Cars that fit 3 carseats in back seat?

We are looking for a car that will accomodate 3 car seats across the back seat. My husband is against the whole SUV craze but trying to find a vehicle that I can fit 2 car seats and a booster for a 4 year old seems next to impossible , what carseats work best in this situation and what cars would work. Any options

There is a database somewhere maybe someone will post it, we had a Chevy Impala and it was very easy to install 3 seats of decent size in it.

It really depends on which seats. I've fit 3 across my sister's Chevy Cavalier, my parents' Toyota Camry, my friend's Honda Accord, and my old Saturn SW2 (of those, the Saturn had the least room).

I've found that the Britax Parkway booster fits well in a 3 across situation, as does the Britax Roundabout. Other people have recommended the Graco Ultra CarGo or Platinum CarGo as fitting well next to other seats, too.

SUVs have their place, and if an SUV is the best vehicle for your situation, I hope your husband won't let the "stigma" of SUVs keep him from getting one. (I didn't want an SUV, either, but the Honda Pilot was the safest 8-passenger vehicle available to us when we were buying. I would have preferred a minivan.) Minivans are excellent family vehicles. They tend to be safe, comfortable, and work well with children, so if you will be in a situation where you need to drive more than just 5 people (i.e., if your daughter has a friend over to spend the night), I highly recommend looking at some minivans.

The Dodge Intrepid easily fits 3 across (various combinations) ... but, so does the Ford Taurus & with a 4 year old in a booster I'd stick with a vehicle like Chevy, Ford, Toyota, etc. that has Automatic Locking Retractor seatbelts -- or, if the vehicle you choose only has manual locking latchplates then kiddo might need the Recaro Young Start with shoulder belt lockoffs (unless he can & will sit still with the belt properly positioned for the entire length of every trip).

I'm pretty sure mine would fit 3 across, I have a Taurus Se. I have a Radian which is very narrow and works great for 3 across I think. I can fit the Radian and AO (w/out the base) next to each other w/ enough room for another seat or person).

Hyundai Sonata can probably fit 3 across, just like the others, may depend on the seats you're trying to fit

thepeach80 said:

I'm pretty sure mine would fit 3 across, I have a Taurus Se.

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Yep, I fit 3 Britax seats in the Taurus: Husky between Parkway & Boulevard

I've also fit the Husky in a 3 seat combination in Dodge Intrepid ... another arrangement in the Intrepid was the Evenflo infant seat with base between Recaro Young Sport & Graco Turbo -- but, Dodge only allows the lap belts to be locked & for a 4 year old I'd prefer a locking shoulder belt

Same problem - fuel efficiency with 3 little ones ...

I think that it is great that 3-children families are trying to fit their children in cars. The alternatives are usually big gas guzzlers! I have an almost 4 year old (40 lbs, i.e. ok for booster), almost 2 year old (only 20 lbs ) and am about to have a new little one. We currently have a Ford Escape and a Mazda Protege 5 (hatch-back). There is plenty of room in these vehicles to fit all the extra junk we cart around with us (large dog not included in that category but he fits fine) - I think the hatch-back is the key for efficient junk/dog space. Neither of these cars will fit 2 carseats and a booster. My plan is to get rid of the Escape (gas guzzler and bad rollover ratings, very tiny back seat), find more size-efficient carseats and a safe hatch-back that will fit all three little ones.

I read on a recent post that the key is to look at the hip room, i.e. it has to be at around 54" to fit 3 carseats. For many reasons, we really like our Mazda, so I am going to check-out the Mazda 3 Sport (53.9" hiproom) and Mazda 6 Sport Wagon (54.1") and I will let you know how it goes, in case you are interested. Please let me know if you have any experience with 3 little ones in these cars

P.S. according to the specs Ford Escape has only 41.6" rear hiproom!!! I thought it was great while we had/have it though...

P.P.S. found a narrow high-back booster that seems to have good all-around ratings - Graco Turbo Booster - we don't have Britax way up here in Canada (as far as I know)

The Escape is one of those vehicles that can be impossible to fit 3 carseats across ... but, with just the right combination of seats it does work out -- here's my RF Wizard outboard, FF Boulevard middle & Parkway behind driver (this worked in the 2004 Limited with leather as well as the 2005 Hybrid with cloth):

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I tried various other combinations involving Graco CarGo, Recaro Young Sport, Evenflo Safe Embrace, Starriser Comfy, Turbo & the only other possible combination that "worked" was with a Tote-N-Go in the middle (& well, that was just out of the question unless the TNG was for holding a dolly, LOL)!

I miss my Hybrid Escape!!!

A lady I know has three across her Jetta. She just showed pictures today. RFing FPSE, FF Graco Cargo as a harnessed seat, and a Parkway. In that order, going from driver to passenger. Her kids are 5, 3, and 9 months.

Wendy

We used to have a Taurus with 2 Turbo boosters outboard and a Comfort Sport in the center ( it fit both RF and FF)

I have had three across (two Evenflo Chase, wide seats and one WZ or SR, Chase, WZ) in my Saturn Vue. The Chevy Eqinox is the same car.

There are pics posted of several times on toher threads. Most larger cars also fit three seats, but I like the extra Cargo room of the Vue, and although an SUV it sits low like a car.
HTH
Joy, cps tech

I've done 2 Turbos and a RF Roundabout/Marathon/Snug Ride (w and w/out base) in several vehicles.
'89 Corsica: TB/RA/TB & TB/SR/TB
'93 60 special (Cadillac) TB/RA/TB, TB/SR/TB, & TB/MA/TB
I haven't had the chance to verify, but I strongly suspect that I could fit 2 Parkways outboard in my '96 Cherokee with a Touriva or Radian in the center.