The Buick Envision is a new (in the US, at least) luxury crossover sold by the Buick division of General Motors. It competes with foreign and domestic 5-passenger luxury SUVs like the Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKC, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Volvo XC60, BMW X3, Acura RDX, Lexus RX, Lexus NX, 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 Envision delivers. It’s a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS for 2017, featuring good small overlap, moderate overlap, side, roof, head restraint, and frontal crash prevention scores, showing GM clearly did their homework when designing it.
Given its safe, sturdy, and stylish design, I became curious about which car seats would fit well across the back seat of the Envision. The good news was that you can definitely make 3 across work with several different seats; the bad news is that many of those seats cost a decent amount of money, since the back row is on the narrower end. 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 6, 7, or 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 Envision. 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.
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 Buick Envision
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The current and only generation of the Buick Envision is 184 inches long and a scant 71 inches wide. What this means is that you’ll be able to fit narrow seats in 3 across setups all day long, but you’ll struggle to fit some (many) of the wider seats unless you’re only aiming for one or two seats installed at a time.
Given the relatively narrow width of the Envision, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the seat belt system instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of your available space. And given the shorter length of the Envision, if you’re going with a Radian, you’ll definitely want to pick up the angle adjuster for each Radian you buy; they’ll give you several inches of front-row space back for both the driver and front-row passenger.
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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.
Four of the Narrowest Infant Seats for 3 Across Car Seat Installations
When it comes to 3 across car seat installations, the good news is that you can fit 3 car seats in almost any vehicle sold in the US if you have the right seats; this is why I put together (and continue to add to) my mega 3 across car seat guide. However, I don’t have every combination that will work in every vehicle listed, and sometimes you just want a quick guide to seats that are pretty much guaranteed to work in whatever you’re driving. I’ve written a guide to convertible seats that will fit 3 across in pretty much any vehicle out there, but a lot of parents asked for an equivalent guide for infant seats. This is that list. It doesn’t cover every single narrow infant seat on the market, but these are the narrowest I’ve measured that also have at least 30-pound rear-facing weight limits.
It took a while to test these in my narrowest vehicles (e.g., the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris) to make sure they really would work just about everywhere, but I’m now confident that if you’ve got three functional seat belts and three seats attached to them, you’ll almost certainly be able to get 3 of the infant seats below to work in them. These seats can also be mixed and matched with the super narrow convertible seats I profiled earlier. As usual, you’ll want to use seat belts instead of LATCH when attempting any installation where space is an issue; remember that it’s just as safe as LATCH but far more convenient when it comes to multiple adjacent car seat installations.
The 4 narrowest infant car seats for 3 across installations in nearly any vehicle
Chicco KeyFit 30 – 17 inches. Review here, buy here.
The Chicco KeyFit 30 is my default infant seat recommendation for parents looking for a straightforward and 3-across-friendly infant option. It’s easy to install, it’s affordable at under $200, it has a great reputation, and it’s also among the narrowest infant seats you can buy.
Additional things I like about the KeyFit 30 include its compatibility with a range of Chicco strollers, the included infant insert that makes it easy to use with smaller babies, and the single pull tightener to adjust harness tension. The main downside to the KeyFit 30 is that its weight range is 4-30 pounds rather than 4-35 like much of the competition. I’d also like the 30″ height limit to be larger. However, it’s also one of the easiest infant seats on the market to install, and that’s a big, big pro for first time parents. And on the aesthetic end, it’s available in at least 9 colors.
Cybex Aton – 17 inches. Review coming, buy here.
The Cybex Aton raises the bar compared to the KeyFit right off the bat by including a 4-35 pound weight range, offering more room for growth by weight before you’ll need to look for a convertible seat (because you’ll want to keep rear-facing long past when your baby outgrows his or her infant seat). The seat itself also comes in at a svelte 9 pounds without the base, which makes more of a difference than you’d think when toting a 10 pound baby around.
Like the KeyFit, the Aton comes in at 17 inches in width, meaning you’ll be able to install it just about anywhere. It clicks into the base with a satisfying click and, like almost all infant seats on the market, can also be used without the base through a seat belt installation. I also like how it includes European belt routing as an option during baseless installs; it’s a nice alternative to the standard American belt routing, although either is safe. The main con to the Aton is that it costs a bit more than the KeyFit 30 and may not be as easy to find in stores; I recommend buying seats from Amazon anyway due to their hassle-free return system.
Cybex Aton 2 – 17 inches. Review here, buy here.
I reviewed the Cybex Aton 2 years ago and am still a fan of it as a well-designed and functional infant seat. The Aton 2 retains many of the great features of the original Aton while adding 10 color options and an adjustable load leg, which I discuss in detail in my review above. Overall, either seat is a solid choice when looking for a more high-end infant seat. It’s worth noting that the Aton 2 is also a little lighter than the Aton at slightly fewer than 9 pounds.
Something else to note is that I consistently found myself able to fit the Atons in slightly shorter spaces, in terms of front-to-back distance, than I did the KeyFit, when really pressed for space. In most situations, the seats were interchangeable, but it wasn’t always the case. The main disadvantage to the Aton 2 is the price, which is steeper than that of the original Aton, and significantly steeper than that of the KeyFit.
Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 – 17 inches. Review here, buy here.
Finally, the Primo Viaggio deserves mention as yet another strong competitor in the 17″ waistline range. As with the Atons, you’re also paying at least partly for the additional style and prestige of a European car seat, for whatever that’s worth, as the Atons are made in Germany and the Primo Viaggio is an Italian product. All of the seats I profile here are good ones, and the Viaggio is no exception.
Things I like in particular about the Primo Viaggio include the dizzying array of colors and fabric styles available for choosy parents (there are 18 options at last count), as well as the 4-35 pound weight limit and 32″ height limit, which is handy since most infants will end up outgrowing their seats by height before they do so by weight. The seat is a bit heavier than the Axons at 9.5 pounds, but is still comfortably under 10 pounds. The biggest downside is the price, which hovers consistently between $280 and $330 or more, depending on which color print you’re interested in and how available (or unavailable) it currently is.
Once I’ve got my infant seat, do I still need to worry about convertible seats or rear-facing down the line, or can I switch straight to forward-facing or booster seats after my child outgrows one of these seats?
Once your child outgrows his or her infant seat, you’ll absolutely want to continue rear-facing, and continue to do so for as long as possible. I recommend all parents rear-face until at least 4 if at all possible, just as parents do in Sweden (and now Norway). It’s safer than rear-facing at all ages, and we finally have seats in the US that are capable of allowing kids to stay safely harnessed rear-facing until the preschool or even kindergarten years. Seats like the Fllo, Foonf, Rainier, Pacifica, and Extend2Fit allow for rear-facing until 50 pounds, and in the case of the Extend2Fit, can be had for under $200. The protection they offer kids is immense, and well worth the investment.
If $200 is too much, you can still get at least 40 pounds of rear-facing goodness from seats like the Size4Me or Contender, which will allow most kids to rear-face until 4 or close to 4. Once you forward-face, I’d then recommend continuing to do so until your child turns 8 if possible, but that’s covered in detail in a different article (as is boostering until the 5-step test is passed, and remaining in the back seat until at least 13). Keeping kids safe in cars might seem complex, but it’s not too hard once you get into the habit of doing so.
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!
3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit a Chrysler Pacifica?
The Chrysler Pacifica is easily the most impressive minivan to come from an American manufacturer in US minivan history. Sleek, stylish, swooping, and futuristic, it’s turning a lot of heads and potentially a lot of pocketbooks from more established competitors like the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Nissan Quest, or domestic stablemates Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. It’s eye-catching and, in my opinion, the best American minivan ever produced (and shouldn’t be confused with its prior namesake, the Pacifica SUV of the 2000s). Stocked with many of the latest safety features, it’s also likely to be a strong competitor among families interested in keeping the most precious of cargo as safe as possible.
As a result, I packed my bags and headed to the nearest Chrysler dealer to check out the Pacifica. Yes, it drives nicely, but what I was really interested in was in figuring out just how good of a job it did at the all-important task of fitting 3 car seats across the 2nd and 3rd rows. However, before looking at what I was able to stuff into those rows, let’s look at some good ideas for when to use which kinds of seats in the Pacifica or in any other vehicle.
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, 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. 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 Chrysler Pacifica. 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.
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 yours truly.
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Chrysler Pacifica (RU)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Clek Oobr (x3).
Peg Perego Flex 120 (x3).
Maxi-Cosi RodiFix (x3).
Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).
Diono Radian 3RX (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).
Graco Head Wise 65 (x3).
Graco Fit4Me 65 (x3).
Graco Contender (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The current generation of the Chrysler Pacifica is 203 inches long and just under 80 inches wide, which is comparable to the length and width of every other minivan currently available in the US market. However, I didn’t find the back row quite as friendly as that in, say, the Odyssey or in the Sienna. That said, you can still fit just about any seats you’re interested in fitting back there without too much trouble. My biggest suggestion is to use the seat belts, as the LATCH anchors aren’t spaced nearly as wide as I’d like them to be (although that tends to be the case in just about every vehicle I look into).
Something to keep in mind is that if you do choose to use LATCH, you’re going to have a beast of a time in the 3rd row, as there’s only one pair of usable lower anchors (those on the passenger side), as the other anchors aren’t actually aligned with their seats. Additionally, while there are a pair of tethers for forward facing (because forward-facing tethering is important), you can only use the center tether for the center or driver’s side seat, and not for both at the same time. The passenger side tether is fully independent. What this means is that you can only safely install two forward-facing seats in the 3rd row.
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 in an Acura ILX?
The Acura ILX is Acura’s smallest luxury car currently sold, and is a variation of the 9th-generation Honda Civic. Manufactured in Indiana and Ohio and released in 2012 for the model years 2013 onward, it’s designed to succeed the Acura Integra, and is designed to compete with other compact luxury sedans including the Lexus IS, Audi A3, and Lexus CT hybrid. It’s the smaller sibling of the similarly new Acura TLX, which itself is a smaller version of the Acura RLX.
Like the vehicles it competes with, the ILX hits the ground running with a range of top notch crash scores and safety features, including side airbags and ESC, as well as frontal crash protection in the latest models. In fact, it’s one of the few vehicles with superior levels of rollover protection at every trim level, which is why I’ve ranked it among the safest small cars you can choose to keep you safe during a rollover.
As a result,even if you aren’t an executive or business-type, the ILX is worth considering if you’re a parent interested in one of the safest small sedans money can buy. As a result, I got up close and personal with the initial generation of the ILX to see just how car-seat friendly it would be for interested families.
Before looking at which car seats did and didn’t fit in the ILX in 3 across setups, it’s worth reviewing a bit of car safety, in terms of which kinds of seats to use and when.
For me, the most basic and essential part of car seat safety involves 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 Acura ILX 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.
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 taken by yours truly or are courtesy of Wikipedia.
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Acura ILX
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The initial generation ILX is 179 inches long and just under 71 inches wide, which means you won’t have too many seats to choose from when it comes to 3 across setups. However, even though the back row isn’t the widest, it’s definitely wide enough for several of the narrower seats as long as you’re willing to use your seat belts instead of LATCH for the installation. Remember that seat belts are as safe as LATCH, and in some cases, safer, depending on the weight limits of your car seats.
Because the ILX is also a rather short vehicle, you’re quite likely to find yourself compromised on front-to-back space, especially if you’ve got taller drivers or passengers. If you’re interested in which safe seats take up the least space, you’ll want to check out my front-to-back comparison chart for rear-facing convertibles.
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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.
3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit in an Audi A3?
The Audi A3 is one of the smallest vehicles sold by Volkswagen’s luxury brand, Audi. Manufactured in Germany, Hungary, China, and India, it shares a platform with Volkswagen Golf, and is designed to compete with other compact luxury sedans including the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, Lexus IS, Acura ILX, and Lexus CT hybrid.
Like the vehicles it competes with, the A3 hits the ground running with a range of top notch crash scores and safety features, including side airbags and ESC, as well as frontal crash protection in the latest models. In fact, it’s one of the few vehicles with superior levels of rollover protection at every trim level, which is why I’ve ranked it as one of the safest luxury cars you can choose to keep you safe during a rollover.
As a result,even if you aren’t an executive or business-type, the Audi A3 is worth considering if you’re a parent interested in one of the safest sedans money can buy. As a result, I got up close and personal with the initial generation of the A3 to see just how car-seat friendly it would be for interested families.
Before looking at which car seats did and didn’t fit in the A3 in 3 across setups, it’s worth reviewing a bit of car safety, in terms of which kinds of seats to use and when.
For me, the most basic and essential part of car seat safety involves 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 Audi A3 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.
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 taken by yours truly or are courtesy of Wikipedia.
2017 Audi A3
Guaranteed 3 across installations: Coming Soon!
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Audi A3
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The current generation A3 is 175 inches long and just under 71 inches wide, which means you won’t have too many seats to choose from when it comes to 3 across setups. However, even though the back row isn’t the widest, it’s definitely wide enough for several of the narrower seats as long as you’re willing to use your seat belts instead of LATCH for the installation. Remember that seat belts are as safe as LATCH, and in some cases, safer, depending on the weight limits of your car seats.
Because the A3 is also a rather short vehicle, you’re quite likely to find yourself compromised on front-to-back space, especially if you’ve got taller drivers or passengers. If you’re interested in which safe seats take up the least space, you’ll want to check out my front-to-back comparison chart for rear-facing convertibles.
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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.