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Hi,

Anyone know, from personal experience, what vehicles can take three car seats across the back, but also get decent fuel economy? One kid can go to a booster pretty soon if that makes a difference.

thanks
SS

The Prius won't take 3 car seats. Camry/Accord will IIRC. The Camry hybrid gets 33/34 while the plain I4 Accord gets 21/31. Both have PZEV versions availabble.

Mazda 5, three rows of seats.

The CRV might (my mom has an 07 or so). My mom is able to wring 30 MPG out of the manual AWD version. The Escape will, at least with two car seats and a rear facing seat in an 01, but the FEH and such is rather a bit pricey.

try Jetta Wagon TDI - it should fit three car seats (snug)

The Prius will hold three car seats, but it is tight. Member efusco has experience with this.

Thanks for the replies. I found this link that may be useful:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=33226

-SS

Good thread SS. I'm researching the same subject. I'm down to a yaris (diesel or petrol), an almera hatchback and a ford fusion 1.4tdci. They have good flat back seats and are wide enough (the yaris might be tight). Flat back seats are hard to come by these days! The ford fusion is a boxy little car and here's a link to one for sale: http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Fusion/2/1018001/
just to give you an idea. Obviously i won't be going on a family roadtrip in it as the trunk is almost non existent but i only need it for commuting. Horses for courses, as they say.

ollie

ps: could this thread be a sticky?

I routinely squeeze my wife + 3 kids into my Honda Fit. Back seat is arranged from right to left: Booster seat at the window, skinny 12-year old in the middle, and car seat at the other window. Three car seats would be a tight fit, although one car seat and two boosters might work.

Cheers!

Maybe you already saw this post about car seats in the Honda Civic Hybrid:
Here is a very useful thread from the car-seat.org forum named "Successful Three Across thread":
http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=33226

At least two different people had three across in the current generation Civic. They did not use the LATCH system--just seat belts. I believe it is better to use the seat belts than to use the LATCH system improperly.

Anyway, it looks like three across can be done--just do not use the LATCH system for it.
You can see the entire thread here (http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f51/does-anyone-have-2-carseats-rear-18662/).

No, found it by googling. Before reading that three across thread I would not have believed you could get three car seats in the back of a Honda Civic. Actually, I drive a Honda Civic. There are two car seats in there now and a few inches between them :-)

But that thread has a lot of photos of successful three across in small vehicles like Corollas, Civics, etc.