Triplets in Honda pilot/Acura MDX/Toyota Sequoia??

Hi all,
We have 21 month old triplets and own a minivan in which we have 3 Britax Roundabouts installed with LATCH.

I have a 15 year old Altima that I drive to work and errands, but which is on its last leg and needs replacing, so we're in the market for a new car. We want to get something which will fit all 5 of us in, and we tend to keep cars for a long time. We don't necessarily want a second minivan; it is definitely the most convenient for transporting the kids, but since they won't be in this new car daily, we don't need it to be the most convenient as long as its tolerable to get them in and out of.

We have looked at SUVs, and are considering a few. We really like the LATCH system as it has been so easy for us to use....we have 3 extra carseats which will go into the new car - they are 3 Radian 65's.

Would prefer not to spend the cash for a 2009 Honda Pilot, but I know they have a total of 4 LATCH positions. We would like to buy a used Pilot perhaps; I know they have only 2 LATCH outboard positions on the 2nd row. Would I be able to get the 3 Radian 65's across the 2nd row of a 2008 or older Pilot? Or a combo of the radian 65's and britax roundabouts? I tried using the seatbelt to install the Radian in another car and just could not get it tight - I've heard this is an issue, but would they be secure with the seatbelt in the center seat of the middle row of the pilot?

Other cars considering but I don't know the LATCH situation with them is Acura MDX and Toyota Sequoia (also would prefer something a couple years used)

Thanks, and sorry for the length of this!!

How much do your triplets weigh?

Are they rear or forward facing?

How much room do they have in the Roundabouts until their shoulders are even with the top slots?

The Pilot has a pretty funky seatbelt in the middle seating position of the 2nd row. It has to do with it being a detachable shoulder belt (so when it's not in use it's not in the way) that is also roof mounted. Being detachable, or rather attachable as it were, means that it has a connecting piece of sorts that, in some cases, makes an install difficult. The Radian can present some issues when it comes to seatbelt installation, and I just wonder if the combination of the belt being 'funky' and the Radian having it's quirks might make installation really tough? My best advice would be to take a Radian, find a Pilot, and try. (oh and by the way, all of this is written assuming your triplets are still rear facing... meaning you'd be doing a rf installation here... I can't speak for a ff install in the middle seating position 2nd row Pilot as I've never done one. Never the less the seatbelt's funkiness might present as issue... not sure.

Thanks for the help so far....our triplets are 21 months old, weigh about 25-26 pounds each, and are forward facing in the Roundabouts in the minivan.

The shoulder straps are on the middle slot of the Roundabout, and their shoulders are basically right at that level. I think there's one more slot to move the straps up when they are slightly bigger.

So all 3 will be forward facing in whatever I wind up buying; I'd prefer to have them all across the 2nd row of an SUV. Are there other seats that would work better in the middle seat of the 2nd row of the Pilot (2008 or older)?

Thanks!!

My friend has an 06 Pilot and has 2 Radian 65s installed in the outboard second row with a Roundabout in the middle position. Not sure if the Radian could work in the center, but if it doesn't maybe you could do the 2 Radians and a Roundabout set up.

Just a thought to throw out there that once your children start nearing the 40 pound mark, you MUST install the seats with the seat belt, rather than LATCH. (It can differ by car seat and car model, but most cars and car seats top off at 40). That said, you *maybe* have 2 years of using LATCH with your triplets, and then you'll be stuck with seatbelt install anyway. Is it worth it to base your car purchase off of a feature that will only help you for 2 years when you'll be keeping that car around until it poops out on you? Your call.

The previous poster makes a good point about the child weight limits for installing with the lower LATCH anchors, which varies depending on the vehicle manufacturer, and it's definitely something for the original poster be aware of for the longer term. It's not 40 lbs. for every vehicle, though, but it does happen to be 40 lbs. for all Honda and Acura models, including the Pilot and MDX the original poster is considering. Toyota, on the other hand, defers to the child restraint's instructions regarding lower LATCH anchor installation weight limits. Here's the list of LATCH installation weight limits by vehicle manufacturer for reference for the original poster and for any lurkers who might be interested:
http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/pg_126_max_wt_07.pdf I'm also going to link to the LATCH manual's recommendation to top tether forward facing harnessed seats at any child weight to an appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle for the long term for the OP and for lurkers:
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm and
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm

Also keep in mind a lower LATCH anchor installation isn't considered safer than a seatbelt installation or vice versa. A proper installation using an allowed installation method with less than 1 inch of movement at the child restraint's belt path is the goal. It's also sometimes possible to install child restraints side by side or three across a back seat by using the vehicle seatbelts instead of the lower LATCH anchors. This is due to the spacing of the lower LATCH anchors compared to the seatbelts in many vehicles. The lower LATCH anchors tend to be positioned more toward the center of the vehicle seat compared to the seatbelt anchors/buckle stalks, which tend to be a tick closer to the sides of the vehicle. That extra tick or so of spacing gained by a seatbelt installation can sometimes make the difference in a side by side or three across installation scenario.

Do you need a third row with seating for more than 5, or is something that will seat 5- with three in car seats- sufficient? For a primary vehicle I may not suggest it, but for a less used vehicle it could save you $$ and gas.

There are quite a few SUVs and cars that can fit 3 seats in the back- especially if you are buying three new seat anyway.

In case you're considering them RF in the Radians (since they would fit), just thought I'd say that I had a *really* tough time getting the Radian installed more upright in an 2nd generation MDX ('07 and later). In fact, I couldn't get it more upright at all. No matter what I did, it slipped back into it's 45° angle which meant that DH wouldn't be be able to drive as the driver's seat had to be way too far forward. It was fine in the centre position though. One of the techs on her Jen, has installed a Radian in an MDX before and she might have some advice (can't recall if she installed RF or FF).

One other thing to consider, the lower anchors in the centre position of the MDX are offset toward the driver's side. This enables you to be able to access the 3rd row (2nd row passenger seat needs to move forward) by keeping a centre installed child restraint out of the way of the moveable seat. I don't know if this causes any issues with room for a seat installed outboard driver's side. I'd expect it wouldn't cause any issue with the Radian because it's so narrow, but might be a problem for wider seats (although I haven't ever tested). A seat belt install would likely resolve this though as the seat could then be centred. Since you won't be accessing the 3rd row anyway, with 3 seats in the 2nd row, the seat belt install would be fine.