The Chevrolet “Chevy” Impala is one of the most recognizable large cars in the United States, competing with models like the Ford Taurus, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Toyota Avalon among families interested in getting around in style, space, and comfort. The latest refreshes of the Impala include a bevy of safety features, including electronic stability control, side curtain and torso airbags with rollover activation, and even electronic braking to help slow the car automatically in front crash protection. As a result, it’s no surprise it’s one of the most popular large cars in the US market among parents interested in safe transportation for their young ones.
I had the chance to sit in a few Impalas this past week to see how well they did when it comes to fitting 3 car seats across the back seats. The good news is that the Impala continues to be a car-seat friendly car with a generous amount of inside space. Before looking at car seat combinations that are likely to work in your vehicle, however, it’s worth reviewing some best practices about which kinds of seats to use and when to use them.
First of all, I prefer keeping infants, toddlers, and preschoolers rear-facing as long as absolutely possible in infant or convertible seats (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once they outgrow their harnessed seats, I suggest keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re physically and psychologically ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The longer we keep our kids in safer orientations and seats, the more likely they are to survive crashes. It’s all about survival.
With these principles in mind, I made it my job to find out which infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats would work best in 3 across combinations in the Chevrolet Impala. The good news is that there are a range of seats that are likely to work well. 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.
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Chevrolet Impala
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Graco Contender (x3).
Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Clek Fllo, Graco Head Wise 70, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Graco Head Wise 70, Graco Head Wise 70.
Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The current generation of the Chevrolet Impala is 201 inches long and 73 inches wide, which is about as friendly as a car can get in terms of front-to-back length, although not in side-to-side width (the Taurus is 3 inches wider). Just as importantly, it continues to feature 3 full sets of LATCH anchors, a true rarity in the car world. With the right combination of seats, it’s actually possible to use them, too. Of course, if you’re having trouble achieving a 3 across installation through LATCH, don’t be afraid to use the seat belts, as you’ll still get a bit more space due to the way the LATCH anchors are placed within the vehicle.
As in the previous generation, a challenge to watch out for involves using high back boosters in the rear seats due to the non-adjustable head rests. You may need to consider low back (backless) boosters instead once your kids outgrow their harnessed seats.
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Graco Contender (x3).
Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Clek Fllo, Graco Head Wise 70, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Graco Head Wise 70, Graco Head Wise 70.
Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Tips and Tricks:
The previous generation of the Chevrolet Impala is 200 inches long and 73 inches wide, and has remained that way for close to a decade, which means that the older Impalas of the 2000s are basically as car-seat friendly as the current generation. Again, while you should have a generous amount of front-to-back and side-to-side room for a car, you’ll have an easier time with difficult installations if you make use of the seat belts, particularly with the outboard seats.
A challenge to watch out for involves using high back boosters in the rear seats due to the non-adjustable head rests. You may need to consider low back (backless) boosters instead once your kids outgrow their harnessed seats.
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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.