Considering a 200 Series - Some Questions (1 Viewer)

[NickInTheValley]

I'm considering a 200 series (LC or LX) for my family of five. I have a tall 10 year old, a six year old in a booster, and a 1 year old in a car seat. All my kids are trending tall (I'm 6'2") so my primary concern is making sure they have enough room to be comfortable. I really don't want to buy a Suburban just for leg room. No we don't want a minivan. Had one before. I get the practicalities of it having owned one but it's not something we want. My wife has an accord which works well when I'm not with her, but with all three kids in the back it's getting tight for my son.

Questions: I think I can fit all three kids in a 200 series easily. I even think it wouldn't be bad to go three across in the second row. Is that a fair statement?

Also... how much room do you have practically when you fold down all the seats for hauling things? IE.. I can read the cargo room stat, but what does that look like in length? How many feet from back of first row seats to tailgate? Can I haul a bookcase? etc.

That's it so far... thank you! Love lurking here.

 

[18Cruiser]

Questions: I think I can fit all three kids in a 200 series easily. I even think it wouldn't be bad to go three across in the second row. Is that a fair statement?
I have three kids albeit older, currently 21, 18 and 14, a wife and two Labradors and a little mutt dog. Out to dinner as a family no problem for kids in the second row. Family vacations, they argue for the third row because whichever one has it gets it for him or herself usually with the lab in my picture, other kids in the second row with other dogs.

Also... how much room do you have practically when you fold down all the seats for hauling things?
Pretty good room but its not a Excursion, Expedition Max or suburban. If you are looking for something to haul stuff in on a regular basis there are other choices.

IE.. I can read the cargo room stat, but what does that look like in length? How many feet from back of first row seats to tailgate?
I am 5'9" and can sleep in it back but I am at an angle.

Can I haul a bookcase?
Depends on the bookcase.

 

[04UZJ100]

I grew up riding around in a 99 and 04 100 series with my sister and brother. I was over 6’, dad over 6’ average sized sister and younger brother. I took front seat often and relinquished mom to back.

Car has enough space but it is not a big car by any means.

 

[Climbingnut]

I can fit three car seats/baby seat/boosters in the 2nd row just fine. I tend to find those have a larger footprint than most teens/adults. As for leg/foot space, the middle seat will have the least. Just have your tall son sit behind the shorter occupant, which sounds like it may be your wife. We recently had a 4th child and will be splitting the kids between the second and third rows. I can see the roof rack getting a lot more use!

 

[FerrisBueller]

I have a 12, 9, and 5-year-old. The 5yo is in a booster seat. Our 2018 LC works well for this, but I didn't seriously consider going to the LC until we were down to only 1 booster seat.

I think the toughest part you will have with both a carseat and a booster seat is that those two must go on the sides of the 2nd row, unless you find some really narrow ones that can all fit side-by-side (like @Climbingnut must have). If you put a normal carseat or booster in the armrest-middle-seat, then there's a good chance it will cover up the seatbelt latch for at least one of the other seats (maybe both) and can be a pain. Either way, this makes it difficult for anyone to get into the back row without taking the carseat or booster seat out every time (e.g., if you have the 10yo sit in the 3rd row).

I don't think the armrest-middle-seat in the 2nd row will be too bad for a tall 10-year-old, but he'll be climbing over the carseat or booster seat (which will be even harder if you have screens on the back of the front seats like I do).

As for storage...

I previously had a 2003 Sequoia that our LC replaced. I sometimes used the Sequoia to haul random stuff for home repairs / updates / etc. I could even get 12-foot lumber to fit if I reclined the front passenger seat back and had the lumber go from footwell to back hatch. I definitely won't be able to do that in the LC, but that's not a big deal to me, I can always borrow a friend's truck or rent a trailer if I need to. The smaller amount of storage space is a huge impact for taking our family of 5 camping. Getting a rooftop storage box worked around that problem for us.

 

[bencallaway]

I say Sequoia

 

[coleAK]

Will you need/use the off road capacity? If not my vote for Sequoia (or suburban, navigator,...) as well. I have 2 kids (early teens), three teens fit ok in the mid row but wouldn’t want to do it every day. Pretty much no storage when the 3rd row is in use.

 

[stonepa]

If 3 geared up security forces can fit in the second row of an LC, your kids will fit just fine.

 

[NickInTheValley]

We will use the off road capability. This is not a full time kid hauler, usually my wife has everyone just fine in her 2018 Accord. This would be my primary vehicle and the vehicle we use when everyone is together. I hate reliability issues so that's another reason I'd shy away from the Suburban or Expedition.

I also have to confess that I just really want a Land Cruiser that I can own for 10+ years.

 

[LCtoLX]

You will not be disappointed. One of my sons is driving our 2003 LC. It was my DD for almost 14 years (bought it in 2006).

 

[Artie]

Will you need/use the off road capacity? If not my vote for Sequoia (or suburban, navigator,...) as well. I have 2 kids (early teens), three teens fit ok in the mid row but wouldn’t want to do it every day. Pretty much no storage when the 3rd row is in use.

We went with the latest gen Navigator over the LC in 2018 and it’s been great. However, we are now looking at adding a LC for our off-road hobbies. Navigator does ok off pavement as long as you stay fairly tame but everywhere else it shines.

 

[bencallaway]

We went with the latest gen Navigator over the LC in 2018 and it’s been great. However, we are now looking at adding a LC for our off-road hobbies. Navigator does ok off pavement as long as you stay fairly tame but everywhere else it shines.

Check back in 2 or 3 years and let us know how its holding up!

 

[afgman786]

I don't think you'll have a problem with 3 kids in the back at all.. especially since the seats slide forward/backward you can get a good amount of leg room
If you fold both 2nd and 3rd row flat you get almost 6' to the back of front seats, compared to tumbling the 2nd row and losing those inches from the bulk of the seats.

 

[NickInTheValley]

I don't think you'll have a problem with 3 kids in the back at all.. especially since the seats slide forward/backward you can get a good amount of leg room
If you fold both 2nd and 3rd row flat you get almost 6' to the back of front seats, compared to tumbling the 2nd row and losing those inches from the bulk of the seats.

Is it possible to haul anything with the tailgate down? This is really niche, but my wife wants to be able to haul things home from the auction house if she happens to get something. Rarely would they be bigger than 6 feet, but she was keen on a Suburban for hauling capability, both kids and random stuff. Seeing as it's going to be my vehicle I am not keen on a Suburban. Heck.. I could get a trailer if I needed to.

 

[Artie]

Check back in 2 or 3 years and let us know how its holding up!

Yeah yeah yeah.... like I said, we’re still pining for a LC so there’s that. The F150’s run the 3.5 and seem to do well long term but long term for a Ford is just broke in for a Toyota. Realistically, we bought the Navigator with 10-15 years use at 200k mileage, we are 2 years and 30k in without issues, I’ll keep you posted.

 

[coleAK]

We will use the off road capability. This is not a full time kid hauler, usually my wife has everyone just fine in her 2018 Accord. This would be my primary vehicle and the vehicle we use when everyone is together. I hate reliability issues so that's another reason I'd shy away from the Suburban or Expedition.

I also have to confess that I just really want a Land Cruiser that I can own for 10+ years.

Then why ask us? Sounds like you want a Cruiser.

 

[NickInTheValley]

Then why ask us? Sounds like you want a Cruiser.

I do. But I'm a family guy. If those things I asked wouldn't work at all I'd swallow my desires and buy a Suburban or Expedition or something.

 

[afgman786]

Is it possible to haul anything with the tailgate down? This is really niche, but my wife wants to be able to haul things home from the auction house if she happens to get something. Rarely would they be bigger than 6 feet, but she was keen on a Suburban for hauling capability, both kids and random stuff. Seeing as it's going to be my vehicle I am not keen on a Suburban. Heck.. I could get a trailer if I needed to.

Where there is a will there is a way... I've hauled many items larger than 6' long in the 200. The other week my dad actually used it to haul 16' boards of lumber
So yea it's pretty easy to haul with the tailgate down.

 

[coleAK]

I do. But I'm a family guy. If those things I asked wouldn't work at all I'd swallow my desires and buy a Suburban or Expedition or something.

So yes then while it may not be the “best” option to haul your family or will work

 

[beardieswolls]

I'm 6'2 and I fit in the back plenty of leg room.