3 car seats in Toyota Corolla 01/Nissan Maxima 97

Hi,

Yet another 3 car seat thread!

We have a Toyota Corolla 2001 and a Nissan Maxima 1997.
More important, we have a 4 year old (37 pounds) and will have twins in a couple of months.
Anybody has any experience fitting 3 radians (2RF and 1 FF for a while, then 3 FF) in these 2 cars?
Any other car seat combination that works well for these cars?

Much appreciated.

No advice on the Nissan, but the Corrola I can help with.

I doubt 3 RNs will work. First off, if you put a rfing RN Outboard, you better have awfully short people to go in the front seat since the rfing boot for the RN makes it impossible to install much more upright than 45 degrees. Other convertibles can be installed as upright as 30 degrees for older kids. Outboard ffing, the RN is a PITA. It is possible, but there are lots of easier installed seats that will work. However, the RN fits in the center both rfing and ffing with very little effort.

Here's what I would do. 4 yo, ffing Radian center and twins in infant seats outboard. The Graco Safeseat1 would be best if it fits because you'll get the longest use out of them. This will allow the 4 yo (who has the least amount of side impact protection just because of being ffing) have the safest center seat while still allowing her to climb in easily over the infant seat base.

Once the infant seats are outgrown (hint, if one twin outgrows it before the other, only switch that one so 4 yo can stay in the safer spot as long as possible.) buy a convertible with really good side impact protection and a 65# + ffing weight limit for the two outboard positions. (you'll have to try out different seats to find what will work. Hopefully you'll get at least 18 months out of the Safeseats and new convertibles will be out to give you even more options.) When both twins have outgrown the infant seats, turn the RN rfing in the center for the smallest twin, put one of the new convertibles rfing outboard for the bigger twin and use the other one ffing for the 4yo. You can always sit on the ffing convertible to buckle up the twin in the middle position. Once the twins have reached the weight limit for rfing, 33-35# depending on the seat, and every body has to go ffing, put the smallest child in the center.

Basically, 3 in a row is about just getting in and trying things to see what will work. I'm confident you can get the RN in the center with infant seats outboard though, so that should buy you some time.

Edited because I just realized I used the percent sign in place of degrees. *smacks self in head*

I like Kimberly's advice. I wanted to throw one other option out to you. If you decide not to go with the infant seats then I would try two safety first uptowns or cosco sceneras rearfacing. Also, I would probably put the 4 year old outboard behind the driver's seat so that I didn't have to have a rearfacing seat behind the driver. Then the driver (if tall) can drive safely.

I have a 2000 corolla and i have put 3 radians across my backseat several times... its a hard install, but if you can contort yourself in to the positions required to reach everything you can make it work lol!!!

The previous poster was correct, you cant lean the seat back far enough for an infant without putting the front seat passengers in the dash board. If you only have one RF, as i did, you can slide the front passenger seat all the way up and make it work, but no one can ride there. Obviously not a solution for twins anyway.

Something else you may want to do is put the FF 4 year old outboard because there is almost no leg room in front of the center seat if your center console is like mine... he had no where to put his feet except up between the seats, on my arm and in my drink!

Hi,

Thank you so much for your replies!

I have a follow-up question for safeinthecar.
You're saying that outboard FFing a radian is a pain.
Why is it a pain? Is it because you have to use the seat belt to strap it?
The Corolla 2001 does have a LATCH system so this would not be an issue.
Or is it still hard even with LATCH

And a similar follow-up question for 'Unregistered':
Is the install hard because you have to use the seat belts? Or are you using the LATCH system and it is still hard to install?

I would appreciate your feedback again!
Thank you all so much.

Unregistered said:

Hi,

Thank you so much for your replies!

I have a follow-up question for safeinthecar.
You're saying that outboard FFing a radian is a pain.
Why is it a pain? Is it because you have to use the seat belt to strap it?
The Corolla 2001 does have a LATCH system so this would not be an issue.
Or is it still hard even with LATCH

And a similar follow-up question for 'Unregistered':
Is the install hard because you have to use the seat belts? Or are you using the LATCH system and it is still hard to install?

I would appreciate your feedback again!
Thank you all so much.

Click to expand...

With LATCH the RN is not hard to install outboard ffing, but LATCH only goes to a certain weight, then you have to use the seatbelt anyway. In the case of the OP, you couldn't use LATCH regardless because the LATCH anchors are set too far towards the center of the car to allow a third seat to fit in the middle. The seatbelt in the Corrola is mounted right where the seat back curves near the doors. This makes the seat want to slide back toward the center or sit crooked. You can work around the problem but it definitely is a fight to get it in where you want it, sitting flat, and moving less than an inch.

Again in the situation of the OP, it doesn't make sense to buy the RN, which can't be used rfing outboard at a 45 degree angle at all unless the front seat passengers feel like eating the dash, and which they will have to fight with ffing.