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Comment by tzs | Hacker News Reader

There are sedans that can have three child seats installed on the backseat.

See [1] and [2] for examples.

Note that the second link is to an Australian site, so may be using car seats that are not available in the US.

Here's a unit, not available in the US, that fits 3 kids in the back of a Fiat 500 [3]. They have a 4 seater [4] that works in a Honda Civic and similar sized cars.

[1] https://www.carmax.com/articles/cars-that-fit-three-car-seat...

[1] https://www.onlineauto.com.au/best-cars/5-seat-cars-fit-3-ch...

[3] https://www.multimac.com/p/multimac_1000_3_seater

[4] https://www.multimac.com/p/multimac_1200_4_seater

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1. Where's the reverse facing seat for infants? Ive had one installed in my car since '16 and Ill continue to have one for another three years (legally anyway. I hate them and Ill probably chuck it in two).

2. There are tons of car review sites touting three cars seats side by side. I own one of these cars. They don't actually fit. Not in real life. Think of it like the McBurger commercial on TV. In real life... bleh.

3. A big car solves many problems other than transporting three kids. Ive only put 2800 miles on my SUV this year, but:

- Ive driven six (six!) people on two >600 mi journeys.

- Ive loaded it with all the tiles and flooring needed for my remodel

- picked up 2x4s and the like

- taken my neighbors kid's to the theater with my family many times

Which of these things can't be done with a minivan? They're a lot less "cool" looking, but they can accomplish the same things.

In what sense are minivans “better” than SUVs such that this question is relevant? I could imagine some have lower bumper heights (safer for pedestrians) but they’re definitely getting higher. One imagines they are broadly comparable in terms of weight.

(Personally I find minivans have more utility, but I don’t feel like I’m doing something “right” by owning one instead of an SUV).

Minivans do have more utility in the hardware store since they open up more, but modern "SUV"s are dressed up minivans and get similar millage as an SUV.

So I really don't understand minivan love paired with SUV hate (mid sized ones anyway)

Indeed, and when I was looking to buy my SUV i was gravitating towards the minivan version of my SUV. But it didnt come with AWD, and my wife insisted on it despite my protests.

In fact the minivan would have been more practical, but environmentally indistinguishable. The minivan has the same engine my SUV has and, to my eye anyway, has a larger frontal area.

A custom $1500 set of car seats for a small compact is unreasonable. Good luck fitting three normal car seats in any of the sedans in that first link. It’s difficult enough in a _full size truck_.

If you have triplets or three small children then you will be used to $1500 on stuff. Do not look up prices for strollers.

Is it though? You'd easily save that 1500 by buying a smaller car.

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