The Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular small SUVs sold today in the United States. It competes directly with crossovers like the Honda CR-V, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, and Ford Escape. The newest generation of the RAV4 includes a range of great safety scores in the small overlap, moderate overlap, side, and roof strength domains, as well as ESC and side airbags. The next step for Toyota will be to add front crash prevention systems now that they’ve worked out their small overlap issues with it.

Because it’s such a reliable, affordable, fuel-friendly, and attractive little SUV, it’s no surprise lots of parents would turn to it as a way of keeping their children safe. Unfortunately, due to the overlapping seat belt setup Toyota keeps building into the back seat of the Rav4, it is essentially a 5-seat vehicle capable of seating 4-persons, and has been for several years now. This is part of why it’s taken me so long to review it for 3 across compatibility; I didn’t want to take the trouble of borrowing one when I was sure of what the conclusions would be. But I’ve got a bit of free time now so let’s take a look together. Before that, however, here are some basics in car seat safety selection:

Car seat safety starts with rear-facing our little ones; it’s best for their soft spines and disproportionally large heads. I recommend you rear-face your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for as long as possible (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.

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 RAV4. It’s my goal to make this list the most thorough on the Internet and my hope that Toyota will soon return to a sensible back seat design for the Rav4. 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, 2018 Toyota RAV4

Guaranteed 3 across installations: None!

The current generation Toyota Rav4 continues an unfortunate step backwards in car seat compatibility, due to the ridiculously overlapping seat belts in the back seat. This was the case with the previous generation as well, and all signs point to this continuing to be a “feature” of the Rav4, despite Toyota’s continued insistence that it is a 5-person vehicle.

While overlapping seat belts in and of themselves don’t automatically exclude a vehicle from 3 across capabilities (the Highlander has overlapping belts but is still a decent 3 across vehicle, for example), when the belts overlap to a significant degree (as in the current generation Corolla, Rogue, or CX-5), 3 across becomes an impossibility for safety reasons. I’ve included 2 car seat arrangements that will work easily given the available space in the Rav4, but until Toyota corrects this, the Rav4 will remain a 2-across vehicle.

Clek Fllo (x2).

Clek Foonf (x2).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x2).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x2).

Graco Contender (x2).

Diono Radian / RXT (x2).

Combi Coccoro (x2).

The current generation of the Toyota Rav4 is 180 inches long and 73 inches wide, which means you’ll have a good amount of space for any 2 car seats, though not 3 (see above).

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Toyota Rav4

Guaranteed 3 across installations: None!

The 2007-2012 generation Toyota Rav4 began an unfortunate step backwards in car seat compatibility in this generation, due to the ridiculously overlapping seat belts in the back seat. This is the case with the current (2013+_ generation as well, and all signs point to this continuing to be a “feature” of the Rav4, despite Toyota’s continued insistence that it is a 5-person vehicle.

While overlapping seat belts in and of themselves don’t automatically exclude a vehicle from 3 across capabilities (the Highlander has overlapping belts but is still a decent 3 across vehicle, for example), when the belts overlap to a significant degree (as in the current generation Corolla, Rogue, or CX-5), 3 across becomes an impossibility for safety reasons. I’ve included 2 car seat arrangements that will work easily given the available space in the Rav4, but until Toyota corrects this, the Rav4 will remain a 2-across vehicle.

Clek Fllo (x2).

Clek Foonf (x2).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x2).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x2).

Graco Contender (x2).

Diono Radian / RXT (x2).

Combi Coccoro (x2).

The 2007-2012 generation of the Toyota Rav4 is 181 inches long and 71 inches wide, which gives you slightly less room for 2 across than in the current generation. However, due to to the overlapping seat belt issue again, you’re still dealing with 2 across, so there’ll be room for just about whatever you’re interested in fitting, as long as you only want 2 of them.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can buy my books here or 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 4Runner might just be my favorite mid-sized SUV currently on the market, along with the Volvo XC90. It’s bulletproof in its reliability, has great towing and seating potential, and is also one of the safest used SUVs you can buy per driver death rates. It competes with other 3-row mid-sized SUVs like the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, Dodge Journey, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Flex, and with its stablemate the Toyota Highlander, and it’s a fan favorite among those who enjoy off-roading and exploring the glorious back country of the US.

Being such an awesome 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, presuming you buy the trim levels with the optional 3rd row seats installed. The bad news? Well, there isn’t really any; it’s a Toyota. 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 4Runner 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.

—

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 Toyota Prius C (the c stands for city) is one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles you can buy today in the United States, and is easily the most fuel-efficient non-electric car in the minicar segment, competing with other gas-sippers like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Chevrolet Sonic. Popular among the young and old alike, the Prius C may be a particular favorite of ecologically conscious parents who wish to leave their children a better world and promote a more sustainable future.

Ultimately, I fervently believe that the future isn’t in the giant vehicles that roam our streets and highways, but in much smaller vehicles like the C, and indeed, in far fewer personal vehicles (bicycles aside!) and in far better public infrastructure. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This guide is about 3 across compatibility, not sustainability!

I borrowed a Prius C this weekend to see how family-friendly it is 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 (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). 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 Prius C. 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.

—

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 Mazda CX-5 is one of the hottest entries to the small SUV / crossover market in the United States in recent years. It competes directly with luminaries such as the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Subaru Forester, Jeep Patriot, and Jeep Compass among families interested in the raised height of an SUV while retaining the fuel economy of a mid-sized car. The CX-5 is also a strong contender in my personal list of small, safe vehicles, with good small overlap, moderate overlap, side impact, and roof scores, as well as with ESC and side airbags.

In other words, the CX-5 is a solid little SUV, and it makes sense that families around the country are increasingly turning to it to transport their kids. I borrowed one this weekend in effort to find out just how good of a crossover it is when it comes to fitting 3 car seats across the back seat. The bad news is that while it’s a great vehicle on paper, the middle seat will make 3 across installations just about impossible. However, it’s worth taking a look at some best practice principles before checking out which seats will at least work in 2-across outboard installations.

The safest configuration we know of when it comes to vehicle safety is rear-facing. This goes for adults as well, but it’s uncommon to find rear-facing seats for adults outside of trains. That said, rear-face your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for as long as possible (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 Mazda CX-5. 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.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can buy my books here or do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases.  It costs nothing extra to do so, but when you shop through my links, a small portion of your purchase, regardless of what you buy, will go toward the maintenance of The Car Crash Detective.