Looking for a mini van that has a center seat position in 2nd row?

[chucksusanb]

Hello,

We have an only child so we would like to have our child seated in the middle position. She is 7 and uses the Britax Parkway booster seat.

We are looking to buy a van about a 2008. We are having a hard time finding a van with a 2nd row seating arrangement.

Do 2008 mini vans offer 3 captain seats in the 2nd row? We would settle for a 2nd row bench seat too, but are having a hard time with that too.

We love the Town & Country at least the look of it.

Thank you so much for your expertise in this area. I found this forum EXTREMELY helpful when we were making decisions on carseats.

 

[ketchupqueen]

Sienna is your best bet in an 08 for a useable 2nd row center.

 

[chucksusanb]

Thank you very much.

So

1) Sienna

2) I think I saw that Honda Odyssey has captain seats that can slide to the center as well?!

Is there anything else??

 

[luckyclov]

You may have more luck finding a 2 seat bench in a pre-2008 Chrysler/Dodge minivan since they were fairly common in the "old" body style. But Town & Country and Grand Caravan were totally redesigned in 2008 and the majority of their vans were only equipped with captain's chairs - thus, no center seating position in the 2nd row. I've had both an old style and resdesigned. I actually preferred the old body style.

The pre-2011 8 passenger Honda Odysseys have a pretty useless "8th seat". The redesigned 2011 Odysseys have a very child seat friendly 8th seat.

The 2004-2010 8 passenger Toyota Siennas have a great "8th seat" - super child seat friendly. The redesigned 2011 Siennas (which I have) - not so much.

 

[Pixels]

I know that with older vans, you could put the third row seat in the second row and vice versa. Is that not the case any more?

 

[luckyclov]

I know that with older vans, you could put the third row seat in the second row and vice versa. Is that not the case any more?

I used to have an '05 (possibly '06, I can't remember) Caravan. If I remember correctly, both the 2nd row bench and the 3rd row bench could be totally removed, as in taken out of the vehicle, but I don't think you could switch them. It's possible they could, though - I wasn't huge into reading manuals back then eek...

 

[chucksusanb]

Are there any American mini's that offer this option??

 

[Emi's Mommy]

If you go to a brand new Grand Caravan, they are available with a 2nd row bench. Otherwise you have to go to a 2007 as 09-10 only have captains chairs.

 

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

Are there any American mini's that offer this option??

You know, the truth is, when we were looking for a new minivan in 2005, we compared the total domestic content and labor/assembly of the toyota to the dodge sitting next to it. The toyota was over 80% I think, the dodge only around 40 or 50%.

Back then, the american minivans only seated 6, and I knew that their third rows were quite cramped. The 2005-2010 8 passenger siennas are awesome for carseats and passenger space. I think it was the 2006 model year that the side passenger airbags were standard, too.

 

[luckyclov]

Jennifer, could you post that info in the OP's other thread as well? That's a really good point about the percentage of American parts/labor in Toyota.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=173361

 

[LISmama810]

2) I think I saw that Honda Odyssey has captain seats that can slide to the center as well?!

If you just need something in the center (vs three seats in the second row), then yes, the pre-2011 Odysseys have a chair you can move over. The seatbelt comes from the wall, though, so I'm not sure how that works (i.e., if it's awkward) for a booster-user.

I don't know about other options beyond what's been mentioned.

 

[lpperry]

I know that with older vans, you could put the third row seat in the second row and vice versa. Is that not the case any more?

With my van, the third row can be moved up to the middle position. However, the second row can't be used in the back.

 

[luckyclov]

With my van, the third row can be moved up to the middle position. However, the second row can't be used in the back.

How does the "new" (3rd to 2nd row) center seatbelt end up working? Is it a lap belt only?

 

[lpperry]

Yes--my van has a lap belt only in the center.

 

[lovinwaves]

Britax Parkway fits quite nicely in the "8th seat" of the 2008 Honda Odyssey. You could also just remove the "8th seat" and slide the passenger side 2nd row captain's chair over to the middle.

 

[Jonah Baby]

The Mazda MPV has a nice second row feature.
It comes with two captain's chairs in the second row. Either seat can be completely removed. When one chair is removed, either chair can be placed into the "exact" center of the van (so one captain's chair second row, regular bench third row.)
Also, with both chairs in the van, the passenger side chair can be pushed on it's track to the center (making a "bench" of the two captain's chairs.)

The Mazda MPV was last produced in 2006.