Seeking Car to Fit Three Carseats!

HI! I have 6 year old twins(boy and girl) and a 11 year old right now! But when I got pregnant with the twins, I had a HONDA ACCORD!My daughter was 5 at the time when the twins were born!I loved my HONDA but it was a pain to put 2 car seats in the back and my daughter with a booster seat in middle!She was squeezed in! So we got a DODGE caravan(7 passenger) And I LOVE IT! My twins are behind me with 2 booster seats and my oldest in the back! And I still have room for more!And it has plenty of room for my groceries! Now when I drive a car, it feels weird because I love my minivan!Go test drive one and you will love it!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!

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I had the same problem, I was not going to be the typical mini-van mum! I got the toyota highlander. Its not as bulky as the Pilot and works great! I bet all three car seats would fit on the back seat!

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Hi T.,

I have a 5 yr old, a 3 yr old and a 3 month old and struggled horribly with 3 car seats in the back of my Acura until last week when I finally gave in and paid out for a new more slim line car seat called the RadianXT from Elitecarseats.com. It has a much narrower base and a 5 point harness that will work up to 85 lbs. It's made a wonderful difference to my day I have to tell you ;) I went to three different babys r us and no-one was able to help me...they didn't carry any narrow base seats either.
Having said that, if I wasn't stuck in a lease I would gladly swop my MDX for a Honda Pilot (van). I've never liked any of those vans but recently we went to visit my in-laws and they have one....I used it for a few days and now I'm a HUGE fan. Enormous space in the back for strollers and shopping, three full rows with the option of taking out the middle seat in the middle row which allows you to walk back to the back row to buckle the kids in, open and close the doors with the touch of a button...and they're sliding doors so you don't have to worry about little ones squeezing out if a car parks to close to you. It even has a pretty good response when you put your foot on the peddle. Unfortunately I have 18 months left in my lease so I can't swop over right now but if I were you then this is the car I would get.
Best of luck to you,
M.
Best of

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Hi T.,
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I was in the same situation not too long ago. My son was 5 1/2 and my b/g twins were 15 months old when I found out I was pregnant with our last little bundle of joy:)I, like you, said I would never drive a mini-van. Well, never say never b/c here I am driving a Toyota Sienna for the last 3 years! I have to say I love it. There is plenty of room for baby gear, etc and also my son often likes to have a friend join us for outings and we certainly have the room. When I was pregnant with my twins, I was driving a Toyota Highlander which I just LOVED (and still do miss driving at times). We thought about trading it in for a newer model with the 3rd row seating, but personally,I found it was just too difficult to get to the 3rd row.(I am also only 5'2") And, of course, that lessened the trunk space in the back to put groceries, stroller, etc. I still wasn't ready to get the mini van and figured that it wouldn't be too bad to have the 3 in our Highlander, so we decided to keep it. Well,one trip out in early July and as I was in the backseat sweating, and struggling to buckle the twins in their infant seats, I decided this wasn't going to work- my oldest was only in a booster at that time, so I wasn't dealing with the 3 carseats even, as you would be. Anyway,we headed back to the dealership and drove out of there with my then 4 1/2 yr old and my 4 week old twins and plenty of room. We like to go away for long weekends and now having the 4 kids, I know we made the right decision. Yes, if I only had 2 children, I would likely not have chosen a mini-van, but having 3 or more, it just seems so practical. You should take one for a test-drive-you may be pleasantly surprised! Good luck to you!
H.

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I too used to cringe at the thought of having to drive a mini-van! LOL
The SUV's were massive and horrible on gas so they werent really an option though I loved them for the feeling of safety and excellent in snow.

One day we were looking at cars and came across the Nissan Quest. Its a minivan that doesnt really look like a mini van and the inside is gorgeous. Even the most basic model is nice.
It doesnt feel at all like you are driving a mini van. The seats are like Captain chairs. Big, roomy and comfy. Almost like 1st class seats on airplanes. The last row folds down completely flat into the trunk, the trunk itself is huge! Which is very rare for minivans. They have moon roofs that go all the way back through the car with sun shades, I can go on and on. I just got my Nissan Quest about a month ago and have gotten tons of compliments from family memembers.

Its drives great too and is pretty good on gas. Right now about $35 fills it up and between back and forth to school for my daughter and driving from about 20 miles every other day, it lasts about a week.

Any questions feel free to ask! =0)

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I haven't tried three car seats, but we have other space issues and found the Honda Fit to be increadibly spaceous! I would go shopping with the three seats and see how it feels. This car is increadibly fuel efficient as well. Good luck.

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My husband used to sell cars and I know he had a woman that had to fit 2 carseats and 1 booster seat in the back of a car and she bought an Impala. They made sure to put all the seats in the back and they did fit. I was going to also suggest a Buick, but I know the old one we used to have wasn't exactly any more stylish than a minivan ;)

There's a new car seat that fits 3 across in pretty much any car. Take a look -
http://www.combi-intl.com/Products/Item.aspx?Item=12
be sure to watch the video.
I have a Dodge Magnum hatchback and we have 3 carseats across the back(one of the Coccoros, and two Radians - http://www.elitecarseats.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian.pro
My kids are 1,2&4 and we've had these seats for a year.
Good luck!

Hi T.,

Congrats! :)

We did it with the Honda Pilot. I also refuse to get a minivan. LOL! You can fit three in the middle row--infant in the middle seat. It's tight, but you can do it. Now our oldest sits in the third row, which is a great option to have.

T.-
my oldest was 14 months old when i had twins and it was and still is a bit of an issue. i have a late model volvo station wagon--it worked very well. just keep in mind the width of the car seats when you purchase them. the thinner the better. my husband has a mini van and the only problem is that you have to climb inside every time to reach the last row of seats. the problem with the station wagon is it is hard to fasten the safety belts when they get into boosters. good luck.

My suggestion is, take the childrens car seats with you when you go car shopping. That way you can fit them into the cars and see for yourself how it's all going to fit your needs.

I also have twins and have fit two Britax carseats and one Graco (when a friend and her baby visited) in my middle row seat of my Toyota Seqouia. It also has third row seating which is nice and roomy.

hi T., i know it is tough to swallow, but a minivan really is the way to go. its not only the carseats, your stroller and all your other gear is going to multiply like you wont believe. you are going to end up doing it sooner or later, just come over to the dark side :) it makes your life so much easier.

I can understand not wanting to do the mini van thing but I have to say it's great. My husband drives one and I love it. The Chrysler Town and Country is great becasue it has stow and go seating, which means the seats fold into the floor easily when you don't need them. When you are using the seats, there is extra storage under the seats in the bin that the seat would fold into. I only have 1 child right now so I don't need to drive the van but once I have more I will definitley be taking the van!

Instead of changing cars, try different car seats. Some of them are so bulky, with arm rests and cup holders and wide bases. Go to the store and explain your situation with the manager and have him help you fit 3 in the back. He would love to sell 3 car seats.

What car seats do you have? You can go to BRU or Buy Buy Baby and test out car seats in your car. You can put the baby's seat in the middle and then see what fits on either side.

FYI, the Sunshine Kids Radians are the narrowest seats on the market.

My friend has a honda pilot for 3 kids.its a smaller swv and has 3 rows so she can always carpool too!

Hope this helps.

My cousin just had triplets and had done serious car shopping for months(once she found out triplets) she measured the carseats, she measured all backseats of cars and she had trouble deciding between the Honda Pilot and the Jeep Cherokee. I actually forget which she went with but one of them had much better incentives and that was the reason she went the way she did. So I know those 2 would allow you to fit 3 seats. I do have to tell you I currently drive a mini van( I had 3 kids in carseats when I got it) and was ADAMANT that I didn't want it, cried in the dealership and everything but now I do love it for the amount of room it has.

I know I fit two booster seats and a car seat in a toyota corolla. So it can work.
From H.

Just go for the Mini Van! The space is needed and they are great! We did and are soo glad we did! A.

I am not in your exact situation - i have a 3.5 year old and a 9 month old. I was so against a mini van. I said i would NEVER drive one. Well, I now can not wait til one of my cars break down so I can buy one. Although I can fit my kids in my GMC envoy, it is tight. We drove down to florida in my dad's minivan and we loved it! It held all luggage (with storage on top as well), both my parents, me, my husband and my two kids....and I am still alive!

Hi T.,
I am dealing with almost the same scenario.. I have a 2yr old son & 10 month old g/b twins.
I think my short list is: Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, Infiniti QX56, Nissan Armada.
I tried to plan ahead before my twin pregnancy, by leasing a Mercedes R350, which has a third row. Here are my take-aways from dealing with 3 car seats so far:
1)I like that the third row splits, so one side is folded down to slide in the triple stroller.
2)I like the huge sunroof, as it is entertainment for everyone.
3)I like getting 20-23 mpg on the highway, when we roadtrip to another state for the weekend.
4)I don't like using the trunk to acces my infant in the third row. With the 2nd row in use with carseats, I can't take car seats in and out, just so I can fold down the seat to gain access to the third row.

Since#4 is a big deal, at 22lbs per twin, I can't wait to get rid of this csr. I don't like other things, but this point is the big problem.

I don't believe 3seats across the 2nd row will work because I can barely buckle my squirmy toddler in his seat now,let alone if someone's seat is not right up against the door. Plus, i can see them reaching over and taking eacn other's toys.

I have seen other posts in the past on this same issue, which praised minivans: Honda Oddessey and Toyota Sienna.
I am renting the Honda very soon, while out of town with the kids....so I'll see if that wins me over into the minivan world.

I'll let you know if I find out anything worth mentioning.
Congratulations and good luck!! :)