Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

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 nearly two years that Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and I 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.

We recently tested the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class and it fit three car seats in it. To be considered a fit, there must be enough room between the booster seat and infant-safety seat for a child's hand to reach the seat belt buckle.

Most Popular Car Seat Checks

Parents, grandparents and caretakers know what a pain it can be to install child-safety seats into a car. Imagine doing it over and over and over again. That's what our Car Seat Check team does nearly every week as it tests new cars to find out how easy it is to use the Latch system.

Car Seat Checks are performed by Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and Cars.com editor and certified car-seat technician Jennifer Newman.

Recall Alert: 2011 Toyota Tundra

Toyota is recalling 502 Tundras from the 2011 model year because a label on the pickup trucks lists the wrong load-carrying capacity, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

An inaccurate label could lead to vehicle overloading, which could result in tire failure and increase the risk of a crash. The recall will begin in February.

Owners will be given a corrected label at no charge, or they can have a dealer apply it for free. For more info, owners can call Gulf States Toyota at 800-444-1074 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Toyota to Show off Plug-In Hybrid Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Toyota apparently is making its 2012 Detroit auto show exhibit all about hybrids. We’ve already covered the 2013 Toyota Prius c — the carmaker’s new entry-level dedicated hybrid — which will debut at the show, and now we’re hearing there will be a plug-in hybrid concept accompanying it.

Dubbed the “NS4,” the plug-in hybrid concept will sport some unique-looking styling elements for Toyota, as illustrated by the teaser image above. We’ll have more info Jan. 10, when the concept will be unveiled to the media.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Toyota Camry

The 2012 Toyota Camry with a V-6 engine had Cars.com Family contributor BreAnn Ahara cackling as she zipped onto the freeway in this midsize sedan. The Camry continued to surprise her throughout her test drive with its edgy looks, sizable trunk and clutter-swallowing compartments in the interior. Who says mom-mobiles have to be boring?

2012 Toyota Camry Review

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect, Updated

Twenty-five days separate us from the 2012 Detroit auto show. Of the more than 36 new cars coming to the show, we now can confirm at least 28 vehicles will be there.

Unlike the 2011 L.A. Auto Show, the Detroit show seems to focus heavily on concept cars. The most important production cars we know of now include the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2013 Acura RDX, 2013 Toyota Prius c and the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

This week we learned that the 2013 Fusion will be at the show and a Lincoln MKZ concept, as we previously reported. The Fusion will be introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10 and at the Detroit auto show on the same day. The next-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will also be shown off (shown above).

There will be some thinly veiled concepts to look out for, too. They include the Acura ILX Concept, a compact car with a hybrid variant, and, more importantly, the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept. If past Honda concepts are any indication, it will pretty much be the new Accord that will go on sale later next year.

For now, those are the major releases we know about. We’ll have more info once the 2012 Detroit auto show gets under way Jan. 9.

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect

Nearly a month from today will mark the return of America’s — and maybe the world’s — most important auto show. Thirty-six all-new vehicles are set to debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After a two-year hiatus, Nissan and Infiniti will be at the show. At the same time, Suzuki, Land Rover and Jaguar will be leaving.

New vehicles at the show will include the 2013 Toyota Prius C, which will be the most fuel-efficient and most affordable Toyota hybrid available, according to the automaker.

Reader Review of the Week: 2012 Toyota Camry

“Safedriver” from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is the former owner of a 2007 Toyota Camry and an older Honda Accord. After test-driving the 2012 Accord and a Lexus GS, this reader decided to go with a brand-new 2012 Camry instead. Saferdriver — appropriately named after the Camry’s five-star safety rating — finds the car to have more comfortable seats, especially for longer trips, and ride comfort that rivals the outgoing Lexus GS. Continue reading the full review below. Once you’re done, write a review about your own car here.

2012 Toyota Camry Earns Five-Star NHTSA Rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its first batch of 2012 model year ratings this month. Under the stricter guidelines, only three 2012 models — the Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac CTS and Toyota Camry — have earned five-star composite scores from the safety agency. In fact, as we previously reported, the Camaro is the only vehicle to earn a perfect rating across the board since the new guidelines took effect for the 2011 model year.

NHTSA’s composite scores are composed of five-star ratings for frontal, rollover and a combined side pole and barrier tests. The side pole test, which is new, simulates a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side.

The redesigned 2012 Camry earned a five-star overall rating, getting four stars in the frontal test, five stars in the side-crash test and four stars in the rollover test.

Toyota to Export U.S.-Built Camrys to South Korea

Toyota announced today it will export Camry sedans from Kentucky and Indiana to South Korea, making it the sixth U.S.-built vehicle the Japanese automaker exports. About 7,000 Camry sedans will ship from assembly plants in Georgetown, Ky., and Lafayette, Ind., next year, Toyota says, with shipments arriving in Korea in January.

The move comes on the heels of the U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreement, which reduced auto tariffs and streamlined environmental and safety regulations for U.S.-made vehicles exported to the country. The exports shouldn't affect the redesigned 2012 Camry's reported 92% domestic-parts content (59% for the Camry Hybrid), which could make it a DPC champ once the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration releases figures for 2012. The prior Camry, whose DPC ranged from 70% to 80% for non-hybrid models, has topped Cars.com's American Made Index three years running.