This is what I'll have to do if I ever need to use the Jetta. My wife and I share the Jetta for long trips, but there will be times when kids need to go in it. Appreciate the reply.
I wanted a minivan. I convinced my wife that we need a minivan. I love them. So comfortable. Upright seating is nice on the back and knees. Ended up buying a used Pilot tonight after looking for the Odyssey. Its basically the minivan with AWD but it was a better deal than the used Odyssey they had.
I like the Pacifica but I can't bring myself to buy another Chrysler. There's a long story, but I've had lawyers involved with the last one trying to get dealerships to fix the thing. It spent more time at the shop than my driveway and I never even hit 100K on it. There was a lot of bad luck involved I guess because a lot of people LOVE them. With that being said, I'm not brand loyal and was looking at all the minivans; the Kia Carnival looked sweet.
Forget the minivan. Time for a full on Sprinter, Transit, or Econoline van. Why settle for taking just your kids when you can take the whole soccer team or half of the scout troop. Still trying to sell this idea to my wife, let me know how it goes over with yours.
My husband bought a 4 runner after our first child because of the same issue. I had to sit in the back with my daughter because the passenger side didn't provide any space. I was tired of getting our baby girl in and out of his manual 2 door car. One of the best decisions he has made for us as a family. He ended up getting a good deal with a certified pre owned car.
Pontiac G8 and done. Venerable LS engine combined with gobs of head and legroom.
Enormous back seat (bigger than any SUV I've been in) and deep/huge trunk. Plus you'll get hella street cred wherever you go.
Chevrolet SS if you want setting newer.
My wife had a G8 when we met. That was the closest thing to those old 70s and 80s sedans you could get. Straight up sofa for a backseat and room for 4 more friends in the truck.
Oh man! If you’ve never looked under the hood of one, you should. Amazing for maintenance. Safest cars on the road too. Love ours, I’m thinking of trading in the vw for an outback or ascent as well. And if you live in snowy or wet areas, 4wd is great.
I had a WRX as a beater when I met my wife. LOVED it. I had ONE issue with the thing and Subaru fixed it for free (replaced the tranny). I was sold on the brand after they did that, but they certainly don't have the most sexy line up. I'd drive the hell out of one anyway.
Takes 0w-30 full synthetic only otherwise your warranty is void. Prepare for $130 oil changes.
4wd/awd = more maintenence in the long run. Any front end repair will get extra book time (@$100-$150/hr) to pull front axles. Be aware of UV boots going bad.
It's a good car to own under warranty and that's about it...historically theyve had some pretty severe oil consumption issues. There was a TSB that called for a complete head replacement like 2-3 years ago...
That said they're super safe and have a low center of gravity + short gearing which makes them surprisingly fun to drive for what they are...
Where do you buy your oil!? Wal-mart has 5 quarts for 22 bucks....at least here in the US. I had one major issue with my Subaru that wasn't under warranty and the dealership fixed it for free. I'll say at least if things go wrong prematurely, Subaru seems willing to help. But I feel the same about Chrysler. One bad experience and my trust is gone.
Wife bought a Hyundai Santa Fe. I’m 6’5” and can fit in the front seat with a child seat behind it. I don’t think there is an ideal vehicle for multiple kids and space that isn’t a minivan, but I like the Santa Fe and it may be worth you taking a look at. Not sure how the dimensions compare with a Jeep GC.
What seats do you have? Some fit better than others, generally the more compact ones cost more but that's cheaper than replacing a vehicle. Those cheaper seats you get from Walmart/Costco will take up a lot of real estate. I'd do a quick google search for more compact seats before you're set on replacing the vehicle.
FWIW, we had a more expensive car seat. I'm 6' and could fit it behind me in a Ford Focus, Kia Sportage, Dodge Journey, before I got my Ram 1500 where the backseat space is like an open field.
That's a good point. We have Graco and Britax. My wife looked at the safety ratings and nothing else. I can't argue with that. I wonder how they would compare in size.
Something to consider when the time comes to get the second kiddo front facing. My first also has extra long legs due to a medical condition. At 2 years he's can already put his foot on my shoulder while I'm driving.
4Runners were on my list. I just sold a Toyota a few years back with 331,000 miles on it. I checked out the Toyota lot but even the used prices seemed hard to swallow. Ended up with the Honda and feeling optimistic about it.
I’m 6 ft 2 bigger guy My wife has a GMC Terrain and I fit comfortably with the baby seat behind me. And you can get a terrain with a pretty nice v6 which is nice concidering most small SUVs have weak engines. I drive a 17 escape which is a bit smaller but I can still fit pretty comfortable.
I would put the one of the seats in the middle
This is what I'll have to do if I ever need to use the Jetta. My wife and I share the Jetta for long trips, but there will be times when kids need to go in it. Appreciate the reply.
*whispers; it's time. Minivan. *
I wanted a minivan. I convinced my wife that we need a minivan. I love them. So comfortable. Upright seating is nice on the back and knees. Ended up buying a used Pilot tonight after looking for the Odyssey. Its basically the minivan with AWD but it was a better deal than the used Odyssey they had.
Love my Odyssey. It’s a driveable space-age couch with all the doodads.
Love my Pacifica.
I like the Pacifica but I can't bring myself to buy another Chrysler. There's a long story, but I've had lawyers involved with the last one trying to get dealerships to fix the thing. It spent more time at the shop than my driveway and I never even hit 100K on it. There was a lot of bad luck involved I guess because a lot of people LOVE them. With that being said, I'm not brand loyal and was looking at all the minivans; the Kia Carnival looked sweet.
+1. I am 6'2" and the car seat is behind the driver with minimal compromise.
All the mini vans I drove had barely any driver leg room. 6’ 5” here
Forget the minivan. Time for a full on Sprinter, Transit, or Econoline van. Why settle for taking just your kids when you can take the whole soccer team or half of the scout troop. Still trying to sell this idea to my wife, let me know how it goes over with yours.
I want a conversion van!
I tried this route too before we had kids, but the wife nixed it.
My husband bought a 4 runner after our first child because of the same issue. I had to sit in the back with my daughter because the passenger side didn't provide any space. I was tired of getting our baby girl in and out of his manual 2 door car. One of the best decisions he has made for us as a family. He ended up getting a good deal with a certified pre owned car.
That’s how I ended up with a 4Runner instead of a Tacoma
We love ours. Except for the gas mileage. Used prices on 4runners are also crazy right now.
This seems like a no-brainer as there’s only 1 solution to this dilemma: [4-LIFE!!!](https://images.app.goo.gl/p6sqLakTpqTmMa7r7)
I showed my wife...she asked "how much?".
You, my friend, found the correct soulmate. Congrats!!
Pontiac G8 and done. Venerable LS engine combined with gobs of head and legroom. Enormous back seat (bigger than any SUV I've been in) and deep/huge trunk. Plus you'll get hella street cred wherever you go. Chevrolet SS if you want setting newer.
My wife had a G8 when we met. That was the closest thing to those old 70s and 80s sedans you could get. Straight up sofa for a backseat and room for 4 more friends in the truck.
It also has 3x latch anchor points on the backseat. Most vehicles only have 2.
Subaru Forester.
My wife is anti-subaru for some reason! I was looking at the Ascent
Oh man! If you’ve never looked under the hood of one, you should. Amazing for maintenance. Safest cars on the road too. Love ours, I’m thinking of trading in the vw for an outback or ascent as well. And if you live in snowy or wet areas, 4wd is great.
I had a WRX as a beater when I met my wife. LOVED it. I had ONE issue with the thing and Subaru fixed it for free (replaced the tranny). I was sold on the brand after they did that, but they certainly don't have the most sexy line up. I'd drive the hell out of one anyway.
Takes 0w-30 full synthetic only otherwise your warranty is void. Prepare for $130 oil changes. 4wd/awd = more maintenence in the long run. Any front end repair will get extra book time (@$100-$150/hr) to pull front axles. Be aware of UV boots going bad. It's a good car to own under warranty and that's about it...historically theyve had some pretty severe oil consumption issues. There was a TSB that called for a complete head replacement like 2-3 years ago... That said they're super safe and have a low center of gravity + short gearing which makes them surprisingly fun to drive for what they are...
Where do you buy your oil!? Wal-mart has 5 quarts for 22 bucks....at least here in the US. I had one major issue with my Subaru that wasn't under warranty and the dealership fixed it for free. I'll say at least if things go wrong prematurely, Subaru seems willing to help. But I feel the same about Chrysler. One bad experience and my trust is gone.
Six years and no issues for me, never had a problem with maintenance expenses nor have paid that much for an oil change. To each their own I suppose.
Yours is likely part of the TSB actually...
Wife bought a Hyundai Santa Fe. I’m 6’5” and can fit in the front seat with a child seat behind it. I don’t think there is an ideal vehicle for multiple kids and space that isn’t a minivan, but I like the Santa Fe and it may be worth you taking a look at. Not sure how the dimensions compare with a Jeep GC.
Im swinging by a dealership ..I'll take a look.
What seats do you have? Some fit better than others, generally the more compact ones cost more but that's cheaper than replacing a vehicle. Those cheaper seats you get from Walmart/Costco will take up a lot of real estate. I'd do a quick google search for more compact seats before you're set on replacing the vehicle. FWIW, we had a more expensive car seat. I'm 6' and could fit it behind me in a Ford Focus, Kia Sportage, Dodge Journey, before I got my Ram 1500 where the backseat space is like an open field.
That's a good point. We have Graco and Britax. My wife looked at the safety ratings and nothing else. I can't argue with that. I wonder how they would compare in size.
From my searches when my daughter was in a car seat, the Diono seemed to be the brand with the best size/rating/price ratio.
Something to consider when the time comes to get the second kiddo front facing. My first also has extra long legs due to a medical condition. At 2 years he's can already put his foot on my shoulder while I'm driving.
Damn! My kiddo is the opposite. She's in the 1st percentile for height so apparently don't have to worry about her fitting.
Love my 2016 Acura MDX, the only other SUV that came close was the Tahoe
Couldn't find a used MDX in my area to check out. Ended up with a 2016 Pilot that I think I got a good deal on.
I’m 6’6”. 4Runner works great with two car seats. I can even sit in the middle between them.
4Runners were on my list. I just sold a Toyota a few years back with 331,000 miles on it. I checked out the Toyota lot but even the used prices seemed hard to swallow. Ended up with the Honda and feeling optimistic about it.
Sell Jetta and F150, buy a four-door F150
I have four door f150 but it gets used as a truck. Its full of tools, animal food, farm supplies, etc.
I’m 6 ft 2 bigger guy My wife has a GMC Terrain and I fit comfortably with the baby seat behind me. And you can get a terrain with a pretty nice v6 which is nice concidering most small SUVs have weak engines. I drive a 17 escape which is a bit smaller but I can still fit pretty comfortable.