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Any ~CARS~ out there that can fit three car seats in the backseat?  

post #1 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
We are on a tight tight tight budget and are wondering if there are any cars (not vans or SUVs) that will actually fit three car seats in the back seat?

Do you have one?

Have you heard of any?

Because I haven't. All of my friends with three children drive minvans.
post #2 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:32pm
depends on the seats...

We have had 3 (including one giant alpha omega) in the back seat of our 2001 Honda Civic before, non-L.A.T.C.H though. Yes I said Honda Civic.

We rented a (maybe 2003-2004) Ford Crown Victoria about 9 months ago and had 2 big carseats in the back and loads of room for DW to sit back there, we definatly could have fit another seat there, even like a comfortsport or alpha omega.
post #3 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:34pm
I am a car seat tech and I regularly install 3 car seats into the back of sedans. No problem! You just have to select among the narrower of available car seats. You'll have to go out and try a bunch of configurations.
post #4 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:36pm
Hmm I have a Honda Civic and there is only a few inches of space between the two car seats back there now.

Does anyone have recommendations for narrow car seats or boosters?
post #5 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:40pm
SIL has a toyota matrix with 3 seats. Two roundabouts and a booster of some sort.

I've heard that the radian is a good narrow choice.

-Angela
post #6 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:43pm
I couldn't fit three Britaxes into the back seat of a roomy SUV...
post #7 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:48pm
I can fit 3 into the back of my Matrix if I have to, but I only have 2 kids in seats (other DS is almost 13). Like Angela said, they have to be seats with narrower bottoms, but it does work out.

I had two Advantages (Roundabout size) and a belt-positioning booster back there for a trial to see what would work.
post #8 of 42
6/14/07 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
We have had 3 (including one giant alpha omega) in the back seat of our 2001 Honda Civic before, non-L.A.T.C.H though. Yes I said Honda Civic.
This is what we have -- a 1999 Honda Civic and I couldn't fit my ~purse~ in between the two car seats back there..and these days my purse is pitifully thin.

ShaggyDaddy -- could you share the brand of car seats you have back there and the ages of your children? Because you must have the thin car seats people keep mentioning.
post #9 of 42
6/14/07 at 5:16pm
The family I used to nanny for had three carseats across the back of their Jetta. I think it was a 1999 or 2000. Not sure the carseat brands though.
post #10 of 42
6/14/07 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom View Post
This is what we have -- a 1999 Honda Civic and I couldn't fit my ~purse~ in between the two car seats back there..and these days my purse is pitifully thin.
I had a 1999 Civic. It was NOT possible to safely install a forward-facing toddler seat (any that I could find!) on the side positions because if you'll look, the seat belt and the buckle stalk both start at the SIDE of the seat, rather than the seat bight. I had to get a different car.
post #11 of 42
6/14/07 at 5:47pm
I've had a britax companion infant seat(no base), britax parkway booster and a cosco scenera all safely installed in my saturn ion. I bet I could easily do 3 radians across the back. It's all about meshing the seats together.
post #12 of 42
6/14/07 at 6:47pm
I've seen 2 Marathons and a britax booster in the back of a Jetta.

I have 2 Marathons and a Graco high back booster in the back of my Subaru Forrester. I guess that is technically an SUV though.
post #13 of 42
6/14/07 at 6:51pm
I've fit 3 seats in the back of my dodge neon. it was a TIGHT fit, and we used the belts for all 3 (no LATCH, it's a '96), but they were in there fine.
post #14 of 42
6/14/07 at 6:55pm
There's no way my '03 civic would fit three seats. I couldn't fit between them and I fit in the Alpha Omega, albeit a tight fit

We bought a minivan which I have a love hate relationship with.
post #15 of 42
6/14/07 at 7:33pm
My friend has 3 (2 foward & 1 rear faceing) in the back of a Toyota Corolla. : Not sure exactly what year, but I'd say late 99ish. It is tight, but there in there.
post #16 of 42
6/14/07 at 7:36pm
I had a ford taurus (a 2000, I believe) that fit a graco turbo booster, a graco safeseat (rear facing) and an alpha omega (forward facing) it was a complete and total hand-wrenching PITA to get the booster buckled, though. The safeseat was in the middle, so I'd have to scootch the booster over a bit (with the child in it, belt over him) to buckle it, then schootch the seat back over and pull it to tighten. Total PITA but, they fit!
post #17 of 42
6/14/07 at 7:42pm
Oh, I'm SO glad to hear that three car seats will fit in the back of a Matrix! I don't ahve ANY kids yet, but it's wise to be prepared for the future.

Those of you who could fit three in the back of a Matrix - what brand/model were they, please?

TIA!!
post #18 of 42
6/14/07 at 7:50pm
I have 3 kids and all three carseats are in the back seat. I have a Mazda Proteza. It is a 2000 with 150,000 miles. It is a great car and I haven't had to put any money into it except replacing the battery and timing belt. It is a great car for a family and the mileage is wonderful.
post #19 of 42
6/14/07 at 9:27pm
Depends on the seats. I can get a five point toddler/preschool style and two belt positioning boosters into my Acura Integra...but the center belt is a lap belt, so once the little one grows out of her five pt. harness, the middle section won't be usable for kids:-(.

If you choose narrow base seats, any japanese four door sedan should work.
post #20 of 42
6/14/07 at 9:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom View Post
This is what we have -- a 1999 Honda Civic and I couldn't fit my ~purse~ in between the two car seats back there..and these days my purse is pitifully thin.

ShaggyDaddy -- could you share the brand of car seats you have back there and the ages of your children? Because you must have the thin car seats people keep mentioning.
we sold our civic a few years ago, but it was when i did childcare. we had an alpha omega (without the bas), a cosco touriva (i think), and either a narrow booster or a graco snugride (we fit both at different times). the civic was a 2003 (and the seats were about that same age). we had to play with the set-up alot, cause with some seats next to eachother the doors wouldn't even shut, but with some it was so simple to install. i think the general formula was one rear facing between two foward facing, or one foward facing between two rear facing. of course, it's possible that the 2003 civic had more room across than yours.

we also fit the ao, the snugride, and the touriva in my mil's elantra.
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