Your 100's as family vehicles

[BBQ BOY]

Just curious how many of you use your 100 to carry a family. How hard is Otto fold down the 2nd row to allow a child to get into je 3rd seat.
Any dislikes about it as a family vehicle?

 

[hoser]

It's a great family vehicle... but not if you are comparing it to a minivan! The 2nd row folds down easily on the passenger side. It's a two step process. Pull lever for the seat back to come forward/down and then another lever to pivot the seat bottom forward.

 

[FullyLitLED]

I dont use mine as a family vehicle but I've driven my family around in my 100. It works out well, all the kids stay in the 3rd row. My dad has a 100 and when we travel I sit in the third row so I can lie down sideways on the third row seat. real good family car!

 

[NMuzj100]

I've dragged my family through the Canadian Rockies towing a pop-up camper, offroad in MOAB, through a blizzard in Vail pass and all over the New Mexico and Colorado hinterlands in the 100 and never been unhappy with it. Drove straight through from Yellowstone to Colorado Springs at night in one sitting and wasn't sore just tired.

It also works as the other half's daily driver in town delivering kids and going to work. She never asks for the Camry.

Loading it isn't as easy as a minivan and fuel economy isn't as good as a sedan. But it is always a joy to drive and my wife likes to drive it as much as I do. Quiet with a high seating position.

Access to the third row is easy for kids old enough to climb in the door and the third row seats are fine for anyone smallish (younger than teenage). The seats fold easy but some climbing is required so a car seat in the third row is a bit of work. Boosters where the kid can do their own belts are fine.

The tailgate is the best picnic table/outdoor buffet stand I've ever used and a great changing table although preferably not at the same time.

The leather cleans easy and holds up great. But I just ordered a Endura cover for the second row and Weathertech mats to protect the carpet.

When you remove the third row and fold the second forward their is a surprising amount of room for furniture and "stuff". Pretty sure I've had 4x8ft drywall back there and moved lots of 10' PVC. With the third row out I can fit the double jogging stroller and a bicycle without any hassle.

Carried three 18' Christmas trees and full load of people, sleds and snow gear down from the mountains.

This truck has been extremely dependable and never stranded us anywhere with minimal maintenance.

 

[wareagle]

Ours is a family vehicle. My wife hauls 3 boys (6,8,10) daily. Info above is dead on.

 

[re_guderian]

Agree with everything above. We traded the minivan and 80 for the 100, knowing the advantages and compromises. It's the wife's DD for carpool for our 2 kids and the 2 neighbor kids, family hauler + dog, cargo hauler, Boy Scout camping tranpo, and family fun machine. Agree compared to minivan it's slightly less space, less MPG, but more dependable, and offers access to off-road/dirt road places you wouldn't want to take the van. For now, it was a trade-off we were willing to make.

 

[scottm]

Awesome DD for the wife, awesome with seven occupants on 4-hour drives up north. A big Sears cargo box on the roof makes it more than big enough for seven. That's one in a car seat, and the rest of us adults.

With the center seats folded, the rear seat is like a limo!

Cargo capacity is ok, I think I measured 70" from rear hatch to front seats. Same on my 4Runner, and probably the same on most wagons. This mower fits in the back with the hatch closed:

 

[Zane]

Hoser is correct, you cant compare it to a minivan. We have a Honda Odyssey for our primary family car, and 2 years ago I wouldn't be caught dead saying this, but I cant imagine not owning a minivan with 3+ kids. The great thing about the LandCruiser is that I am able to fit 3 full size car seats across the middle row. We have a 4 year old and a 5 year old still in full size boosters and a 1 year old in the BIG 5 point seat and they all fit nicely across the middle row. Believe it or not, that is VERY hard to find in cars these days as they get smaller and smaller. No need to use the 3rd row seating if you ask me unless you have 4+ kids.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Wife uses ours as DD with 3 kids, 3 car seats across the middle row. When they get bigger, one will move to a single seat of the 3rd row. Only hitch is the lift, it's a leap in and out, but the step sliders do help.

 

[ginericLC]

I've actually been running just one side of my 3rd row seat. This works well. Our older son loads from the tailgate. It works great as our dog hops in right beside him.

 

[LCWannabe]

Surprise!! Another Mudder who loves the Hundy as a family vehicle. We have three girls who all sit in the second row, which leaves the rear for our stuff (we seem to need a LOT of "stuff" wherever we go). Compared to a minivan, the mileage sucks and the cargo room does too if you use the third row for seating, but if you're just using the first two rows, then the Hundy has plenty of cargo room. The tailgate IS handy for may different things- picnic table, bar, work bench, seat, etc. The Hundy is stout, dependable, and just "feels' safe and secure. I wish it got twice the mileage (with lift, 285s, etc), but you can't have everything.

 

[farinvail]

I thought having a family was a prerequisite to owning a 100? The 3rd row is nice when Grandma is in town and we're looking after cousins. 2 kids and an adult fit comfortably in the second row. When we add the 3'rd my boy climbs in through the back tailgate and jumps over the seat. It must be a 5year old thing.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Oh, if only the 3rd row faced backwards, then it would be the bomb for kids.

 

[BManning`]

No young'ens, but the 100 is tailor made for the long road trips the wife & I take with our 2 large dogs (hey, they're family!).

With 3rd row in, I usually take a minute to unbolt the 2nd row passenger side single seat & leave it home; each dog has its own seat to stretch out on and they can pass from 3rd row to 2nd with ease.

Aside from the aforementioned minivans, can't imagine too many vehicles working out better for people (& canine) transport...and you aren't taking a minivan on Broken Arrow!

It's what sets the 100 apart-- it does a lot of things, all very, very well.

 

[re_guderian]

...Only hitch is the lift, it's a leap in and out, but the step sliders do help.

One of the girls we drive to carpool is SOOOO short and tiny, when she gets out, it's like she's bailing out over Normandy... I need to install the static line and some green/red lights...

 

[tommy854runner]

That is good to hear about the car seats fitting across the 2nd row. I have a 16 month old and a 4month old both in the big car seats. I noticed in the 2nd row on the 02 model I looked at had child seat tethers on the drivers side rear and the middle row seat but not the pass side of the 2nd row which I thought was pretty weird. It looked like two car seats would fit side by side but would be a tight fit. This would be nice to leave access to the 3rd row still, and in my case and have a pass seat still open in the 2nd row. Is anyone else out there putting two fullsize car seats side by side like that?

 

[jonharis]

We just purchased our 2005 for the specific reason of using it as a family vehicle. I drove a Jeep Wrangler which would have been a nightmare with kids. My wife is expecting twins ! We also have a Golden Retriever. The back seat seems easy to get into and it's verry easy to fold to get in to the third row. We will probably leave the third row stowed or completely removed with a set of the Weathertech digifit mats for the whole vehicle. We also have a large Yakima skybox. I think with 2 kids, 2 adults, dog, and lots of camping gear, we will still have plenty of room.

 

[Letsgomoreplaces]

family hauler

Great family haulers. Mine has been taken over by my wife and has 2 carseats at all times. I even had to remove the drawer storage to put 3rd row back in. My wife loves to drive it, even though she's 5'3" the height is ok with her even with 35" tires. She feels safe with the sliders and bumpers, and the mass of the cruiser. Though she does say her right foot gets sore from flooring it up the mountain on the way home.

 

[1loudLX]

I thought having a family was a prerequisite to owning a 100? The 3rd row is nice when Grandma is in town and we're looking after cousins. 2 kids and an adult fit comfortably in the second row. When we add the 3'rd my boy climbs in through the back tailgate and jumps over the seat. It must be a 5year old thing.

I'm single, so it does haul my family daily!

Mine was the family hauler originally, My mother and me. Now its a Me hauler.

 

[BBQ BOY]

This is exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks guys. This vehicle will be for me I think. Hahahaha. I drive a Prius now and I can barely fit 2 car sears in it now. My wife drives a Suburban where the 2 nd row has captains chairs. Whe had a Odyssey and it was breat for a family but we feel mor safe in the sub.