Driving with more than two kids

Fitting car seats can be a puzzle made more challenging with the need to transport multiple children. I have two children in car seats (one rear-facing and the other forward-facing) and recently had my 9-year-old niece with us for the weekend. We only have a small car and small SUV, so she had to squeeze between the car seats. We first tried the SUV (Toyota RAV4), but couldn’t access the center seat belt, because it was wedged under the forward facing convertible seat and wouldn’t move so that she could access it. We ended up using our Toyota Corolla. It was still a tight squeeze (luckily my niece is slender), but all kids were able to safely buckle up

When I was a child, back during simpler times, we would all pile in the car or station wagon. Car seats weren’t available, so it was easier to carpool and drive together. It made for lots of fun in the back seat. Obviously, the invention of child car seats has greatly improved child safety and reduced child crash deaths, but it also meant a change in the driving culture. If you want to drive more than your brood, you may need to install an additional child safety seat--if you have room in your current car. Progress has meant we lost the ability to car pool other kids, and thereby save gas and help our friends.

We were lucky that my niece doesn’t need to use a car seat, but if we had to fit another child in a car seat, we would most likely have a problem. The move from two to three kids in regards to transportation is difficult. Many people I know who have three children buy a minivan, but others decide they don’t want the stigma of a minivan and choose a 3-row SUV instead. However, they end up sacrificing fuel economy for image.

The good news is you may not necessarily have to “upsize” to transport more children. With the right car seats, you can potentially fit three across in some vehicles, but it requires buying narrow car seats. We recently posted our updated convertible car seat Ratings (available to online subscribers) where we list our recommendations for car seats that offer the best potential for fitting more than two children in the back seat. Armed with this information, you may be able to transport the family and friends without super-sizing your vehicle, saving money that could be used for college.

See our new car selector to compare vehicle fuel economy, plus check out our Ratings and buying advice on infant, convertible, and booster car seats.

—Liza Barth

Comments

[Cale]

Liza writes, "When I was a child, back during simpler times, we would all pile in the car or station wagon."

There was also a time when many (if not most) families had a single car, children walked to school (across intersections!), and there weren't shopping malls. But times have changed.

I've heard the 3-row rationalization. The families that want to carry their children plus the relatives/neighbors's. It's a rational for up-sizing transportation needs and results in parking lots crammed with vehicles too big to fit between the painted line. (Some folks don't even try... parking across the lines, seeming to say, "It's not my fault they make these spots so small.")

BTW, when did minivans get a reputation for being fuel efficient? I see the highly rated Odyssey & Sienna @ 19 mpg overall which is not much better than the equally spacious GM quartet (Traverse, Acadia, Enclave, Outlook) @ 17 mpg, if you'll allow a 1 mpg credit for FWD. The 3-row FWD Honda Pilot and FWD Toyota Highlander match the minivan's 19 mpg (given the 1 mpg credit).

The minivan may be the most space efficient "box on wheels" but it isn't a great choice where fuel economy is concerned.