just for fun... 3 across in a toyota rav 4 2006

kelsy · Jan 12, 2009

so, i dont know if i will ever have three kids. but i do play with the idea sometimes. if i do decide to have one more kiddo, i was wondering if i would be able to keep my Rav 4?

is it possible to get 3 across (2 RF, 1FF) in the rav? one of them would have to be a Frontier, and i am playing with the idea of moving my youngest into a signo.

honestly, i am thinking the answer is no... but i thought i would see what you guys had to say

thanks for playing along... like i said, this is just for fun since i currently only have the two little people living here

MustangMama · Jan 12, 2009

My guess is NO based on my experience with the vehicle, not car seats. It is a super small car and the Signo is a wider seat as well as the frontier. Maybe you would have space for 1/2 of a Radian?! LOL

BUT MAYBE it might be possible! Can you borrow a seat from someone and give it a try?

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

LOL! no i dont have anyone to borrow a seat from. i guess if it comes down to it i could go to a store and try it out.

the thing with the radian is i think it may be too tall to fit RF. IDK?

so my next question.... the Rav 4 does have an optional 3rd row. the one i own doesnt. but maybe i could trade it in for one that does? and if so, do you think it is possible to get 3 carseats in a model with a 3rd row?

anyone have a rav 4 with a 3rd row?

ketchupqueen · Jan 13, 2009

Doesn't the Rav4 have the funky overlapping seatbelts?

My almost-step-mother has one and my guess is NO. It's a bear to get RF seats in (though fairly easy with FF seats anyway in my experience.

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Doesn't the Rav4 have the funky overlapping seatbelts?

i think maybe it does... not totally sure though since i use latch for my 2 seats...i really havent investigated the belts thoroughly (i know i am lame )

ketchupqueen · Jan 13, 2009

I've never tried the LATCH. That MIGHT make it possible, if it was ALL narrow seats and at least one (behind the driver, I think) could be in with LATCH-- maybe. I don't remember HOW far over the belt is but I seem to be remembering it being over to where it would be UNDER most seats (or a passenger's rear.)

Pixels · Jan 13, 2009

Is your back seat like this one? 2006 Rav4 back seat It's snot the best pic, but you can see how the buckle for the center seatbelt is dead center between the outboard seats, and the little clip thingy is centered under the driver's side seat. I really don't know what they were thinking when they designed it, but it's enough to eliminate the possibility of me buying it.

Maedze · Jan 13, 2009

My mother has a Rav4, and I'm pretty confident in saying that 3 across is not going to happen in that vehicle, not even with puzzled Radians.

MustangMama · Jan 13, 2009

Oh yeah.....I totally forgot about the funky seat thing. Some of them have buckles that come down from the ceiling

If you did get one with a third row, it would eliminate almost all trunk space.

What if you traded it in for a larger SUV or even a regular sedan? Like a Taurus? You would get wayyyy better gas mileage!

itzmeigh · Jan 13, 2009

We had a 1998 and a 2005 Rav4. We traded the 2005 on the Odyssey and the 98 is hubby's workk car so the family never rides in it. We only have 2 kids.

The 05 didn't have the funky belt problem so I was able to get a few 3 across combinations. But I can tell you from experence that it was NOT fun. No way would I have wanted to spend every day with 3 carseats in the back of that thing!

There was not one single spare inch. I could not get 3 seats all facing the same direction. I could not use LATCH if I were doing 3 across. Even the 3 Radians (That I got just for the Rav) wouldn't fit 3 across all facing the same direction. They were too wide at the shoulders. At least one had to be turned RFing or 2 RFing and one FFing.

I could get 2 Sceneras across. And I THINK I could get them all 3 facing the same direction. But I don't remember now. I do remember that they fit the best of any combinitaion which gets you nowhere when it comes to HWHs.

So I have to say that if you are planning on one more I'd plan on a different car.

MustangMama · Jan 13, 2009

itzmeigh said:
We had a 1998 and a 2005 Rav4. We traded the 2005 on the Odyssey and the 98 is hubby's workk car so the family never rides in it. We only have 2 kids.

The 05 didn't have the funky belt problem so I was able to get a few 3 across combinations. But I can tell you from experence that it was NOT fun. No way would I have wanted to spend every day with 3 carseats in the back of that thing!

There was not one single spare inch. I could not get 3 seats all facing the same direction. I could not use LATCH if I were doing 3 across. Even the 3 Radians (That I got just for the Rav) wouldn't fit 3 across all facing the same direction. They were too wide at the shoulders. At least one had to be turned RFing or 2 RFing and one FFing.

I could get 2 Sceneras across. And I THINK I could get them all 3 facing the same direction. But I don't remember now. I do remember that they fit the best of any combinitaion which gets you nowhere when it comes to HWHs.

So I have to say that if you are planning on one more I'd plan on a different car.

There ya go! True experience!! Good advice! I'm off to school......

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

pixels99 said:
Is your back seat like this one? 2006 Rav4 back seat .

yup, that looks about right... but honestly i have never seen it with out carseats in it LOL

and i really dont know how the configuration works with people? i should probably try that out one day?

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

becky129622 said:
What if you traded it in for a larger SUV or even a regular sedan? Like a Taurus? You would get wayyyy better gas mileage!

i have never considered trading it in for a sedan, but maybe that would be a good idea? IDK? DH and i are taller... so it is hard to find a sedan that we have enough room in, that and gas mileage are a BIG deal to me. so a larger SUV would be nice... but the auto makers are really going to have to do something about mileage before i will feel good about a "size up" purchase.

ketchupqueen · Jan 13, 2009

My husband is tall and there was a LOT of room in the Avalon. He sold a lot to tall people, too. There are a few other sedans out there that get good mileage but have good headroom, etc.

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

itzmeigh said:
There was not one single spare inch.

I could get 2 Sceneras across. And I THINK I could get them all 3 facing the same direction. .

yeah i can imagine! i do think the 2006's are quite a bit bigger than the 2005 since there was a complete vehicle re-do that year.

maybe if i had to i could do DS's frontier and 2 sceneras? i will keep that in mind to try!:thumbsup:

ketchupqueen · Jan 13, 2009

Because of the seatbelt thing I don't think 3 across is possible at all.

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
My husband is tall and there was a LOT of room in the Avalon. He sold a lot to tall people, too. There are a few other sedans out there that get good mileage but have good headroom, etc.

could 3 across fit in the avalon?

honestly, i ran across the post on here about the popular mechanics article about crossover vehicles. and it made it sound like the mazda cx9 is close to perfect. if only they could up the mileage i would go there in a heartbeat.... if i could afford it LOL!!!

ketchupqueen · Jan 13, 2009

The Avalon has more back seat room than the Camry by several inches, and lots of people get 3 across in a Camry. And obviously I have 3 across in a Corolla, which is several inches smaller than the Camry! So yeah, I think the Avalon would have no problems with 3 across.

kelsy · Jan 13, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Because of the seatbelt thing I don't think 3 across is possible at all.

you are probably right.... but a girl can hope right

. i think i just need to strip my car and figure out that back seat LOL

Jeanum · Jan 13, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
My husband is tall and there was a LOT of room in the Avalon. He sold a lot to tall people, too. There are a few other sedans out there that get good mileage but have good headroom, etc.

My DH didn't have enough headroom in the current versions of the Camry or in the Avalon, but he did in the current RAV4 when he tried those vehicles on for a fitting about a year ago. He doesn't test drive so much as he's tries the cars on for size, lol. His head was pressed against the ceiling behind the wheel of the Camry and Avalon due to his long torso and the "swoopy" roofline of those models (the Avalon is like a stretched version of the Camry with pretty much the same styling and headroom), but had clearance above his head in the RAV4. He nixed the RAV4, though, because he didn't want an SUV and ended up with an '08 Scion xB after discovering he fit with headroom to spare in the xB.

just for fun... 3 across in a toyota rav 4 2006

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