I'm the OP of this post. I test drove the acura mdx and i loved the car, but it wasn't practical for three kids. In order to access the third row you have to fold forward the second row seat and it wouldn't work because i need to car seats in the second row.

I ended up getting a Chevy Traverse. Not as cool for sure! It's great for three kids because you can get captain's chairs in the second row and then oldest child can easily walk through to third row. It's much roomier inside than the acura also.

And i can park on the street! I didn't want a Tahoe or suburban or something that size because parking would be a nightmare, but the Traverse as well as the Acura are fine for parking on street.

Anonymous wrote:Great thanks for the quick response. Do you use the latches on both in the 2nd row or seatbelts? We were trying it with the latches as we think they are safer.

Latch for both carseats in 2nd row. Shoulder belt for carseat in 3rd row. Tether all three.

It was tough to get the shoulder belt in the back tight, but we did eventually. Once we tethered it was very secure.

I parallel park it everyday no problem. Can't fit into those Smart-car-sized spots, but it is fine for regular spots.

You have two opposite needs. 3 kids in a car and needing to park the car in a small space. Not always compatible.
Do you have a smaller car as well you can use when you only have 2 kids or no kids?

LATCH is not safer then seatbelts. And once the kid hits 40 pounds you have to switch to using the belt to secure the car seat anyway.

Great thanks for the quick response. Do you use the latches on both in the 2nd row or seatbelts? We were trying it with the latches as we think they are safer.

^ the radians are both FFing. The radian is very tall so it might be tough with a tall driver and a RFing seat. Just guessing.

We have two Diono Radian R100s behind the driver and just put a third one into the third row (just started carpooling to an activity). My oldest son sits in the back because he can mostly do the buckles himself. I wouldn't put a small kid back there daily if I had to do all of the buckling. I keep the passenger-side seat in the second row folded down so DS can climb back there, but it can move up & down. A bit of rubbing on the carseat, but it works.

We have been looking at the MDX 2014 and went to a dealer to try car seats in the second row. We had a rear facing infant gracco behind driver and forward facing in the middle seat (tried both a convertible and booster) but could not get them close enough together to allow the passenger side unobstructed movement to get to the third row. What car seats do you have or know can work for that type of set up?

Anonymous wrote:We have a 2014 and fit two car seats on the driver-side partition of the second row so that the smaller partition can slide forward for access to the third row. We don't have any car seats in the third row, but you could. Boosters would work better. The third row is bigger and much easier to access than previous models but I don't think I'd want to buckle in a little kid back there everyday.

Also meant to say that yes, you can definitely fit three seats in the middle.

We have a 2014 and fit two car seats on the driver-side partition of the second row so that the smaller partition can slide forward for access to the third row. We don't have any car seats in the third row, but you could. Boosters would work better. The third row is bigger and much easier to access than previous models but I don't think I'd want to buckle in a little kid back there everyday.

We have three under five and love ours. All three fit in the 2nd row. At the time when we were investigating ours (2010 model), it was one of the widest 2nd rows out there. We do use the third row regularly though for playdates/visitors etc. Some of the adults who have to use it for treks to the airport/day trips etc find it small but passable for a couple of hours. Overall very happy with

We like ours, but our kids are still all under 5 so I'm not sure how much of a squeeze (or not) it is with older kids. We have a 2011 - unfortunately the third row has not been all that practical or useful for us. I have heard that the third row has been improved since we bought ours. You either have to climb through the trunk or over the bench seat, which isn't really possible when the bench seat is lined with car seats, to access it. If the third row is in use, the trunk space is also really, really limited.

We don't use the third row on a day-to-day basis - only on the rare occasion that we need to squeeze another person into the car.

Thanks PP. That is helpful. I would love the BMW x5, but i think it's too small so i've been looking at the Acura MDX. I'm glad you like it!

Looooooovvveeee mine. It is a 2011. If I had to I would buy it all over again, and the 2014s look even better.

Whether the third row is accessible depends. If you have a car seat on the rear passenger side, then no. A large one in the center is ok but you have to shove the seat to get access. So likely sucks to have to do that daily.

Will actually fit three car seat in second row (but renders 3rd row moot if you do that).

A car seat in the center (large) can still let two adults sit comfortably in the second row.

Third row is very comfortable for kids. Acceptable for shall or average adults. Don't even think about it for a large adult.

It is a GREAT car. Not small in any sense though the rear camera means parking is easy. I have the navigation and entertainment packages and adore those features. It drives well enough I don't (really) miss my BMW.

Thumbs up for sure.

How does this car work for three kids? Is it roomy enough? Is the third row accessible?

I am going to be purchasing a new SUV soon for our 2 kids and one on the way. I'd rather not get a full-size SUV because I park on the street and parking spots are not always easy to come by. However, many of the mid-size SUVs seem like they will be a tight squeeze for three kids. The Acura MDX seems to get decent reviews. Do you like yours? Do you recommend anything else? I currently have a volvo xc90 and I'm underwhelmed.