but my MDX is in the shop so I don't have access to install anything in it right now.

Personally, if I had a 4th child, I'd buy a new vehicle. I wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of getting a kid in the 3rd row, the limited leg room, and the loss of cargo space forever. Or ensuring the stroller was secured properly every time beside my child. I really see the 3rd row in this vehicle as a temporary use thing for picking up the grandparents, driving some teen friends around, etc. Now, I know buying a new vehicle isn't possible for everyone. If I was to find myself pregnant, we would not be in the position to buy something new. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd do. I'd likely have to put aside some of my reservations and just deal with using that 3rd row on a regular basis.

Thanks, that's helpful to hear about the bad Frontier installation...I tried getting mine in the middle before and had issues, I guess it wasn't just me failing.

I don't think a new car is an option since we bought this new a year ago! Do you have any recommendations for a system to secure the stroller? You do lose all of your cargo space with a FF seat in the third row, the anchors are right against the back of the vehicle (I have a 2012).

Thanks for the help!!

Tilo said:

You do lose all of your cargo space with a FF seat in the third row, the anchors are right against the back of the vehicle (I have a 2012).

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For some reason I thought they changed that. Guess not! I must be thinking of the new generation Pilot.

It's always a balancing act between performance and convenience, I'm sure. Probably sometimes they can move it, and sometimes they decide it's not as safe...

I think you guys were right...after much brainstorming and trial and error, I don't think I can live with the inconvenience for 2+ years! Especially the whole tying down the stroller thing, and I would always worry it wasn't secured properly.
Sooooo... it's time to suck up the financial downfall and move on to a minivan =)
Thanks for all your help though!

Ah man, I'm sorry! Word of advice, if you're used to the MDX, don't buy a Dodge Grand Caravan. I'm ready to push this rental into the river.

I just thought I'd chime in and say I went from an RDX to an Odyssey, and honestly, I'm so happy with it. I had looked at the MDX but decided there wasn't enough room. In terms of technology and gadgets, the Ody comes with pretty much everything you're used to in your Acura, depending on what package you buy.

The Odyssey is great for car seats. You can easily get a Frontier, a B Safe, or a Britax convertible into any position in the second row, and in any combination of 3 across if you wanted to. They all install like a dream. Or you could leave one captain's chair free to slide forward and load two in the back. In my middle row I have a Frontier outboard, and an RF Boulevard center (used to have a B Safe in center), and an open captain's chair, and it moves freely for access to the back row. This is with the seats in "wide mode."

Big deep cargo area for a stroller also. And top tether anchors in every rear seating position, and I think 5 LATCH positions also.