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:

Guide: SUVs, Crossovers, Minivans With Third-Row Tether Anchors

Last winter, I drove a 2013 Kia Sorento on vacation; we packed the three-row crossover full of gear and passengers, including two toddlers and their child-safety seats. The plan was to put the kids in the third row, freeing up the roomier second row for the adults. It fell apart, however, once I discovered that the third row lacked tether anchors — installing forward-facing convertible car seats there is a safety no-no.

Using a top tether anchor with a forward-facing convertible reduces head and neck movement in a crash, decreasing the risk of injury. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, however, more than half of parents who participated in their joint 2012 car seat study failed to connect the seat’s top tether.

By law, automakers have to put two sets of lower Latch anchors and three top tether anchors in the second row, but no such rules apply to the third row. The lack of a third-row tether anchor makes a vehicle much less versatile, and it's not just a Kia problem. Many automakers skimp on this simple safety feature, but some all-stars offer more than one in the third row.

Check out our lists of the three-row SUVs, crossovers and minivans that have one or more tether anchors in the third row. This list doesn't include vehicles with optional third rows.

2014 Kia Sedona: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: a revised grille and standard LED running lamps and fog lights give it a fresh face
• Price change: both trims increase by $1,000–$1,710
• On sale: later this month
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? There’s no 2013 model, so 2014 is your only option

The biggest news for Kia's minivan is that it's not dead. After taking model-year 2013 off, the Sedona is back for 2014 with a revised grille, additional interior features and a price bump.

Base LX and uplevel EX trims return. For 2014, LX models start at $26,750 and EX versions at $31,750; model-year 2012 LXs started at $25,750 and EXs at $30,040 (all prices include an $850 destination charge).

The van returns with an updated face that wears standard LED running lights and fog lights. Inside, there's a new interior storage console designed to hold tablet devices. Heated leather-trimmed seats and automatic climate control are newly standard on EX trims. Pretty much everything else carries over, including the 269-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission. It's still EPA rated at 17/24 city/highway mpg.

2013 Toyota Sienna: Car Seat Check

Toyota's minivan was redesigned for 2011 and not much has changed since then. We tested a top-line version of the Sienna; the Limited has seats for seven on standard second-row captain's chairs and a third-row bench seat. Click here to read how a Sienna with a second-row bench seat handled child-safety seats. In both rows, there was plenty of room for our car seats and plenty of bells and whistles to keep both Mom and the kids happy.

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.

2013 Toyota Sienna Video

Resist all you will, but you just won't find this sort of family-friendly versatility and comfort in a crossover. Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger gives the 2013 Toyota Sienna high marks for its cushy seats, abundant passenger room, surprisingly peppy acceleration and class-leading maneuverability. That's in addition to lots of cool features, particularly a second-row retractable footrest that turns the seat into a veritable La-Z-Boy. Still, a noisy V-6 engine and difficult seat-removal process for maximizing cargo space are big annoyances.

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Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country

The married-with-children set is going to fall fast and hard for the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country's comfort, cargo space and entertainment features, just as Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger did. Performance and handling are notably lackluster, but if you're in the market for a precision driving machine, you're taking the scenic route to your purchase by even putting a minivan in contention. Dual power sliding doors, Stow 'n Go second-row bucket seats and clever storage spaces endear, while a noisy, clunky transmission annoys. Few will find its hefty $41,000 price tag amenable, but good luck finding a cheaper competitor with all these bells and whistles.

2013 Chrysler Town & Country Review

2014 Honda Odyssey: Up Close

One of the most popular family-hauling vehicles in the land has been given a freshening and shown to the world at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan gets a mild interior and exterior update, and the automaker brought its top trim level, the Touring Elite, to the show.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Up front, the new Odyssey receives a relatively mild update, with new headlights, a twin-bar grille, a more sculpted hood (now made out of aluminum) and chrome-trimmed fog lights. Out back, new LED taillights and badges complete the list of styling updates. The overall impact is minor, with only true minivan aficionados likely to notice the changes.

2014 Honda Odyssey at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, Chrysler Town & Country
• Looks like: Last year's Odyssey had some discrete Botox work
• Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6 engine with six-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2013

For 2014, the Honda Odyssey gets some minor work done inside and out to make it even more attractive to minivan shoppers. Its looks are refreshed with a new hood, front bumper, grille and fenders while the rear remains relatively the same besides new LED-enhanced taillights.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Minivan aficionados should understand, however, that the Odyssey on display at the auto show is the top-level Touring Elite version, which traditionally has featured some nicer exterior amenities — from unique side mirrors to wheels — than the rest of the lineup.

Could In-Car Messes Be a Thing of the Past With 2014 Honda Odyssey's Vacuum?

Parents, rejoice! The 2014 Honda Odyssey will have a first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Those Cheerios and cracker crumbs that often litter your car’s second and third rows could be just a temporary problem now that there’s an in-car vacuum to suck them up.

For 2014, the Odyssey is getting a refresh that includes the HondaVac system, which will be only available on the top Touring Elite trim when it goes on sale this summer. The 2013 version of that trim level starts at an eye-bulging $44,855 including destination.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

The vacuum was developed with ShopVac and has a replaceable filter and canister bag; nozzle accessories are integrated into the cargo area’s driver-side bulkhead.

The HondaVac system doesn't need an outlet or recharging; it can run continuously when the minivan's engine is running or for up to eight minutes after the car’s engine has been turned off.

2013 New York Auto Show Preview: Honda and Acura

Honda will be busy during this year's New York International Auto Show. The automaker plans to unveil a freshened version of its Odyssey minivan and the production version of the MDX crossover from its Acura luxury arm.

An MDX prototype (above) met the public at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, so it's no surprise that we'll get to see the production model in New York. Honda says the 2014 MDX uses a totally new platform and that the third generation of the seven-passenger crossover is longer than its predecessor. The automaker claims that the new MDX will be roomier, more comfortable and have a more versatile cabin than the outgoing model.