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:

2014 Cadillac XTS: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: All-new twin-turbo V-6, automatic parking assist and Intellibeam automatic high-beam control system
• Price change: TBA
• On sale: Summer 2013
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? Price will weigh heavily, but the twin-turbo engine is tempting

When the 2014 Cadillac XTS goes on sale later this summer, the large sedan will be what the automaker calls "one of the most technologically advanced production cars in the brand's history." Topping the list of upgrades is a new twin-turbo V-6 engine that's borrowed from the 2014 CTS sedan.

Cadillac said the optional twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 is good for 410 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque; that’s compared with the standard naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6's 304 hp and 264 pounds-feet of torque. The twin-turbo engine comes only with all-wheel drive while the standard V-6 comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The twin-turbo requires premium gas; fuel-economy figures have not yet been announced.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: First Look

• Competes with: BMW 7 Series, Audi A8
• Looks like: A longer, lower, wider S-Class with a more athletic-looking front end and curvier body
• Drivetrain: 455-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: September 2013
• MSRP: TBD

If it wasn't enough of an opulent and technological tour-de-force before, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class leaves no question now. The automaker's flagship sedan gets a makeover for the new model year, with more athletic-looking styling, a host of over-the-top new comfort and convenience features, and updated safety systems. 

The sedan is longer, lower and wider than the previous version, but rides on the same wheelbase. The new version makes extensive use of aluminum and weighs in at 4,442 pounds, about 300 pounds less than last year's version.

Mercedes calls the car's styling "a modern embodiment of sensual clarity" but it looks to us like the S-Class borrows heavily from the brand's lineup, with the E-Class' new head- and taillight designs as well as some of the CLS's curves. The sedan also wears a larger, more upright grille and more pronounced wheel arches. Mercedes claims it's also the first vehicle in the world that doesn't use a single traditional light bulb; almost 500 LEDs are used inside and out.

Recall Alert: 2013 Subaru Outback and Legacy

Subaru is recalling 5,379 model-year 2013 versions of the Outback and Legacy due to a problem with the steering column, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Feb. 15 through June 15, 2012; check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb. In these cars, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly could become disengaged, leading to a possible loss of vehicle control. Subaru received customer complaints about a loss of steering ability, which led to the recall investigation, the automaker said in a statement.

Subaru will start notifying affected owners today, and dealers will replace the affected parts for free. Owners can call Subaru at 800-782-2783 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Will 'Fast and Furious' Accelerate Dodge Dart Sales?

The return of Michelle Rodriguez as the ostensibly back-from-the-dead Letty Ortiz in "Fast & Furious 6," roaring into theaters May 24, has been a key element in the film's prerelease marketing. Similarly, the resurrected-for-2013 Dodge Dart is ready for its close-up in the latest edition of the immensely popular Vin Diesel-fronted street-racing saga. But will the movie spark sales of the slow-selling compact?

While "Fast & Furious 6" is likely to be quick off the line on its way to box-office success — its predecessor, 2011's "Fast Five," bowed to a reported $86 million — early sales of the 2013 Dart have proved neither fast nor furious in its crowded segment. The automaker is no doubt hoping the Dart's prominence in both the film and a cross-marketing campaign will help raise its public profile, as similar product placement in "Fast Five" did for the Dodge Charger two years ago. A fleet of Chargers will return for some more screen time in the new film, along with the current SRT Challenger and a vintage Charger Daytona, according to the Wall Street Journal.

2013 Jaguar XJ Video

Need convincing that full-size luxury sedans don't need a V-8 for a fun driving experience? Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says you need look no further than the 2013 Jaguar XJ. The XJ's supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 offers plenty of acceleration and torque to power its remarkably light frame around the curves of a winding road. Simulated gauges and touch-screen responsiveness come up a little short, and Jaguar has earned a rep for being reliably unreliable — but you might be having too much fun to care. Watch the video above.

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2014 Acura ILX: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: More standard features 
• Price change: $1,000 increase
• On sale: Tuesday 
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? The 2014 gets more features for a minimal price increase.

Acura launched its new entry-level sedan in 2013, but it hasn't exactly been lighting the sales charts on fire. For 2014, the base ILX gets more standard features, "providing more content and value for the luxury brand's gateway sedan," the automaker said in a statement.

The compact sedan gets eight new standard features for an extra $1,000. Model-year 2014 base models start at $27,795, including an $895 destination fee; model-year 2013 models started at $26,795. New standards include 17-inch alloy wheels, new leather seating surfaces and leatherette door liners, an eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, a multiangle rearview camera, a new audio-system subwoofer and a noise cancellation system. These features were previously available as part of the Technology or Premium packages.

Model-year 2014 lineup pricing is below and includes destination; the compact sedan goes on sale Tuesday. Acura says information on the 2014 Acura ILX Hybrid will be announced at a later date.

Toyota Corolla's $1,999 Wheels Make Little Sense

That's right, folks: compact car shoppers can outfit the thrifty 2013 Toyota Corolla with $1,999 worth of upsized alloy and rubber. The Corolla, a vehicle with no optional high-performance engines and a suspension that can rock a baby to sleep, is an odd fit for accessory 18-inch wheels that cost nearly 12% of the vehicle's $17,025 starting price, including destination.

What's the Most Affordable Compact Sedan?

A 2013 Toyota Corolla S rolled into the Cars.com test fleet fitted with attractive five-spoke wheels any gearhead or enthusiast would want on their own car. They're available from performance accessory division Toyota Racing Development in silver or black on all trim levels. Our minds wandered and, below, digital imagining shows what the wheels would look like if painted gunmetal gray and installed on our 2013 Subaru BRZ long-term tester - in short: good. 

Back on topic, the Corolla isn't a rear-wheel-drive sports car, nor does it have any traits of sportiness, so it's baffling that these wheels exist as an option.

2013 Honda Civic Gains NHTSA Five-Star Safety Rating

The 2013 Honda Civic sedan has earned the highest safety rating of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker announced Thursday. This adds to the top honors the 2013 Civic received from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program, the Civic sedan received a five-star overall vehicle score despite scoring four stars in frontal tests. It received five stars in side-impact crashes and has a four-star rollover rating.

The 2013 Civic sedan and coupe previously received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, which included a top score of Good in the stringent new small-overlap frontal collision test. Honda noted that the Civic sedan and coupe are the first and only small cars to earn the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ rating; however, IIHS is still implementing the new test, and in the past, we've seen additional vehicles added to the organization's award lists.

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2014 Mazda6 Video

Americans sure love their Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys, and Mazda's competing midsize family sedan hasn't been successful in wooing shoppers away from those segment leaders. But Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says the 2014 Mazda6's fuel economy — now rated at 26/38 mpg city/highway — may be just the edge it needs to steal some hearts. Hanley says improved efficiency, however, doesn't mean mitigated acceleration or transmission responsiveness. Improved exterior styling, interior materials, cabin comfort and cargo space engender a luxurious feel, but a dinky navigation system undermines that somewhat. Watch the video above.

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