3 boosters in a sedan? Which sedan?

[KrisM]

DH and I are still working on our car plan. DH will get a 4-door sedan. He'll drive it for quite a while, so we will end up with 3 in boosters in it.

Anyone know what car does this well?

He doesn't drive often and we'd go as small as possible, likely. We were considering a Focus.

[westgre]

I don't know about three boosters yet, but we have an older Focus that only has a lap belt in the middle backseat. Make sure all three rear seatbelts are shoulder/lap belts.

[KrisM]

I don't know about three boosters yet, but we have an older Focus that only has a lap belt in the middle backseat. Make sure all three rear seatbelts are shoulder/lap belts.

Will be sure to check that. I know some didn't have head rests in all the positions either, so that's on our list.

Can you fit your 3 in the back? Is the oldest in a booster?

[SnuggleBuggles]

My friend has an Accord and it looks to me like she can fit 3 boosters in there. Right now she has a convertible, a booster seat and a 9yo w/ no carseat riding back there and they all fit.

Beth

[bubbaray]

I can't imagine fitting three boosters across in an Accord. IMO 3 boosters across in pretty much most sedans is going to be hard. Possibly some of the very large domestic sedans, but I'm not even sure what is available in that category these days.

ETA: I say that because boosters, with room to fasten the seatbelts, are a lot wider than convertibles.

[KrisM]

I can't imagine fitting three boosters across in an Accord. IMO 3 boosters across in pretty much most sedans is going to be hard. Possibly some of the very large domestic sedans, but I'm not even sure what is available in that category these days.

ETA: I say that because boosters, with room to fasten the seatbelts, are a lot wider than convertibles.

I have never been in an Accord, but that's what I'm afraid of. It would not be a main car, ever, but it would be nice if he could take all 3 kids, even if it was a bit of a struggle to get them buckled.

Is it easier with backless boosters? I am guessing that my kids would be 5, 7, and 9 when this happens, or a year older each.

[bubbaray]

You might be able to do it if you could locate a Clek Oto. They are LBBs formerly sold by Clek in Canada, sometimes you can find people willing to sell them on car-seat.org. I would be OK with a 9yo in an Oto, not a 5yo though.

I really think an Accord with 3 boosters is going to be not fun. At all.

You might check over on car-seat.org.

[o_mom]

I have never been in an Accord, but that's what I'm afraid of. It would not be a main car, ever, but it would be nice if he could take all 3 kids, even if it was a bit of a struggle to get them buckled.

Is it easier with backless boosters? I am guessing that my kids would be 5, 7, and 9 when this happens, or a year older each.

An Accord is not going to fit three boosters easily. DH has one and we can just squeeze three across if DS1 uses a Fisher Price booster (discontinued). I don't think even with three of those it would work though. The biggest issue, which will most likely be on any sedan, is the way the seats flare out at the sides. I'm sure it is to increase side-impact safety, but it means that the booster has to sit 4 in or more in from the door. Even a backless is going to be tough, especially one that is big enough for a 9-10 yo.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I wouldn't worry about all the boosters now, because by the time your younger 2 are ready for them, there may be different things on the market. Why not get 2 Radians for now and figure out which one other seat can go with them? Our Accord has 2 Radians and a RF MA in between. We drove it around today with the whole family in it, just for fun. DH loves our van and felt like we were all invading his car. It was fun.

[KrisM]

I wouldn't worry about all the boosters now, because by the time your younger 2 are ready for them, there may be different things on the market. Why not get 2 Radians for now and figure out which one other seat can go with them? Our Accord has 2 Radians and a RF MA in between. We drove it around today with the whole family in it, just for fun. DH loves our van and felt like we were all invading his car. It was fun.

We have Radians. We are figuring out our car situation. Right now, DH can only take 3 kids if DS1 is in a SafeRider vest. I have tried tons of combos with no luck getting 3 in his Saturn.

DS1 will outgrow his Radian in a year or so and eventually the other kids will too. The next car we get for DH will be with us until the kids are teenagers, so it would be nice if they could ride in it all together if needed. I know that my car will end up being a minivan and it will be our family vehicle, but it would just be nice if we all fit in the other car, too.

I know different things will be on the market in years to come, but I figure I'll do the best I can now because we aren't buying another vehicle for another 10+ years :).

[KrisM]

An Accord is not going to fit three boosters easily. DH has one and we can just squeeze three across if DS1 uses a Fisher Price booster (discontinued). I don't think even with three of those it would work though. The biggest issue, which will most likely be on any sedan, is the way the seats flare out at the sides. I'm sure it is to increase side-impact safety, but it means that the booster has to sit 4 in or more in from the door. Even a backless is going to be tough, especially one that is big enough for a 9-10 yo.

Well, darn. Good to know though.

[Joolsplus2]

Does the Focus have decent head restraints yet? I know older models are the pits, either flat backs or vestigial head bumps... I'd really shop for a car that has tall, adjustable head restraints, if you're in it for the long haul (one reason I approved of dh's Escape, Ford finally 'got it' on the 2006 model there, but they have lagged on other models).

[KrisM]

Does the Focus have decent head restraints yet? I know older models are the pits, either flat backs or vestigial head bumps... I'd really shop for a car that has tall, adjustable head restraints, if you're in it for the long haul (one reason I approved of dh's Escape, Ford finally 'got it' on the 2006 model there, but they have lagged on other models).

http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focussedan/gallery/photos/interior/

It looks like it does. And the seat is pretty flat.

We were looking at this because I know my friend has one and the back seat is quite flat. She has 2 RNs and a turbo booster in there. I'll have to get together with her and bring more boosters with me :).

[KrisM]

So, Julie and O_mom, what do you have for vehicles? I can't see us buying 2 huge vehicles, so if they don't fit in the 2nd one, do we just keep swapping vehicles for whomever has 3 kids? That's what we do now, for the most part. If I'm just going to be local, I'll take my car and leave the kids home because DH can get 3 in with the vest and in an emergency, DS2 can ride FF. Otherwise, if he just needed/wanted to go, I'd come home and swap cars or we'd plan ahead. But, I hate it. I have my stuff all organized in the trunk and hate to have to move it back and forth all the time :).

[o_mom]

I have an Odyssey and DH has the Accord. Obviously the van is a non-issue except rarely wanting to take more than 3 extra kids at once. :) The Accord we usually only have one or two in at a time. I can do the three if needed now that DS1 is in a booster, but only with that specific booster (FPSVB), even the PW doesn't fit. Prior to him using a booster I borrowed a RSTV for those few times we needed to do 3-across.

I drive the van most times. On weekends if we all go somewhere we use the van. If it is just one or two kids going then whichever we feel like/has the right seats in. Long term, I'm not sure what we will do. We are years away from needed to have all three in boosters, but at the same time, by that point, DS1 will be old enough to be left home alone for short time periods so it may not be as much of a *need* at that point. Right now the only times we have absolutely needed it have been when the van was in the shop and when we were moving, so maybe 2-3 times in the last three years?

[Joolsplus2]

Same here. I did have two boosters and a infant seat in the Escape for awhile, but it's such a pain to buckle that when the older two were in boosters we'd just bring the van instead/when possible. Now they don't need boosters in the Escape (starting at age 10 they didn't need them), so one harnessed seat or booster (not that Leah's in one yet, but she will be eventually) and two butts fit fine.
I'm not sure I could have tolerated 3 across if I had to drive them to school... a van makes that just sooooo much easier. Mine have ridden the school bus for years and it's not so bad to cram them in the car for afterschool and weekend activities, though. (and rarely three at a time at that, usually just one, sometimes 2 at a time).

[KrisM]

Thanks again.

I think we'll look at the Mazda 5 or Taurus X for him. He could do 2 in the rear and 1 in the front and have access to the rear. It seems like a decent type of car that might solve our issues.