The Subaru Crosstrek, which is is basically a raised version of the Subaru Impreza, is a small car frequently chosen by families interested in good gas mileage, hatchback capabilities, all wheel drive, and modern safety features. It competes in the small hatchback market with vehicles like the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, and Toyota Prius, being larger than the Honda Fit and smaller than its stablemate the Subaru Outback. I’ve borrowed a Crosstrek and a few Imprezas this past year to see which car seats I can fit into them, and specifically which ones I can fit into them in 3 across configurations. The information below applies equally to the Crosstrek and the Impreza in every generation listed.
When it comes to car seat safety, I always recommend rear-facing as long as your car seats will allow you (ideally until 4!), and then harnessing as long as you can with forward-facing or combination seats (ideally until 6, 7, or 8!), and finishing strong by continuing to booster until your child is old and mature enough to pass the 5 step test for booster readiness (which typically happens between 10 and 12). Following these steps is a simple way to keep your child as safe as possible during the early years of car travel.
With that in mind, I set out to try all of the car seats at my disposal to see which 3 across installations would fit well in a Subaru Impreza / Crosstrek, and arranged my list below. The truth is that I had a lot of trouble finding combinations that would work, but was still able to ensure that the usual suspects worked. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.
You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.
2017, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek / Impreza (GK, GT, XV)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Clek Oobr (x3).
Peg Perego Flex 120 (x3).
Maxi-Cosi RodiFix (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 5th generation of the Subaru Crosstrek / Impreza is 173.8 inches long in the hatchback version and 180.3 inches long in the sedan. The Impreza is a scant 68.5 inches wide while the Crosstrek is essentially identical at 68.9, which means it’s going to be even more difficult to achieve a 3 across installation in it than what you’d expect from a compact-sized car like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. However, if you stick to seat belt installations and the narrowest car seats on the market, it’s definitely possible to puzzle some seats together.
If you’re using the Radians, you’ll definitely want to make use of the angle adjuster to get as much extra room between the car seat and the vehicle’s front seats as possible; this will give you extra leg room as a driver or front seat passenger.
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Subaru Crosstrek / Impreza (GJ, GP)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 4th generation of the Subaru Crosstrek / Impreza is 174 inches long in the hatchback version and 180 inches long in the sedan. Both are 69 inches wide, which means it’s going to be about as difficult to achieve a 3 across installation in it as what you’d expect from a compact-sized car like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. However, if you stick to seat belt installations and the narrowest car seats on the market, it’s definitely possible to puzzle some seats together.
If you’re using the Radians, you’ll definitely want to make use of the angle adjuster to get as much extra room between the car seat and the vehicle’s front seats as possible; this will give you extra leg room as a driver or front seat passenger.
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Subaru Impreza (GE, GV, GH, GR)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Clek Oobr (x3).
Peg Perego Flex 120 (x3).
Maxi-Cosi RodiFix (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 3rd generation of the Subaru Impreza is 180 inches long in the sedan and 174 inches long in the hatchback. The width is consistent across the sedan and hatchback at just under 69 inches, which makes this generation of the Impreza functionally similar to the successive generation when it comes to 3 across width and front-to-back space. Once again, although this will make installations more of a challenge than you’d see in a number of other vehicles, if you stick to seat belt installations and use the narrowest car seats on the market, it’s definitely possible to puzzle some seats together.
If you’re using the Radians, you’ll definitely want to make use of the angle adjuster to get as much extra room between the car seat and the vehicle’s front seats as possible; this will give you extra leg room as a driver or front seat passenger.
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Subaru Impreza (GD, GG)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Clek Oobr (x3).
Peg Perego Flex 120 (x3).
Maxi-Cosi RodiFix (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The 2nd generation of the Subaru Impreza is 174 inches long in both the sedan and hatchback. The width, however, ranges from under 67 inches in the hatchback to just over 68 inches in the sedan, which makes this generation of the Impreza even more of a challenge than the successive generation when it comes to 3 across width and front-to-back space. However, although you’re definitely going to have your work cut out for you, if you stick to seat belt installations and use the narrowest car seats on the market, it’s definitely possible to puzzle a few seats together.
If you’re using the Radians, you’ll definitely want to make use of the angle adjuster to get as much extra room between the car seat and the vehicle’s front seats as possible; this will give you extra leg room as a driver or front seat passenger.
If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!