Love the runner but.........

[tamerunner]

I love our 4runner but we are expecting #2 in October. I'm having a hard time getting my head around having 2 car seats and have any room for anything else. Our first kid just turned 2 in Jan. I've already tried putting her in the 3rd row and for her to fit the front seat has to be all the way up and she is still cramped because she is taller than average. We have always been the type that we drive and people go with us. So I just don't know if we can make this work. We are a snowboarding family so that is one of the main reasons I got the BOF runner. So now I am considering selling it and getting a Sequoia. Also in the running is the Armada and Expedition. Any suggestions? Any body who has gotten bigger and regretted and came back? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

[1engineer]

I love our 4runner but we are expecting #2 in October. I'm having a hard time getting my head around having 2 car seats and have any room for anything else. Our first kid just turned 2 in Jan. I've already tried putting her in the 3rd row and for her to fit the front seat has to be all the way up and she is still cramped because she is taller than average. We have always been the type that we drive and people go with us. So I just don't know if we can make this work. We are a snowboarding family so that is one of the main reasons I got the BOF runner. So now I am considering selling it and getting a Sequoia. Also in the running is the Armada and Expedition. Any suggestions? Any body who has gotten bigger and regretted and came back? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

There is plenty of room in a 5th gen 4Runner for two kids. Plenty. People with two kids make do in cars like the Corolla or VW Golf all the time! You have a two year old that's 6' tall already?
Look, everybody always wants more room but in reality they don't NEED more room. If you want a bigger vehicle then get it but don't use having only two little kids as justification for that. Sounds like you need a bigger vehicle because you have more stuff. If so, then get it. On second thought it really sounds like you NEED a minivan, so go check out the AWD Sienna. It's got more room than everything you listed above.

 

[KidVermicious]

^ nailed it

 

[techno]

We have a 1yo boy and a 3 yo girl. I just upgraded my 3rd gen to a 4th gen with third row to help. My son is still rear facing and his seat has about 1 inch clearance to the back of the drivers seat and my daughter is forward facing in a booster with back style seat and she has plenty of room (although she wont keep her d@#m feet of the back of the front passenger seat lol).

We have ample space for our stuff and occasionally use the roof rack on trips, but as far as more passengers with cargo goes, it's not really possible at this time. The 3rd row is not for adults, the warning labels say it's only for people under 59" or 150cm tall. Above that height it's very uncomfortable and probably quite dangerous. The rear facing seat doesn't fit in the 3rd row either, so that always occupies a 2nd row spot and prevents 3rd row access from that side, unless you want to mess around with removing and reinstalling the car seat. The booster style seat does fit in the 3rd row so I can put my daughter back there and stick another adult in the 2nd row if needed, but she doesn't have much room since the car seat puts her forward still.

I strongly considered a Land Rover LR3 before I bought the 4th gen 4Runner because it has more interior space for both the 2nd and 3rd row, plus it has excellent offroad capabilities, but in the end I went with the 4runner for other reasons and just accepted that I wouldn't get full 3rd row use until the kids are big enough to sit back there comfortably.

 

[con-jo]

I only have one kid, but my family is constantly going snowboarding and
even with my wife's sister and 18 year old son have plenty of space.
My daughter is 6 so booster with wife and sister in back seat fit fine.( a little tight)

I suggest you invest in a roof box to store the boards and the rest should easily
fit in the rear.

 

[NWFLBowhunter]

There is plenty of room in a 5th gen 4Runner for two kids. Plenty. People with two kids make do in cars like the Corolla or VW Golf all the time! You have a two year old that's 6' tall already?
Look, everybody always wants more room but in reality they don't NEED more room. If you want a bigger vehicle then get it but don't use having only two little kids as justification for that. Sounds like you need a bigger vehicle because you have more stuff. If so, then get it. On second thought it really sounds like you NEED a minivan, so go check out the AWD Sienna. It's got more room than everything you listed above.

This is perfect. When my wife was looking at getting a new vehicle, she thought we needed another mini van to replace her Honda Odyssey. We have 2 boys, 9 & 11 who are extremely active in sports. She wouldn't even look at an SUV as an option. She liked the fact of them being able to separate on different rows. I then took her to Toyota and made her ride in the runner with the kids, myself and the salesman. We drove one with the 3rd row, and the TEP without the 3rd row. At that moment she realized how much space we actually needed. Trail Edition FTW. She never liked having to crawl back and clean the 3rd row anyhow. If carrying adults and kids, put the kids in the 3rd row. They will manage just fine.

 

[elemint]

You are 100% correct. People get wants a needs messed up daily these days. FYI, there have been no geological changes since the invention of the automobile, but roads are better. Heck, I grew up in the 70's and 80's and MAYBE 1 in 50 people had a 4x4 of any kind. People still went to the mountains and fishing etc. We have become an nation of bean counter consumers who think we MUST have the most 99.9999% effective product to get any job done, when in reality the worst of most products will be just fine for anyone. This is the down side of the internet. Billions of hours wasted in "researching" the next want. Sadly, I already want the 2 minutes back I spent wasting my time talking about all the time wasted because of the internet...

There is plenty of room in a 5th gen 4Runner for two kids. Plenty. People with two kids make do in cars like the Corolla or VW Golf all the time! You have a two year old that's 6' tall already?
Look, everybody always wants more room but in reality they don't NEED more room. If you want a bigger vehicle then get it but don't use having only two little kids as justification for that. Sounds like you need a bigger vehicle because you have more stuff. If so, then get it. On second thought it really sounds like you NEED a minivan, so go check out the AWD Sienna. It's got more room than everything you listed above.

 

[tamerunner]

There is plenty of room in a 5th gen 4Runner for two kids. Plenty. People with two kids make do in cars like the Corolla or VW Golf all the time! You have a two year old that's 6' tall already?
Look, everybody always wants more room but in reality they don't NEED more room. If you want a bigger vehicle then get it but don't use having only two little kids as justification for that. Sounds like you need a bigger vehicle because you have more stuff. If so, then get it. On second thought it really sounds like you NEED a minivan, so go check out the AWD Sienna. It's got more room than everything you listed above.

As you said people make do in those cars. If I had to make do I would, but I do not. No my daughter is not 6' tall. I'm glad I am a smart ass too otherwise I would take this as you just being a dick, but I'm not. Your right I WANT more room, I don't want to be cramped, I want to be able to haul my family and have somebody else ride with me and be able to haul more than a roll of toilet paper behind the third row. So that is why I also asked if somebody had gone to a bigger vehicle and regretted it. I know I can hold out until they are out of car seats and in just booster seats or out completely and it won't be that bad. And I'm not one of the people who think they need 4 wheel drive because their roads occasionally have snow in spots in the shade and wonder if they can have their limited in 4 auto and if it will mess anything up. No in central NC we don't get a ton of our own snow but when it snows elsewhere we go to it. When it snows at Snowshoe and they say 4 wheel drives only, we go. During the last big snowstorm that came through in January we went to Winterplace. I'm not going to be that guy at Winterplace whose puss mobile awd Acadia took 10 minutes to get out of his parking spot. I WANT 4H and 4L. Sorry kind of a rant. But I bought the runner because it was BOF and had a transfer case. I guess I just need to go hide in a corner and make a list of my NEEDS and WANTS.:help:

 

[eliminator]

We have two Britax Boulevard seats installed rear facing. No issues what so ever. We tried a few different seats and this one worked great in the 4Runner.

 

[RockyMountainT4R]

We had a Sequoia. Plenty of room (which we seldom used),very well built and trouble free. Drove fine on the highway and was very comfortable on long trips. 4WD worked well.
As she had the largest vehicle in her group, my wife used to use the Sequoia to transport herself and 4 adult passengers and gear on long weekend trips. Ultimately we went back to a smaller SUV as we didn’t need the extra room and grew tired of the extra bulk around town. It also meant she was no longer the go to pilot for her friends. So the five started sharing the rent, once a month, for a minivan from Enterprise for their group excursions which worked out much better. The minivan had more accessible seating and storage. It was also roomier.
Bottom line: The Sequoia just drove bigger, as was expected, and I missed the “nimble” (by comparison) feeling of the 4R when rolling along narrow, rutted dirt, gravel or snow covered backroads. Our Trail with KDSS is a better handling BOF than our Sequoia was while still being comfortable on long trips.

Given your desire for more room (and that a minivan is out), it sounds like you might enjoy a Sequoia.

 

[1engineer]

As you said people make do in those cars. If I had to make do I would, but I do not. No my daughter is not 6' tall. I'm glad I am a smart ass too otherwise I would take this as you just being a dick, but I'm not. Your right I WANT more room, I don't want to be cramped, I want to be able to haul my family and have somebody else ride with me and be able to haul more than a roll of toilet paper behind the third row. So that is why I also asked if somebody had gone to a bigger vehicle and regretted it. I know I can hold out until they are out of car seats and in just booster seats or out completely and it won't be that bad. And I'm not one of the people who think they need 4 wheel drive because their roads occasionally have snow in spots in the shade and wonder if they can have their limited in 4 auto and if it will mess anything up. No in central NC we don't get a ton of our own snow but when it snows elsewhere we go to it. When it snows at Snowshoe and they say 4 wheel drives only, we go. During the last big snowstorm that came through in January we went to Winterplace. I'm not going to be that guy at Winterplace whose puss mobile awd Acadia took 10 minutes to get out of his parking spot. I WANT 4H and 4L. Sorry kind of a rant. But I bought the runner because it was BOF and had a transfer case. I guess I just need to go hide in a corner and make a list of my NEEDS and WANTS.:help:

Go back and read your OP [MENTION=82490]tamerunner[/MENTION]. A two year old won't fit in the third row? Really?

I live 15 minutes from Winterplace and an hour and a half from Snowshoe. Been going there for 35 years. You are using those places to justify needing 4LO? Any AWD will get you to either place easy and an AWD mini van has more than enough ground clearance.

Now (mod hat on), watch calling people names or you will get a vacation. I didn't call you any names and since I only had what was in your OP to go on I responded with a healthy dose of reality. You should have just asked if people like a Sequoia instead of trying to justify it with your reasoning.

Good luck and maybe I'll see you on Cup Run or Dropoff.

 

[techno]

Go back and read your OP [MENTION=82490]tamerunner[/MENTION]. A two year old won't fit in the third row? Really?

Yes really. There's not enough room in the 3rd row for a rear facing car seat, which is what a 2yo should be in. And even if he/she is forward facing, there's still not enough room back there.

 

[williamlv282]

For whatever it is worth, whenever I had to sit in the Sequoia's third row I found that it was so far back that, while driving, I could never hear the people in the driver's seat and they couldn't hear me. It made for a lot of screaming half of the time and a lot of quiet rides the other half.

Sometimes having the kids closer is a good thing. If you really want room, you could take the third row out of the 4runner altogether (it's useless anyway, even you think so) and keep the kids in the second row. Get a rack and throw the snowboards on the roof. What else do you need to keep back there? A cooler?

 

[Chasen]

Personaly,i think it's very good.

 

[tamerunner]

Go back and read your OP [MENTION=82490]tamerunner[/MENTION]. A two year old won't fit in the third row? Really?

I live 15 minutes from Winterplace and an hour and a half from Snowshoe. Been going there for 35 years. You are using those places to justify needing 4LO? Any AWD will get you to either place easy and an AWD mini van has more than enough ground clearance.

Now (mod hat on), watch calling people names or you will get a vacation. I didn't call you any names and since I only had what was in your OP to go on I responded with a healthy dose of reality. You should have just asked if people like a Sequoia instead of trying to justify it with your reasoning.

Good luck and maybe I'll see you on Cup Run or Dropoff.

Your right. That was unnecessary. I was frustrated. I apologize [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]. No I don't need 4Lo for that but I have seen plenty of AWD struggle and don't want that.You may be that close to them, but I'm 3 hrs from Winterplace and 5 1/2 from Snowshoe. When we went to Winterplace in Jan when they got around 10" it snowed from my house the whole way there, when others struggled we did not. I've never had a problem with the runner so would like to stay with that or a similar platform. Thank you [MENTION=100704]RockyMountainT4R[/MENTION] and [MENTION=100354]williamlv282[/MENTION]. That is the kind of input I was looking for. If we choose to keep the runner maybe my one option is to look at a different car seat for the 2 yr old. I have a gobi with Thules on it. And during the summer I've used the rack for things when heading to the beach so its not necessarily about just cargo. Its the compromise of cargo or other people, that other vehicles can provide both. I'm just trying to decide if it is worth it to change so I don't have to compromise or wait it out till the kids are bigger and without the extra bulk of carseats. My wife is on the fence as well. She loves the runner as it is her daily driver but is unsure about the changes as well. And I wish I was at Snowshoe right now. My sister and her husband are there as we speak, having fun in the western territory. We didn't go because of the wife being preg. Some might have but she didn't want to risk it. eace:

 

[CoMtn4Runner]

I am facing a similar issue, except I am trying to figure out if our subaru forester is going to be big enough. The thought of my 4runner not having enough room hasn't even crossed my mind (I don't have a 3rd row). My debate now is, if I get rid of the subaru for something with more room, would my wife be ok taking my 2012 TE so I can buy a TRD pro :naughty:

Either way, if you don't feel like there will be enough room, then get a bigger vehicle. AKA, go buy a landcruiser!!

 

[Blue Seat Lyfe]

Think of this family the next time you think your 4Runner is too small to commute with two children

 

[Rbiggers]

I have a 5th Gen SR5 Premium w/o 3rd row. One 3-1/2 yr old forward facing and a 1 yr old rear facing. There is plenty of room and clearance in the backseat for the car seats we bought. I do wish we had more room for a third person to fit between them or in a 3rd row. But that's what our Chevy Traverse is for. I have also had the exact same thoughts as the Op described. I "wanted" to get a Yukon or Sequioa. But came to the conclusion that we "needed" a minivan with those same criteria much more over those big SUVs. Now we don't do any sort of heavy snow driving here in the desert like you do. But I did realize that the want versus need came down to a minivan being the best for a family with young kids. Now all that being said, I make do just fine 95% of the time in my 4Runner with wife and two little kids. It will haul us all and our stuff anywhere we want to go up in the New Mexico mountains.

 

[mgreen6616]

I have to agree with [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]. I have a wife and two kids, now 5 and 3 and carted them all over the place in my VW GTI. That said, my wife realized on her own that wants and needs were completely different and walked away from our third test drive of an Acura MDX after really evaluating what she wanted from a vehicle. She ended up buying a Honday Odyssey with all the goodies. That made my GTI fine as a second car. Getting the 4Runner I can't imagine needing more space, but I am coming from a small car. I thought about a Tahoe but only briefly as I didn't want to lug that mass around empty most of the time. We are going out west as a family of 4 for two weeks in the Runner and will have plenty of room. Just my use case, you go buy what you want, it's your cash! Enjoy either way and congrats on the second! (and talk your wife into driving a Sienna AWD, so you don't have to )

 

[philsey]

I'm *assuming* that the Sequoia would replace the 4R as the wife's DD.

This topic has been discussed before, and the only complaint I remember about the Seq is that it's huge as a DD (parking, negotiating traffic etc).

Why don't you just go put the wifey in a test drive for a couple hours (especially parallel parking, reversing, etc). (My wife is very uncomfortable parking my 4R).

Curious: Does the Seq take Reg gas?