The Mazda CX-9 is one of the “underdogs,” if you will, in the mid-sized 3-row SUV market. It’s not nearly as popular as a number of more-established 3-row crossovers like the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, Dodge Journey, Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Flex, Toyota 4Runner, and Toyota Highlander. However, it’s a reliable SUV and it had some of the lowest driver death rates of all vehicles between the 2008 and 2011 model years in the Volume 50, No. 1 IIHS Status Report.

In that report, the 4WD version of the 2008-2011 Mazda CX-9 was estimated to have had a DDR of 5 and the 2WD version a DDR of 12. That’s just amazing, and a testament to the safety of the vehicle. As a result, it’s no surprise that it’s often chosen as a family vehicle by parents interested in something safe and reliable that costs less than some of the bigger-name 3-row crossovers.

Being such a solid SUV, I made it my mission to figure out how well it did when it came to fitting 3 car seats across the 2nd row. The good news is that it’s a wide-enough SUV to theoretically fit 3, 4, or even 5 car seats in. The bad news? The 2nd row is the only row that comes with tethers, which means you can’t tether while forward-facing, which means you’re missing out on a very important safety feature if you decide to use forward-facing seats in the 3rd row.

Before we dig into the details of which seats will give you the easiest time making 3 across installations work, let’s look at which kinds of car seats should be used to keep your kids safe at various ages.

First of all, I like to begin with rear-facing, since it’s the safest position for young children. I suggest rear-facing from day one until you can’t anymore, even if that takes you through 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). These suggestions may take a bit of extra work, but they provide a lot of extra safety.

My results of car seat puzzling in the CX-9 are below. It’s not a complete list, but as with all of my 3 across guides, it’s my goal to make it the most complete on the Internet over time, especially as I get access to more seats. 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.

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Mazda CX-9 (TB)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

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

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65 (x2).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT (x2).

Graco TurboBooster, Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco TurboBooster, Diono Radian / RXT (x2).

The first generation of the Mazda CX-9 is 200 inches long and 76 inches wide, which means you’re going to be able to fit a lot of car seats in the 2nd row without much trouble. The 3rd row will be a bit more tricky, but it’ll still be significantly easier than most of the other 3rd rows in the mid-sized SUV segment, simply because the CX-9 is longer than the vast majority of crossovers in this segment.

The biggest issue with the CX-9, as I stated above, is that the 2nd row is the only row that comes with tethers, which means you can’t tether while forward-facing, which means you’re missing out on a very important safety feature if you decide to use forward-facing seats in the 3rd row.

In the 2nd row, make use of your seat belts to get maximum side-to-side space, as usual. While you can use LATCH anchors, it’ll rob you of space if you’re aiming for 3 across setups. If you’ve only got one or two seats to install, on the other hand, it doesn’t matter at all.

Something nice about the 2nd row is that while you can’t remove the middle seat there to make it easier to get to the 3rd row, you can slide the outboard seats. Additionally, the center 2nd row seat is also a much larger seat than that you’ll find in most crossovers.

Another potential challenge with the 3rd row is the fact that you can’t always get to the 3rd row seats from the hatch and trunk area in order to buckle them the way you can with certain other vehicles. In other words, if you can’t buckle your kids in the 3rd row from the 2nd row and they aren’t old enough to buckle themselves, you might have a lot of trouble using that 3rd row in general.

Given the lack of tethers in the 3rd row in general, you might just want to restrict it to either children in booster seats or to teenagers who no longer need child safety seats in general. Technically, adults can also sit there, but there’s just not that much room.

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? Join us in the forums!

The Toyota Tundra is the most-popular non-US-branded large pickup sold in the United States. Interestingly, it’s more domestic than most vehicles in the country, having been assembled in Princeton, Indiana in the past and currently assembled in San Antonio, Texas. It competes with other giant pickups like the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Nissan Titan, and Dodge Ram, and is more reliable than all of them put together. Can you tell I’m a fan?

Because of the rock-solid reliability of the Tundra and its go-anywhere, do-anything reputation, it’s no surprise that a number of parents look to the Tundra to take care of their little ones in terms of day-to-day transportation. As a result, I borrowed a few Tundras to see if they were as up to hauling 3 car seats across the back rows as they were to hauling several thousand pounds of lumber in the bed. The good news is that they were more than up to the task. Before getting into the details, however, let’s take a look at rear-facing, forward-facing, and other suggestions for keeping your kids safe in your Tundra.

For me, everything starts with rear-facing. To keep your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as safe as possible, I typically suggest keeping children rear-facing as long as possible (until 4 or 5 like the Swedes), followed by harnessing until they can safely use booster seats (until at least 5, like the Swedes), and then boostering until the 5 step test is passed (typically between 10, 11, and 12). Beyond that, I suggest keeping kids in the back seat until at least 13, and delaying teen solo driving until 18 if possible. Even if you’re in a large vehicle, you’ll protect your children far more by properly restraining them than by skipping stages.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at what worked and what didn’t. The fact of the matter is that with a vehicle as large as the Tundra, you typically aren’t going to have any issues with 3 across car seat installations in terms of width; your main challenges will have to do with front-to-back room, which depends on your cabin sizes. That said, this is likely to be the most thorough 3 across car seat guide for the Toyota Tundra on the Internet, and I’ll keep adding to it 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.

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Toyota Tundra (XK50)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Diono Rainier (x3).

Diono Pacifica (x3).

Diono Olympia (x3).

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

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

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

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The second generation of the Toyota Tundra is between 209 and 248 inches long, depending on which cab size you choose, and 80 inches wide. Dimension-wise, it’s almost exactly the size of the current F-150. In other words, you’re going to be able to fit just about any 3 car seats next to each other when it comes to width.

However, when it comes to front-to-back space, what you can and can’t do will depend on your cab size. The Tundra comes in a 2-door regular cab, a 4-door double cab, and a 4-door crewmax. The double cab is the replacement of the access cab in the previous generation while the crewmax is the replacement of the double cab in the previous generation.

The crewmax will be the most car seat-friendly, while you won’t be able to fit any car seats anywhere in the regular cab except for in the front passenger seat, and it’ll need to be a front-facing car seat unless you can completely disable the front passenger airbag.

In the current double cab, you might have a good bit of trouble due to needing to choose between car seats and front-passenger space. Shorter car seats like the Fllo and Size4Me 65 will help you make the most of your front-to-back space.

2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Toyota Tundra

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier G1.1, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Tips and Tricks:

The first generation of the Toyota Tundra is 218 inches long in the 2-door regular cab and 4-door access cab trims and 230 inches long in the 4-door double cab trim. It’s 75 inches wide in the regular and access cabs and 79-80 inches wide in the double cab trims.

What this means is that you’ll be able to fit a whole mess of car seats the double cab trims, but not nearly as many in the regular and access cabs. Additionally, if you’re driving the access cab, you’ll likely have some trouble with front-to-back space unless you’re using shorter car seats. If you’re driving the the regular cab, you’ll be able to fit a front-facing car seat in the passenger seat, but you won’t be able to use a rear-facing seat there unless you can completely disable the passenger airbag.

In the access cab, you might have a good bit of trouble due to needing to choose between car seats and front-passenger space. Shorter car seats like the Fllo and Size4Me 65 will help you make the most of your front-to-back space.

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.

The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most-loved trucks in the USA, a country that loves it pickup trucks. It’s a mid-sized pickup truck that competes with trucks like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Chevy Colorado, Honda Ridgeline, and Dodge Dakota while offering a smaller and more sensible alternative for most drivers to larger trucks like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra, and so on. It’s not as big, but for a number of families, it’s big enough.

As a result, I wasn’t surprised to learn that many parents with Tacomas, or Tacos, as they’re often called, wanted to know about the possibilities of installing  3 car seats (whether infant seats, convertibles, combinations, or boosters) across the back row, especially in the longer cab versions such as the Access Cab or Double Cab short and long beds. To answer their questions, I took a look at a few generations of the Tacoma to probe their 3 across potential. Before looking at the results, however, it’s a good idea to review best practices when it comes to installing car seats in pickup trucks (or any other kind of vehicle, really).

First of all, I typically suggest keeping children rear-facing as long as possible (until 4 or 5 like the Swedes), followed by harnessing until they can safely use booster seats (until at least 5, like the Swedes), and then boostering until the 5 step test is passed (typically between 10, 11, and 12). Beyond that, I suggest keeping kids in the back seat until at least 13, and delaying teen solo driving until 18 if possible. 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 Toyota Tacoma. 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.

2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Toyota Tacoma

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

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

Tips and Tricks:

The third generation Toyota Tacoma is available in access cab and double cab configurations. The access cab is only available with a standard bed and is 212.3 inches long; the double cab is available in standard and long beds and is 22.5 inches long in the long bed (except in the SR and Limited trims, which only feature a standard bed). The width varies from 74.4 inches in SR and SR5 trims to 75.2 inches in TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trims.

Practically speaking, this means that you’re going to be able to fit a decent number of car seats throughout the back seats in all trim levels. If you’re interested in rear-facing with a Radian and you’ve got an access cab, or have tall front row occupants, you’ll definitely want to spend the extra few dollars on an angle adjuster to make driving and using the front-passenger space easier.

Whichever cab or trim level you choose, be sure to use your seat belts for all 3 installations instead of your lower LATCH anchors; this will give you significantly more space for each seat by allowing you to install the outboard seats closer to the sides of the Tacoma.

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Toyota Tacoma

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

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

Tips and Tricks:

The second generation Toyota Tacoma is 190 inches long in the regular cab, 208 inches in the access and double cab short bed, and 221 inches in the double cab long bed. It ranges from 72 inches wide in the 2WD regular to 75 inches wide in the 2WD extended and 4WD.

Practically speaking, this means that you’re going to be able to fit a decent number of car seats throughout the back seats in all trim levels. However, if you’ve got the regular cab, you’re going to have trouble leaving enough space for the driver and front-seat passenger if you have tall car seats, especially while rear-facing. You’ll have a much easier time in terms of front-to-back space with the access or double cabs.

If you’re interested in rear-facing with a Radian and you’ve got a shorter cab, you’ll definitely want to spend the extra few dollars on an angle adjuster to make driving and using the front-passenger space easier.

Whichever cab or trim level you choose, be sure to use your seat belts for all 3 installations instead of your lower LATCH anchors; this will give you significantly more space for each seat by allowing you to install the outboard seats closer to the sides of the Tacoma.

1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Toyota Tacoma

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The first generation Tacoma ranges from 175 inches in the ’95-’97 2WD regular cab to 203 inches in the ’98-’02 2WD xtracab and ’03-’04 xtracab V6 and double cab. The width ranges from 67 to 70 inches in the crew cab trim levels.

Essentially, your 3 across potential will depend to a large degree on the cab and trim level you’re dealing with, and if you’re reading this review, the odds are that you bought your Taco before you bought your car seats. That said, there are a few seats that will work in any of these Tacomas, and those are the seats I’ve listed above. If you’ve got a larger trim, you’ll be able to install taller seats, while a wider trim will allow you to install many more seats than those I’ve listed here.

If you’re interested in rear-facing with a Radian and you’ve got a shorter cab, you’ll definitely want to spend the extra few dollars on an angle adjuster to make driving and using the front-passenger space easier.

As usual, you’ll absolutely want to use your seat belts instead of the LATCH system to maximize the usable space you have in your Taco. Good luck!

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.

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.

—

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.

—

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.