3rd row safety/ suitable for 3 kids/2 adults?

J

jmokuley

Member
Hi! Have a third child on the way and it looks like our Subaru Forester won't fit 3 car seats...can't imagine going with a regular gas-guzzling mini-van thus the 5 is intriguing. Anyone out there have 3 kids and have to use that 3rd row on a regular basis? Our kids are 4, 17 months and soon a newborn. We would like our choice of car to last for a long while...probably until our youngest is 12 years old. My big concern is safety in that 3rd row with the seat being so close to the rear of the car. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 
Safety should not be an issue in the 3rd seat. My 2 1/2 yr old nephew ofter rides back there in his booster when visiting (btw he is freakishly large as in already in 5T clothing) I don't recall if there are latch points in the 3rd row, but it will definitely secure with a belt and there is a top tether spot. The biggest issue is space! I can get one stroller back there ok, maybe a couple umbrellas, but roof racks would be a must in a 3-kid family for a trip.
 
jmokuley said:
Anyone out there have 3 kids and have to use that 3rd row on a regular basis? My big concern is safety in that 3rd row with the seat being so close to the rear of the car. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

My wife regularly takes our friends 3 year old out with our two kids (3yo and 6mo) and our guy always wants to sit in the 'back front' seat :)

They all fit in no problem.

Given that the trunk is plastic, I also have some concerns about safety from a rear ender point of view, but I'm sure that a more learned poster will be along to satisfy/scare you in a minute!

mrbwa1 said:
I don't recall if there are latch points in the 3rd row, but it will definitely secure with a belt and there is a top tether spot. The biggest issue is space! I can get one stroller back there ok, maybe a couple umbrellas, but roof racks would be a must in a 3-kid family for a trip.
Click to expand...

There are no ISOFIX in the back seat, but there is a tether (either that or it's a tie-down for the cargo net (boom04)). Anyway, I normally use the seatbelt AND the tether/cargo net tie down when the additional toddler passenger is in.

With regards space, you could always leave one of the rear seats folded, and store the stroller/bags there. I guess it would depend on the type/size of stroller you have?

I have managed to fit an umbrella stroller in the trunk with all 6 seats up, but it did involve inserting the wheels into the storage bin!

I concur that a cargo box would be the way to go for long trips.

Finally, there is one poster on here who has 3 (perhaps 4?) kids car seats in on a full-time basis, but I can't for the life of me remember who it is. He posted photos as well. Hmmm...
 
We have 3 (or more) kids in ours fairly regularly. I admit to having looked at the proximity of the rear headrests to the rear window and thought, "Hmmm..." Then I realize that that is much more an issue for adults than children. Plus, even if you backed into a semi, it wouldn't hit anywhere near that high. So, I'm not really that worried about it.

A cargo box is attractive to us, but the expense of a roof rack + box + extra fuel isn't. If we ever end up getting one, there's about an even chance we'll get a hitch, a platform carrier, and a sack or box for back there. Still, even with one of the rear seats up/open, you can get a WHOLE bunch of stuff in the 5.
 
I have 3 kids and soon to be 4. The Mazda5 is our primary vehicle. Just yesterday we went on a trip to the ultrasound (200 mile round trip) with 3 adults and 3 kids (4, 6, and 8). Yes the car is full, but everyone is comfortable. Averaged near 30 MPG. I love this thing!

For longer trips to FL I plan on getting a small carry-all or a very small trailer to pull.
 
I can’t cite a source, but I’m 90% sure someone on here linked to crash tests by the Europeans or Japanese that indicated there’s quite good protection in the back. You should be good to go (thumb)
 
I have 3 kids and we fit in no problem and everyone is quite comfortable. The 5 & 7 year old like to sit in the back together (the 7 year old uses a booster and the 5 year old uses a car seat (with just the seat belt). The 9 year old sits in the middle.
Concerning the proximity of the rear window, I found there is really no difference in terms distance to the rear window based on the short wheel base Venture van I had. I actually feel much safer in the Mazda5 than the Venture due in part to the side air curtains and overall vehicle structure (H frame).
------------------------------
'08 Mazda5 GT - Grey Mica
 
space

We have 3 kids as well (1.5, 3, 5). The little ones go in the middle, the big one goes in the back (in a booster).

Regarding space, we leave one of the 3rd row seats folded down. This provides plenty of space. Maybe not for several suitcases, but definitely for stroller, diaper bags, grocery bags, etc. Actually, our biggest climbs in through the back hatch and gets all buckled up by himself (we got the rear step plate early on :) )
 
Agreed, I love that setup... especially that the mid-row pass-side seat is folded down and used as a floor/platform for easy access to all three seats.
 
My wife has a Mazda5 and I have a Subaru Forester. We have two kids, one 2 and one 9 so we're well aware of how much room two car seats take up. Three car seats in the back seat of a Forester is impossible. The Mazda5 is a great match for our needs because even with the car seats we have room for more people. We would get a Mazda5 even if we had one more child. Without cargo it would be no problem. One would have to get clever to fit that many folks and a load of cargo at the same time but it can definitely be done.

The safest seats are most likely the two middle row seats. However, our 9 year old prefers sitting way in back and we let her even if one of the middle seats is unoccupied. Hopefully we don't get rear-ended by a semi. I don't think the difference in safety between the middle and rear seats is significant enough to worry about but you never know. On the plus side, the third row really is functional. Better for kids but not horrible for adults. I sometimes sit way in back with my daughter just for the fun of it and I'm 6 feet tall.
 
putting a booster seat in the third row blocks rearward vision somewhat. Put two children back there and it blocks vision big-time. Just FYI. I couldn't do it on a full-time basis.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
    • Like
Some new owner observations - 2021 CX-9
Replies
14
Views
7K
tekbiz
T
F
2012 Mazda5 Kids, Carseats & Safety Review
2
Replies
29
Views
9K
aha
A
A
Cargo Net or Divider for Half Third Row
Replies
5
Views
2K
Wishmaster
W

Latest posts

Back