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Car that can hold 2 car seats plus an adult in the second seat...

T

travelplanner70

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My son and daughter-in-law will be having a second baby soon. They need a new car. Any suggestions of a car where an adult can sit in the second seat with two car seats on either side? I am not sure they are ready to buy a full-size van.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
I can't imagine that being very comfortable. Most car seats are so large that they encroach into the space next to them. Three adults would fit better than an adult and two car seats.

On our most recent trip, we had one rental SUV where we had to put all three kids in one row/bench for the drive from the airport and back to the airport -- one in a full car seat, one in a small booster seat (just the bottom, not a back), and one on the seat. They were very uncomfortable.

Why would they need both kids and an adult in the back seat? Wouldn't it be better for the other adult to be in the front?
 
We had a Chevy Impala that had a really big back seat, but I'm not sure it would be comfortable for the adult.
 
The specification you're interested in is "rear hip room". Try Googling and see what you come up with.
 
If they buy two Sunshine Kids Radian car seats, an extra adult should be able to work in most midsize to fullsize cars. They are extremely narrow. We have them and they are miracles of modern engineering. Not cheap though. Might be able to save a few bucks on ebay or Amazon or craigslist.
 
This is the season in their lives to buy a van or large SUV. Unless they typically trade in vehicles every 2-3 years they might as well have the larger vehicle at the time in their lives when they need it most. That said, larger vehicles also are invaluable for carpooling with older children, tweens and teens. Those years will be here in the blink of an eye. If they are the types to keep a car for 10 years then it will happen during this new vehicle's life cycle. Half the time I am in the car I have an extra kid or two with me. It is sooooo nice to have room for them! Carpooling makes my life so much easier AND it is great for helping kids foster friendships an an active social life. Also if they go for a mid sized SUV tell them to choose one with a third row seat that is decently accessible. Some of them are terrible. And those kids and their friends grow long legs by the age of 8 or so.

Might as well get the car that will work well for them for years to come.
 
We did it with a Nissan Maxima. It wasn't the most comfortable but worked. My children were 4 years apart so when my older son could change to a booster instead of a full car seat it got better.
 
My Brother and I rode around in the back of a '39 Ford with both Parents smoking in the front seat. No car seats, no seat belts but then the cars didn't go so fast either. Now kids can't ride a bike without a helmet. My how the world has changed.

George

PS In the house we had a coal shute, lots of coal dust when coal was delivered, and asbestos wrapped pipes in the basement. I'm 78 and my Brother is 75, both in good health as far as we know!
 
We just purchased the new 2013 Dodge Avenger which is a rather small car but we also purchased the Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Car Seat, which is a pretty small car seat. Great reviews, cheap @ $56.88 plus free shipping from Amazon. The dimensions are 18 x 17 x 25 inches much smaller then our other convertible car seat that remains in our mini van.

They could take a tape measure with them when looking for a new car to see if the car seats will fit with room for someone in the middle.
 
We own a Hyundai Elantra, and when we take both grandbabies, they want me to sit in the back with them. I can just fit into the spot between the two carseats. Mind you, I am only 5 feet tall! :D

I would second the vote for a minivan. It is much easier to transport children and their "stuff". We loved having a van when the kids were young.

Dori
 
We had the same problem when our kids were young. It's very frustrating, and I think that car seat manufacturers and car manufacturers are working together on this. It seems to me that it should be possible to make car seats narrower or in such a way that two can "puzzle" together to leave room for another person on a bench seat.

Anyway, we ended up getting a 1996 Toyota Camry wagon, which had a rear-facing third seat. That third seat was big enough for children, but it was not recommended to put a car seat back there. We also looked at Volvo wagons, but the third seat costs quite a bit extra and, at least when we were looking, you were not supposed to put car seats or anyone over 100 pounds in the third row.

The third-row seat in the RAV4 is very small, and the car itself isn't all that small. You could call Toyota to find out if it's okay to put a car seat back there. The space would be very tight for an adult. (I haven't looked at these since about 2009, so maybe they're better now.)

Eventually, when the kids got bigger and the 1996 wagon came to the end of its useful life, we gave in and got a 1999 Sienna. It seats seven and there is an option for seating eight.

If we were buying another, I would look for one that has captain's seats in the second row rather than a two-person bench. The bench is not very comfortable and the seatbelts are long and problematic--we've tried to have them adjusted, but they always end up pulling tighter and tighter in the course of a trip. I guess that's better than having them loosen!
 
bogey21 said:
My Brother and I rode around in the back of a '39 Ford with both Parents smoking in the front seat. No car seats, no seat belts but then the cars didn't go so fast either. Now kids can't ride a bike without a helmet. My how the world has changed.

George

PS In the house we had a coal shute, lots of coal dust when coal was delivered, and asbestos wrapped pipes in the basement. I'm 78 and my Brother is 75, both in good health as far as we know!
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You and your brother are lucky. Other people have not been so lucky.
 
travelplanner70 said:
My son mentioned the RAV 4 with 3 rows. Can anyone comment on that possibility?
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With the RAV4 and 3 rows, have them take a stroller with them to check out the vehicle. When the 3rd row is up, it is practically impossible to fit anything between the 3rd row seatback and the back door, especially something sizable like a stroller.

My SIL/BIL did exactly what you are looking to do with the Honda Pilot. And we have also done this when taking one of their kids in our Pilot. And, you also do get the 3rd row with the Pilot, which adds even more options. With our 3rd row seat up in the Pilot, we can easily fit either of our strollers. And we have the older design (2006) which has a smaller area back there. the newer ones have a little bit more room.
 
travelplanner70 said:
My son mentioned the RAV 4 with 3 rows. Can anyone comment on that possibility?
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We had a RAV4 as a rental for 10 days. It took us half the week to discover that there was a third row of seats in the cargo area! The third row is definitely not as comfortable as the second row. You could use it for car seats if you don't mind the kids being that far back. Also, the A/C never made it to the third row. And, no, there is not much extra storage space when the third row is in use. We managed to squeeze a bunch of backpacks in there but that's it.

Deb
 
I owned an Odyssey for years and now a Pilot. My "kids" are now grown, but I love the space and the often find ourselves with 5,6, or 7 adults, and it is nice to have a car that can transport everyone. We switched to the Pilot because I wanted an AWD vehicle, but I have to say that with 2 car seats I'd opt for the Odyssey unless you need the AWD. If you get Captain's seats in the middle row you can easily access the back row by walking through the middle, and younger to middle aged adults can easily do that. The problem with car seats and a third row in the Pilot and similar cars is you have to move the car seat to easily access the third row. I find it easier to get in the back of an Odyssey without moving any of the seats than into the rear of the Pilot with moving and tilting the middle seat, although both are relatively easy to do. If you're frequently going to have a 5th passenger, it is a pain to have to move a car seat, so that's something to consider.
 
m61376 said:
I owned an Odyssey for years and now a Pilot. My "kids" are now grown, but I love the space and the often find ourselves with 5,6, or 7 adults, and it is nice to have a car that can transport everyone. We switched to the Pilot because I wanted an AWD vehicle, but I have to say that with 2 car seats I'd opt for the Odyssey unless you need the AWD. If you get Captain's seats in the middle row you can easily access the back row by walking through the middle, and younger to middle aged adults can easily do that. The problem with car seats and a third row in the Pilot and similar cars is you have to move the car seat to easily access the third row. I find it easier to get in the back of an Odyssey without moving any of the seats than into the rear of the Pilot with moving and tilting the middle seat, although both are relatively easy to do. If you're frequently going to have a 5th passenger, it is a pain to have to move a car seat, so that's something to consider.
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I was going to suggest they wait until after they have the baby to see how everything works out, for this reason. We had a 4 door car when my daughter was born. She's the second child. We were going to keep it for another year or two, but after separate visits from both the Grandmas, we decided to get a van. Climbing over carseats didn't cut it for long while post-partum, post-cesarean and hormonal. :p Now, 12 1/2 years later, I still love my van (Honda Odyssey) and don't want to get a new car! I have 195,000 miles on it and it still runs great. I was just talking with two separate friends that also have Odysseys, and they feel the exact same way.

I know a lot of people don't want to be "mini-van" people, but there are very practical reasons to get one. The seats have a lot more leg room for when the kids get bigger; with captain chairs in the second row, each child has their own space so you avoid some of arguments; it's much easier to get into the third row; you have some trunk space even when using the third row seats; the gas mileage of my van is better than a lot of SUV's.
 
with 2 of those narrower car seats, it's possible to fit a skinny adult in between the 2 car seats.

The KIA Rondo and the Mazda 5 have optional 3rd row seats. They are sort of the cross-over vehicles, not a full minivan. But it is true that once you put up the 3rd row seats, there's no room for much else in the back.

B
 
Love my Honda Pilot

We have a honda pilot that seats eight and drives like a sedan. I researched cars on-line when my daughter and 2 grandchildren moved back to California from the East Coast. The part I liked about it was when I read "it is an SUV that drives like a car". It's so true. Two seats in front, middle section has room for three and the back can fold up in two sections - for two and one person. We usually keep the back folded down and have a roomy back trunk space, but have had occasion to have 8 in the car at once when we have all the grandchildren over.
 
Is there any reason why the adult needs to sit in the middle versus on the end? No matter what the car, that arrangement could be very problematicmfor an adult. With two Radians or other narrow car seat, the infant could be on one end, the toddler in the middle, and an adult on the end.
 
spencersmama said:
I know a lot of people don't want to be "mini-van" people, but there are very practical reasons to get one.
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Funny that you said that- when we bought our first one, I felt the same way. DH said he'd use it daily and that way we could have one when we needed it for family use. A few weeks later my Mom broke her shoulder, and it was easier for her to get into a higher vehicle, so we switched cars. After the initial day or two of feeling a little weird parking it, etc., it was regularly my car; I wasn't switching back. It's so nice to have room for extra kids, extra packages, extra adults or any combination thereof. You may surprise yourself.

Loved it so much when I really needed an AWD (driveway is on a hill, and now with my Mom living with us I need to make sure I can get up the driveway even if there is snow on it) it was hard to give it up, and although we don't have carpools to worry about anymore, we bought a Pilot for the flexibility. As posted above, it's a great car- rides well, great capacity for people and stuff, and great safety ratings.
 
Clemson Fan said:
I know you said no vans, but I got the Honda Odyssey for this very same reason and its really good.
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I am another vote for the Odyssey. I really wish I had it when my girls were young - but now I have had it for quite a few years (2001, bought in 2003) and I am sure enjoying that extra room for my grandkids!!

My hubby didnt particularly want to be a mini-van person either. After renting one to take his grandkids back to Florida to their mom one year, and then looking to rent one the next year for a family trip... he decided we needed one:) Even when it is just the 2 of us, it is SO much nicer to have the extra room when we travel.

I have my eyes out for another, newer Odyssey, so my daughter can have mine. She has borrowed my Subaru Outback wagon and she can fit both carseats in, with her sister in between. But my Jennie is very slim at 105 pounds!! I would NOT want to get between those seats myself:)
 
For a sedan, and a need for space, 2002-2005 Cadillac Deville ($3000-$9000 depending on miles). After all, they have Stabilitrak, front and side airbags, more responsive steering than older Cadillacs, ABS, heated/cooled leather seats, huge trunk, and gets 25mpg hwy with the reliable Northstar V8. Pre-2000 Cadillac (Sedan) Devilles required high-octane gasoline, but the 2000 and afterwards Northstars *prefer* high but will run on regular. They have OnStar, but since it can't be upgraded (aka dead), you can buy a device called BlueStar, which upgrades it to a Bluetooth device only.

A great small SUV, slightly more expensive, is the first generation Cadillac SRX (2004-2006). Plenty of space, plenty of state-of-the-art safety features, Rear-Wheel Drive (it's "sister" - the Chevrolet Equinox - has Front-Wheel Drive), and if selected, two-row sunroof. I've seen them around $15k-$20k, with high-mileage (over 15000mi/yr average) as low as $9k. AWD is an option.

I do not suggest the Escalade line, as you can save thousands by buying a GMC Yukon Denali (practically identical options). Of course, with the huge trucks, you get diminished MPGs and low resale value (aka waste of $$$).

If you haven't figured it out, I am biased towards Cadillacs.

TS
 
dovetailing on the GM Caddy, I have a full size Buick that would easily accommodate the 2 car seats + adult in the back. Can even put a third human up front in the middle (there aren't a lot of 40/20/40 split bench front seats but I have one).

Don't have to go the minivan route if they don't want to.
 
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