family car for 3 car seats

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TokochickUK

Guest

• Dec 5, 2006

• #1

hi, i have just recently found out i am expecting baby number 3 i have two boys aged 2 and 1 so will still need car seats for a long while yet. i was looking at the zafire and touran but dont know if these will take 3 car seats safely. can anybody give me maybe any more car ideas? thanks heaps in advance x
sus x

 

Dillipop

Well-known member

• Dec 5, 2006

• #2

Are you located in the US? Which company are these cars made by? I've just never heard of them before, which really doesn't mean anything, since I am pretty clueless about makes and models of cars!

 

T

TokochickUK

Guest

• Dec 5, 2006

• #3

hi im sorry im in the UK
its a vauxhaull zafira and a vw touran, these are 7 seaters x

 

smurf

New member

• Dec 5, 2006

• #4

Well, if that's any help.... it depends on the car but also (and most importantly) on the width of the car seats.

I can fit 3 seats in DH's VW Passat wagon and will be able to fit 3 seats in a VW Golf (latest model, to be purchased soon). But not any 3 seats, you basically have to pick the narrowest seats. I have a 3 yr old and a 2 yr old and a baby due in 2 months, and believe me I've agonized over this! But I solved it!

My guess is that the Touran is wider than the Golf, and maybe even the Passat as well. Take a tape measure to the VW dealer and measure the back seats (it's what I did!).

I'm sure someone here knows about which narrow car seats are available in the UK.

HTH! Good luck!

 

T

ttatink

New member

• Dec 6, 2006

• #5

I have 3 as well, 2, 1, and 2 months. I have a mini-van (Chrysler Town and Country in the US) and it works out really well. Currently I have a Britax Regent, Britax Decathlon, and Graco Safe Seat installed (the Safe Seat and Decathlon are both RF) and still have 2 seats available for other passengers (meaning my IL's).

 

C

Central Area Driver

Guest

• Dec 12, 2006

• #6

Glad to hear about 3 car seats in a Jetta. Anybody have any other suggestions of cars that fit three car seats? Our Toyota Corolla is cannot fit three carseats across.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Dec 12, 2006

• #7

Central Area Driver said:

Glad to hear about 3 car seats in a Jetta. Anybody have any other suggestions of cars that fit three car seats? Our Toyota Corolla is cannot fit three carseats across.

Click to expand...

What year is your Corolla?
How old are your kids?
What are the kids' heights and weights?
What seats do you have for them currently?

It appears in the bit of searching I just did that the new Corollas are a bit smaller across the backseat than the older models ('01 and '02 specs say 51.2 inches is the rear hip room; for the '05, '06 and '07 models the rear hip room is only 46.2, a difference of 5 inches, which is quite a bit).

Roomier sedans that get good crash test scores are the Hyundai Sonata ('06+), Chevrolet Impala, Ford Taurus and Toyota Avalon. Those are all cars that have been recommended to me that fit three-across fairly easily (it's never truly EASY in a sedan).

 

C

Central Area Driver

Guest

• Dec 12, 2006

• #8

Hello!

The corolla is a '91. The girls are 4 and 2 and there's one on the way. One
is 34 lbs and the other is 25 lbs. There is no way an infant car seat can be squeezed. We are thinking about buying a new car, maybe the Hyundai Sonata or the Avalon. My cat is biting my foot...

Thanks!

 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2006

• #9

I can fit 3 seats across the back of our Cavalier - but for sake of ease, I would suggest something with a slightly wider rear seat.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2006

• #10

I can fit three across in my Jeep - but like Kashi said, I wouldn't suggest doing it!
We had a Chevy Corsica that we could easily do three acorss with, but my '93 Cadillac Sixty Special (while physically larger) was not condusive to 3-across because of the contours of the interior of the car.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Dec 13, 2006

• #11

Your girls are fairly small for their age, so 40 pound harnessed weight limit seats are probably fine for them. I bet you could fit two Graco CarGos and an infant carrier in the Corolla.

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Dec 13, 2006

• #12

I have installed a Scenera RF outboard with CarGo in center of an early 90s Corolla -- mom said she managed to safely install a Chico Keyfit outboard behind driver.... It's not easy to get each carseat installed securely independent of the others (each cannot move more than 1" at the belt path with & without the pressure from nearby carseats).