I’m pregnant with my third child due in September and already have an almost 3 year old and a 1 year old. Our family is looking for a vehicle to accommodate our growing family. We are looking for a used vehicle with 3 rows of seating. We haven’t looked at anything in person yet but are considering either a Chevy Tahoe or Chevy Trailblazer. We aren’t devoted Chevy fans or anything, those two just happened to be on our list of vehicles we know have the third row.
Since all of our children will be in car seats for awhile, we need to take this into consideration. How well do three car seats fit? With the third row, how much cargo space is left? Enough for a double stroller? I’m curious to know what other families with three small children drive and if they love their choice or wish they had gone with something else.
While I’m not ready to count a mini van out completely, we are leaning towards purchasing a vehicle with 4×4 and towing capabilities.
If you have any other advice on being/becoming a parent of three small children, Mindy and I would love to hear it! (Mindy became a mother of 3 just over a month ago when her son was born). Please share by leaving a comment. Thanks!
(We have a Chrysler Town and Country) Our littlest one is 22 months now so it’s been a while since we’ve made the switch but we still have all three of our kids in car seats/boosters (the oldest is in a booster). I was the mom who was NOT going to buy a mini van and what do I have now- a mini van 🙂 and I LOVE it! I wanted a Toyota Highlander and got so much advice from mom’s against SUV’s because of car seats and the ability to get children in and out of them. The biggest thing I was told is that it will be a nightmare if I park in a parking lot with three kids and then someone parks super close to me and I come back and have to try and open the doors enough to get the kids in- especially if I’ve taken the baby out with the baby car seat. Just think about it you pull up with your cart to your car after a shopping trip in the store- your infant car seat in the front of the cart with your other two kids in tow to find that on both sides of your vehicle cars have decided to park just a little too close, what do you do now? Do you leave your three kids or try to get the two kids in and leave your infant in the cart while you pull out and go find another spot to park or a more open spot to get your car seat in the door? What mom would be okay with leaving their infant in a cart while they did that, well a desperate one but do you really want to be put in that situation. So I was swayed towards a vehicle that had sliding doors and I’m so glad I listened! Not only did I get sliding doors but I opted for the vehicle with automatic sliding doors at the push of a button (on my keys) and an automatic trunk opening button also on my keys. You don’t know how many times that has been a lifesaver when I’ve had a million things in my hands or the older kids run ahead of me and make it to the car first so they aren’t left waiting outside of it messing around. I also love that we have a van with three rows of seating but that the second row are two captain seats rather than a row so I have better access to the children in the back row – there’s just more space for me to climb in the car and get them buckled or unbuckled. Our captain seats also fold down into the floor of our vehicle with ease! So if I need some extra space for groceries or need to pull it up for an extra person to ride in our car. I just love everything about our vehicle! (It also has a really nice backup sensor on it 🙂 ). That’s just my two cents- can you tell I love my van, LOL.
I am not a mom of 3, but I do know that the forums at http://www.car-seat.org/ are great for this kind of question! The carseat techs there are great with answering questions – and I know I have seen threads about this before. Have fun, and congrats!
Great Resource! Thank you!!
I would recommend the Ford Explorer with 3rd Row & I always wanted and still want a chevy trailblazer. Good Luck on your choice.
We just bought a 2002 Chevy Venture van and love it. I had never even considered this vehicle before and have never owned a Chevy before either. We lucked out and found one with a built in car seat which has turned out to be really convenient, not to mention it doesn’t take up as much space as his Recaro car seat. The Recaro car seat is very big (and nice) and it fits great in the van too. I love, love, love, the automatic door and the doors on both sides of the van. When they get a little older, that’s a great feature. I think there are different seating options in the Venture. It drives great, it’s roomy and gets pretty good gas mileage which surprised me.
My 2 cents…I only have 2 kids, but we do own a Tahoe. My sister in law and brother own a suburban with captain seats. I agree totally with the first comment. Captain seats with the 3rd row seat are great. I wish we had a mini van now too – but we got the Tahoe when we had 1 child and thought there would be plenty of room. We do okay with our 2 kids, but add cousins and stuff, and we are full! We have a stroller and it fits fine..I do think the double would fit, but if you were thinking 4X4, get a suburban…you will love the extra space in the back. There is a huge difference. Also, as kids age, and if you have the full middle seat, they climb over the seats with muddy shoes and get your seats all dirty (girlfriend had 4 kids with a suburban and they traded in for a mini van), this was her experience….hope this helps.
I am a mother of three boys, ages 10, 6, and 4. We bought a Chevy Tahoe when I was pregnant with my third. I have to say, I LOVE it. Three car seats fit across the middle row, if needed. And we use the third row all the time for friends, etc. Not so comfortable for adults back there, though. I am not a van driver, so we never looked into those….The Tahoe drives easy, and has held up to the wear and tear that 3 boys bring.
We were completly sold on getting a SUV but after further investigation we decided to go with a minivan. We purchased a 2009 Kia Sedona for $15,000 and 22,000 miles. There is no way would could have come close a 2009 with that many miles in a SUV. After having it 3 weeks I am in LOVE with it. Getting the babies in a out of the car is a breeze. No back breaking or straning. Good luck with your search.
You might not like my suggestion, but I see others have said the same thing. You need to go with the Mini Van. It’s the easiest for getting kids in and out. But it won’t be forever, we no longer own a mini van. We got rid of it once our kids were out of car seats. There is life after a mini van. I drive a Durango right now, with a 3rd row. Love my Durango.
I am going to agree on the mini van and captain seats … I only have one child of my own, but often take my babysitters child (both are 8 1/2 month old boys) on top of toting around 5 dogs and other friends children occasionally. We have a Pathfinder with third row, I bought it before even considering having a baby and considered the third row a bonus … right now, I’d kill for a mini van and I say this as the person who swore she’d never drive one … The captains seats are a HUGE convenience … I can imagine dealing with three car seats across on a daily basis and how badly my back and arms would hurt from the awkward reaching and lifting … with a mini van, you can put the two smaller children in the captains seats and the older child in the back … or if finances allow, go with the captain seats in the suburban …hope this helps!
I’m convinced! Whatever will make my life with three small children! I figure in a few years if I don’t like the minivan, our kids will be a little older and we can get a Tahoe or something. Thanks to every one for their input!