Have any of you ever attempted to put 3 car seats in a Malibu? Mine is an '01. We’re talking two rear facing and one forward facing. I have heard “rumors” that people have fit 3. Or, should we just start looking for a minivan?
Let alone the safety factor, how about the penalty if a police officer happens to pull you over and sees that?
Get a minivan.
Please don’t do this. Children’s lives are too important to take risks with.
There are actually 3 seatbelts in the back seat. So all 3 seats can be secured into the car. I think it would be a matter of figuring out which brand(s) of carseats would actually fit. I wouldn’t be violating any laws. And, I would NEVER put a child in the front seat w/an airbag.
I suppose it’s possible, but it would be very cramped. I would suggest looking for a minivan, not just so you can fit all the carseats in comfortably, but to avoid (some) fighting between the kids when they get a little older. I really doubt you’d want to listen to three young children fight and argue when they’re cramped together in the back of a small-ish sedan.
Very young ones should be facing rear, because their necks cannot withstand the inertia of their heads in the event of a collision. The orientation of the seats should be based on the age of the children, not on what’ll fit into the car seat.
While there may be three seatbelts, I urge you to read the owner’s manual carefully and to contact the dealer for recommendations on child seat use before trying to squeeze three in the back seat. I think you’ll find that three seats are not recommended.
- mountainbike
Ahh, childs’ car seats.
My son (a fireman) tried that as a test, but came up empty. Those seats take up too much room.
If this is your primary car, I’d suggest a minivan. We purchased an 07 Sienna and love it. We are going to have our third in March and I need to ditch my beloved 02 Jeep Liberty. We are looking at a Dodge Magnum/Charger since it actually has 3 LATCH pairs across the back seat.
Since the van is now our primary car, having three in the backseat is not really a concern for a quick trip to the store or dropping off at school
The oldest would probably have to sit in the middle, facing forward. That seems a bit cramped. It would also be difficult for an adult in the front to help any of the children in the back. Get a minivan. You’ll love it. Well, we love the room that ours provides for a family of 5. Even though the oldest is in college now, we still enjoy the extra room. We even fit all her stuff in it when we shuffled her off to school last week. You may not like the minivan concept now, but you will. Or get a Suburban. You get the same room and half the mileage!