Trying to Make a Difficult Decision!

I have owned a small car with kids and I can tell you it was so stressful and difficult compared to having my minivan....I admit that I NEVER wanted to be the mini-van mom, but now I don't know what I would do without it! You have 3 kids....two of which will likely start sports or other bulky activity soon (even school backpacks are big!)... I couldn't recommend a mini-van or larger vehicle more. Not only is it safer, but it makes travel, even for short trips to the grocery store, less stressful on you and on the kids-which would really be like sardines in the back :-)

I have a older Honda Odyssey and couldn't be happier....

I have a 2005 Nissan Altima and 2 boys in carseats (one forward and one backward). I would not be able to fit a third carseat. I don't know how the size of a carseat compares to the size of a booster seat (other than the absence of the high back as you mentioned), but hopefully this response is of some help anyway... :)

I do not own this particular car however I wanted to suggest going to the local car dealer and test out this car to see if all your seats will fit. Each persons carseat is a different size. I found when I purchased my car that I didn't test drive it enough by putting in all my seats and found that now the passangers are very cramped.

Not sure what your price range is and if your in the market for new cars, but I was researching and see that the Honda Civic gets 48 mpg!! Something to consider. Here is the link that gives you the gas mileage, which could be worth the investment in a new car. http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/gasmileage/ Good luck on your search! A friend of mine has a 2001 Nissan Ultima. She has a car seat and booster seat in back. I can't imagine an additional booster in the back. Only the umbrella stroller fits in the trunk. :( However, a another friend drives a Mazda5 plenty of space for your family and it looks like 22mpg (city)! Cute car.

Go to a regular dealership and test drive the current model (if the body styles haven't changed). It will give you some idea of what the care is like.

Hi there, my husband drives a Nissan Altima 2007. We bought it new, but have had NO probelms with it. It is a good car. I do believe that you could fit all 3 car seats in the back, but I think it would be worth making a stop at your local dealer that sells them and taking a test drive to see if your car seats fit. I drive a Nissan Sentra and that was a down size for me from a Mazda Tribute (I LOVED THAT SUV-but I totalled it) the Sentra is nice, but I can tell you for sure that 3 car seats wouldnt fit in it....so dont even think about looking at one of those lol. Have you thought about just looking into getting a smaller SUV? They tendto be wider vehicles and usually have more backseat room.

Hi S., I had an Altima, it was a good car and the back seat was very roomy. You wouldn't have any problem with 3 kids in the back. But you might check into Hyundai. I just bought a Santa Fe last year. Great car and the warranty is 100,000 miles. Can't beat that.
Good luck.
S.

Hi, good choice not to go the the civic--I wrote you and told you it was too small! Anyway, my husband owns an older nissan altima-and its still running after all these years. The newer models are nice! The back has a little more room and its a bigger car.I would say the reputation of the Nissan is great and the room is better! Good car!

Do you have a spouse as well? Will this be used as your primary vehicle? If so, this vehicle is not large enough for your family. I have twins and when they were 2 I had to get a bigger car. I "hated" putting all their stuff and then some of mine in my Altima. Oh, they don't drive very well if you are doing a lot of highway driving and I had the back seat pop out of mine. If you just lift and pull a little bit, it will come out voluntarily. I would look for something else.

Nissan Altima's are great cars. As long as you get a newer one >2005, you should be fine with fitting your kids in the back. Watch your engine size, (the bigger the engine the more gas you are going to eat up) Altima's are sporty and reliable! I own an Infinity QX4 ( Infinitys are made by Nissan) and I have never had a problem with it!

Hello Sarah,
I have a Nissan Altima 2002 and a 8 month old son. My husband, the baby and I have traveled in this car, barely!! I love my car. I cannot say enough about my Nissan, however for a family your size, may I suggest a Ford Winstar minivan. You'll need all the space you can get and the seats come out. Any kind of minivan would be better than a four door sedan. If I have another child I would have to say my Nissan would not be big enough and sadly have to look for another car. Nissan make other models that I would look into because I love them. So like I said my advise to you is bigger!!!

Try going to a different used car lot and test driving cars and then tell him what you drove and liked. With the economy where it is some used car sales men will be helpful about putting car seats in and trying to convince you to buy.

I would go around and test drive some cars before you decide. I just downsized from a large suv to a small suv. It is alot smaller space wise. I love my used new car, but it is a big change.

Just say no! I currently own a Nissan Altima. We have twin 7 year olds and an infant four months old. The twins cannot buckle their seat belts. My biggest fear was the boys accidently unbuckling the baby's seat while trying to buckle their seat. It was just too crowded in the backseat. An Altima is just too small in the back. We ended up buying a van three days before my scheduled c-section.

I've owned two Hondas and my has husband owned two Hondas and we loved them all. When my son was born, I bought a Honda Pilot SUV. It's the best SUV on gas I could find and it has tons of room including 3rd row seating. I would recommend this. It looks smaller on the outside that it actually is which I really like. Go test drive one. I bought mine used...it was a lease that was turned in early. It's sporty and very comfortable.

I would suggest that you go to a car dealership that carries the vehicle that you are interested in. You can check out the vehicles and not be obligated to purchase. I would go with all of my car seats and try them out for size. I do however believe that any of the smaller cars are going to be difficult putting (3) car seats in the back. Good Luck!!!!!!

I had one of these many years ago. It was a wonderful car and very roomy. You still might consider going to a car dealership and just tell them you are looking for a vehicle and ask if you can see if the carseats fit in the backseat. These cars are incredibly safe.

Two words!! SATURN VUE! I've had 2. Best bang for the buck, great size, amenities, gas mileage and service! NEW or USED... and SAFE!!