If you really want to check how car seats fit in a said car, try the “Alex on Autos” channel on YT, he does an in-depth reviews of car & car seats. There might be others out there too.
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I feel old since my kids are teenagers and college age…
Stigma and few options. There is a reason minivans are less than 3% of the US Market and no longer offered by most manufacturers. They are perfect for the toddler/preschool/elementary age and sliding doors are a godsend but don’t fit the coolness factor for millenials and soccer parents driving around in gated communities.
We had a VW Routan years ago (rebadged Town & Country that was killed a few years back) for a few years which was great for easy in and out and hauling stuff. Was also a PITA to sell the thing as the used minivan market is so limited outside Siennas and Odysseys.
Some of them also allow you to do things like slide the seat forward to give better rear row access with the car seat in place/occupied, rather than having to do the ol’ seat tumble forward maneuver.
There are a couple factors outside of just space or spaciousness.
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Floor height: makes it easier to reach into the vehicle to harness or belt a kid in a booster in a second row middle seat.
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Door openings: sliding doors can be much bigger because they will never hit the car or wall next to you. So it’s easier for an adult to climb into the back to help a booster-seated kid or take an infant already in their seat off a stroller and plug it into a base installed in the third row.
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If you have 3+ kids in car seats, you’re a minivan mom or dad. Doesn’t matter what you’re driving, you just are. There’s no hiding it. Embrace it.
If anything, use all that saved money to get something sporty on the side.
Funny how no one mentioned the stigma of driving the NY metro area’s most Uber vehicle, the Chevy Ho/Sub.
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I think my initial plan is to have 2 car seats in the 3rd row and then only use one of the buckets for the smallest child. This leaves a full bucket seat open for easy access to the back. Unless I’m missing something there is really no need to use both bucket seats, and is actually more difficult according to the pics posted here.
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How old is each kid?
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5,1&1/2,newborn
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True.
I think the discussion about minivan v 3 row is not going to be fruitful.
Every parent knows that the minivan offers the best solution to the commuting issues faced by transporting children but they don’t want to be known as the “one who drives a minivan”.
Instead they rather spends double or triple on a Full size SUV, bad ride quality & fuel efficiency than a minivan.
I always say, the people judging me are not the one paying my bills, if they start doing that then I’ll consider pleasing them.
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Crawling into the 3rd row, in between two car seats, to buckle in a toddler into a rear facing car seat sounds like a nightmare to me that’s so easily mitigated by realizing that there’s a much better tool for the job.
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The 5 year old can, or will be able to shortly, get themselves buckled in. Even in a minivan I would put two younger kids in captains chairs where it is easy to get them in place. For a bench seat, put the younger kids in middle and window and access the third row via folding the other side down.
In fairness the new generation Tahoe/Suburban gets better gas mileage, drives a little bit better and only costs about 20% assuming a normal auto market.
What about two kids, an au pair, and a cranky 60 pounds dog 
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Honda Odyssey sounds like your winner. The 2nd row has a 3rd seat that comes out, then you can slide the other 2 seats side to side, making no seats in way of crawling in back. It’s not as cramped as the picture in this video looks
If AWD/4WD is a must though then of course this is out, but good snow tires work great for two wheel drive(coming from someone who lives in Wisconsin)
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I’ll have two in booster seats / toddler seats and one in infant rearfacing seat . Concluded that captain seats on row 2 for infant and 1 booster , plus one booster on row 3 is the optimal solution . Regardless of type car .
Could do bench seating on row 2, but kids bring 6 and 7, figured it would be a bit tight.
I had the now old bodystyle Escalade (Non ESV) in black , and can confirm that I sometimes felt like an Uber driver on the street in NYC, so would definitely recommend another color than black / dark blue . The new model has a much better 3rd row and more storage behind 3rd row, Old model 3rd row was really tight and left us with close to no storage behind it .
the carnival has even more options for seat configurations too
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AGREED 100%.
My cousin had 1 child and drove an Audi Q5 which was good.
Then add 2 more kids and now drives the Honda Odyssey after testing out the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler T&C, and full sized SUVs.
She finds easy low access, clearance room around the second room to step in / out for 3rd row access.
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OP seems to have predicted the onslaught of minivan propaganda he seemingly invited with this post.
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I knew it would come, as it does on almost everyone of these posts. A lot of people here like minivans - I get it. I just don’t want one. 
I can relate. As practical as they may be, it’s like telling a Bentley driver to get a Prius because you can use it in the HOV lane.
If nothing else, this thread should become a cautionary tale for those new parents who want to have more than two kids!
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I don’t (as a rental car they’re fine), but I have also reached my lifetime max of 0 kids. Every single post about car seats makes me thankful of that.
The less capable substitutes are 2+ times the total lease cost. When your lease is up, you hopefully still have the same number of kids, if not more. In the 5-7 lease cycles you are driving those small humans around, their cargo needs only expand (anthropologists say they must move into an RV for 2+ years to make them minimalists).
It’s a winnable, uphill battle. Better you than me.
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