The Nissan Versa Note, the hatchback wagon version of the Nissan Versa, is one of the more popular entries in the subcompact (minicar) market in the United States. Buyers like it because it’s one of the cheapest cars you can buy new today in the US, and because it’s also pretty reliable and a decent deal for the money. It competes with a range of other gas-sippers like the Toyota Prius C, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Chevrolet Sonic.

The funny thing about the Versa Note is that it’s actually been available in other countries for a number of years (since 2004), where it’s known simply as the Nissan Note. However, Nissan decided to split the sedan and hatchback lines recently for the US market and rebadge the overseas Note as the Versa Note here in the US. Time will tell if they see success with this approach.

I had the privilege of borrowing a Versa Note this weekend in order to see if I could squeeze some car seats into it. The bad news is that it wasn’t an easy task, but the good news is that was possible at all. This is one of those cars that’ll make you be thankful for narrow seats by the time you’re done with a successful 3 across installation. First, though, let’s look at which kinds of seats are good to use in various stages of development.

First of all, try to rear-face your kids as long as you can (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Rear-facing offers the greatest protection for kids of all ages, and there are a number of seats (such as the Fllo / Foonf) that will let them rear-face through the preschool years. 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 Nissan Versa Note. 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.

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Nissan Versa Note (E12)

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 Nissan Versa Note is 162 inches long and 67 inches wide, making it one of the narrowest vehicles I’ve ever tried to stuff 3 car seats into. However, it’s definitely possible if you use the seat belts (no way no how when it comes to LATCH) and take your time.

Out of the above convertibles, to be honest, I’d really just go with the Fllo or Foonf, as the Radians will take up a lot of front-to-back space that you really don’t have, while the Coccoro won’t be the best value for your money unless you have the specific needs to merit it over the Fllo / Foonf. If you insist on using one of the Radians, you’ll definitely need the angle adjuster, or you’re not going to have much front-passenger space, and it’ll be a painful experience for tall drivers or passengers. If you’re looking for infant / bucket seats, the KeyFit 30 is a good narrow choice.

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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 redesigned Mazda 6 is one of the more popular underdogs in the hotly-contested mid-sized family sedan market in the United States. It competes with a slew of foreign and domestic mid-range sedans, including the Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Kia Optima, and Volkswagen Passat among families interested in safe, affordable transportation that seats up to 5 occupants without straying into minivan or SUV land.

The newest generation of the Mazda 6 is fully stocked with safety features, including good small and moderate overlap front crash scores, good side impact and roof scores, and excellent front crash prevention systems, in addition to standards like side airbags and ESC. In other words, on paper, it’s as safe as a mid-sized sedan gets these days. However, I wanted to figure out how well it did in practice when it came to fitting 3 children in 3 car seats across the back row.

I made it my goal this week to round up a few generations of the Mazda 6 and get up close and personal with their back seats along with a few of my best car seats. Before we take a look at what worked and what didn’t, however, I’d like to review which kinds of car seats (e.g., infant sets, convertibles, combinations, and boosters) are best used with children, and when, and why, in order to keep them as safe as possible.

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 6, 7, or 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 Mazda 6, 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.

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Mazda 6 (GJ)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

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

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (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 Mazda 6 sedan is just under 192 inches long and just over 72 inches wide, making it almost exactly the size of the standard mid-sized family sedan sold today in the US. As a result, the list of car seats that will fit its back row is going to be rather similar to the lists for other similar mid-sized sedans. You’ll be able to make a number of infant, combination, convertible, and booster seats there as long as you’re willing to use your seat belts for all 3 seats instead of relying on the LATCH system.

You can certainly use the LATCH system for a couple of seats, but it will limit your options here, as it does on all but the widest vehicles. LATCH anchors are available on the two outboard seats, and unlike in most vehicle, you’re actually allowed to borrow outboard LATCH anchors to install a seat in the middle seat, as long as the car seat you’re using also permits LATCH borrowing, which admittedly few do.

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Mazda 6 (GH)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

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

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

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

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The 2007-2012 generation of the Mazda 6 is just under 194 inches long and just over 72 inches wide, which makes it practically the same as the generation that follows it in terms of available space in the back row. As with the following generation, while you’ll be able to fit a decent number of seats in 3 across configurations, you’ll definitely want to use your seat belts to get the most out of the back row, especially if you’ve got at least one wide seat you’re trying to install.

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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 Acura TLX is the newest iteration of two celebrated Acura sedans, the TL and the TSX. It’s primarily based on the TL, which itself is essentially a performance-optimized version of the Honda Accord. The TLX is designed to compete strongly in the mid-sized luxury sedan market, going head to head with cars like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Infiniti Q50, Volvo S60, Volvo V60, Audi A4, and BMW 3 Series.

The ancestors of the TLX, the TL and the TSX, were estimated to have some of the lowest driver death rates ever seen in cars by the IIHS, with driver death rates of 5 in the TL 2WD and 7 in the TSX. The only cars with lower scores than the TL were the Subaru Legacy and Audi A4, which had driver death rates of zero. In other words, the TLX has a history of strong bones, and both its predecessors and its current safety scores suggest it’s going to be a safe family vehicle.

However, safe scores aren’t enough to make a car good for family use; it also has to be able to carry one’s family, which today means carrying multiple car seats! I made it my goal to see how 3-across compatible the current TLX and past TL and TSX sedans were in the arduous quest of installing 3 car seats safely across the back row. My results with all three vehicles are below; first are the TLX generations, followed by the TL generations, followed by the TSX generations. Before any of this, however, let’s look at some basic elements of safe car seat usage.

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.

Keeping these principles in mind, I made it my goal to see just how 3-across friendly the back seats of the Acura TLX, TL, and TSX were. Given the lack of family-centered information about these performance vehicles on the Internet when it comes to infant, convertible, combination, and booster-seat compatibility, I felt this list was way 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.

2015, 2016, 2017 Acura TLX

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Nautilus.

Britax Parkway SGL, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Snugride 35, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Britax Parkway SGL, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Snugride 35, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

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

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

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The initial generation of the Acura TLX is just over 190 inches long and 73 inches wide, which makes it about typical for a mid-sized car, luxury or otherwise. With a bit of creativity, there are a range of car seats you can stuff into the back row of one, especially if you use your seat belts to give you more room for the installations instead of the LATCH system.

If you buy the Radians to rear-face and find yourself short of front-to-back space, the angle adjuster will be a must; it can buy you back several inches of leg room in the front row. More broadly, if you have space concerns, you’ll want to check out the ultimate convertible front-to-back space comparison guide I wrote up recently; it covers all of the most popular seats and explains how to maximize the space you get out of them.

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Acura TL (UA8-UA9)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Nautilus.

Britax Parkway SGL, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Snugride 35, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Britax Parkway SGL, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Snugride 35, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT.

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

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

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The final generation of the Acura TL is 194-196 inches long and 74 inches wide, which makes it slightly wider than the initial generation of the TLX. As usual, use your seat belts instead of LATCH to get the most space for these installations.

If you buy the Radians to rear-face and find yourself short of front-to-back space, the angle adjuster will be a must; it can buy you back several inches of leg room in the front row. More broadly, if you have space concerns, you’ll want to check out the ultimate convertible front-to-back space comparison guide I wrote up recently; it covers all of the most popular seats and explains how to maximize the space you get out of them.

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Acura TL (UA6-UA7)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

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

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

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The third generation of the Acura TL is 189 inches long and 72 inches wide, which makes it slightly narrower and significantly shorter than the final generation of the TL. As usual, use your seat belts instead of LATCH to get the most space for these installations.

If you buy the Radians to rear-face and find yourself short of front-to-back space, the angle adjuster will be a must; it can buy you back several inches of leg room in the front row. More broadly, if you have space concerns, you’ll want to check out the ultimate convertible front-to-back space comparison guide I wrote up recently; it covers all of the most popular seats and explains how to maximize the space you get out of them.

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Acura TSX (CU2)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Nautilus.

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

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

Diono Radian / RXT, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph.

The second and final generation of the Acura TSX is 186 inches long in the sedan and 189 inches long in the wagon and 72 inches wide, which makes it a typical example of a mid-sized sedan. As usual, use your seat belts instead of LATCH to get the most space for these installations.

If you buy the Radians to rear-face and find yourself short of front-to-back space, the angle adjuster will be a must; it can buy you back several inches of leg room in the front row. More broadly, if you have space concerns, you’ll want to check out the ultimate convertible front-to-back space comparison guide I wrote up recently; it covers all of the most popular seats and explains how to maximize the space you get out of them.

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Acura TSX (CL9)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

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

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

Tips and Tricks:

The first generation of the Acura TSX is 183 inches long and 69 inches wide, which makes it effectively a compact sedan on the inside. You’ll be able to make some three across installations work in it, but not very many. As usual, use your seat belts instead of LATCH to get the most space for these installations.

If you buy the Radians to rear-face and find yourself short of front-to-back space, the angle adjuster will be a must; it can buy you back several inches of leg room in the front row. More broadly, if you have space concerns, you’ll want to check out the ultimate convertible front-to-back space comparison guide I wrote up recently; it covers all of the most popular seats and explains how to maximize the space you get out of them.

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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 Mercedes-Benz GLC / GLK-Class, (e.g., the GLK 320 & GLK 350) is one of two mid-sized 5-passenger SUVs currently sold by Mercedes-Benz in the United States. It competes with its stablemate the M-Class, as well as with several other 5-passenger luxury crossovers, including the Volvo XC60, BMW X3, Acura RDX, Lexus RX, and Audi Q5 among families who don’t need a full time 3rd row but who are looking for safety, style, and high-end transportation.

When it comes to safety, the GLC (formerly known as the GLK-Class) is near the top of the heap in a very important category. In my comparison of SUVs with the best levels of side impact crash protection, I calculated that the GLK-Class was the second- best SUV you could be in during a side impact collision, which was impressive.

Given its safe, sturdy, and stylish design, I became curious about which car seats would fit well across the back seat of the GLK-Class, especially after having made 3 across guides for a number of other Mercedes’, including the GL-Class, M-Class, E-Class, and C-Class (which is designed to be the car counterpart of the GLK). What I found was pleasantly surprising; there was actually a good amount of interior room in the GLK-Class. So which seats worked and which seats didn’t? We’ll get to that in a second. First, let’s take a look at some best practice in car seat selection, orientation, and installation.

The safest configuration we know of when it comes to vehicle safety is rear-facing. I recommend rear-facing your children long past age 1, which is the legal requirement in most states, and going well into the preschool years (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once they outgrow their harnessed seats, it’s best to keep them restrained in high-back boosters until they’re physically and psychologically ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). We want our little ones in the safest positions we know of for as long as possible to give them the greatest advantages in a collision.

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 GLC/ GLK-Class. It’s my goal to make this list the most thorough 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.

The “Chevy” Chevrolet Suburban is easily the most popular “extended length” SUV available in the United States. It competes with other extra-long SUVs like the Ford Expedition EL and its badge twin the GMC Yukon XL, as well as with shorter but still quite large SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Durango, GMC Yukon, Nissan Armada, Toyota Sequoia, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Ford Expedition.

Of these vehicles, besides the Yukon XL, the Tahoe and regular Yukon are the closest twins of the Suburban; they’re basically the same vehicle but around 20 inches shorter. The extra length provides a usable storage space behind the 3rd row seats, but it doesn’t change any of the possibilities when it comes to 3 across installations. People interested in vehicles with 9-passenger seating don’t have many vehicles to choose from that aren’t either full-sized vans (e.g., the Nissan NV or Ford Transit 12-passenger vans) or small school buses, which is part of what makes the Suburban so desirable for some parents, social groups, or small businesses.

That said, I still wanted to make sure the Suburban was as car-seat friendly when it came to 3 across installations as the other SUVs with which it’s frequently cross-shopped. The good news is that ye, you can fit just about any combination of car seats you’re interested in inside a Suburban, with very few exceptions. Before going into some of the easier and more difficult installations, here are some general tips on when to use which kinds of car seats.

First of all, I suggest rear-facing from day one until you can’t anymore. Rear-facing is the way to go even if it takes you through the preschool years (ideally until 4!). Once you can’t fit your child in a rear-facing seat anymore, forward-face him or her in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once your children outgrow their harnessed seats, it’s best to keep them restrained 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 overriding goal is safety, which comes from using certain kinds of seats at certain times.

With all that out of the way, here are some of the combinations of car seats you’re likely to get to fit well inside your Suburban, although the exact fits will naturally vary with your model year, the seats you’re using, and of course, the installation method.

The list isn’t complete, but it’s my goal to make it as complete as possible over time. 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.