3 Row SUV's With 3 Car Seats

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lifeisbeautiful

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Does anyone with several small children have a 3 row (7-9 passenger) SUV that has easy third row access?

It looks like our SUV is on its last leg and with our 3rd on the way (and the possibility of more after that) we are looking into vehicles with at least 7 passenger seating. Though we are open to minivans, we kinda like SUV’s better and were trying to find a 3 row SUV that has an easy access third row and that works well with several car seats. I was wondering if there were any SUVs that had something like the “Stow and Go” feature of Chrysler that may hide a middle seat and make it easier to access the back. If I can’t find any SUV that fits the requirements, I would like a minivan that has easy access to several car seats.

Anyone with several small kids have a vehicle they love and would recommend? Could you list your favorite features?
 
I think I remember DH telling me that the new Tahoe’s have a break in the middle of the second row seats like mini-van’s have. I “think” the Honda Pilot does that now also, but I’m not sure.

This was the main reason we bought a mini-van. It is just not practical to not have easy access to the backseats. My mom has an older Tahoe and she’s always got my kids climbing over seats to get in. It’s a pain and it tears up the interior.
 
We just went with the van. I got the Chevy Astro, even though it’s ugly 😛 , because it seats 8, instead of 7 like most minivans. The 3rd-row SUVs are awfully expensive.
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
Does anyone with several small children have a 3 row (7-9 passenger) SUV that has easy third row access?

It looks like our SUV is on its last leg and with our 3rd on the way (and the possibility of more after that) we are looking into vehicles with at least 7 passenger seating. Though we are open to minivans, we like SUV’s better and were trying to find a 3 row minivan that has an easy access third row and that works well with several car seats. I was wondering if there were any SUVs that had something like the stow and go feauture of chrysler that may hide a middle seat and make it easier to access the back. If I can’t find any SUV, I would like a minivan that has easy access to several car seats.

Anyone with several small kids have a vehicle they love and would recommend? Could you list your favorite features?
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Personally, I love the GMC Yukon XL, when I’m in California we use it for out of town trips, so we can all travel in one vehicle. We have 2 kids in car seats (4 & 2yo) and, usually, 4 adults. The 3rd row is very easy to get to, we have on car seat in the 3rd row, my nephew likes riding back there and ds has his seat in the second row, I like him being a bit closer.

It’s very roomy and comfortable:thumbsup:, but I’m biased I love GMCs…my dad just got a 4-door Sierra, it’s gorgeous and very versatile:D!!! Before kids and the Yukon XL, I had a 2001 Yukon with the 3rd row option, we used the 3rd row but it was tight and left hardly any cargo room. I never had any mechanical problems with that suv, I maintained it very well and very clean (much harder to do now with kids:rolleyes:). GMCs are very well made vehicles that can handle pretty much anything, you can be rough or gentle with them.

Another thing that I like about the Yukons is that they’re pretty:D, I mean they look so nice and shiney compared to the Chevy Tahoe, engine wise they are the same truck, but on the outside a GMC Yukon almost always looks nicer than the Tahoe or Suburban:thumbsup:, I think it’s because the GMCs have more chrome parts:shrug:.

Ok, now that I’m done with my GMC Yukon commercial:p, I hope this info helped:D.
 
Let me add a few more questions:

Any advice on new vs used?
If buying used any advice, anything to watch out for?

With mini vans, are there any that are easier or harder to deal with loading and unloading carriers or babies?

Thanks you guys that have shared information already 🙂
 
Yes!
We have an '04 Tahoe with 3rd row seating. In fact the front seat in a bench seat and the vehicle seats 9 total! We have 5 children and 3 of them are in car seats. It’s fantastic. #3 sits in the middle of the farthest back seat. #4 and #5 sit to one side in the middle seat. One portion is folded down of the middle seat so that everyone can get in and out of the back seat. It is a life saver. We did not want another minivan when we were shopping for a vehicle. We had owned a minivan and got hit by a driver going only 20mph and it ATE the van. If my oldest daughter had been in there, her legs would have been crushed.
The gas difference between a suburban and the tahoe is a bit noticable but not a huge difference. However the newest '08 Tahoes are available Hybrid!! Yay! I wish I could afford one. Some day.
 
We just had our 6th baby, and we are driving a 12-passenger van (GMC Savannah) that I really love having. I suppose it’s not very “cool”, but I love, love, love being able to easily fit all my brood and any extra kids that come along without much extra thought.

Also, we bought it used. It was about a year old and had been leased to someone during that year. It had pretty low mileage, and it was a much better price than new.

Biggest downside, low gas mileage, but I’m pretty sure that anything else that would fit our family would have low gas mileage. (Prius for 8? Anyone?)🙂
 
I love minivan. I tell people this and they look at me like there is something wrong with me. I tell them my manhood is too strong to be effected by the car I drive. Mostly to is my friend who is a protestant, so what does he know right 😉 (he’ll cave) I think it’s the smartest car to drive. I’d love something with stow-n-go. the new town and countrys are abandoning it for swivel-n-go$$. That’d be cool. My wife want’s a swivel front passenger seat to deal w/the kids. I guess it’s macGyver time:p

I serioulsly wouldn’t drive anything else.
 
You have perfect timing.

The Saturn Outlook and its twin the GMC Acadia just came out this year to stelar reviews.

8 passenger seating (rear seats much more comfortable and accessible than those in the Suburban, even).
26 mpg highway (front wheel drive versions -2007 EPA method).
4,500# tow rating.
6 speed automatic trans.
Magic rear seat vanishes into rear floor.
Middle seats easily tumble forward for access.

I prefer buying new base model vehicles to used ones. You rarely can find base models on a used lot and the new ones are often not much more than the used uptrim model with a bunch of silly fluff features. I’d rather have the extra 20,000 mile life and the security of knowing it was treated and maintained well from mile #2 onwards!

In the minivan realm, you just can’t beat the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Ford and GM even quit trying!
 
When buying a car, look at the rental agency sales. They are usually low mileage and well maintained. I think the rental agencies have yearly sales because all their cars are the current year. I got an 06 Sebring convert with only 14,000 miles.

Peace,
Linda
 
manualman said:
You have perfect timing.

The Saturn Outlook and its twin the GMC Acadia just came out this year to stelar reviews.

8 passenger seating (rear seats much more comfortable and accessible than those in the Suburban, even).
26 mpg highway (front wheel drive versions -2007 EPA method).
4,500# tow rating.
6 speed automatic trans.
Magic rear seat vanishes into rear floor.
Middle seats easily tumble forward for access.

I prefer buying new base model vehicles to used ones. You rarely can find base models on a used lot and the new ones are often not much more than the used uptrim model with a bunch of silly fluff features. I’d rather have the extra 20,000 mile life and the security of knowing it was treated and maintained well from mile #2 onwards!

In the minivan realm, you just can’t beat the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Ford and GM even quit trying!
Click to expand...
I rented a Saturn Outlook when my Honda Odyssey was in the shop and I was very impressed with it. The third row was much more accessible than it had been on my old Suburban. I really do like my '06 Honda Odyssey, but if I was buying something right now I would seriusly consider the Saturn Outlook.
 
Just a note on the Honda Pilot (I don’t know if anyone else posted about it) but our family just bought one, and it’s kinda hard to get at the back row of seats. They do fold away really nicely, so we only pull them out when we need to, but the leg room is really cramped back there. The middle row does fold down, so I guess you could get at the seats in the back more easily then, but still… Not as convenient as our old Odyssey, for sure.
 
We have a Suburban (2000) with children ages 10, 7, 6, 4, 2 and 3 months. Some of the children can buckle themselves (woo hoo!) and the 4 year old and 6 year old sit in the back and the 10 year old sits ALL the way in the back in a jump seat bought from here: www.littlepassengerseats.com)
The 7 year old (car sick child) sits in the 2nd row in a booster (positioned on the passenger side where the seat flips back to allow access to the 3rd row, so that we can remove her seat easily), the baby is in the middle and the 2 year old is in a car seat. The only way to fit carseats side by side is to locate narrow seats such as the Sunshine Radian elitecarseats.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-80.pro. I think Britax has a narrow seat as well. I find that most minivans do NOT fit multiple (3) car seats in one row well at all. I think that the Radian’s might fit okay, though. We also have a Town and Country (1997) and access to the back isn’t too bad, we just don’t all fit in it at once, lol, it was VERY crowded with 5 in the back and I couldn’t fit 3 car seats or boosters in the back.

The car I’d like to get someday is a Dodge Sprinter Van:
dodge.com/en/2007/sprinter/models/psngr/index.html
but they are tooooo expensive 🙂

Jennifer
 
We have four kids (12, 10, 8 & 5), so for the past 2 yrs or so, we’ve had one child in a carseat/booster seat. We drive a 2004 Chevy Suburban. I love it, but would have HATED it when I had 3 children in carseats.

I know minivans aren’t cool, but for ease of use they truly are the best cars out there for parents with young children. My Ford Windstar had automatic sliding doors, it was low to the ground so the kids could get in by themselves, and it had two bucket seats in second row, so that they could easily climb in the back and strap themselves in.

The only reason why we traded up to the Suburban was that we needed more room for other children for CARPOOLING. I found that with four kids, I could not participate in a lot of carpools because I only had room for one other child if I had all four with me. Now that my oldest is able to sit in the front seat, I can easily take 2 more children with us wherever we go.

I also like the cargo space behind the 3 row, it comes in very handly with sports stuff, grocercies, suitcases, etc. I don’t need a stroller anymore, but it could fit my jogger when I had one.

My advise would be to buy a used minivan and use it for a couple of years and then go for the big SUV.
 
Please please, make your decision based on safety! Find a website that shows you videos of American SUVs in crash tests. You’ll be amazed at results, some can crush an occupant in an accident even though it’s worth big $$. We have howsafeisyourcar.com.au/
Check out your equivilent!

Things I consider absolutely necessary are:
  • ESP (ABS, traction control and more - undoubtedly brilliant technology. Electronic Stability Control: sometimes goes by different names)
  • airbags: driver, passengers, curtain airbags (for side impacts, good for protecting kiddies, knee airbags for “bus-like” vehicles)
  • lap/sash seatbelts (not just lapbelts)
  • Excellent brakes and tyres
  • appropriate anchor points for carseats
One of the best (if not the best) performing 8-seater people mover that is available in Australia is the Kia Carnival. What I mean by performance is it’s ability to keep occupants safe in a crash. It is called the “Sedona” in the USA.
http://www.autoweb.com.au/cms/A_51141/title_Kia’s%20Carnival:%20Creating%20a%20New%20Market/newsarticle.html
It does have only lapbelts in the centre seats but that’s where I’d put a carseat or safety harness for older child.
 
Hi,
This is my wife’s login. She pulled this string up because we are expecting and we’ll need at least one bigger vehicle.

There’s some great info. on this post so far… so thanks.

I’ve been doing research vehicle safety and I thought I’d share some info I’ve gleaned.

Despite a lot of bad press and to the consternation of greenies (btw I’m ecologically conscientious but pragmatic too) I’ve concluded bigger is better. When I started my research I hit a lot of articles and blogs that expounded SUV’s weren’t any safer than cars… and for small and many mid-size SUV’s that charge appears true. But anyone that has been in a wreck, particularly with a large vehicle, these writings seem to belie an instinctive truth… that bigger is safer. Rather than ramble on, here are a few key articles and studies I’ve come across that will make the point-
  1. seatbelt.com/safest_cars.html
  2. iihs.org/research/fatality_facts/occupants.html
  3. junkscience.com/news/kazman.htm
Note: these sites, in order, are-
  1. Seatbelt.com is a unique place on the Internet. Not only do we offer some of the best road safety products available, we have the information you need to make an informed decision when purchasing. Your safety and satisfaction are our number one concern! It is produced by Toby Dittrich a Physics Instructor at Portland Community College
  2. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation’s highways.
  3. Steven J. Milloy is: the founder and publisher of JunkScience.com and CSRwatch.com ; an investment adviser to the Free Enterprise Action Fund ; and a columnist for FoxNews.com .
Since April 1, 1996, JunkScience.com has had a discernible impact in the fight against junk science and garnered numerous awards, including being named:
*a “Top Resource” and one of the “Most Popular” health news web sites by Yahoo!
*“One of the 50 Best Web Sites” by Popular Science
*a “Hot Pick” by Science.
*A “leading debunker” of global warming by Rolling Stone magazine.

Mr. Kazman, the article’s author, is general counsel of the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington.

Good luck choosing your vehicles!
 
The features i have to have in a Minivan or SUV are:

at least one or two built in carseats. They are basically in the back flap of the seat. I dont use these for my own children as much, they all have their big carseats. but with all the extra kids we have its nice not having to haul around extra carseats. this way we just flip down the back of the seat cusion and we have an extra 5 point harness. very cool

automatic sliding doors are a Gods send when you have an infant and you can push the door open with your key pad!!!

8 passanger is a must. i dont like many of the 7 passanger vans. i hate captin seats. its nice when all the seats separate and can be folded down.

ours is a very inexpensive chevy venture that works great and doesnt cost a fortune.

our other favorite vehicle is our ford F-350 extended quad cab. its a monster and we feel so safe in it. three carseats fit along the back seat and have room to spare!!! its wider then the van. since we have 4 kids we turn of the air bag and out oldest sits in a booster in the front seat next to me and my husband. we traveled 21 hours this summer on a vacation and it was roomy, comfy and a lot of fun. plus you can fill the extended cab with dogs, bags, bikes and everything you would ever need. Plus i feel really big when i drive it around!!!
 
My advise would be to invest $100 - $150 over a few weekends, and hit a few car rental outfits.

Call ahead, and see if they have available the vehicles you’re thinking of buying… then go rent one for a day. You really cannot evaluate a vehicle in 20 minutes at the dealer, especially with a salesman panting down your neck!

Bring it home, and start the gymnastics! Load the kids in & out, load the car-seats in & out. Drive it! See if it’s got enough power for safe passing/acceleration. Check visibility - blind spots, etc. Handling - is it stable or feel “tippy”… Wring the thing out!

Don’t worry if the rental unit doesn’t have all the “toys” you may want yours equipped with… you can order them on your car. (usually the rentals are pretty well equipped).

IMO spending $45 or so dollars a few times, over a few weekends is cheap insurance when you’re committing to $20,000 for the next 5+ years. 👍
 
I must insist that you stop talking about “feeling” safe in a vehicle. Many people ‘feel safe’ in vehicles that are possibly the most dangerous vehicles they could use to do the job. Large SUVs are a good example of this, particularly American-made examples like the Suburban and Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee, in particular, will kill its occupants in a rollover. If you must have an SUV, get something that has firstly a comprehensive active and passive safety system and secondly a good set of crash test results.

The Volvo XC90 is an excellent vehicle, though it is ridiculously expensive. It protects its occupants extremely well, even in rollovers, and is loaded with every common safety device that will fit.

I would recommend a minivan though. These are designed to carry people and they are good at it. They are easy to drive, easy to park, have a lower centre of mass than an SUV (and therefore less likelihood of rolling over) and are more fuel efficient.

Check the IIHS web site www.iihs.org for crash ratings. These aren’t as detailed as what you’ll find at www.euroncap.com or www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au but they will cover more of the vehicles available in the USA than the other sites. If you can find your desired vehicle on www.euroncap.com then I would use that crash rating rather than the IIHS rating.

The common belief that high mass equals safety is incorrect and every crash test shows it. The higher a vehicle’s mass, the more energy must be dissipated in a crash, and that energy must be dissipated either through a carefully constructed body or through the vehicle’s occupants.

A heavy vehicle can be safe, but so can a light vehicle and the mass of the vehicle is not the deciding factor. To see this, have a look at the crash test videos of the Kia Grand Carnival / Sedona and the Chrysler Voyager / Grand Caravan on euroncap.com. These videos show vehicles of similar mass (around 1800 kg) in frontal offset crashes (64 km/h) and side impact and pole crashes (about 40 km/h). The two vehicles perform very differently, with the Chrysler causing serious injuries to its occupants but the Kia protecting very well.

The only possible mechanism by which a heavy vehicle can protect you better than a light vehicle is if you literally run over and squash a lighter vehicle in a collision. If you think you can do that and still call yourself a Christian, then you must be operating on a different set of parameters from the rest of us.

And remember, when you hit a fixed object, as occurs in around 40% of crashes, what you need is a properly designed energy absorbing vehicle body and a full set of seat belt pretensioners, air bags and head restraints inside a strong passenger compartment. The better minivans have this, and most trucks converted into passenger vehicles (such as the Suburban and the Expedition) do not.

Make sure that whatever you buy has:
  • Electronic stability control (ESC, ESP, VDC, VSC or whatever the maker calls it)
  • Dual front airbags, side air bags, full-length side curtain airbags (also called head air bags)
  • Seat belt pretensioners on front seats
  • Properly adjustable and/or active head restraints
  • A 4 or 5 star Euro NCAP crash safety rating or a Good rating from the IIHS.
Stability control uses anti-lock brakes, traction control and brake assist, so a vehicle with ESC will have those features by default.
 
I’ve just looked at that seatbelt.com site and it details a very poor methodology for assessing safety ratings. I don’t recommend anyone follow it.
 
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