spinoff on the new vehicle post

Rather than hijack her post, I thought I'd start my own.

We're also in the market and have probably narrowed down to the Highlander Hybrid, but wanted to see if I could get some more twin parent input on it first.

These are our only kids and we don't plan to have more. We don't expect to use the third row seat often, but we want to have the option. Mostly it would be for going out to dinner or something with my parents, so we'd want to fit two adults back in the third row with the car seats in the second row. Is that feasible? For long road trips, it would just be the four of us, but for short little in town jogs, we want to know we can fit two adults back there.

Also, do you have the dvd and/or navigation systems? They seem like ridiculously expensive add-ons that we want to have but can add ourselves for much cheaper. Is it worth it to have the factory systems?

 

No info on the car type, but we got the factory installed DVD so that we can have it with the warranty with the van. We said no to the factory installed Nav system and just got our own portable Garmin so that we can use it in any car.

 

No help either for the vehicle, but we have the DVD player in our van and LOVE it. If you are planning to keep it for a few years I would definitely get it. It's been a life saver on long trips!

 

DH has the Highlander but not the hybrid, we were about a year early for it. He loves the car and I like it too.

We have had people in the third row once in a while. In order for them to get back there the seat in the second row has to be folded down. So unless you are going to take the car seat out to accomodate getting someone back there your car seats will have to be at a window and middle position in the car.

I have used DH's car when mine goes in for service and I move the girls car seats into it. I don't like not having any way to take them out if something happens while my car is in for service. I don't know if it is because I have a minivan (Chrysler Town and Country) but I feel the babies are too close to the doors when I use the Highlander. But that could be because I am used to them being in the second row captians seat in the van that are higher and set in more than the highlander.

As for the navigation and DVD. We don't have it in the highlander but I have it factory installed in my van. I love the navigation system even sometimes on local roads I know just to bypass some traffic. The DVD system has never been used. The girls don't even know it is in the car. They happily entertain themselves and I have never had to resort to using it.

 

QUOTE(AliPaige717 @ Oct 24 2007, 02:33 PM) [snapback]465581[/snapback]
We have had people in the third row once in a while. In order for them to get back there the seat in the second row has to be folded down. So unless you are going to take the car seat out to accomodate getting someone back there your car seats will have to be at a window and middle position in the car.


Thanks for your input!

In the new ones I've seen that you can take out the middle seat in the second row so theoretically someone could climb into the third row without having to put the second row seats down. You just have to cross in front of one of the second row seats and then climb through the middle of the second row. Does anyone have a new one with this feature to tell me if an adult really can climb back there through the middle without having to take the car seats out?

 

QUOTE(BridgePort @ Oct 24 2007, 04:54 PM) [snapback]465727[/snapback]
Thanks for your input!

In the new ones I've seen that you can take out the middle seat in the second row so theoretically someone could climb into the third row without having to put the second row seats down. You just have to cross in front of one of the second row seats and then climb through the middle of the second row. Does anyone have a new one with this feature to tell me if an adult really can climb back there through the middle without having to take the car seats out?


That is a cool new feature.

Just a thought though. As long as your boys are rear facing people will also have a problem getting into the back. My girls are in Britax Decathlons and I had them rear facing till about 21 months. With those seats rear facing anyone that wanted to get to my third row in the van had to either crawl under the car seats or if I only had half the third row up they could climb in the back.

 

QUOTE(AliPaige717 @ Oct 24 2007, 05:07 PM) [snapback]465837[/snapback]
That is a cool new feature.

Just a thought though. As long as your boys are rear facing people will also have a problem getting into the back. My girls are in Britax Decathlons and I had them rear facing till about 21 months. With those seats rear facing anyone that wanted to get to my third row in the van had to either crawl under the car seats or if I only had half the third row up they could climb in the back.


Great point. We have the Roundabouts, so a little smaller, but will probably still be a pain to get around rear facing. Maybe if we put the front seat down, there will be room to squeeze around the car seat without having to remove it.

Since we're going to have to pay a small fortune for Synagis this year (I have another post all about that), we're probably not going to be able to get a new vehicle until next Fall anyway, so they'll probably be forward facing by then anyway!