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We have two children, ages 7 and 9, who use booster seats (they are small for their age). Currently my wife drives a 2000 Toyota Avalon, but has been considering getting a Sienna. The reason would be so that we could transport four kids (if they each have a friend with them), which we can't do in the Avalon since none of them could sit in the front seat.
My wife is very concerned about the safety of the third row of seats. We have looked around in depth and have concluded that no one really knows just how unsafe the third row is because no one does any crash tests. She has even talked to the NHTSA about it. Yes, the chances of a serious rear end collision are small compared to other types of crashes, and we know that the Sienna is extremely safe otherwise.
My wife is now agonizing over the following quandry--keeping the Avalon would probably mean the kids would be safer in a rear end collision, although we would be stuck with a maximum of three kids total in the car. However, given the more advanced safety features of the Sienna, and the relatively small number of rear end collisions, and the relatively small amount of use the third row seat would get, the kids would probably be safer overall in the Sienna--except when one of them is in the third row.
Has anyone else faced this issue? What are the opinions on the tradeoff?
Thanks!
My wife is very concerned about the safety of the third row of seats. We have looked around in depth and have concluded that no one really knows just how unsafe the third row is because no one does any crash tests. She has even talked to the NHTSA about it. Yes, the chances of a serious rear end collision are small compared to other types of crashes, and we know that the Sienna is extremely safe otherwise.
My wife is now agonizing over the following quandry--keeping the Avalon would probably mean the kids would be safer in a rear end collision, although we would be stuck with a maximum of three kids total in the car. However, given the more advanced safety features of the Sienna, and the relatively small number of rear end collisions, and the relatively small amount of use the third row seat would get, the kids would probably be safer overall in the Sienna--except when one of them is in the third row.
Has anyone else faced this issue? What are the opinions on the tradeoff?
Thanks!