Third Row Downside?

[JohnJerk]

I have three little ones, all six and under. If I put all three in the second row, they raise hell. If I put one in the third row and they all sleep.

3rd row = priceless, for me and mine.

 

[ArcticEd]

My limited came with the 3rd row; used it 2 or 3 times to haul extra kids. It was definitely not comfortable for adults, and it sucked not having any storage space in the back other than on top of the seats.

I pulled out the seats & sold them; built a storage box to replace it. The box is actually an inch or so higher than the seats were, but I have some contained space for things I don't want to roll around. I wish it had come with a storage box to begin with - don't like the tray OR the seats.

 

[philsey]

.... You got to love it though seeing your kids gone. It's priceless.

Fixed.

More priceless.

 

[jrandom]

47.2 cubic feet of cargo behind second row without 3rd row.
46.3 cubic feet of cargo behind second row WITH 3rd row.

That's at least a 24 of beer.

Hayduke couldn't have said it better

 

[Deserter]

we got third row as we have family visit every once in a while and one year I had to go down to enterprise and rent a dodge caravan, I will always have at least one vehicle in the family with 7 seats even if we do only use it once a year, at the moment we also have a previous gen pathfinder and I've got to be honest the 3rd row is better in that and the whole rear of the vehicle has its own heating

 

[Threev8s]

Thank you!

Thank you all very much for the feedback! Hopefully this will help others who have questions about the same topic.

 

[Stifler]

I got the 3rd row and it is handy when needed.... downfalls as mentioned are loss of cargo room.... not really a big deal for us and easily solved with a roof rack or receiver carrier. The one thing i HATE about the 3rd row option is the slope of the cargo floor! Lost many a bottle of whiskey!

 

[IAmTodd]

The one thing i HATE about the 3rd row option is the slope of the cargo floor! Lost many a bottle of whiskey!

I didn't realize the slope of the floor until I brought the truck home. I normally use one of these so hopefully I won't lose too many things out the back!

 

[Bino9905]

I have 3rd row and have only used it twice in the 20k miles of ownership....I was not aware of loss of cargo space at purchase or other wise would have not got 3rd row.....so far only lost a watermelon when unloading groceries....when I did use it we stuffed two small adults and one child in the third row!!!! Short trip and I'm Mexican so it's a skill we have.....they were not happy back there but....we saved on gas by taking one vehicle......maybe when the kids are older and they have friends over it will get used more.....another con is the complete lack of space between rear hatch and back of 3rd row when up.....very unsafe for rear end collision.......unless your wife makes u don't get 3rd row

 

[forwheeler]

I just used my third row for the first time, thought I'd report. I fit 4 adults and two kids in car seats into the truck. That, by itself, is pretty amazing. We were able to avoid having to take the car seat in and out to access the third row by climbing in through the back. It took a little gymnastics, but better than moving the car seats. Obviously not ideal for an everyday 6 person vehicle, but for the odd times when you have family visiting, it is worth it. We saved $300 on a rental car. If I do that 3 times it pays for itself.

And one point, the "downside" of not having any cargo space in the back when you raise the third row is not actually a downside. Obviously, if you want the cargo space, don't put the third row up. The third row is simply an option that you can put up or down as and when you decide. If you have 6 passengers and little or no cargo, you'll be glad you have the third row. If you have 4 passengers and some cargo, you can put the third row down and be fine (just like a 4R without the third row option). If you have 6 passengers and a lot of cargo, the 4runner just isn't the right vehicle and you can't blame that on the third row option.

 

[Dario]

I have an LE with 3rd row. Agree with what's been said here, including that it's kind of a PITA to have it. But if you need the seating you need the seating. Is a mini van likely a better option for those who need the extra seats? Sure. But my wife didn't want a mini van.

The 3rd row seats are a compromise and are not as accessible as those in some other vehicles. They do work and you'll be glad to have them when you need them.

I read that one person took them out and sold them. I'm not sure that's a viable option due to airbag and other requirements. When our kids move out or get too large to use them we'll likely trade the LE in for another 4Runner without rear seats.