CRV, RAV4, Pilot

This is sort of a poll. DH totaled his car, and we need a new used one. These are the options up - does anyone have definitive opinion on the CRV vs the RAV? And for those of you with Pilots, do you have issues installing seats in the 3rd row?
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I would cross the RAV4 off the list. The middle row has only 2 usable positions, and the third row is hard to access and install seats in (and I don't think has any tether anchors?)
 

marjen

New member
Yep, I agree about crossing off the Rav4. I have a 2008, and it drives me crazy how bad the center seat belt setup is. I love my Rav4, but definitely wouldn't recommend it for more than one child.
 

abigaylebelle

Active member
After hearing about the "bad" seatbelt set up in the rav4 I test drove one. The seatbelts were the same as they are in my honda. The middle seat wouldn't be my first choice for a child seat but the outboard positions are fine. Really I don't know why everyone complains about that issue only in the rav4 because so many other small suvs/wagons are exactly the same way.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Um, no. Most SUVs that claim to have 3 seats in the second row actually have 3 seats.

Because the middle seat buckles in the middle of the outboard seat, there is no way to seat more than 2 people there. Ever. That's fine if you NEVER plan to bring along a friend or relative, etc., but most people would like to be able to once in a while if needed (or even just desired!)
 

abigaylebelle

Active member
Um, no. Most SUVs that claim to have 3 seats in the second row actually have 3 seats.

Because the middle seat buckles in the middle of the outboard seat, there is no way to seat more than 2 people there. Ever. That's fine if you NEVER plan to bring along a friend or relative, etc., but most people would like to be able to once in a while if needed (or even just desired!)

I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Vehicles with ceiling mounted belts (smaller wagons/crossover suvs) quite often overlap with one of the outboard seats. Therefore it would be impossible to put a carseat in the middle and the drivers outboard seats. It is possible to put two people not in carseats there. More importantly, the OP asked whether it would work to have two children in the vehicle and the answer to that is yes.
 

marjen

New member
What about RAV4 for 2 kids, only sometimes, and no plans of more!

I think the Rav4 is a great vehicle. If it will only be 2 kids, I think it would be nice. I personally don't have the 3rd row, so I can't give any advice on that. My daughter's car seat is installed outboard with latch, and it's an easy installation. But I've been happy with mine...gets good gas mileage, and handles great.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Vehicles with ceiling mounted belts (smaller wagons/crossover suvs) quite often overlap with one of the outboard seats. Therefore it would be impossible to put a carseat in the middle and the drivers outboard seats. It is possible to put two people not in carseats there. More importantly, the OP asked whether it would work to have two children in the vehicle and the answer to that is yes.

Most of them overlap, but most of them would be workable for two people seated there. The RAV4 is NOT. You cannot even seat 2 adult (or teenage) passengers there.

Yes, it's workable with 2 kids, but what about when you want to give a lift to your kid's friend? And with the back seat being so inaccessible, it would be difficult putting someone back there.

She asked if I would RECOMMEND it for someone with 2 kids and no plans for more. I would NOT. You have your opinion, I have mine. I don't think it's a good car for anyone with more than one kid. That is MY OPINION.
 

firemomof3

New member
My vote is for the Pilot...hands down. My best friend has a new Pilot and her mom has a CRV and the differences are huge. The seats are much more comfortable in the Pilot and its just a bigger vehicle overall...more room :thumbsup:
 

T.O. Twins

New member
When we were choosing a car in 2006, we wanted a RAV4 or CRV over the Pilot just to be smaller and have more parking options in the crowded city. We ended up with the CRV and we really like it. We have been able to fit an adult in the back with the 2 car seats, but to do that we had to get Radians instead of the more age and stage-appropriate Frontiers or Nautiluses (Nautili?), which we would have bought had we had a larger car. If you plan on ERF, you should try out your seats in all the cars first. As far as I can tell, it is impossible to fit a Radian RF in any position in the CRV since you can't brace car seats on the front vehicle seats. I'm not sure about how well other ERF seats like the Truefit, Marathon, or My Ride would fit in the back seat (we had Roundabouts and snugrides for the our RF stage). The newer CRV model may have a bit more space, but I don't think it's THAT much more.
 

jrmo

New member
FWIW, I've had a Marathon, BLVD, MyRide, and a Radian XT all RFing in the center seat of my 2007 CRV. Not touching the front seats. And even if they were, touching is different than bracing.
 
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anniebeagle

Guest
I have a 2008 CR-V, and I love it. The bodystyle changed drastically with the 2007 models, so if you're looking at a 2006 model or older one, they're very different. I currently have a FF Marathon and a Snugride, both outboard. I plan to use a second Marathon, RF when my youngest outgrows the Snugride. From what I understand, it is OK to have the car seat touching the seat in front. Here's what SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (www.carseat.org) says about it:

Rear-facing CR resting against front seat or dashboard
There are three reasons behind the theory of positioning a rear-facing restraint against a structure in front of it (back of front seat, or instrument panel if no air bag):

1. It will keep the restraint in a more upright orientation during a crash, which helps keep the child from ramping up the back, loading the shoulders into the straps, and possibly allowing the head to rise over the top of the restraint.

2. If the rear-facing restraint is in initial contact with a vehicle structure, the child will directly ride down the crash with the crushing vehicle, which reduces the deceleration forces (and injury potential) to the child. This is standard practice for large rear-facing restraints in Sweden.

3. During a frontal crash, an unsupported restraint will move forward and rotate down toward the impact point.

If the gap is small or the child is on the heavy side, it is much better to be already touching any forward structure prior to a crash than to hit it during the crash. Resting against a forward seatback is only one way to achieve these benefits. Another is a tether designed to be routed rearward (Australian method) to limit forward rotation, which one manufacturer currently provides.

Alternately, instructions for a few rear-facing child restraints state that they should not touch the front seatback in order to perform properly. One discontinued convertible model was designed to rotate to a more upright position during impact, and some infant-only restraints are expected to rotate away from the front seatback in a severe rear impact if given sufficient initial clearance.

When a rear-facing child restraint is tested to FMVSS 213, there is nothing in front of the restraint that it can contact.


Our RF Marathon will have to touch the front seat - there's no way to install it so that it won't touch.
 

AnnieW625

New member
My vote is for the Pilot...hands down. My best friend has a new Pilot and her mom has a CRV and the differences are huge. The seats are much more comfortable in the Pilot and its just a bigger vehicle overall...more room :thumbsup:

We have a 2006 and agree with everything the PP poster said. We looked at the 2006 CRV (the last year of the old boxy style) and DH who is only 5'11" preferred the space in the Pilot over the cramped feeling in the CRV. We did not look at the Rav4 in 2006. We have the third row in our Pilot, but we have never used it with a car seat.
 

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