Vehicle That Holds 3 Carseats

Updated on May 01, 2010
J.L. asks from Lorain, OH
23 answers

HI Ladies, We are thinking about having baby #3 but will have to purchase a new Vehicle. Currently I drive an escape which only holds 2 carseats. My question what kind of vehicle recomendations can you give me that will hold 3 carseats. A lot of the Vehicles out there claiim to have 3 seats when in reality it's just a 1/2 seat i the middle.

Thanks!!

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So What Happened?

For the time being we are going to keep our escape We are able to fit 3 carseats in it as long as we don't use the latch system. My husband is hoping to get a bigger suv next summer. Thanks for everyones Advice!

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K.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

We went with the Toyota Sienna, and we love it. There are two bucket seats in the middle that can be positioned separately or together, and there is a bench seat in the back. It's great for travel, too. You can get to the back seats fairly easily from the front.

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

Mini van... most flexible and roomier than SUV's

Updated

Mini van... most flexible and roomier than SUV's

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T.H.

answers from Madison on

Have you seen Sunshine Kid car seats? Their footprint in the car is narrower and yet they have a 5 point harness to either 65 or 80 lbs and have the same space for the child. They also are rear facing to 30 lbs, They are more expensive, but cheaper than a new car. They pass European safety standards as well as US standards (side impact testing as well as forward impact). They are very comfortable and if you have 3 seat belts, you will probably be able to fit all three side by side. Baby specialty stores sometimes carry them so then you could try hooking them in. I found that there was a big difference in prices online so it paid off to look around.

BTW, I also love my Honda Odyessey

1 mom found this helpful
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R.P.

answers from Youngstown on

we love our Chevy Traverse! and it has a button to open the back with the push of a button... nice when your hands are full. The second row of seats fold up so easliy - with one hand!

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

We have a Honda Odessey minivan and I LOVE IT. We just bought it (used) in February, and already, I'm not sure how I made do with a smaller car. If you get the EX model, it has two captain's chairs in the center row with a jump-seat (so the middle row seats 3, but I think you would only be able to fit 2 carseats). However, the jump-seat can be folded and put into the floor of the van, and move one of the captain's seats to the center of the van, which gives you plenty of space to get to the back row of 3 seats. These seats fold into the floor, or when up, easily would hold another carseat or two, and still have a decent-sized trunk. Plus, the side doors can be opened with a keyfob. LOVE it.

M.L.

answers from Hartford on

I bought a van. I lvoe the extra room. I have three kiddos so you will need room. The trunk is also large to fit the big stroller. My older two are in the back and the youngest is in the middle. I love it! I always have other kids with me as well so it helps! Good luck!
M.
Working from home and loving it!
http://www.WorkingGreenMoms.com

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R.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

With my third baby due any day now, we had the same issue! Our Saturn just doesn't fit three car seats (or in our case, two carseats and a booster)... Our Ford F-150 DOES fit all three, but it's a tight squeeze and my 4 year old would have to climb up over the front seat to get to his booster in the middle/back. So we just purchased our 2010 Honda Odyssey! It's MY first new car and I ADORE it so far. :) It has 8 seats -- the 8th seat is a tiny little "hump" seat in the middle that is removable or converts to a console. I think the vehicle has safety hooks for three car seats total. At the moment, we're only going to need two of them since my oldest is in the booster.

Before you buy, check out USAA.com's car buying help...They pre-negotiate prices on these vehicles, so there's no haggling... I'm not sure if it works for families that are NOT military, but at least you'll know what a decent price tag is when you go into the negotiation.

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T.M.

answers from Kansas City on

I love my Toyota Sienna, I watch my grandchildren daily and have had one car seat and 4 booster's in it. Right now I have 2 car seats and a booster. What I really love is the the automatic side opening doors, I can send the kids to the car one at a time when it's raining, watching as they enter and don't have to stand in the rain while they all get in and then close the door for them. I also have a button in the front so when I take two to school I can open and close the side door to let them get out of the van. The seats can be moved so there is one on each side or a bench type on one side. I would never go back to something else! My husband now uses it as a truck, we've loaded a washer and dryer in the back with 3 people in the van, it's so versatile!

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S.F.

answers from Madison on

Mini-vans are the most versatile when it comes to riding with more than two kids. I have an Honda Odyssey that I'm happy with. One of the nice things about it is that you can remove the center console in the 2nd row so you have walking access to the 3rd row. SUV's are nice, but access to the third row is kind of a pain when you have car seats in the 2nd row.

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C.C.

answers from Orlando on

Love my Honda Pilot! Fits three seats in the back and also has third row seating if you try for number 4! It is reliable and runs great!

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H.P.

answers from Milwaukee on

Chrysler Pacifica - I love it! Not a full size minivan, more is a crossover but it works. My kids are now 10,8 and 6 but it worked when they all had car seats.

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D.T.

answers from Indianapolis on

You pretty much need a mini-van or SUV with 3rd row seat. We looked last summer for a new car for my hubby (decided it was time to replace his 18 year old car!). He ended up with a Pontiac G6. It does fit 2 booster seats and a carseat in the backseat - barely. The carseat is in the middle with a backless booster on each side. But they barely fit and it's really hard buckling the seatbelts. We checked out dozens of cars (literally!) with measurements and a tape measure and only a few cars made the final cut. It really depends on your carseats - some are a few inches wider than others. We ended up just putting the carseat and booster seats into the car in the dealer parking lot to see how they fit - it's the only way to tell. There were a few we measured and thought they would fit but because of the way the door handle stuck out or whatever the seats didn't fit once the doors were shut.

We rented an Escape last summer for a few days last summer while the SUV was being worked on. All 3 seats fit into it but it was a very tight squeeze. The kids were literally on top of each other - their armrests were bumping right against each other and they hated it.

Stick with a mini-van or a 3rd row seat SUV (we love our EnvoyXL for many reasons!) to keep your sanity. :-)

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V.B.

answers from Houston on

I was never a minivan person, but I really needed the extra space for another carseat/booster seat as well. I had heard that the vehicles with the 3rd row seating really weren't that helpful since the 3rd row seats don't have any legroom and are really hard to get to. I also didn't want to drive a gigantic vehicle. So, we broke down and got a minivan. I LOVE it! I am very happy with the decision we made and it's working out great for us. They are so versatile (you can move the captains chairs around to different configurations, etc.) and I can actually get to the back seat if I need to. There is also still plenty of storage space. The automatic doors are awesome too. Lots of great things about my minivan and I seem to find some new feature every day that I didn't even know was there. That would be my recommendation. Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you.

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D.L.

answers from Miami on

I drive an Escape (2001) and am due with #3 in August. My 5 yr old is in a booster, but it's a full seat booster (not just the base part) and my 21 month old is in a fullsize car seat. I literally (after reading your question) just went to the garage and put the base in the middle of the two seats already in there (slightly in a panic that it wouldn't fit!). It's a tight squeeze, but they all fit. Have you tried to fit 3 or just been told it wouldn't work? I certainly am not in the market to buy a new vehicle. Maybe it's the newer models that don't have the room for 3 seats?? A friend of mine has a 5 yr old and 6 month old twins, she drives an Explorer and I think the oldest sits in the 3rd row in the back.

Good luck with everything!!

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A.O.

answers from Sherman on

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my GMC Acadia. It has the 3rd row and I can fit 3 carseats, plus 2 extras friends...and have room for groceries in the back!

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C.B.

answers from Columbus on

We just got a 2008 Toyota Sienna and it rocks. We test drove all of it's competitors and it was the best (in our opinion) by far! It has the most head/leg room, best gas mileage, more power, comfier seats. We got the 8-passenger LE version and the 8th seat is a normal-sized seat. (It's in the middle of the middle row.) That's where we put my son's car seat so he can see out the front windshield on trips! I babysit so I have another car seat next to my son's and the other day I had to put yet another one on the other side. It was a bulky one, too, and it fit fine. (Plus I had three kids in the back. They have an older version and they were even saying how much roomier it was back there.)

The back seats fold down into the floor and the middle seats fold up and can be taken out if needed. If the seats are all up, the storage in the back is awesome - very deep and wide. (My son's jogger will fit in it, and it's rather wide.) If they are all out, you could honestly haul drywall if you had to!

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T.G.

answers from Washington DC on

The Chevy Traverse has a 3rd row in the back, yet it is considered a cross-over.

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M.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

My daughter had that problem and she got a mini-van with 3 rows of seats. She took out one seat in the middle which allowed her to reach the 2 rear seats easily. It worked for her. You can also haul a ton of stuff that kids need as they grow...strollers, etc. Good luck, M. B.

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R.P.

answers from Cleveland on

a van, a suv like an envoy holds 3

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

My Toyota 4 runner does the job! :)

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G.G.

answers from Chicago on

I am assuming all your children are younger? We have three kids too and we have the Dodge GrandCaravan. Now our kids are getting older (8,5,2) my next choice might be an SUV. I have to tell you with younger children the minivan's are awesome. I like the Honda and Toyota vans but they are a little more in price but both highly reliable and good reviews. We recently looked at the Dodge Journey and it will do the job. I would love to hear what you decide and what SUV's will hold 6 or 7. My sisterinlaw has the GMC Arcadia but her kids are older. When they are younger and you have to get them in/out the vans are awesome.

H.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

The Jeep Commander fits 3 in the back, and has an additional 2 seats in the 3rd row.

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D.G.

answers from Houston on

Love my Honda Odyssey

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