rental cars that will fit 3+ car seats

[sunnyd1975]

I am looking for 2 recommendations: (A) a rental car class other than minivan that will fit 3 car seats across the back seat(s), and (B) a rental car type that will fit 3 car seats plus still have room for 4 grownups.

I have 3 kids: 4 yo who's just over 40 lbs, 2.5 yo who's about 30 lbs?, and 13 mo who's just over 20 lbs. for everyday use, I have 3 Cosco Alpha Omega Elite's, which I love but they are definitely bulky. I drive a Mazda 5 (6 seats, 3 rows) and they all fit fine ff though I wish the back row had full latch and it has no trunk space left when all 3 rows are up. I also have 2 spare car seats (Cosco High Back Booster Car Seat and Evenflo Big Kid Excalibur Booster Seat)

for (A) - when we go to visit our family back east I can never find a good price on renting a minivan. is there another rental car class (or specific car) that would hold all 3 seats in the back? I have a belt-positioning booster carseat and a 5 pt harness carseat (don't remember the model specifics) that I leave there and could purchase a 3rd carseat to leave there or bring one of ours from here.

for (B) - when we have visitors here, we sometimes rent a minivan. even using our narrower spare car seats it is usually very difficult to fit a grownup into the 3rd row. we have also had problems before putting a car seat in the (bench-style) middle row of a minivan using the shoulder belt which makes climbing into the back seat very tricky. any specific brands of minivans or maybe larger SUVs that handle 3 car seats plus 4 grown ups gracefully?

thanks!

Deirdre

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.