I Need to Buy a Car That Fits 3 Car Seats

I have a Honda Pilot that I love! It's an SUV but drives like a car and it is easier to part than any car I've had. It also has 4 wheel drive and a third seat that folds totally flat.

I have three children under 5 and I drive a Honda Pilot. The older two are in booster seats and the youngest is in an infant seat. The second row is snug, but I am a smaller sized woman so I can fit back there to buckle them in. The car is not too big and not a minivan so I really enjoy it. It also has third row seating which I use on longer trips for the older two children. The only drawback is the back hatch which is sometimes hard to close.

My sister bought a used Volvo Cross Country and she has two sons and I have one- we fit a third carseat in the middle no problem so we could all go to the aquarium together over the holidays. It worked great, and the volvo is also all wheel drive! Just make sure the carseats aren't super wide or roundish.

Look at the Buick Enclave. We have it and it's a beautiful cross over vehicle. It has 3 rows of seats and fits 8 passengers. But it's not so big that I am unconfortable driving it. (not big like a Surburban) You'll be able to fit in 3 car seats in the second row.

Good luck!

Hi S.-

I have a Chevrolet Equinox (SUV) and it's all wheel drive. It's one of the smaller trucks that Chevy makes. I bought it last year and I love it! You can fit 3 car seats with no problem. If you do have to put a larger stroller in the back, you can fit it, but you will lose some storage area in the back. It also has an On-Star feature which is great for safety!
Happy car shopping!

M.

How about test driving a Honda CRV....it's all wheel drive, and smaller then the mini vans and the RV's...

Take your strollers, car seats with you when you shop to make sure everything fits in and is workable.

hi you can go with a subaru wagon thats a pretty good siz.e
But recently not only did i get a foreign car (which my whole life (im 38) ive only had American cars (my dad owned DeNegre's garage) . but i also got an suv. the suzuki xL7 which is fantastic. alot of the suvs dont ride ruff like they once did. I agree with the whole van theory an the suv is the I DONT WANT TO BE A MINI VANS MOM'S ANSWER. and there rugged and safe to drive.
my husband also has been in the auto motive industrie/truckin his whole life and now works for his friend at stephens auto mall which is were i got to try out my suzuki before buying it. best thing i did. we are on our 2nd child (due in april)and i dont have to upgrade cause we have 3rd row seeting which is good for when i end up doing car pool.
if you want go down to stephens ask for JW> (joe wilkinson). and tell him that i told you to go down and he'll try and help you. NOT TO BUY just soo you can check out different stuff with out presure. Sundays he does the car sales thing and during the week he car jockies but if you go whenever yougo just ask for him and he'll tak ethe time to help and if youdecide to he will help you get a deal.

My husband's toyota corolla fits 2 boosters & 1 car seat in the back but it is not comfy. We only do that if absolutely necessary. So I am sure you could easily find a larger car to accomodate you but keep in mind that you'll pay much more for it. I didn't want a mini-van either. Now with 3 kids I couldn't be without it.

A.

Subaru's are pretty good cars. You might try one of them. They have some of the smaller SUV types. But I'm wondering, will your 6 yr old be 7 by June? If so, you won't legally need that car seat anymore for her/him. You may end up going for the minivan anyway though. I have a mini van, and as much as I like it I really miss the Cavalier I had before. :) There are just soooo many things to haul around with 3 kids, not to mention room for groceries, and the stroller when you have to take them all with you.

Honda Pilot or Acura mdx are a perfect size. They fit in the garage too. You can fit 3 in the back and it has a 3rd row in case you have to split them up.

Hello,
I have a 2 &3 year old we have a honda pilot and I love it. We have all wheel drive and it seats 7. it would work well for your 6yr old because you can flip the seat forward and he can climb in easily to the third seat. Then the second row you can have your new baby and 3 year old. We choose the option with leather and DVD. The kids are great in the car watching movies. The pilot is a SUV not a mini van so alittle more sporty. This may be a good time to buy all businesses are hurting right now. You may get a great deal. I hope this helps good luck.
D.
SAHM

Hi Stacy!

We just recently bought the GMC Acadia. It is an SUV with a third row. The center row has the option to being a bench or captains seats,which ia a better option with carseats. It has the look of an SUV on the outside with the feel of a minivan on the inside. Lots of room for storage behind the third row, more than the Pilot which was our second choice. Good luck!
H.

Hi
I am (kinda') in your shoes right now-car shopping for my 3 kids to have room in the car with their stuff and room for carpools!!
We looked at a SATURN OUTLOOK yesterday and were impressed. What did you wind up going with? We are car shopping now!!

I love my Honda Pilot and the third row is great.

However, a smaller option with a third row that hasn't yet been mentioned is the Toyota Highlander. Could be "fun" for your oldest to have his own space.

The subaru tribeca now has 3 rows of seating... its more like an SUV than anything else, and is of course all wheel drive. I have a minivan, but wanted the tribeca!! Unfortunately subarus are alittle out of our price range at this time.

My husband too did not want a minivan. The kids had discovered it when we rented a car on our vacation and to save money on gas, we decided to rent a minivan. It was the most comfortable car. I have 3 boys, age 11, 6 and 4. And they all love it. So, my husband looked around for minivans. He had finally found the Nissan Quest. We got it fully loaded which came with sunroofs, 2 DVD screens, it has plenty of leg room, and it doesn't feel like a minivan, it's beautiful inside. The only one by the way, my husband would agree to buy. The only down is it didn't come in 4 wheel drive. You got to test drive it!

I have three children in car seats as well, a 5 year old, 2 year old and a 9 month old. I commute with an Accord and the three car seats fit. Although it is a tight squeeze. My weekend vehicle is a Honda Odyssey and that works great. I am thinking about buying a Honda CR-V because it is actually 2 inches wider than the Accord, a little bigger and sturdier on the road and is also All Wheel Drive. It the three seats fit into my Accord, they will definately fit in the CR-V which is better on gas mileage than a big truck, and you are not in a mini van. Hope this helps!

I never wanted a mini van but with 5 kids all in a seat and those automatic doors...I'd never go back. That being said my husband drives a Lincoln Contential. It fits 3 car seats in the back and the trunk is huge, I can fit a double stroller and still have room to shop! My advice to you is take whatever stroller and carseats you're going to use with you on your car shopping trips...I did.

Well I drive the Toyota Sienna,

I know your ANTI-Minivan
BUT

I have found that with 3 kids, ONE always wants a friend to tag along, ALSO Sports equiptment, LIke BAsketballs,
MY double stroller, and a diaper bag, sweaters and extra clothes just incase,

- In the summer we like to go to the park and ride bikes,
and I have NO problems whatsoever,

I know you are not at that point YET, but you will be very shortly, trust me baseball and soccer practice are just around the corner

I personally was NOT inlove with the minivan IDEA, but now that I have one, I love being able to visit costco's and walmart, and KEEP all my junk in the trunk,

and still have room for the kids.

Another feature that i really like is the windows on the sides go down, so the kids get some fresh air, instead of AC

and AS my husband says they have a great resale,

We paid 25,000
Brand new, but MY hubby is a great bargainer,

We got the CE instead of the LE, but purchased, all the extras separately, --IN the dealership they charge 500 for the floor mats, when if you order them separately its 150.

and from personal experience, I was able to sell my 2000 toyota camry for 6700 dollars

Just wanted to share, www.cars.com
great site for secondhand cars

Good luck

M