3 car seats in a SUV

Soon I am going to have 3 kids in car seats and my wife’s SUV (2017 Hyundai Santa Fe) won’t really work. It has a third row, but my oldest will be 3 and unable to buckle himself in, plus I doubt the middle seat would slide up far enough to squeeze back there with the car seats in place.

We are considering similar sized SUVs as the Santa FE, even sticking with a Santa Fe, but going with second row captain chairs. However, I still don’t know if there be room to squeeze around the car seats in the second row and then fit between them to get to the third row.

We are going test fit before we buy, but I was wondering if anyone has something they would recommend to help narrow our search. We are avoiding anything full size due to bad reliability (other than the sequoia, but that thing is a dinosaur), mpg (my wife has a 70 mile rd trip commute 3x p/week) and price (I will have to get rid of my double cab for a crewmax so all ready not happy with our soon to be vehicle expenses).

So, in summary, anyone have a SUV that fits 3 car seats in the 2nd row or where the 3rd is easily acceesible while two car seats are in the second row.

I’ve seen pictures where people have 3 car seats in the 2nd row of 4runners, but it was with at least one booster seat and the kids were sardined in there.

 

3rd row T4R will do it.

 

I have 2 friends with 3 car seats in their wives cars. One is a honda pilot, other is a highlander and those are good. Another buddy's wife has an Escalade and it's not better than those 2 med sized SUVs. This is second row I'm talking about. 4 runner would not be good IMO. My buddy has 2 in his and it sucks. I dont think the 4runner is any bigger than my old double car Tacoma and that sucked with just one car seat. Of all the above mentioned vehicles, my crewmax has the most rear seat space and it's by quite a bit

 

I wish, but I’d have toss my oldest over the second row and then crawl over behind him to buckle him in. There’s no other way to get to the back with car seats in the second row. Well, other than crawling in from the back.

 

I have just started my research, but a Pilot seems like the best option, but they look like a 90s Accord got knocked up an Astro Van after a drunken prom night (no offense to anyone with one - a Pilot or a drunken prom night baby).

Highlanders are similar sized to Santa Fe’s; so do you know if your friends use the third row and, if so, does it have captain chairs in the second row? I don’t think the bench seat would slide forward far enough to squeeze behind with car seats in it.

 

I keep trying to convine my wife that a crew cab truck fits three car seats the best. No squeezing between seats and enough space to get someone in the middle car seat without fighting the front seats and other car seats.

For some reason, she doesn’t think we need to be a two crewmax family. Good thing she’s hot or else I wouldn’t put up with those kind of illogical conclusions.

 

The pilot is much better with the 3 car seats than the highlander. The highlander couple has 3 in the second row BENCH, rarely use 3rd row and never for car seats.
The pilot really is the way to go from what I've seen in med sized SUVs......unless you're willing to go with a van or gmc Acadia. honestly the sienna and honda vans are really nice if you and wifey can swallow that pill. Acadia with captains chairs in 2nd row does have space to get to the 3rd row easily.

 

This may be my new sig. Quote of the week for sure lol

 

You have to get the Sequoia
Nothing like it...it’s the biggest and the best
After 5000 miles I’m averaging 16.9mpg
Just as good as my 17 1794 I had

 

A lot of my various car seat forum reading has had numerous posts saying basically ‘just swallow your pride and get a van’.

I like the looks and size of the Acadias, but the reliability scares me off. I also like the size of the new Volkswagen Atlas, and, in person, I like the looks, but I don’t think I could ever buy a Volkswagen, even with 6yr 72k warranty (though it is bumper to bumper, hmmmm)

 

One of my buds has a Sienna, loves it.

 

What's wrong with a van?

 

We have an Odyssey. I think the Interior is much nicer than the sienna.

 

It screams DOMESTICATED! other than that nothing.

 

17mpg isn’t terrible in a vehicle that size, but with my wife’s commute, every few MPG’s counts. I’ve kind of thought about leasing until the Sequoia update (then we’d have some more money spend when they came out), but I have never even looked into the economics of leasing.

 

Dont get me wrong that thing has every option imaginable. He put some nice wheels on it and a couple other things. Its sharp and screams DOMESTICATED.

 

Vans are really nice. Anyone I know who has them, loves them.
Sad to say but American reliability sucks and when you're buying a car for your wife and kids that's #2 behind safety. So I'd agree that Acadia, although nice, would be out for me as well. Idk if I could switch to honda either. I'd look hard at the sienna. Idk anything about the VW other than I wouldn't buy a VW

 

Meh. I didn't care what other people thought. I let the wife pick what she wanted. Glad it was the van. Useful and super comfortable on long trips.

 

I agree, we went to Ft. Bragg and back. Really comfortable road and drove great.

 

My wife is more against a van than I am (though, so would be the one driving it). We both like her Santa Fe and our first stop will be to check one out with the captains seats in the second row, but I have my doubts that there will be enough room between the rear facing car seats in the second row and the front seats to squeeze by to get to the ‘aisle’.

 

I’d give vehicles like the Acadia and Atlas a vague consideration, but they price them like they have Audi performance (everyone rates the Q7 highly) and the same reliability as Toyota.

Subaru came out with a new SUB this year that, according to consumer reports, as the same shoulder width as the Pilot, so it could probably fit three car seats in the second row, but they’re pricing it like it’s a proven commodity.

 

Lol, that is definitely the logical way of looking at that.

My sister was shopping for an suv couple months back. She was also used to driving an F350 king ranch. So naturally she wanted an suv that wasnt grossly oversized but bigger than the Kia and Hyundai sized ones.

After a week or 2 we came to the conclusion that there isnt an inbetween anymore. Of course there are a few but there arent enough odmf them to really feel like you found the perfect make and model.

She did find a GMC something something. It was/is quite nice and drive really well. I dunno if it will meet you sesting requirements but ill look up the model in just a sec.... The Terrain.

Hers was a 2014. Didnt have any issues but i never took the time to research it either.

Gotta ask, are car seats more or less about the same size?

 

My wife has a 2015 Sienna and I hate it. While it has plenty of room for family/storage, the front seat area is ridiculously cramped for me. It's painful to drive for anything over 30 minutes and only gets 19.3 MPG average on trips. Also, we have had it in the dealership multiple times for power window issues (the drivers side buttons would not control any of the windows, and then the passenger side button stopped working as well). I cannot wait to get rid of it next year.

 

My Dad has a 2014 Highlander, first year of the updated body. I like the looks of it and it drives great. He has 2nd row captains chairs, that makes all the difference in the world. The 2nd row captains chairs make the inside of the Highlander feel huge, the 3rd row is much more functional, and access to it is easier. He purchased recently and shopped Highlanders, Pilots, and CX-9.

3 car seats are a PIA in any vehicle accept a van, but the Highlander seems to be the best option without going to a van. I like Pilots as well, I just think the Highlander feels larger inside. The CX-9 missed a few key points that my Dad was looking for in a vehicle and had considerably more road noise.

My sister has a Suburban, 2nd row bench seat, we visit often. She has 2 girls (under 3) and with my little girl (almost 2) it is all but impossible to get situated to travel in the Suburban. The 3rd row is downright claustrophobic. Having to tumble, roll, and slide seats to get in and out is ridiculous and a chore.

 

A Durango might be worth a look, 2nd and 3rd row bench. 2nd row is split center/passenger and driver seat is smaller the whole row will fold and tumble for 3rd row access if 3 across won't work.

My wife has the 3.6 V6 AWD and gets 24-26mpg on the highway, 20-21 mixed driving.

Also ran across this for you
https://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/3-across-car-seat-guide-html/

 

I told the wife absolutely no minivans! She agreed, i was hoping to get her into a Sequioa. She currently drives a Limited Expedition due to the Sequioa's price. Those damn things don't devalue much....

 

pfft. you guys are whining too much. we had 3 carseats in the back of an FJ Cruiser for years. talk about a hassle.