Question 3 across or bigger vehicle

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from the car-seat experts. My wife (sorry I'm not up on all the family/internet abbreviations so I'll just spell it all out) and I have twin 5-year old boys that are smaller (right in the 38-39lbs range last time we checked) both are short, but I don't know their exact heights. We have had them in Graco Nautilus seats (harnessed) in our Mazda3. We are in the process of adopting an infant and will need to add a 3rd carseat to the mix.

While I'm sure there are combinations of carseats that we could fit 3 across in the Mazda3 I am trying to figure out if we should just bite the bullet and move to something larger.

My concern is not the 5-point harness stage, but the next stage where the twins will need to buckle seatbelts between tight-fitting carseats. Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't that become problematic with 3-across?

Like most families we have a limited budget and would like to minimize our costs where we can, but we can afford to move to minivan or larger sedan. Is a larger sedan a solution though, or would we encounter the same frustrations? Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.
 
ADS

AK Dad

New member
You could also just wait and see how you like 3-across seating in your current car before making a decision. Might save you from buying something unnecessarily big if you find that 3-across works but you just need something a little wider, or it might tell you that you absolutely hate it and must have a 3rd row.
Also, the longer you wait, the better, more modern, safer car you can buy for less money!
 

jacqui276

New member
My sister has 3-across in her Mazda3 (2006) and it is doable but tight. She has narrow seats in there right now and we were just able to get them squeezed in. She has a rear facing Radian and 2 forward facing harnessed Harmony V7s (not available in the US, but similar in width to a Radian). While we have swapped out one of the V7s for a harmony backless booster once, my daughter who is 8 was unable to get herself buckled in (we had to pull the seat out towards the door, buckle it, then push it back in). It can be done but would be challenging for the kids to buckle themselves in.

I also tried a rear facing MyRide in there (in the center). The base is narrow enough that a booster could be buckled but the seat flares out a lot for the cup holders eating up some shoulder/arm space for the outboard riders.

Honestly, I find her car a little bit frustrating for 3 across (she has it as such so that she can transport my baby as she babysits him so I have done all of the installing of seats in there) but it works for now. I'm not sure what we're going to do though once her kids (4 and almost 6yrs) outgrow their harnesses. If you really like the Mazda3 and this is your only reason for getting a new vehicle, I would try it out first and see if you can deal with it or not. Otherwise, if you really want to get a new vehicle, there are lots of larger vehicles that make 3 across a little bit less of a headache or have a 3rd row so that everyone can spread out a bit more.
 

canadiangie

New member
Maybe a Mazda 5 might be the route to go. :)

I agree with the previous poster, a Mazda 3 is a snuggly 3 across.

Major congrats on the adoption.
 
Thanks for the replies and the congrats. (I'm the original poster - now registered)

We have considered the Mazda5 along with every other car made. I'm a car nut, but I absolutely hate spending money so the process is a bit painful. My short list is a Mazda5 or 2nd generation Sienna (previous generation). I think I'll start a separate thread on the merits and de-merits of both vehicles.

As for this post, I think my general question is whether or not 3-across is a long-term solution for us, or if eventually buckling seat belts between car seats will drive us nuts and we'll spring for something with a third row.

As an update. We have two sets of car seats for our twins, a pair of Graco Nautilus seats and a pair of Cosco High Back Boosters. We also have a borrowed Graco Snugride (I believe it's a 30lbs version) bucket. The 2-Nautilus + Snugride combination will not work in the Mazda3, no way. The Cosco HBB + Snugride does fit, tightly. The problem is that our boys are both approaching 40lbs (the limit of the HBB harness) and I'm not inclined to use them as seat belt boosters since there's no room to buckle and that seat has bad reviews for seat belt use.

I would submit my conclusion for confirmation from the experts. Either bump up to a larger vehicle or we would need to purchase some narrower seats for our twins, preferably allowing them to use harnesses up until 65-90lbs. The Radian looks like the best solution from my research. Is there something less expensive that is narrow and has a high weight limit for the 5-point harness? I should also confirm, will we be able to fit a bucket and two Front-Facing Radians in the Mazda3?

Thanks again for the help. This forum is a great resource.
 

AK Dad

New member
Thanks for the replies and the congrats. (I'm the original poster - now registered)

Welcome!

I would submit my conclusion for confirmation from the experts. Either bump up to a larger vehicle or we would need to purchase some narrower seats for our twins, preferably allowing them to use harnesses up until 65-90lbs. The Radian looks like the best solution from my research. Is there something less expensive that is narrow and has a high weight limit for the 5-point harness? I should also confirm, will we be able to fit a bucket and two Front-Facing Radians in the Mazda3?

Well, that may fit, but after having a Radian for a while, I think their "up to 57"" height is a bit optimistic, and 80lbs in the harness very optimistic and not likely achievable. They do allow you to continue using the harness once the child's shoulders are above the highest harness slots, so that part is nice. On the plus side, the Radian is a great seat, and if you use it for a year or two to keep the oldest harnessed, it will be a great seat to keep the newest one RF'd as long as possible.
My bet is you'd be able to fit the two Radians and something like a KeyFit30 across the Mazda3, but if your goal is really to keep the oldest kids harnessed as long as humanly possible, you're going to need to upgrade cars. Nothing can really compete with the Frontier 85 or 90 for real-world harnessing capabilities (other than "special needs" seats.) They take up a lot of room, but that's because they're actually designed to take a large kid, not just to look good on paper.
Again, if you're happy with the Mazda3 for now, then a few hundred bucks on a couple of radians and a KF30 or Aton is a better economic decision than rushing out to get a whole new car. Plus, if you decide a year from now that it's just too difficult, think of how much cheaper a Mazda5 or Sienna will be at that point!
 
Thanks for all the insight. It looks like we'll be upgrading vehicles sooner than later. Now we just need to come to a conclusion on a Mazda5 or a Sienna.
 

AZmamaof2

New member
If you want any info about the FN 85, my 4.5 yo son rides in one and really loves it. He digs the cup holders and can buckle himself in. Weight: 42#, Height 44"
 

cantabdad

New member
Thanks for all the insight. It looks like we'll be upgrading vehicles sooner than later. Now we just need to come to a conclusion on a Mazda5 or a Sienna.

One thing I have found valuable is to use the "cost of ownership" calculators on the online sites for Kelley Blue Book and the NADA Guide. They include not just gasoline but also estimated depreciation for that make/model, insurance costs (from an industry database), and service and repairs (based on warranty costs). They are not perfect and are obviously not fine-tuned to your exact situation, but they will give you a good sense of how much money you might save with one vehicle over another.

Most of the people I know with 3 kids have a full-fledged minivan, even those who live in Manhattan. They just feel that they need the space.

However, the Mazda 5 should work for you if you shop locally rather than doing big Costco runs, don't have much need to transport extra carpool kids or in-laws, and perhaps get a roof box for extra cargo space on your longer driving vacations.
 

AZmamaof2

New member
Thanks Cantabdad, I will check out the calculator.

Do you have to buy a roof box when you purchase the vehicle, or can you buy one anywhere that fits some standard measurements?
 

cantabdad

New member
Do you have to buy a roof box when you purchase the vehicle, or can you buy one anywhere that fits some standard measurements?

It's usually an aftermarket thing, with semi-standardized measurements. Check out companies like Thule. It's possible that your Mazda dealer would offer this as an add-on, but you don't need to decide at the time of purchase.
 

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