Question 3 carseats in a Chevy Malibu

[Unregistered]

Hi!

I have a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old and we're expecting #3 at the beg of Feb.

We have a van and a Malibu. We currently use Britax car seats and completely love them.

However, the one issue with the Britax seats is that they are quite wide. There's no way I could fit an infant seat between the two Britax seats in the car.

I have heard a lot of great things about the Diono Radian seats. Does anyone know if 3 of these would fit in a Malibu? Or 2 of these and a slimmer infant seat? (My current infant seat is a Peg Perego ... HUGE so any suggestions on a SAFE and slimmer alternative would be great!)

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[safeinthecar]

I might not be picturing a Malibu correctly, but if I am, you should be able to put a rear facing Britax in the center with a forward facing Britax behind the driver and the Peg behind the passenger. Britax seats fit together going opposite directions really well. They take up about 4 more inches going the same direction. Pegs also puzzle well with rfing britax, the knob of the handle just clears the side. Then when somebody outgrows something, move the 2 year old to the ffing britax, the baby to the ffing one, and you only have to install one seat to replace the peg for the 4 year old.

Of course, this only works if your 2 year old will fit rear facing in the Britax.

 

[bree]

What year is your Malibu? The older model Malibus and even the newer Malibus that are the Classic models are pretty accommodating for 3 across scenarios, like the one that safeinthecar described. For '08 (I believe) and newer Redesigned Malibus, it might be a little trickier to accomplish 3 across with your current seats, and then you might have to consider some narrower seats, like the Radians that you mentioned.

 

[kam1011]

oo oo ooh! I had three that size in a 2008 Malibu. When they were super little, we did RF Coccoro (drivers side) - FF Radian - Combi Shuttle. Then when the baby outgrew the Shuttle, we got a turbobooster for the oldest, the middle kid got the radian, the baby got the Coccoro. When the baby outgrew the Coccoro, then we got a My Ride, which fit in the center between the radian and TB. I still totally recommend using the Coccoro for a few years though because it's much more comfortable for the front passengers than the My Ride was.

Right before I traded it in, we had a SK400-Radian-literider. That was really really tight, but just barely fit. The backseat is only 51".

ETA: Coccoro would be for the baby. Your 2yo probably already wouldn't fit or is just about to outgrow it.

 

[bnsnyde]

We had a Malibu (2005) with 3 across when baby #3 arrived. Our other kids were 4 and 15 months.

We had two FF Radians (bought for this purpose), and a Britax Companion infant seat. Later we put the Evenflo Triumph Advance rear-facing to replace the infant seat, and it fit. So, with the two Radians, we had lots of room!

The only thing I would have done differently was rear-face the 15-month-old. I went to a seat check and they put it FF. I was very pregnant, and well, this was a few years ago. (And they were only RF to 40 lb. Radians so my 4-year-old could not have done so).

That 15-month-old baby is now nearly five years old and just got turned FF (round two) in an updated Radian!

 

[Judi]

I have an 02 and I can do a lot of 3 acrosses in it.

 

[Lenae]

Hello! Welcome!

I just got an '01 Malibu and I did a couple of three across scenarios, just playing around. It's fairly roomy back there. If you already have Britaxes, I suggest trying what Safeinthecar suggested. Otherwise, a Radian and a Britax convertible puzzle well together in the same direction. I have never even seen a Peg infant seat, so I can't comment there.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

I'm in a similar situation.

I have a 2001 Malibu with a 3 year old in a First Years Truefit, a 5 year old in a Boulevard, and a baby on the way.

My mother has Radians for my kids in her van, so I am planning on trying one Radian RF with the Truefit and Blvd forward facing. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[LactMom]

I have a 2014 Malibu & just found out #3 is on the way. I have a 4 & 6 yr old, both in Graco Nautilus seats. I do have an extra Graco full-backed booster for my 6 yr old on hand as well. The infant carrier I have is a Chicco Keyfit with the base. Will these work together?

 

[safeinthecar]

I have a 2014 Malibu & just found out #3 is on the way. I have a 4 & 6 yr old, both in Graco Nautilus seats. I do have an extra Graco full-backed booster for my 6 yr old on hand as well. The infant carrier I have is a Chicco Keyfit with the base. Will these work together?

I doubt it. I think the Nautilus is just too wide to work and all the seats you have are very boxy. Puzzling works better with curvy seats.

How heavy and tall are the 4 and 6 year olds and what kind of budget are you working with to replace seats as needed?

 

[hlucas777]

We had a Malibu (2005) with 3 across when baby #3 arrived. Our other kids were 4 and 15 months.

We had two FF Radians (bought for this purpose), and a Britax Companion infant seat. Later we put the Evenflo Triumph Advance rear-facing to replace the infant seat, and it fit. So, with the two Radians, we had lots of room!

The only thing I would have done differently was rear-face the 15-month-old. I went to a seat check and they put it FF. I was very pregnant, and well, this was a few years ago. (And they were only RF to 40 lb. Radians so my 4-year-old could not have done so).

That 15-month-old baby is now nearly five years old and just got turned FF (round two) in an updated Radian!

How did you have the seats radian radian britax? And then radian triumph radian? Lol thanks for the help. I have 2 triumphs right now and trying to figure how to fit 3 seats back there.