All posts by Mike

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Will Fit in a Kia Rio?

April 20, 2015 Mike

The Kio Rio is a peppy, fuel-efficient, and increasingly popular mini (sub-compact) car in the US market. It’s typically cross-shopped with other cars like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Prius C, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, and Chevrolet Sonic. While it’s one of the smallest cars you can buy, it still comes with a few of the latest safety features available, including a good moderate overlap and roof score, side airbags, electronic stability control, and anti-lock brakes.

That said, the Rio definitely has room for improvement, and it’s worth noting that it only has an acceptable side score from the IIHS and a moderate small overlap front score. Kia clearly has a ways to go with the Rio. But with those caveats in mind, it’s still a much safer mini car choice than virtually any mini car from 2010 and earlier, and merits consideration from folks interested in a small and cheap car.

I borrowed one this weekend to see how family-friendly it was compared to the Fiesta, Fit, Accent, and Yaris, which I’ve reviewed in the past, when it comes to the all-important task of fitting multiple car seats into the back row. Before looking at which seats fared best, however, it’s worth taking a look at why it’s important to use certain seats at certain times with our children.

First of all, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are safest when rear-facing. I recommend rear-facing as long as you can (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (until at least 5!). 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). What we want to do is keep our kids restrained in the safest positions for as long as possible to increase their odds of surviving crash forces.

Keeping these ideas in mind, I set to work to find which infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats would work best in 3 across combinations in the Kia Rio. I found several good options and a few great ones. 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.

2018, 2019, 2020 Kia Rio (YB)

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).

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Kia Rio is a scant 160 long in the hatchback and just under 173 inches long in the sedan, and 68 inches wide in both configurations. Essentially, it’s no easier to make work than the previous generation. However, as I noted in the guide to the prior generationm if it’s possible in a Honda Fit (and it is), and a Fit is narrower than a Rio, then it’s definitely possible with a Rio if you use the right seats. I wouldn’t bother with most Britaxes; they’re just too wide. The Clek and Diono seats are the most straightforward ways of getting things to work, and it’ll still be a snug fit with these. Of course, you’ll want to use your seat belts for these installations and leave LATCH for another day.

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Kia Rio (UB)

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).

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Kia Rio is a scant 172 inches long and 68 inches wide, which makes it a far more challenging vehicle than average for a 3 across installation. That said, if it’s possible in a Honda Fit (and it is), and a Fit is narrower than a Rio, then it’s definitely possible with a Rio if you use the right seats. I wouldn’t bother with most Britaxes; they’re just too wide. The Clek and Diono seats are the most straightforward ways of getting things to work, and it’ll still be a snug fit with these. Of course, you’ll want to use your seat belts for these installations and leave LATCH for another day.

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.

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit a Dodge Charger?

April 19, 2015 Mike

The Dodge Charger is a fast, big, and large American full-sized car, and one frequently chosen by police departments around the country as cruising vehicles. Competing with the Ford Taurus, Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Impala, and its Chrysler twin the Chrysler 300, the Charger is also frequently chosen by families interested in full-sized vehicles for safe family transportation. The latest versions of the Charger include some of the latest safety features on the market, including electronic stability control, side curtain airbags, excellent safety scores, and even basic electronic braking to aid in front crash prevention.

Given its reputation as a “fast car,” I decided to test its family-friendliness by seeing how many car seats I could fit into one, or rather, how well it did when it came to making 3 across car seat installations feasible. You can scroll down to see what I did and did not get to work. Before that, though, let’s look at which kinds of seats are best to choose for kids of different ages and why.

First things first: the youngest children, including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, are safest when sitting in rear-facing positions in infant seats and convertible car seats. I’d recommend doing so for as long as you can (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). Keeping your kids in these configurations maximizes their odds of surviving car crashes.

With this in mind, I tested convertible, booster, combination, and infant seats to figure out which car seats work best in 3 across setups in the Dodge Charger. It’s my goal to make lists like these the most comprehensive on the Internet. 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.

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Dodge Charger

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Diono Rainier (x3).

Diono Pacifica (x3).

Diono Olympia (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

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.

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Dodge Charger is 200 inches long and 75 inches wide, which is wide enough to fit nearly any combination of car seats you can think of 3 across. It’s 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the previous generation, which also increases its friendliness for 3 across and gives you more space for front-to-back installations. That said, it can still feel a bit cramped when using particularly wide seats like the Britax ClickTight series, so you’ll want to use your seat belts instead of the LATCH anchors to take full advantage of the space.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Dodge Charger

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The prior generation of the Dodge Charger is 197 inches long and 74 inches wide, or 3 inches shorter and 1 inch narrower than the current generation. That said, it’s still plenty wide enough to fit a range of infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats, especially when using seat belts instead of LATCH anchors to buy more space.

—

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.

Elena T. Burr, 49, in Summit Township, MI, Killed in Car Crash

April 17, 2015 Mike

Who:

Elena T. Burr, 49, from Adrian, MI, was killed on 3/12/14 at around 4 PM close to McDevitt Ave. on US 27 in Summit Township, MI. She drove a 2013 Chevrolet Impala and was impacted by a 2005 Ford F-150 driven by Gary Lentz, 66, with his wife Shelly Olivia, 58, in the passenger seat. Burr managed several Long John Silver’s restaurants and was married with three children and a stepdaughter.

How:

Lentz was northbound and lost control on ice while driving on the highway, per police reports. He crossed the median and collided with a southbound Impala. Burr died at the scene while Lentz and Olivia were mildly injured.

Why:

Per the police reports, this was simply an unfortunate turn of events. The Chief Assistant Prosecutor stated Lenz likely hit an ice patch and lost control. Weather reports indicated there had been a snow storm that morning, and while the highway was mostly cleared by afternoon, there was some dampness left. At any rate, he lost control, crossed into oncoming traffic, and caused the collision. It is possible that, had the F-150 come with ESC, he would have been able to maintain control.

Investigating the physics of the crash, it is sadly not surprising that Burr died while the F-150 occupants lived, as her vehicle was massively outweighed by the Ford. The 2012 Impala weighs 3585 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2005 F-150, that weighs roughly 5185 lbs, or 145% of the Impala’s weight. As a result, the Impala’s driver automatically faced 45% more force in the collision than she would have if she’d collided with another Imapala, placing her at a severe disadvantage in the collision. The Ford occupants, meanwhile, experienced 31% lower forces due to weighing much more and putting many innocent people throughout the country needlessly at risk.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 711KJ of energy into the Impala. The Impala frontal impact test simulates 260KJ of energy (an Impala impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Impala driver faced 273% of the force she’d have experienced in the type of crash her car was rated for. Given the speed of the collision, her odds of survival were, sadly, quite small.

The F-150’s frontal test simulates 376KJ of energy (a Ford impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupants would have faced 131% of the forces the vehicle was rated to safely withstand, given that the Impala imparted 492KJ of energy into the F-150. This was clearly a survivable collision for the Ford’s occupants, which was reflected in their survival and lack of severe injuries.

This was an unfortunate tragedy that could have been prevented if there had not been such a great discrepancy in the weights of the vehicles involved in the collision, as well as if the offending vehicle had been equipped with appropriate tires for the weather conditions. As long as we are allowed to freely purchase giant vehicles and drive them without closer regulations (e.g., requiring purchasers of vehicles weighing more than 5000 lbs to obtain CDL licenses or requiring winter tires on all vehicles in states north of Kentucky during the winter), such tragedies will unfortunately continue to take our loved ones.

—

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit in a Toyota Avalon?

April 14, 2015 Mike

The Toyota Avalon is one of the most popular large and full-sized cars sold today in the United States. Toyota’s flagship sedan, the Avalon competes with the Ford Taurus, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, and increasingly with large luxury sedans like the Lexus GS, Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class, and Volvo S80 among families interested in safety, style, and comfort. The latest editions of the Avalon come with a range of safety features, including electronic stability control, side curtain and torso airbags beside all four doors, excellent safety scores, and even electronic braking to aid in front crash prevention. As a result, while it’s traditionally been considered a sedan for the silver-haired crowd, it’s no surprise that younger, wealthier, and luxury-minded parents are looking at the Avalon as a safe and stylish choice for family transportation.

I rented a few Avalons this weekend and spent the day in my garage trying out several of my most trusted car seats to see how well the Avalon does in 3 across car seat juggling. In short, the current Avalon behaves much more like a mid-sized sedan (think Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, or of course, Toyota Camry) than a full-sized, large one when it comes to puzzling car seats. This didn’t use to be the case, and the truth is that the older Avalon actually did better fitting car seats than the current one. Before we go into what did and didn’t work, however, it’s worth looking over some best practice guidelines for car seat use.

First of all, I suggest keeping your youngest travelers, such as infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children in rear-facing infant or convertible car seats for as long as you can (ideally until 4!). Once you turn them forward-facing, you can keep them in harnessed convertible or combination seats through the early elementary years, or as long as you can (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 goal is to keep our kids restrained in the safest car seat orientations and safest types of seats for as long as we can, as this dramatically increases their odds of surviving collisions.

Keeping these ideas in mind, I set to work to find which infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats would work best in 3 across combinations in the Toyota Avalon. I found several good options and a few great ones. 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.

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Toyota Avalon

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

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.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Toyota Avalon is 195 inches long and 72 inches wide, which is comparable to most other mid-sized sedans in side-to-side width and slightly longer than the average mid-sized sedan. However, it’s several inches shorter and narrower than the average large sedan. It’s actually both shorter and narrower than the previous generation Avalon by 2 inches in length and 1 inch in width.

As a result, you can expect to fit about the same seats in an Avalon as you’d fit in a comparable mid-sized sedan, but when it comes to front-to-back space or side-to-side space, it’s going to feel cramped compared to a car like a Taurus, Impala, or Charger for car seat installations. You’ll definitely want to use seat belt installations for all three seats to make the most of the space you have.

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 2010, 2011, 2012 Toyota Avalon

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

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.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The prior generation of the Toyota Avalon is 197 inches long and 73 inches wide, which actually makes it a more car-seat friendly Avalon than the current generation due to its being both longer and wider. Seat belt installations will still make the process easier, but this is one case where, seat-wise, at least, older is better.

2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Toyota Avalon

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

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.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The 2000-2004 generation of the Toyota Avalon is 192 inches long and 72 inches wide, which is about typical for mid-sized cars today. In fact, it was classified by the IIHS as a mid-sized car in this generation. You’ll be able to fit a wide range of seats with it if you take your time. Keep in mind that the 2000 model year does not come with LATCH lower anchors, so you’ll have no choice but to use seat belts there. For the other years where it’s an option, I’d still go with the seat belts for more room.

—

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit a Chevrolet Impala?

April 13, 2015 Mike

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.

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Chevrolet Impala

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (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).

Diono Radian / RXT (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.

—

35,000 Americans will die this year on the road. You don't have to be one of them. A car seat and car safety blog to promote best practices for families.