Anyone have 3 car seats in 2nd row?

Hello,

My kids are 4.5yrs, 3yrs and 3months old. Any suggestions on best configuration of car seats? Is it safe to have all 3 car seats in 2nd row? The youngest kid will need rear facing seat for an year

So put the 2 older kids in the 3rd row facing forward. The 3 month old in the left or right middle row seat facing backwards - facing the older kids who can then entertain the youngest. And then keep the other two middle row seats flat and possibly put your stroller there.

When I was researching the LR4 I took my "stuff" to the dealership and put it in the truck on the floor to explore various options on how things would fit. So pile the kids, car seats and strollers into the car and head down to the LR dealer. ;-)

Raj1 said:

Hello,

My kids are 4.5yrs, 3yrs and 3months old. Any suggestions on best configuration of car seats? Is it safe to have all 3 car seats in 2nd row? The youngest kid will need rear facing seat for an year

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I have a 7 and 5 year old. We have at times had one of their friends in the car and I have used a third seat in the middle of the second row, even though there is no latch option for that middle seat.

I realize some families don't have a choice and must have car seats in that third row. But in my opinion, if you can avoid it, the second row is much safer. Just sit back there, turn to look out the back window and imagine what the damage would be if you are ever rear ended.

3 narrow car seats will fit in the second row, but you need to be choosy as many of them are too wide to fit 3 side by side on the second row bench of the LR4. In your shoes I'd pick the Diono Radian RXT (3 of them, or start with 2 of them for the older kids, which should leave plenty of room for an infant car seat with base.) Those are the only convertible seats you will need to buy until your kids are old enough to go without them, and are built like tanks - they weigh like tanks, too. The middle seat will need to be secured with the lap-and-shoulder seat belt, which is an unbelievable PITA because of the ratcheting system of the belt, but can be done... You will not want to remove that one too often, trust me. The side ones with LATCH and top tether are relatively easy, but get some good seat protectors with tall backs, as they really dig into the leather when properly strapped in. Furthermore, you will probably want to put the rear facing seat either behind the RH passenger or in the center position, since unless you are 5 feet tall the driver seat is going to have to move almost all the way forward to make room for a rear facing car seat otherwise.

PeterA said:

I realize some families don't have a choice and must have car seats in that third row. But in my opinion, if you can avoid it, the second row is much safer. Just sit back there, turn to look out the back window and imagine what the damage would be if you are ever rear ended. Nothing else needs to be said.

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I'm sure you are right. We raised our kids in a slightly different era. Car seats were only for the little babies. And, heck, when I was growing up we were all wrestling around in the back of the station wagon while on road trips. My Dad still hates seat belts! ;-)

danrhiggins said:

I'm sure you are right. We raised our kids in a slightly different era. Car seats were only for the little babies. And, heck, when I was growing up we were all wrestling around in the back of the station wagon while on road trips. My Dad still hates seat belts! ;-)

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Brings back memories of our circa 70's family trip from Long Island to Indiana. Dad and mom in the front, grandparents in the second row and my brother and I in the back of the wagon playing amongst the luggage. If there even were seat belts back there, we certainly weren't wearing them.

In all seriousness, the reason for my post was an accident a work colleague was involved in a few years back. He was driving an SUV, exited the same off ramp I did every day, the light turned red, he stopped, was sitting there and was slammed into from behind. His car was totaled. Like me he had two young kids and I'll always remember that he came in the next day and said anyone in the back seat would not have survived.

I have twin 4 year olds in forward facing seats with a 1 year old in rear facing bucket in the middle of the 2nd row. Our twins are nearing the booster phase so I will probably move them to the 3rd row or not, really depends. I'm the only one who can get the infant seat into the center as I'm tall. We had to get my wife a new MDX because it has the widest 2nd row in the class with 3 sets of latches.

You are right of course, Peter. Too many stories of what happens when people aren't buckled in. Some may fuss and whine (my Dad) but I can't imagine dealing with the sorrow that would come from injuries or worse in what otherwise would have been a minor accident.

Umberto faced that experience a few weeks ago - a "minor" accident. (OK, not so minor.) His daughters were safe and sound due to being properly buckled into their car seats. They may have even found the whole experience "cool".

And then I get a kick out of some of the Land Rover off road videos where they are driving some narly crevice or up a difficult step climb and the little ones are tucked away in their car seats.

PeterA said:

Brings back memories of our circa 70's family trip from Long Island to Indiana. Dad and mom in the front, grandparents in the second row and my brother and I in the back of the wagon playing amongst the luggage. If there even were seat belts back there, we certainly weren't wearing them.

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Same here, early 70s in northern Italy driving up the local Alps in winter for the Christmas vacations. My younger brother and I were rolling all over the rear seat of my dad's Fiat 124 up those twisty mountain roads, we were so used to it we stopped getting carsick after a while. There were no seat belts, they were considered a luxury item on some of the more expensive cars. On top of that, both my parents smoked - inside the car! With the windows shut! When my brother and I could absolutely not breathe anymore, mom would crack her window open a 1/2" for a minute to let out some of the "fog". Too cold outside to leave the windows open any longer, you know.

Today, my parents would probably be in jail for child endangerment. Back then, that's how people rolled.

I agree with Umberto on the Diono Radian RXT. I can't tell you how many strollers, carseats, and general baby/kid crap we have been through, but our "favorites" would indeed make up a very short list. The Radian RXT is on the list even though our experience with it is only very recent. It is designed to go from infant to booster, thus being the only seat you ever need. I know, would have been nice to know. In any case, the big selling point (aside from steel frame construction) is that it is very narrow at 17". My wife just moved from a Honda Odyssey to an Infiniti QX60 thanks to these seats; all three girls are sitting across the second row with some room to spare.

In my LR4, I have one Radian RXT in the middle, however from what Umberto said, I believe Land Rover might have changed the middle seat belt configuration. Not only do I have no latch mounts, but the seat belt does not have a ratchet feature which means you need to use a locking-clip (piece of metal). Very not cool and a PITA to install which means you never want to touch this but should frequently check that it does not come loose.

In the outboard positions I have two older Britax 85 seats which are several inches wider. It is good to know that you can fit two "standard" width seats and only need to buy one "narrow" seat to make three-across work in the second row.

I have attached some pictures, but the main (good) difference between the Raidan RXT and the Britax is that the thigh/cushion is much shorter. You can't even see the LR seat cushion under the Britax. What this means is that for kids who are small (like my girls), the Radian will be more comfortable AND they will have more space which means the back of your seats won't get marked up as much as mine

The other difference between the seats, as you can see from the rear view, is that the Radian is higher than the other seats, but that would still be lower than a head rest.

By the way, this last photo shows that there is still some clearance between the door panel and side of the "wide" car seats.