The BMW 3 series is one of the more popular options for mid-sized luxury sedans and hatchbacks available in the United States (along with its newly-named coupe twin the 4 series). Models like the 318d, 316d, 320d, 328d, 330d, 320i, 328i, and 335i compete with fellow mid-sized luxury sedans and hatchbacks like the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Volvo S60, and Volvo V60 among buyers interested in safe, stylish, and head-turning transportation.

I’ve written about the safety-focused design of BMW’s cars in past car comparisons, and it’s no surprise that many parents in small families turn to the 3 series to keep their loved ones and little ones safe on the road. I was able to borrow a few generations of the 3 series this past weekend to see just how well-engineered they were when it came to fitting 3 car seats (e.g., infant seats, booster seats, convertible seats, and combination seats) across the back row. I’ll be honest with you: it’s very, very hard.

Before reviewing the very few seats that work, though, I always like to talk about when we should have our children in certain kinds of seats while they ride in cars with us.

I always advocate beginning with rear-facing, and continuing to do so with young children for as long as possible (ideally until 4!). After rear-facing, next comes forward-facing in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once kids are too big for forward-facing harnessed seats, booster seats are the next step until they pass the 5-step test for using adult vehicle seats and adult seat belts (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The longer you keep your kids safely restrained, the better their odds of crash survival.

With these ideas in mind, I made it my goal to install as many car seats 3 across in the back of the 3 series as possible. There’s not very much information on the Internet about what’s possible with this car, so I figured this list was long overdue. If you find it 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.

The 3-across guides below apply equally to the 3 series sedan and touring, or “sport wagon” hatchback models.

2017 BMW 3 Series (G20)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: Coming Soon!

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 BMW 3 series
(F30)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

This generation of the BMW 3 series is 182 inches long and 71 inches wide, meaning it more closely resembles a small (compact) car in its interior and exterior measurements than a mid-sized luxury car. This also means that you’re going to have a tougher time fitting car seats inside it. However, it’s still possible, especially if you use your seat belts instead of the LATCH system, which I always recommend.

As is typical with BMW, the middle seat is a narrow one, which particularly limits the seats you’ll be able to fit there. The angle of the vehicle’s seats can also make it difficult to get the proper amount of recline for a rear-facing seat.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 BMW 3 series
(E90)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

The 2006-2011 generation of the BMW 3 series is between 178 and 182 inches long and 70-72 inches wide, meaning it more closely resembles a small (compact) car in its interior and exterior measurements than a mid-sized luxury car. This also means that you’re going to have a tougher time fitting car seats inside it. However, it’s definitely possible, especially if you use your seat belts instead of the LATCH system, which I always recommend. As is typical with BMW, the middle seat is a narrow one, which particularly limits the seats you’ll be able to fit there.

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 BMW 3 series
(E46)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

The 1998-2005 generation of the BMW 3 series is 176-177 inches long and 69 inches wide, making it significantly shorter than future generations as well as a bit narrower. This also means that it’s going to be all but impossible to make 3 across setups work. However, it is possible with enough time, the right technique, and the right seats. Of course, you’ll be using seat belts; LATCH is absolutely not an option here.

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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.

The Kia Optima is a sharp mid-sized family car closely related to the Hyundai Sonata. It competes in the US with a number of family sedans like the Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, and Volkswagen Passat among parents who want safe and affordable family transportation without venturing into minivan or crossover territory.

The newest generation of the Optima includes a range of modern safety features including good crash test scores in all areas except for in the small overlap test, where it has an acceptable score. It also features ESC and side airbags while costing significantly less than the majority of other mid-sized sedans currently on the market. In other words, it’s a good car. But how does it do when it comes to fitting 3 children in 3 car seats across the back row?

That’s the question I aimed to find out this weekend. I was able to round up a few generations of the Optima to put them through their paces with some of my best car seats. Before looking at the results, though, it’s worth reviewing which kinds of seats (e.g., infant seats, convertible seats, combination seats, and boosters) should be used, when, and for how long with our kids.

First of all, car seat safety begins with rear-facing. It’s the safest position for both children and adults, and I recommend rear-facing your kids as long as you possibly can (ideally until 4!) before turning them forward. Once you start forward-facing, I also suggest keeping that up as long as possible (ideally until 8!) before you start using booster seats. When you do booster, I recommend keeping that up until your kids can pass the 5-step test for using the adult seat belt (which typically happens between 10 and 12). It doesn’t take expensive seats to keep your kids safe; it mostly takes the right restraints for the right amount of time.

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 Kia Optima, and put my list below together. The good news is that there are a range of infant, convertible, front-facing harnessed, and booster seats you’ll be able to get into the back row without trouble.

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.

2016, 2017 Kia Optima (JF)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Foonf, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Graco Contender.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

The current generation of the Kia Optima is 191 inches long and 73 inches wide, or one inch wider than the previous generation. What this means is that you’ll be able to fit a number of infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats inside, especially if you remember to use your seat belts for all 3 seats instead of the LATCH system. The main issue you’re likely to run into involves the narrowness of the center seat and the sloping of the outboard seats. Don’t let that deter you; use your seat belts and drive those seats outward to get the space you need to make your middle installation work.

If you’re using booster seats, you’ll naturally use the seat belts for those anyway. I’m a fan of LATCH for when it comes to one or two seat installations, but when you want to install three or two seats next to each other and there isn’t much space, you’ll do best if you use your seat belts.

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Kia Optima (TF)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The 2011-2015 generation of the Kia Optima is 191 inches long and 72 inches wide, which makes it very similar in length and width to the average mid-sized sedan. What this means is that you’ll be able to fit a number of infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats inside, especially if you remember to use your seat belts for all 3 seats instead of the LATCH system. The main issue you’re likely to run into involves the narrowness of the center seat and the sloping of the outboard seats. Don’t let that deter you; use your seat belts and drive those seats outward to get the space you need to make your middle installation work.

If you’re using booster seats, you’ll naturally use the seat belts for those anyway. I’m a fan of LATCH for when it comes to one or two seat installations, but when you want to install three or two seats next to each other and there isn’t much space, you’ll do best if you use your seat belts.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Kia Optima (MG)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

Tips and Tricks:

The 2006-2010 generation of the Kia Optima is 187-189 inches long and 72 inches wide, or 2-4 inches shorter than the following generation. What this means is that just about every seat that will fit in the following generation will also fit in this generation, even though you’ll have a little less front-to-back space. Once again, use your seat belts for any installations that you have trouble with, and you’ll be able to get them to work. Remember that seats are allowed to touch each other as long as they’re independently tight.

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Kia Optima (MS)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

Tips and Tricks:

The first generation of the Kia Optima is 187 inches long and 72 inches wide, or 0-2 inches shorter than the following generation. What this means is that just about every seat that will fit in the following generation will also fit in this generation. Once again, use your seat belts for any installations that you have trouble with, and you’ll be able to get them to work. Remember that seats are allowed to touch each other as long as they’re independently tight.

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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.

The GMC Terrain is the GMC equivalent of the Chevrolet Equinox, and an upscale mid-sized SUV chosen by families interested in a hint of luxury without the luxury price tag. It competes with other 5-passenger mid-sized crossovers in the US market like the Ford Edge, Dodge Journey, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. It comes with a wide range of safety features and is often chosen by parents interested in the utility of a hatchback without the resignation of a minivan.

Although I’d had the chance to put an Equinox through the 3 across test, I wanted to see if its GMC twin would do as well, so I borrowed a Terrain this past week to see how friendly the back seat was when it came to installing 3 car seats across. We’ll look at how it did in a moment; first, I’d like to review some elements of car seat safety that apply to all passenger vehicles, including the Terrain.

Car seat safety starts with rear-facing. It’s the safest position we know of, and the longer our kids rear-face, the safer they’ll be, regardless of what kind of vehicle they travel in. I recommend keeping children in rear-facing infant or convertible seats as long as possible (ideally until 4!), then keeping them harnessed in forward-facing seats for several years more (ideally until 8!), and then only switching them out of booster seats when they pass the 5 step test (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep kids in the safest kinds of seats for as long as possible to increase their odds of surviving serious car crashes.

With that all in mind, I got to work with my seats to create what I believe to be the most detailed 3 across guide for the GMC Terrain on the Internet, covering every model year of the SUV so far. 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.

The initial generation of the GMC Terrain is 185-188 inches long and 73 inches wide, which means you’ll have a comparable amount of space for 3 across installations as what you’d find in the average mid-sized SUV or car.  It’s technically slightly wider than the Equinox in this generation, but that difference is mostly in the exterior, which means your internal space will be the same. As usual, to maximize the available amount of space for your installations, you’ll want to make use of seat belts instead of the LATCH anchors.

Because the Terrain is basically a fancy Equinox, issues in a given generation Equinox are issues you’ll see in the same generation of the Terrain. For example, the way the seat hinge is oriented in the back seat, you might have trouble installing multiple Radians rear-facing. I was able to do it, but some folks have had trouble with it. The center Radian can definitely be installed rear-facing, but you might need to install the outboard seats in forward-facing configurations.

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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.

The Chevrolet “Chevy” Malibu is one of the longest-running mid-sized cars available in the United States. Named after Malibu, California, it competes with foreign and domestic mid-sized family sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, and Volvo S60 among parents interested in family-friendly transportation without luxury or large-car prices.

The newest generation of the Malibu is also handsomely outfitted with family-focused safety features, including good small and moderate overlap crash scores, good side scores, a strong roof, and of course, ESC and side airbags. But the big question I had when looking at the Malibu was how it would do with a range of car seats? Let’s take a closer look at the 3 across potential of the Malibu after reviewing some elements of best practice when it comes to car seats.

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 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 Chevy Malibu, and put my list below together. The good news is that there are a range of infant, convertible, front-facing harnessed, and booster seats you’ll be able to get into the back row without trouble.

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.

2016, 2017 Chevrolet Malibu

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The current generation of the Chevy Malibu is 194 inches long and 73 inches wide, which means it’s pretty much the same as the previous Malibu, although there’s a little bit more front-to-back space than before. In other words, you’ll be able to fit a decent range of car seats in it without much trouble, especially if you use your seat belts instead of the LATCH system. I think LATCH is great when you’ve got one or two seats to install, but when you’re looking to install several seats side to side in tight spaces, you’ll want every inch you can get, and you get them from the seat belts.

2013, 2014, 2015 Chevrolet Malibu

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The pre-2016 generation of the Chevy Malibu is 191 inches long and 73 inches wide, making it a rather prototypical example of a mid-sized sedan. In other words, you’ll be able to fit a decent range of car seats in it without much trouble, especially if you use your seat belts instead of the LATCH system. I think LATCH is great when you’ve got one or two seats to install, but when you’re looking to install several seats side to side in tight spaces, you’ll want every inch you can get, and you get them from the seat belts.

2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The 2008-2012 generation of the Chevy Malibu is 192 inches long and 71 inches wide, or 1 inch longer and 2 inches narrower than the current generation. That said, you’ll still be able to fit several car seats in the back row with a bit of patience. Remember to use your seat belts over the LATCH system if at all possible.

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Chevrolet Malibu

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The 2004-2007 generation of the Chevy Malibu is 188 inches long in the sedan and wagon versions and 70 inches wide as well in both versions. Technically, the sedan is half an inch longer and 1/10th of an inch wider, but that doesn’t make any difference when it comes to seat installation.

Despite this generation being narrower than the one that follows it, you’ll still be able to fit several car seats in the back row with a bit of patience. Remember to use your seat belts over the LATCH system if at all possible.

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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.