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I had one child and then twins, so I felt like I was just dropped into this. I was pretty shocked turning up with car seats at a Mercedes dealership to find we

I had one child and then twins, so I felt like I was just dropped into this. I was pretty shocked turning up with car seats at a Mercedes dealership to find we couldn't get three of them across an E class even without using ISOFIX. IIRC it was slightly exacerbated by two of them being seats for babies. FWIW we went with a Volvo V70. We didn't want an MPV or SUV.

the_mitsuhiko 6y ago
I also thought I didn’t want an MPV. Then I bought one and have never been so happy about a car. They have such a terrible reputation but they are so practical with kids.
jabl 6y ago
> I had one child and then twins, so I felt like I was just dropped into this. Same. > FWIW we went with a Volvo V70. We didn't want an MPV or SUV. I've been happy with a "Compact MPV" (which I think is what the class is called). Currently Toyota Verso, previously VW Touran. Both fit 3 child seats in the rear. But it seems the compact MPV class is on its way out (e.g. Toyota doesn't produce the Verso anymore), everybody for some unexplainable reason wants a SUV nowadays.
- the_mitsuhiko 6y ago
  The SUV trend for families is a weird one. I tried so many and they are mostly just large on the outside. And they don’t drive much fun either.
  - raegis 6y ago
    I have three children, and our solution was the Honda Odyssey. It has a separate back middle seat with its own pair of car seat anchors. Yes, it's big on the inside. None of the other SUVs I saw had the middle seat anchors.
  - michaelt 6y ago
    > The SUV trend for families is a weird one. I once heard SUVs described as station wagons for people who didn't want to admit they'd turned into their parents.
  - Raphmedia 6y ago
    Could it be the perceived feeling of security? I've been driving very small cars since I started driving. SUVs were rare and large pickups were usually only seen in rural areas. Today it seems as if everyone on the road has gone bigger and I feel very small in that car. Whenever I'm stuck between several SUVs, often with the added disadvantage that the one behind me has its low beams on the same level as my rear view mirror, I can't say I feel safe. If I were starting a family, I would definitely want a bigger car, even though I don't have any data indicating that it would be safer.
samcheng 6y ago
Once the kids get a little older, the Diono Radian RXT car seat DOES fit three-across in a large sedan. You can't put infants in them, though.
- raegis 6y ago
  Actually, when forward-facing the Diono is wider than many other car seats because the back is flush with the back of the seat. Others have a narrower wedge behind the seat so kids in adjacent seats get more elbow room.
ip26 6y ago
What blows my mind is how much depth is required in the back seat. In most compact, economy, or sporty cars, put an infant seat or other rear facing seat behind the driver, and the driver is just about stuffed into the steering column.
- dzhiurgis 6y ago
  It's almost as they should make cars specific for having kids. I think there was one model that had seat that folds out into child seat, but never seen anything like that (I haven't searched). Also maybe there's a triple seat models rather than getting 3 singles...?
- cs02rm0 6y ago
  Totally, I'm also 6'5 so definitely feel your pain there. Quite a contrast from my memories of being a kid sliding about on the back seat of a Mini without so much as a seatbelt.
- Dork1234 6y ago
  It isn't just "cars" many SUVs still have issues with putting rear facing child seats. In the last few years they have increased the number of months you need rear facing seat making it very likely you will have more than one child rear facing. The car seats / regulations / cars are just not realistic, and are made by people that haven't even tried to follow them.
socalnate1 6y ago
I had the exact same problem! One child and then twins, we measured our old SUV wrong and realized the night before the twins were born that we couldn't fit all our kids in one car. I was shopping for a minivan from the hospital :)

the_mitsuhiko 6y ago

I also thought I didn’t want an MPV. Then I bought one and have never been so happy about a car. They have such a terrible reputation but they are so practical with kids.

jabl 6y ago

> I had one child and then twins, so I felt like I was just dropped into this. Same. > FWIW we went with a Volvo V70. We didn't want an MPV or SUV. I've been happy with a "Compact MPV" (which I think is what the class is called). Currently Toyota Verso, previously VW Touran. Both fit 3 child seats in the rear. But it seems the compact MPV class is on its way out (e.g. Toyota doesn't produce the Verso anymore), everybody for some unexplainable reason wants a SUV nowadays.

the_mitsuhiko 6y ago
The SUV trend for families is a weird one. I tried so many and they are mostly just large on the outside. And they don’t drive much fun either.
- raegis 6y ago
  I have three children, and our solution was the Honda Odyssey. It has a separate back middle seat with its own pair of car seat anchors. Yes, it's big on the inside. None of the other SUVs I saw had the middle seat anchors.
- michaelt 6y ago
  > The SUV trend for families is a weird one. I once heard SUVs described as station wagons for people who didn't want to admit they'd turned into their parents.
- Raphmedia 6y ago
  Could it be the perceived feeling of security? I've been driving very small cars since I started driving. SUVs were rare and large pickups were usually only seen in rural areas. Today it seems as if everyone on the road has gone bigger and I feel very small in that car. Whenever I'm stuck between several SUVs, often with the added disadvantage that the one behind me has its low beams on the same level as my rear view mirror, I can't say I feel safe. If I were starting a family, I would definitely want a bigger car, even though I don't have any data indicating that it would be safer.

samcheng 6y ago

Once the kids get a little older, the Diono Radian RXT car seat DOES fit three-across in a large sedan. You can't put infants in them, though.

raegis 6y ago
Actually, when forward-facing the Diono is wider than many other car seats because the back is flush with the back of the seat. Others have a narrower wedge behind the seat so kids in adjacent seats get more elbow room.

ip26 6y ago

What blows my mind is how much depth is required in the back seat. In most compact, economy, or sporty cars, put an infant seat or other rear facing seat behind the driver, and the driver is just about stuffed into the steering column.

dzhiurgis 6y ago
It's almost as they should make cars specific for having kids. I think there was one model that had seat that folds out into child seat, but never seen anything like that (I haven't searched). Also maybe there's a triple seat models rather than getting 3 singles...?
cs02rm0 6y ago
Totally, I'm also 6'5 so definitely feel your pain there. Quite a contrast from my memories of being a kid sliding about on the back seat of a Mini without so much as a seatbelt.
Dork1234 6y ago
It isn't just "cars" many SUVs still have issues with putting rear facing child seats. In the last few years they have increased the number of months you need rear facing seat making it very likely you will have more than one child rear facing. The car seats / regulations / cars are just not realistic, and are made by people that haven't even tried to follow them.

socalnate1 6y ago

I had the exact same problem! One child and then twins, we measured our old SUV wrong and realized the night before the twins were born that we couldn't fit all our kids in one car. I was shopping for a minivan from the hospital :)