Three Across - Honda Civic

So happy I found this forum. I'm expecting (in seven weeks) our third child. We've got two of your basic carseats - Gracos I believe and they will not fit three across with the RF infant seat. My daughter is almost four, but only 32 pounds. Son is almost 2 and at 28 pounds. Both are FF.

I've done a bit of research - read a lot about the Radian 65. Any advice? It's a 98 Civic, so no LATCH.

We're looking to get a new mini-van in the spring but can't afford it right now. I figure we're better off dropping even $600 on three new carseats than $15K on a van. But I want to be sure these are going to fit. I live in a smaller community - no Babies R Us or any large baby stores at all, for that matter. Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Shopko - thats what I have to work with.

Please advise me, car seat goddesses!

Thanks.

Blessings to you as you work this puzzle... I have a Honda Civic, 01 model, and have tried to get 3 across.I am not a Tech, but here is what I have found..... a Radian65/80 in the middle works very well! I got a really nice install with the seatbelt. I then tried a Scenera on either side RF ( nanny kids are 1 and almost 3 but tiny) It was ok, not the greatest. My seatbacks in the civic curve a little bit forward on either end, making it really hard to get a FF seat there with a seat already in the middle. I think 3 Radians would be easy, or if your seats don't curve like mine do, you could do FF Scenera ( or a car seat similar- 16ish inches wide) on one side, and an infant seat with base on the other side, Radian in the middle still. That's it.... I haven't gotten anything else to work for me, I currently have a FF Marathan, usually in the middle so my daughter can feel the airconditioning a bit more, or on the R side if my nephew is riding with us ( 10mo old rides in Graco Safeseat1 that my sister just loves) and have given up on the 3 across idea cause I can't afford to buy all new Radians for my nanny kids. I just borrow my mom's mini van on days I nanny, it works.

Hope it works out well for you. Elitecarseats.com seems to be a really good online store for car seats, they have return insurance, and the customer service I have talked with have been very nice and friendly.

Hi,
If you look at my siggy you will see that I have an old corolla and have to fit three across. I had to try several different carseats in order find the ones that would fit. I believe that my backseat is smaller than yours. (I used to have a 98 civic when I only had two kids.) I would not be able to make the three across work without at least one radian. I will suggest a couple of things that I think would work since I am not sure what your budget is...

1. 3 Radians would probably fit great. You would actually end up saving yourself some money in the long run by buying these seats. Your children would fit into them for a long time. (My 5 and 7 year olds still fit at 47lbs each) Harnessed seats are MUCH easier to use in a three across than a booster is. The problem that you may have rearfacing is that is takes up more space than many 40lb harnessing seats would. You may have to push the front seat up a lot making it uncomfortable to sit there.

2. Two forward facing radians and a rearfacing uptown or scenera. They can both be found at Walmart . The uptown is $99 and the scenera is $40. They are great seats and rearface for 35lbs.

2. FF radian outboard for your 4 year old, ff fpsv (you would have to order online) for the middle child, and a rearfacing uptown or the baby. I have found that the fisher price safe voyage sits up high on a base and the radian is low profile so that they puzzle very well together and take up much less space than you would think. I am reccommending the uptown because it has nice padding, eps foam, and is also low profile and would probably fit rearfacing well next to the fp seat.

4. Two fisher price safe voyage seats ff outboard and a rearfacing radian in the center. You would need to check your oldest childs torso height to see if there would be much room to grow in the seat.

5. And the least expensive option that may work for you - Two graco cargos and a rearfacing scenera. The cargos don't harness past 40lbs, so you will be looking for new seats sooner than the other options. I have found cargos to be pretty narrow - 17 inches across the back and 15 inches on the bottom.