Vehicles that can handle 3 car seats

[ae118]

We sucked it up and got the minivan, for a few years anyway. We died a little inside, but honestly it was a great decision and we have no regrets. All the SUVs we looked at had either a really crappy third row, or zero cargo space in the back.

As someone else posted, the Diono Radian car seat is tall and thin and works great for forward facing so you can often get three in a row. The issue with that seat is that it's a beast for rear facing, and that's what you apparently need right now. I believe the Clek Foonf (yeah yeah) which I think is made in Canada, is also supposed to be good for seating three across. My honest advice is to google Seat Savvy and ask them - they'll consult with you for fairly cheap and they're experts at this stuff.

Or just hold your breath and get the minivan.

[Tron_fdc]

So we looked at a Denali last night (this was her first choice) and she was dead set on it working with captains chairs. I just about shat a kidney when I saw the sticker price ($80k). Same with the Sequoia (her other choice).

Had a look at the Honda Oddyssey and function wise it does everything we need. Loads of space, easy access, totally kid and mom friendly. It's also half the price of a Denali. My opinion is that the Honda doesn't really look like a minivan, and with a few mods (tinted windows and low profile tires/rims) my high class wife will be happy driving it.

I told her for the $600/month in savings I would hire a maid to clean the house. She's reluctant, but I think I'm making progress. It's a win-win really.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

So we looked at a Denali last night (this was her first choice) and she was dead set on it working with captains chairs. I just about shat a kidney when I saw the sticker price ($80k). Same with the Sequoia (her other choice).

Had a look at the Honda Oddyssey and function wise it does everything we need. Loads of space, easy access, totally kid and mom friendly. It's also half the price of a Denali. My opinion is that the Honda doesn't really look like a minivan, and with a few mods (tinted windows and low profile tires/rims) my high class wife will be happy driving it.

I told her for the $600/month in savings I would hire a maid to clean the house. She's reluctant, but I think I'm making progress. It's a win-win really.

Mini-van all day long.


As the kids get older, but still young they can get in and out of it easier. You have lots of room for lots of crap.


I really don't care about the anti mini-van crowd.

What better way to show your virility as a man that needing a mini-van to carry around all your DNA.

[zukes]

Mini-van for sure. We have two kids, but my wife runs a home day care with now 5 other little ones. We had to get a new one from the Grand Caravan we had since we needed 8 seats. We looked at the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna 8 seater versions.

I liked the Odyssey a little better but my wife will be driving it more so it was her call and we went with the Sienna, much like the one pictured a page or two back.

We have had it less than a month and I have driven it the most since we just went on vacation to South Carolina.

It drives very well and has everything you need.

Get over the fear of the mini-van. They are awesome, you can use then for anything. Need to haul a pile of dead bodies? No problem, stow the back row and remove the middle row.

There are other practical uses for removing the seats as well.

[burn_this_city]

Get a 2007 GMC Sierra HD 4 door.

[Bill Bumface]

I was just in Europe and I can't figure out if we are ridiculous for being way to over protective or if they are ridiculous for risking their children's lives on a regular basis.

I saw a three year old riding on the bars of a scooter, an infant in a front facing car seat on the front seat of an A4 convertible...

But seriously, why are we the only continent in the world that needs these behemoth vehicles to haul our mini-people around?

Am I delusional thinking I can survive with a wagon when the time comes?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Am I delusional thinking I can survive with a wagon when the time comes?

No, but I think the big factor is if you only have 2 kids or less.

Once you get that third one I think this decision comes in.

We get by more than fine with our Volvo XC70 wagon and Toyota Yaris.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I was just in Europe and I can't figure out if we are ridiculous for being way to over protective or if they are ridiculous for risking their children's lives on a regular basis.

I saw a three year old riding on the bars of a scooter, an infant in a front facing car seat on the front seat of an A4 convertible...

Pfft, they are using car seats now? Amateurs. When I was a lad in Europe we never even used seat belts, never mind car seats. As a kid I remember spending quality time sleeping in the footwell, and sometimes even on the back window sill.

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

But seriously, why are we the only continent in the world that needs these behemoth vehicles to haul our mini-people around?

Same thing regarding why everyone needs a truck for towing, when you see VW Passats gunning down the Autobahn with a camper. Or why the rest of the world can do construction in a small pickup, everyone here needs a full-size HD to take garbage to the dump.

Am I delusional thinking I can survive with a wagon when the time comes?

Stick to 2 kids and you'll be fine. The only issue is that a lot of the baby gear today is huge too. Everything is monster sized, so you'll probably need a bigger-ish wagon. An A3 hatch won't do with 2 kids.

[Mazrim]

Man, I don't get all the minivan hate these days. I'm pretty sure my brother and sister and I would never have been able to survive the long trips to visit family without one of those. The comfort and space makes up for any misconception the general public may have about them. Who cares what Joe Blow in his overpriced Escalade thinks of you? He has to clean up the same messes from kids that you do, only it costs him 5 times more to clean the seats.

[burn_this_city]

Just because they don't do things overseas doesn't make their way of life superior. Perhaps life is cheaper there. Using smaller vehicles for construction means they might be less productive per hour worked than here.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Just because they don't do things overseas doesn't make their way of life superior. Perhaps life is cheaper there. Using smaller vehicles for construction means they might be less productive per hour worked than here.

But But But.....Europe.......

[Bigtime]

Yup, those Germans are incredibly unproductive fellows...

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Just because they don't do things overseas doesn't make their way of life superior.

It's not a case of whether it's superior or not, its more whether it can be done, and done well. Some people just seem to think things are impossible unless you have the biggest most expensive tool in town.

Btw, if 95% of the world does it one way, and we do it another, why are we the superior ones?

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I was just in Europe and I can't figure out if we are ridiculous for being way to over protective or if they are ridiculous for risking their children's lives on a regular basis.

I saw a three year old riding on the bars of a scooter, an infant in a front facing car seat on the front seat of an A4 convertible...

But seriously, why are we the only continent in the world that needs these behemoth vehicles to haul our mini-people around?

Am I delusional thinking I can survive with a wagon when the time comes?

The issue isn't what I would want or think, the issue is what other parents would do or what the law says.

If I drive around without a car seat for the 6yr old his dad will call a lawyer. Parents would call the cops if my 1yr old was strapped in with a bungee cord underneath my bicycle. It's ridiculous, but that's how it is here.

If it were up to me I would toss my kids in the back seat of a wagon, but if I get pulled over not only does my wife end up in in a legal battle with her ex, but I get fines up the arsehole and get branded as a bad parent.

I actually don't care. I drive a TDI Touareg but it's too small for gear, kids and car seats. If I could fit them in there I would. I also have a wife that has high standards, but that's a trade off because she's damn sexy. She knows it and I don't blame her for wanting to be different, so to placate her I'm going to look at gas guzzling monsters and try to sway her into a Honda. We'll see.

So yeah, condescending remarks from Table 5 aside longing for days of yore in a foreign land, this has been a pretty good thread with lots of information.

[Table 5]

Hah, I like how me making fun of the time spent as a 5 year old in the back of a ####ty Skoda is considered condescending.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I was just in Europe and I can't figure out if we are ridiculous for being way to over protective or if they are ridiculous for risking their children's lives on a regular basis.

I saw a three year old riding on the bars of a scooter, an infant in a front facing car seat on the front seat of an A4 convertible...

But seriously, why are we the only continent in the world that needs these behemoth vehicles to haul our mini-people around?

Am I delusional thinking I can survive with a wagon when the time comes?

My baby has a giant plastic safety bucket. He'd be fine in the front seat in it, it would stop an airbag. I actually think he'd be fine in it if I drove over it with my SUV.

However, if I put him in it in the front seat, "that's what Euro's do" isn't going to get me out of the ticket and reprobration from society.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

My baby has a giant plastic safety bucket. He'd be fine in the front seat in it, it would stop an airbag. I actually think he'd be fine in it if I drove over it with my SUV.

However, if I put him in it in the front seat, "that's what Euro's do" isn't going to get me out of the ticket and reprobration from society.

I am not familiar with this "giant plastic saftey bucket", but I would be surprised if it "would stop an airbag".

Can you tell me more about it?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

The issue isn't what I would want or think, the issue is what other parents would do or what the law says.

I wasn't at all suggesting it would be feasible to do something different here, I just find the massive difference in attitude interesting.

It's the same thing with the autobahn in Germany. No speed limit is ludicrous. I don't think there is any arguing that you aren't at higher risk with people doing 250km/h in the adjacent lane.

On the other hand... some of the crazy measures that are now "normal" for child safety seem like we waste a lot of time protecting the 0.00001% case of infant danger instead of the 0.1% stuff.

I can already tell that when the time comes I'm going to find it all confusing as hell.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I can already tell that when the time comes I'm going to find it all confusing as hell.

Actually you won't find it confusing.

You will find you take any/all steps to ensure you child is safe, especially at an age when they are helpless.

At least this is what I found.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Actually you won't find it confusing.

You will find you take any/all steps to ensure you child is safe, especially at an age when they are helpless.

At least this is what I found.

Hand make my own baby food from vegetables I grew myself?

Don't let my kid ride in a car, ever?

Buy all foam furniture?

Don't let anyone with a cold in our house?

Only let them outside on cloudy days?

Move outside the city to decrease air pollution exposure?


Those all sound ridiculous right? Well so does putting a 6 year old in a car seat to a lot of the world.

No one does "everything I can". People do "whatever society deems acceptable, so that if anything happens to my kid no one will blame me".