MJS

Greetings,

I'm starting to look at the new 2009 Forester, although I haven't taken one for a test drive yet. Just internet browsing the specs and reviews so far. I previously owned a 2005 Subaru Outback Sport and posted over on SubaruOutback.org, but sold it a year and 3 months ago and leased an X3. The lease on the X3 will be up in Feb 09, so I have a bit of time before I have to choose another vehichle. But I really like the look of the new Forester and the increased space, which was a sore spot in the back seat of the OBS. As well, with 3 kids, I'm looking to cut some costs, getting a less costly car and one with better MPG.

Anyhoo, on to my questions. I currently have 2 kids, a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old, and will have another due in Nov. I doubt I'll be able to squeeze 3 carseats (1 base with a carrier and 2 forward facing seats) in the X3. Mainly due to the way the rear seats angle in on the sides. I'm sure I'll try it, but it will be short-lived; 3 months.
So, has anyone put 3 carseats in the back seat of the new 09 Forester? Is it possible? Where are the Tethers, in the ceiling, by the rear hatch? And are there separate Anchors for the center seat? Is it possible or am I barking up the wrong tree?

If it's not, I'm not looking to upsize to the Tribeca or some other 3 row suv. I'll either stick with the Forester or get a smaller car, like the Impreza. And we'll take the wife's vehicle when needed.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Mike

sea-scooby

Even though the 09 is a bit bigger, I think 3 car seats would be a VERY tight fit. You would probably have to double up on the latch points too since I believe there are only 2 sets of mounts.

I think 3 kids= bigger car. I have my 2nd little one on the way and if we ever had a 3rd, I'd look at the Mazda5. It is very similar in price to the Forester but it can seat 6.

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sicko

I've seen a non-'09 Forester with three car seats in the back. I don't even want to imagine how many scraped knuckles that results in though.

The '09 should be even better b/c its wider, but it's still going to be tight.

Sigh, I'm going to have to put this next part in parentheses so that people don't hear me.

(The new Honda CRV has about 2" more rear hip room which should help with putting 3 car seats in back. And though I love the Subaru Forester, I think the Honda CRV is also a great car. Both cars are safe, and they stack up very competitively against one another. The CRV is available with Honda's version of AWD which is actually FWD until a slip occurs and then the rear wheels start working. The Subaru AWD system is much better in my opinion, but the Honda system will get you through normal snow, ice, and other bad weather just fine if that's a concern for you. Also, I've heard parents love the shelf in the cargo area b/c it allows them to put even more children stuff in back, although I've also heard that a lot of strollers wont fit underneath it without either sticking out or pushing the shelf upwards so it doesn't sit properly.

Don't get me wrong I prefer the Forester for myself, however the Honda CRV is also a great vehicle with some features that might suit other people's needs. Assuming you weren't looking for a vehicle with a turbo, I think you should include the CRV in vehicles you look at to make sure you're making a complete/informed decision.)

What? I didn't say jack

YoGeorge

...plus their *stuff*, like strollers, diaper bags, picnic baskets, coolers full of juice boxes, and, when they get a couple years older, a friend or two....just won't work in a 2-row, or imo, even a 3-row SUV unless it's a huge one.

I hate to say this, but this sounds like the job for a nice minivan; despite the stigma, they just flat *work* for carrying people and stuff (just look at interior cubic footage). The new Honda Odysseys and Toyota Siennas are very nice, and the Odyssey is even "entertaining" to drive...I remember a magazine running an Odyssey on an autocross course against an old Porsche, I believe, and the Odyssey won.

Alternatively, I always liked the way Mazda MPV's drove, but they don't make 'em any more (you may find a recent one, still under warranty, for cheap).

Since our one son was born, we always had two cars and a full-size van, and still have a big Ford Van for when we want to take 3-4 people, 3-4 bicycles, and a lot of *stuff* all inside the van--although it's not getting driven very much any more.

George

MJS

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure it will be tight, if it even fits. But is it safe? About the only time all the kids are in my vehicle is on the weekends, if we're going somewhere. My wife thinks that she'll be able to get 3 carseats in the back of her Jeep Liberty. It is a fairly wide vehicle(wider than my X3 and probably the Forester), but even that will be tight. And I'm trying to talk her out of it. We've looked at the GMC Acadia for her and both liked the room in that. We'll see how that unfolds when we get a bit closer to Nov.
I'm looking for something for me that will be used for commuting to work 90% of the time, has AWD since we get dumped on in NE Ohio, can carry some stuff and kids, and gets decent MPG. The Forester seems to fit that bill.

Any pics of carseats in an '09?

Thanks.

RocketEyes

I would go for the Tribeca. I have friends who had a CRV and you could not fit 3 seats in the back (or in the Liberty, they tried that one). They had to go with a 3rd row car. I am sure it depends on the car seats you have, but they had issues with the center one and getting it to hook in safely in nearly all the vehicles they tried. Almost all my friends with 3 kids that close in age have had to go minivan or 3rd row seat vehicle.

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shamrockshooter

I can't fit 3 car seats in my 07 forster. In fact, I can barely fit 3 car seats in my Honda Ridgeline, which is 7/8'ths of a full sized pickup truck. If the 09 doesn't have 3 sets of lower teathers, then I would even bother trying.

Good Luck with the new one on the way!!

banda

+1 on the Odyssey van.

But on a side note, why would anyone name a car the Odyssey? In the Odyssey, it took 10 years to get there, and most of the passengers didn't survive. "Titanic" is a name describing a quicker, safer journey than Odyssey.

I digress.

YoGeorge

Again, if all you have is a Jeep Liberty and your planned new vehicle, you NEED a minivan as I said earlier. You could get into some sort of gigantic SUV, and it will be cooler to "wear", but check some cubic footage specs on large minivans vs any SUV's. And check real-world gas mileage on something like an Acadia compared to an Odyssey or Sienna, or an MPV. I think an Odyssey has more cubic footage inside than a 12 mpg Suburban or Excursion.

You will NOT just be carrying you, your wife, and 3 kids. You will be carrying ALL THEIR STUFF when you go places. It's not like they'll hop out of their car seats and are completely ready to do stuff in different places. You need strollers, toys, spare clothes, playpens, etc. Also make room in your house for 5,000 cubic feet of polyethylene "stuff" like picnic tables, basketball hoops, little cars that they can ride in, etc.

I'm in Michigan and have not gotten stuck in the snow in many, many years, driving FWD vehicles. You need cubic footage in a vehicle more than anything else.

George

BAC5.2

Hmmm, this brings up a good point. My soon-to-be bride said her complaint on the 08 STi is that we wouldn't be able to fit 3 car seats in the back. I am NOT going to drive a minivan. One of our basic agreements is that I won't be driving any car that I hate. Period. I don't expect her to drive a minivan either, but I won't drive something I don't enjoy driving. I'll have to mention this the next time the topic comes up.

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STI_S204

+1 for Tribeca, go for it!

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problemcat13

I just got back from a 10 hour drive from Florida to NC...in my Honda Odyssey. The Forester would have fit our two kids and barely fit all the packing, but here's the big winner for the minivan: once we got there the four of us AND two grandparents can ride around comfortably instead of taking two cars and paying twice for parking everywhere.

YoGeorge is correct on many levels: the Odyssey (at least back when I was shopping for a kid friendly car) has more cargo space than an excursion, better MPG, better handling, smoother ride, etc, etc....it's just the stigma most people can't get over. Hello! I can haul 4x8 pieces of plywood in my Odyssey! Let's see most SUV do that! And nearly ANY 3rd row SUV still does not haul adults comfortably back there as well as cargo behind them.

We have toyed with the idea of replacing the Odyssey with a Tribeca, but we'd be giving up a LOT of cargo space to do that and we'd end up with a roof top carrier for a lot of trips. Minivans really are unbelievably handy. After our first child, we decided to suck up and get one. Oh, and YoGeorge, it was a comparison between and Odyssey and a SuperBee muscle car to show the advances in handling over the years. The Odyssey smoked it.

To the OP, I've spoken with people who said they could fit 3 car seats in the back of their 05 forester (which has less room than the 09), but it depends a lot on the carseat too. We use evenflo triumps (high safety ratings) and I know we couldn't fit three of those side by side in anything. Go for a third row something for at least one of your cars, you really need too. My wife gets together with one of her friends and they take trips with three kids at once, and she wouldn't be able to do it in our older Forester or even an 09, I'm sure.

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MJS

Trust me, I don't discount the merits of a minivan. Selling my wife on one is another story! She hates them. But she also hates huge SUVs. Hence the bigger crossover, like the Acadia.

But, I'm shopping for me right now. I'm not going to get a minivan to drive back and forth to work, just to be able to put all the kids in it on the weekend once or twice. And I know all about loading up the 'stuff' that kids require. We do that now with 2 kids.

sirwilliam

I concur w/ this concurrence! If I had to deal w/ 3 car seats, I would be in a tribeca.

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YoGeorge

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As I said, we have the luxury of four vehicles for two people--Honda Civic and my Forester as everyday vehicles for my wife and me, my old BMW 318is as "toy", and a full size Ford van that is the family "motorhome" now, but which I have commuted in at times. When our son was a toddler, in fact, my main driver was an '86 GMC turtle top camper van conversion...I drove it downtown, fit it in a parking garage, etc...

And yes, with the current Ford van, I remember after we bought it in 2003, we took four people and a TON of stuff (including 3 bicycles, luggage for four) from the Detroit area to the far reaches of the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Then we put the rear seat up and did some family tours with a full load of seven people--and this was the last "family adventure" for my late father-in-law who passed away in 2006.

I've got musician and bicyclist friends whose main vehicle (including for commuting) is a minivan--because they just work for carrying stuff. (One of the musician buds needs to carry a $10k standup bass plus a whole bunch of other gear a LOT.)

Interesting that someone did a comparo between the Odyssey and an old Dodge musclecar--I definitely remember a different comparo (in Grassroots Motorsports magazine, I think) where they autocrossed an Odyssey against an old Porsche (I really think it was a Porsche) and the Odyssey won.

Finally, I remember just a few years ago, reading an article by the famous old race driver Dan Gurney. Gurney's main driver was a Toyota Sienna minivan, either stock or with some very gentle mods, and he would absolutely delight beating the crap out of lesser drivers in all manner of sports and performance cars around twisty roads.

If I had a young family, I would have no qualms about driving a minivan as my daily driver (and I have had Chrysler hemi cars, Corvettes, and all kinds of vehicles). One of the reasons we're are in this stupid energy crunch is because people have moved over to 10 and 12-mpg giant SUV's instead of driving things like minivans that would both suit them better and get double the mpg. All because it's not cool to "wear" a minivan....

George