Car Suggestions for Twins and a Toddler

We got a Toyota Sienna after my twins were born. We also had a 2 1/2 year old. The Sienna is a great mini-van. I was never happy with the idea of the minivan, but it has been very functional. We took out one of the captain seats which gave us a large platform which allowed me to put both infant bucket car seats inside the car while getting my older child all set in his car seat. This was especially nice in the winter and in bad weather. The minivan is also convenient on long trips because you can get to the kids pretty easily.

We love our mini van because you can seperate the kids when they are at the "I don't want him/her touching me" stage. Which is by the way between the ages of 2 and six ( and I am not sure if it ends). Some moms HATE mini vans but we have our mini van and a prius for the short trips and errands and our 3 kids fit fine in the pruis... I am not sure about 2 infant seats at the same time though but our 2 boosters and 1 car seat seem to fit okay.

I think it might be time for a minivan!! We love our Sienna and the dealerships are giving AWESOME deals right now because of the economy. We just traded ours in and they were stumbling over themselves to just "move" the van. Good luck!! And congrats with the twins!

H. Z. (SAHM to 3 boys Spencer 5, James 4 and Wilco 16 months)

You need to consider all the extras that come with twins. I have a set of 1 year old twins and an almost 2 year old. I have a Tahoe and am able to get all my girls in plus a double and single stroller and a bit more (we actually want to upgrade to a suburban for more space). Congrats on the twins! It's a whole new experience! I would suggest joining a twins group as well. They can provide the support you will need, especially when the babies first come. They are also a great source of knowledge and advice (that books just can't give you) for new moms of multiples. Good luck!

My simplest suggestion is to take three carseats (full sized ones) and try to put them in your car. You'll have seats of some kind or another for the next five years (Mass requires boosters until age eight). I've got a VW wagon and the fit back there with one toddler seat and two boosters is incredibly tight - do'able, but tight - I wind up having to buckle my girls in because they can't reach the buckles once the seats are all squished in. I love my car and it's the perfect next size up from a sedan for us - a minivan would be wonderful but they're pricey.

If you're looking at new cars, bring the seats and try them. Some salespersons don't particularly like it but I say tough noogies for them - it's going to be you dealing with it for the next several years!

Good luck!

Minivans are the way to go with more than 1-2 kids. I have had to load kids into everything from a tiny sedans to large SUV's with 3rd row seats, and nothing beats a minivan for loading and unloading car seats, bags, and misc. items. You've got to be able to maneuver your body in the back to get things for the kids, load/buckle them in etc. When checking them out, make sure to sit in the back and get a feel for how it will be for the kids (some minivans are uncomfortable in the back, don't have good air flow, heaters/a.c.) and make sure you can get your body in and around things back there.

There's so many different kinds to choose from, so do your homework first on what you really want/need, but stay away from compact minivans (not enough room in the back),and ones that don't have the fold-away seats (you got to be able to fold stuff down to make 100% use of it and be able to haul things. Since you have a Toyota, you may want to look at their minivan (someone I know has one and they are really nice, solid and comfortable). Kia makes a good one, too...

I too brought home twins with a nearly 3 year old boy. I reluctantly gave up my little Altima. After MUCH research we ended up with the mini van. We got the Honda Odassy. Nothing but the Dodge Charger (!!) was wide enough to fit one booster and 2 car seats across. Any third row SUVs make it very difficult to get the child in. You end up either slinging an infant seat through the trunk or wedging your 3 year old through the trunk. Never thought that I would like a mini van but it makes life so much easier. We vacationed at a beach house for a week and packed 2 strollers, 2 pack n plays, luggage, tricycle and luggage-all without a roof rack. Its not bad on gas either- about 22 MPG.

I switched to a minivan too - my kids have the exact same age spacing as yours. I NEVER liked driving big cars, so I really hated the idea of getting a minivan.... but I got used to it pretty quickly! With that many kids, I really think you're better off with a minivan. Remember it's not just the carseats.... with 3 kids (esp two that will be babies at the same time), you're going to need a lot of room for STUFF.

We bought the minivan while I was pregnant... we brought my oldest's carseat & two empty infant carseats while we were car shopping. I never had a dealer complain! It was good practice to position the carseats and swing them in & out... we found out that bucket seats in the middle row made it a LOT easier.

When my twins were in infant carseats, I had one in the back & the other in the middle... when they were rear-facing, I kept the seats the same but kneeled in the trunk to get one twin in & out... now I do what the previous poster suggested, keep one middle seat folded down & sit there to get all the kids buckled in. You'll find that twins-plus-one is never easy, but it's all do-able, and you'll find what works for you! Good luck.

Radian (by Sunshine Kids) are the only car seats which are somehow narrower and fit 3 across in almost any car. They are somewhat expensive (but not as expensive as a new car). They are also versatile in that they start with your newborn and go all the way up to 65 or 80 pounds, depending on the model. I think if you want to have an infant in it you have to get the 80 model. The only negative to having the twins in them is that they aren't snap and go. Not sure how you'd get them in and out of the house. You could try putting two infant seats on the outside and a radian in the middle for your 2 1/2 year old. Good luck!

If you don't want to give up your prius fin carseats w/ narrow base. Go to toysrus and pick a few models and have an assoc. go out to the car with you so you can try them out and see how they fit. I have a durango right now and love it! I can seat 3 small children in carseats across the backrow. We only have the 5 seater but are hoping next year to upgrade to larger one. It gets better gas mileage than people actually claim it does. Whatever you decide to do just test everything out. If you car shop test your seats in the model you are looking at first. If you just want new seats try the models out in your car before you purchase them.

Check your car owner's manual. Most manufacturers say do NOT put 3 car sets across the third row. NOt sure of the reason but it may have to do with a side impact.
With that said if you car allows it I suggest you check out the Sunshine Radian 80. We have twins (3.8) and a 1-year old in a mini van. We have the twins in the third row and the baby behind the passenger seat. We fold down the other second row seat so we can buckle in the twins without hassle.

Congrats and you should check out the WSCMMOTA group for twin support.