Child seats..?

[Viperject]

With our third child about to arrive this summer, my wife and I would like to replace her 2020 Chevy Equinox as soon as possible. We need a vehicle that can safely fit three child seats across in the second row and still have enough cargo space behind the bench for a large dog kennel. I'm a life-long General Motors guy, but they no longer offer anything within our budget that meets those requirements. The Traverse is still too small inside (and the interior contours are all wrong), and the Tahoe/Suburban are just WAY too expensive. An Express van would definitely do the trick, but it's a bit overkill as a daily driver.

 

So I've started investigating new(ish) Transit Connect Wagons. The second row bench is actually two inches wider than the Traverse's and though the rear cargo dimensions are very similar, the boxier shape of the Ford should make it much more useful.

 

I just need to confirm that three individual child seats will safely install on the Transit's second-row bench. Specs say they should, but I haven't found a single example of someone else doing it, ANYWHERE, including this forum.

 

Can anyone verify? Pics would be great.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Viperject

[Fifty150]

2 hours ago, Viperject said:

confirm that three individual child seats will safely install

 

I have done it.  

 

All 3 seats in the middle row have anchors for the child seats.  After you anchor the seats, you can still loop the seat belts through the back of the car seat.  The 2nd row also has airbags.  Your kids will be safe by US government standards.  

 

I have also placed car seats in the 3rd row.  I anchored the seats to the D-rings behind the seat, and looped the seatbelt through the back of the car seat.  

 

Yes, 5 kids in car seats.  None of the children were mine.  But we got where we were going.  

[Viperject]

37 minutes ago, Fifty150 said:

I have done it.

 

Thank you, good to know.

 

I know there are three sets of anchors in the second row bench... I guess what I was really asking was, is there space for all three seats without them touching/overlapping one another? According to most safety guidelines, child restraints are never supposed to contact one another once secured.

[Fifty150]

2 hours ago, Viperject said:

child restraints are never supposed to contact one another once secured

 

That's news to me.  I didn't know.  Thanks for the update.

 

Car seats, as far as I know, don't have a "standard dimension".  Some have cup holders and stick out more.  What I can tell you is that each car seat fits correctly onto each Transit Connect seat.  Transit Connect 2nd & 3rd row seats are "full size" seats, as opposed to compact cars and SUVs where the middle seat is really not a seat.  None of which means anything, since a "designated seating position" in a car is only 13".  No child car seat is 13" or less.  I'll let someone else go out to measure their van seats, and go to the store to measure car seats.  For my purposes, the car seats fit in the Transit Connect seats, the anchors work, the seat belts work, and I hope the air bags work.  

 

I have friends who are Polynesian.  Big people.  Samoans go to the dealership, and see which cars they can fit in, climb in and out of, and if the car is big enough for the whole family.  Which is why so many Polynesians buy full size trucks and vans.  You don't see Samoans in a Toyota Yaris or a Honda Fit.  No Samoan will be able to ride on a 13" designated seating position.  

 

What you could do, is take your car seats, go to dealerships, and test fit them.  When you find the car which fits the car seats best, then that should be a point of consideration.  Forget about mileage, reliability, performance.  Your priority is making sure that your children and their car seats fit into whatever they are riding around in.  

6 hours ago, Viperject said:

anything within our budget

 

6 hours ago, Viperject said:

just WAY too expensive

You may have to buy a used version of whatever car, truck, or van works.  If a Suburban is what you need, and you can't afford new, you may have to buy a used Suburban.  I don't know what your budget allows......but I see minivans full of kids, all the time.  Honda, Toyota, Dodge........  You may want to explore other minivan options.