The Ford Fiesta [which was discontinued by Ford in the United States after the 2019 model year] is one of the most popular subcompact cars in the United States, available in both sedan and hatchback versions. It competes with cars like the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Chevy Sonic, Toyota Prius C, and Toyota Yaris among families interested in a small and fuel-friendly vehicle with a hatchback option for a good amount of storage. It was my goal to find out which, if any, combinations of 3 car seats could fit 3 across in a Ford Fiesta. This review applies equally to the sedan and hatchback, and the good news is that there are at least a few seats that will work, even though not very many will.
Before going any further, it’s important to keep best practices in mind when it comes to car seat safety. I strongly suggest rear-facing for as long as possible after your baby turns one (ideally until 4!), and then forward-facing (at least until 5), and then finally keeping your child in a booster seat until he or she is old enough to fit well in an adult seat belt (which typically happens between 10 and 12). My goals with these recommendations are to keep your children as safe as possible by keeping them restrained in the most optimal positions as long as possible.
It took several hours, but I’ve finally compiled a collection of car seats that will fit 3 across in a Ford Fiesta hatchback or sedan, and I think this is the most detailed list for 3 across in the Fiesta on the Internet, although it still has a ways to go. 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.
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Ford Fiesta (Mark VI)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Clek Oobr (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Graco TurboBooster, Safety 1st Complete Air, Safety 1st Complete Air.
Tips and Tricks:
This generation of the Ford Fiesta is 160 inches long in the hatchback (174 inches in the sedan) and 68 inches wide, which means you’re going to have to plan things out very well in order to get a successful 3 across installation. That said, if it’s possible in other subcompacts like the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent, it’s absolutely possible in the Ford Fiesta. As usual, when you’ve got so little room to work with, you’ll want to use seat belts for all three seats.
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? Send me an email at carcrashdetective [at] gmail [dot] com.