Choosing a Car

Hello,

So......we have a 5-yr old, and we recently found out she'll be getting two more siblings. So now we need to change a car. We both very much dislike SUV's and vans, or "tall" vehicles in general, and with the exception of unaffordable large luxury sedans, no other sedan will take three car seats. So we need to get an SUV or a van. My question basically is if there is an SUV that will not accommodate three cars seats?

We're using a Recaro Performance Sport for our 5-yr old, and for the twins we'll probably go with 2 Chicco Keyfit 30's until they're old enough to get a convertible.

Any other useful tips are welcome. Like an SUV with limited cargo area that won't take a double stroller.

Thank you!

My apologies - our moderators routinely check new member posts to make sure they have a country affiliation if it may be helpful to get an appropriate response. I have removed the references to Canada, sorry!

Most midsize sedans will fit 3-across carseats, with careful selection of carseats that are relatively narrow and "puzzle" well next to each other. That includes popular mainstream models like Camry, Accord, Fusion, Malibu, Mazda6, etc. A full size sedan will fit 3-across carseats in the second row with a wider variety of carseats. Some even have three separate pairs of LATCH anchors for this purpose.

A few larger non-luxury models to consider: Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala. I think you will have a good chance to fit all three kids in these models with plenty of trunk space for gear. My preference is the 2011+ Chrysler 300. It's a bit wider for carseats than the new Impala and has three separate pairs of LATCH anchors too. You should have no problems with 3-across in it and it's also a nice overall full-size sedan with good crash test results, too. The 2011+ Taurus is about as wide as the 300 and should also work well. The nice thing about the Taurus and 300 is that they have been around in their current generation a while so you can probably get a good deal on one that is 2-3 years old and still get the remainder of a factory warranty and not pay the new car depreciation.

On the used market, the previous generation (2013 and older) Chevy Impala and Buick Lucerne also have three pairs of latch anchors and are relatively wide in back for three-across carseats.

Compact SUVs will be just as difficult to fit 3 carseats as a compact car. You can do it in some cases, but it is often difficult and requires a very careful selection of very narrow carseats. This includes models like Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav4, Subaru Forester, Ford Escape, etc.

Midsize SUVs will be similar in width to midsize cars. A little easier to fit 3-across, but the benefit is that most have a third row that will make it much easier to fit a 3rd or 4th child. At this point, however, you may find a minivan offers a lot more for the money in terms of cost, fuel economy, space for strollers behind the third row and flexibility of seating.

If you are looking for car-like height, ride and handling with 3-row flexibility for kids, there is one good option for you that is very popular here: The Mazda5. You can easily put your twins in the 2nd row and your 5-year old in the third row (especially since she may be using a booster soon if not already) and still be driving a car. One of the third row seats can be folded flat to fit a larger stroller. It's also bargain priced. The Kia Sorento is a smaller 3-row SUV that might be considered a little more car-like than larger midsize models. On the used market the Chrysler Pacifica is similar in principle to the Mazda5, being essentially a 3-row wagon.

Thank you CPSDarren for your lengthy and thorough reply, I really appreciate it.

Best

A Ford Flex is like an SUV but lower.

bubbaray said:

A Ford Flex is like an SUV but lower.

Click to expand...

I agree. Along with the Mazda5 and a Forrester (which I really don't consider a true SUV), are good "tweeners" between an SUV/Crossover and sedan. The 3rd rows in these vehicles are not adult friendly, but for kids it makes sense if you want a lower car.

The new minivans ride low, but sit higher. It's a great balance of perception of ride height like an SUV, but the responsiveness of a sedan by being lower with less roll. Not to mention the amount of storage and comfort of getting children in and out of the vehicle. I can't stress this enough...if you have multiple children under 6/7...the minivan cannot be beat in terms of ease of getting children in and out of the vehicle. Not to mention, the "puzzling" of getting 3 car seats in a vehicle are almost non-existent (outside the truly unique car seats that are just...well they take up a lot of room) in a minivan (especially the 2011+ Honda Odysseys).