Questions for those with 100's and large families (1 Viewer)

[Boomer1971]

Hi Everyone,
Newbie here with a question for those with large families.
I am looking at possibly trading in a 2001 Sequoia for a late year 100 series. The only thing holding me back is the size difference, especially when it comes to the 3rd row. I have 4 kids ages 2, 4, 6 and 8 and I am concerned about them out growing a Cruiser.

For those who use the back row on a regular basis. What are your thoughts.
Thanks

PS Any thoughts on a Certified 2006 with 50k miles for $31k.

 

[bamachem]

With 4 kids, get a 2009+ Sequoia with 2nd row Captain's Chairs. Just go drive one and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Yotato]

My little ones constantly want to sit in the back. I think they feel a little more independent in the 3rd row.
My 15 year old said its uncomfortable for him.

What's wrong with your Sequoia? I'm in the market for one for my 15 year old.

 

[Nottajeep]

3rd row LC = Knees to the chin

 

[Boomer1971]

I was actually thinking also about the new Sequoias (especially with the new power train) but they seem almost too big and I think their styling is a bit awkward.

The Sequoia needs about $3-4k in work (leaky axles, brakes, tires, etc) but also has some rust showing up on the frame behind the rear axle. So it's decision time on spending some cash and keeping it for a few more years or moving on.

You wouldn't want a rust belt car out in Cali..

 

[BBQ BOY]

The 3rd row is fine for my 6 and 5 year olds. I think in a few years it could be uncomfortable for them since the floor is high back there. Also, having them crawl into the back is a pain but doable right now. I wish the 2nd row had captains chairs like my wife's Suburban.
In the second row all 3 of my kids fit there easily. My daughter is 6.5, my son in 5 and my infant is 5 months. They are very comfortable in the 2nd row and that includes the enormous baby seat.

 

[wareagle]

My kids are not fans 0f the 3rd row in the land cruiser.

 

[Topoguide]

I have 5 kids who are 12, 8, 6, 4, & 6mos, no problems. Before the baby was born we fostered two kids that were 3 & 1.5 for a couple months and we all fit just fine, of course we are happy that we had a 3 person bench in the back or we could not have fostered them.

As for leg room, we seem to get by OK. When my oldest was 10 he rode 600 miles in the third row with no problems (we put luggage on the other side). I sit back there on occasion to read while waiting for the kids and find it not to bad, for reference I'm 5'10" and 165 lbs. I figure if we start to run into problems with kids being uncomfortable in the third row we will start rotating kids, the younger ones that are not in car seats will go to the back and the taller kids will move to the second row... problem solved.

I think the biggest issue is the lack of storage behind the third row. If you can manage that then no problems. For our family the Cruiser is a perfect fit... and if we need more trunk room I guess it will be a cargo rack/box (or something of that nature).

Good luck deciding.

 

[Crux]

I have a 4yr old and a 2yr old and a third on the way. I tried putting my 2 yr old in a car seat in the 3rd row once on a camping trip, but his knees were cramped because the second row leans back a bit and the britax carseat sits high.

We are planning on having 4 kids and using the Land Cruiser for 4wheel camping trips....but around town we might get a 2008+ sequoia. Guess we'll see how difficult it is to get in and out for the 4 kids.
My wife doesn't like the looks of the new sequoia either tho....and she loves her LC, and would really love a 200 series LC.

 

[NMuzj100]

My nine year old and his buddies love the 3rd row. I figure by the time he outgrows it we'll be done with car seats in the 2nd and those kids can go back.

The real alternative is a Minivan. I haven't been too impressed by the Odyssey and everyone says it's the best. Every used minivan I see is very high miles and expensive. The 100 will have to do for quite a while longer.

 

[BBQ BOY]

My nine year old and his buddies love the 3rd row. I figure by the time he outgrows it we'll be done with car seats in the 2nd and those kids can go back.

The real alternative is a Minivan. I haven't been too impressed by the Odyssey and everyone says it's the best. Every used minivan I see is very high miles and expensive. The 100 will have to do for quite a while longer.

No way Jose. My wife had an Odyssey before he Suburban. We hated it. Very functional and drove Terrible. Was extremely loud on the highway. The Sienna bears everything about the Hinda and even beats the Odyssey's strong points.

 

[WoodyCreature]

Take a lood at the 200. Im 6' and fit just fine in the third row, different story for my 100. Also big difference in the second row leg room vs the 200.

 

[Blake1]

my 5 year old sits in scond row with my 1.5 year old rear facing. and my 3 year old sits in the third row. seems to allow maximum versatility... with Britax marathon leg room seems to be ok with the second row... not lots of space but acceptable. In terms of thrd row seating there are lots of options these days in unibody set-ups... new ford explorer.. mazda 9, passport, etc. etc. those models with unibody seem to have lower floors and more space. I am banking on my two boys claiming the third row when they are out of the car seats... so another 10 years at least before I get any compaints I expect. The young kids like to climb in the back rather than use the doors anyway. my 100 continues to be hell of a bang for the buck over the years with low maintenance costs.

Living in the city it can be a hassle to buckle the kids.... I vote for a 100 with sliding back doors.

 

[moooooooo]

i traded my large family in for a 2007 LX470 - soooo much quieter

 

[mgeiger]

I just sold my 2010 Sequoia Ltd 4x4 3 weeks ago. I have 4 kids (12, 10, 6, 6) - 2 are part timers (from first marriage). While it was comfortable and the engine trans combo made for pure joy, it was unnecessarily expensive and did not fit in with our debt-free plan. The vehicle was bought on a whim, after getting a job after 10 mo of unemployment. This economy/world we live in scares the hell out of me, and I want to be personally responsible for every one of my(not a banks) belongings. Our 2007 Volvo V70 is paid for and serves kid duty well. My new-to-me 2000 LC is paid for, I can mod it for my purposes and so far, has been a welcome addition to our family.

Do I miss bluetooth connectivity & being able to match a Mustang GT 0-60... sure. Otherwise, there are a lot of things my wife and I have found we like better on the LC. #1 obviously, it's paid for, and we no longer have a vacuum on our checking account. #2 QUALITY: The 10 year old LC has less squeeks and rattles. The doors and door handles are a lot more substantial... they shut with authority. The hood doesn't buckle/dent down at typical freeway speeds (I think the doors were doing this too). The interior surfaces and carpet are of much better quality. The LC looks, feels and obviously wears better. #3 SIZE: The size feels right on the LC. Visibility is much better from the driver's seat in a LC. My wife would not drive the Seq. The Seq felt large for the sake of being large - to compete in that class of Suburban, Expedition XL.

So the big deal is 3rd row room. Right now, my 12/10yos don't have a problem at all. My 6yo twins can go back there if needed. For Camping trips, we take 2 cars when it's all 6 of us, as the girls are only good for a night or two anyway. For beach trips, my in-laws, and my bro-in-law each drive so we can boot a kid to one of their vehicles if needed.

 

[UltraFJ40]

i traded my large family in for a 2007 LX470 - soooo much quieter

I did something similar, traded my Caucasian family for Asians.

Not any quieter but there is more room.

 

[pman]

I did something similar, traded my Caucasian family for Asians.

Not any quieter but there is more room.

Thats hilarious!!


I think you would be better off fixing up your current Sequoia, or getting a newer one either 1st gen or 2nd gen, depending on the budget.

 

[UltraFJ40]

Thanks pman,

I would tend to agree with you as well. I've had my 100 since new and my kids (not the white one, she's 22) are the only ones that'll ride back there. They're 4 and 10 and I'd imagine that the 10 y/o girl won't be climbing back there much longer.

 

[patrickfinley]

A lot of SUV manufacturers put 3rd row seats into their vehicles without regard to how safe the 3rd row was. It just had to be there because other manufacturers had them there, it became a race. The 3rd row is probably the least safe area in your vehicle.

So....Look for a newer car with 3rd row side curtain airbags if you will frequently have people back there. Both the 2008 and newer LC200 and Sequoia have addressed safety concerns in the 3rd row. They added 3rd row RSCA and stronger seats (Probably why the seats in the LC200 aren't removable). Apparently the A pillars are also stronger in the event of a roll over. The Sequoia is going to have more room between the back of the 3rd row and the rear bumper in the event of a rear end collision. The LC100 series 3rd row seats are fairly close to the rear bumper of the car.

This is a little outdated but is excellent information on 06/07 SUV's and 3rd row safety (LC not included).

Car-Safety.Org - Safest Family Minivans and SUVs with Third Row Seating

 

[LCHardriver_02]

Ok, so I thought I would post up, given I meet the criteria - 4 kids and own a 100. We bought our 100 right after my in-laws bought their Sequoia and were really in the market for the Sequoia, given our family size. We ended up with the LC because we found it used for cheaper than a new Sequoia. My personal opinion is that it depends on your kids ages and what you will be using the vehicle for.

In our family, we have two boys (teens) and two girls (preteens). Now, at most we carry 5, because the boys have their own lives. Most of the time, we just have the girls with us, with the boys opting to either stay home or drive separately. Because of this, we have moved away from using the third row on every trip. We still have them installed because if we go out to dinner, all 6 ride and our youngest rides in the back, with our oldest daughter typically wanting to sit in the middle of the second row.

The third row is definitely made for smaller kids. I rode back there once, when my mother in law wanted to ride in the truck with my wife driving. Not comfortable.

There are definite aspects that you will miss from your Sequoia, but overall, given how my Cruiser has held up compared to my in laws Sequoia, I would not trade the LC. Now, I am not comparing my 02 to the 10 or 11 Sequoia, but to an 03. Different vehicles.

Good luck,

Jonathan