Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

UPDATE: Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list.

In the more than three years that Cars.com editors have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

For 2014, the Jeep Grand Cherokee received interior and exterior revisions, but that didn’t affect this two-row crossover’s ability to fit three child-safety seats across its backseat.

As we come across more cars that fit three child-safety seats, we'll add to this list. For now, here are the cars from our Car Seat Checks that can fit three car seats in the second row:

Does Reliability Affect Luxury-Car Sales?

Luxury cars have moved past the days of the ignition-challenged Jaguars in AMC's "Mad Men," but many still have faults. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Buick LaCrosse rate below average in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys; the Lincoln MKX, BMW X3, BMW 7 Series and Buick Verano rate even worse. Then there's Jaguar, which earned low marks in J.D. Power and Associates' predicted reliability ratings for its entire 2012 crop. Sibling brand Land Rover fared little better.

Does it matter? Not as much as you think.

It seems luxury-car shoppers care for reliability as much as Don Draper cares for self-restraint. Through April, Jaguar and Land Rover sales are up 12.7%. The Verano outsold Buick's Regal and Encore combined. M-Class sales are down, but it's still Mercedes' best-selling SUV. The MKX is Lincoln's best-selling car. Period.

Are luxury cars unreliable on the whole? The jury's still out. Luxury brands took top honors in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, but they spanned the gamut in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys. That's why Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of auto testing, sees little correlation between luxury and reliability.

Why Luxury Sales Could Thrive in 2013

Leather-clad luxury cars may seem the domain of an affluent few. After all, this year's best-selling luxury car through March — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — ranked 51st among all cars. But the group may be poised for a comeback. Total sales improved 12.3% in the first three months of 2013, outpacing the industry's 6.4% gain. By year's end, one in every 7.5 new cars sold in 2013 could be a luxury model.

That would buck a trend several years in the making. Luxury cars, including Buick, hovered around 13% of the new-car market from 2005 to 2010. In 2011 that share slid to 12.9%, and in 2012 it tumbled to 12.6%.

It seemed counterintuitive, given the wealthy are alive and well.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover Video

The Land Rover Range Rover is a commanding SUV that's been significantly reworked for 2013. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says the styling is still distinctly Land Rover, but the bigger changes are what you can't see. The Range Rover shed hundreds of pounds for 2013 to improve gas mileage and performance without sacrificing a luxurious interior filled with authentic wood, aluminum and leather.  

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2013 Land Rover Range Rover Review 
What the Range Rover's 700-Pound Weight Loss Looks Like
More Land Rover News on Cars.com

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Land Rover Range Rover

For 2013, Land Rover's Range Rover loses about 700 pounds and gains a more rugged looking exterior. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says the latest iteration of the SUV is quick, more fuel efficient and just as off-road capable as the previous version. A more comfortable ride and refined interior help the 2013 Range Rover retain its posh, uber-lux SUV status, Hanley says.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover Review

What the Range Rover's 700-Pound Weight Loss Looks Like

Removing weight can improve nearly every dynamic of a car, including gas mileage, acceleration, braking and handling. Shedding pounds isn't easy, however, and often requires a substantial reworking of a car's chassis or body — unless it's a track-oriented trim where buyers won't miss a backseat or air conditioner.

Land Rover took the substantial redesign route for the 2013 Range Rover using lightweight aluminum extensively in the body and chassis to shed roughly 700 pounds compared to the 2012 models.

Zero-to-60 mph is almost a full second faster for 2013 — 5.1 seconds compared to 5.9 seconds for supercharged models — and gas mileage is up two combined mpg on non-supercharged models. The Range Rover also features a new eight-speed automatic transmission and improved aerodynamics, contributing to the economy and performance improvement.

But what does 700 pounds look like? Below are other 700-pound objects to provide perspective on how much the Land Rover had to alter. The 2013 Range Rover Supercharged we recently tested is 754 pounds lighter than its 2012 counterpart.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover: Car Seat Check

Land Rover's Range Rover may have shed a few hundred pounds for 2013 thanks to a new lightweight body, but it's still a really large SUV. The five-passenger Range Rover easily accommodated three car seats in its second row, a feat not every SUV can manage.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Video

Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere he wants to. Well, if the big fella takes a seat in the all-new 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, the luxury SUV will see no net weight gain compared with the previous model. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays, who got to monkey with the Range Rover Sport during its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, notes that this version shed 800 pounds through liberal use of lightweight aluminum, boosting quickness and fuel efficiency for 2014.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Also new for 2014 are a supercharged V-6, an auto terrain response setting that senses surroundings and adapts to it, and a platform shared with the Range Rover making it more evocative of its namesake vehicle. Check out the video below.

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Photo Gallery

It's orange and it’s back. Today, Land Rover took the wraps off its new 2014 Range Rover Sport, which slots alongside the recently redesigned Range Rover.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Its styling looks as if Land Rover's stunning Evoque went out on a date with the new Range Rover and never left — not that we're complaining. Power comes from either a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 340 horsepower or a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that makes a grand 510 horsepower.

Like its bigger sibling, the Range Rover, the new Range Rover Sport has Land Rover's advanced Terrain Response 2 system for effortless off-roading and is built on an all-aluminum unibody that shaves off nearly 800 pounds.

Check out the gallery below of Land Rover's newest model. Cars.com photos by Evan Sears.

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport: Up Close

If you're a fan of Land Rover's big, posh sport-utility vehicles, you'll be pleased to hear that the company's new and improved versions don't stray from that formula. The latest addition to the line, the 2014 Range Rover Sport, slots in nicely between big daddy Range Rover and little brother Evoque.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

This is the athlete of the bunch, and it's evident from the moment you approach the truck. It looks low, with an optional two-tone paint job that accentuates the sleek body lines. Wheels are big and fill the wells nicely, with a wide stance that hints at the power underneath. Yet it is still immediately identifiable as a Range Rover, with a classic shape and silhouette that harkens back decades. The details, however, are quite modern; it's got LEDs front and rear and more than a touch of the successful Evoque's design.