rear seat width and access question

[semlin]

OK, I am suddenly interested in the FJ as we unfortunately wrote off our forester on the weekend and my wife is interested in an FJ to replace it. however, this is a longshot as I need to persuade her to wait around with no car for a month based on photos seen on the web to pull it off.

For those who have sat in it, is the rear seat wide enough for three kids, and how is the access to the rear for such things as doing up a kid's seatbelt in a booster seat?

 

[John Smith]

Unless you slide the front seat forward even with the back wing door open it is not super easy to get in and out for an adult. Are your three in baby seats? I can't imagine how you can get three kids to sit next to each other for longer than one minute. You must have angels.

I would not put 3 adults in the back seat for any amount of time but I would imagine 3 kids should "fit" fine.

If you are anywhere near a car show you should go and check out one of the prototypes they are displaying around the country. I was able to climb into the back seat without sliding the driver seat forward but I am thin and agile. The interior and exterior specs were posted by Beno in a thread in this section. Check them out.

 

[semlin]

thanks, the auto show is the end of March here so not much use I'm afraid.

we have two kids, 5 and 8, and only one in a booster, but the wife wants to be able to put a third kid/friend in the middle when needed. I am thinking now it must be roughly the same width as a 4runner so maybe we'll go look at one.

 

[G-Cat]

I'm is a similar boat. I need to be able to fit 3 car seats/booster accross the rear. I can do this in my parents '98 Runner and, of course, in our 80-Series.

If it can be done, even tightly...that price for a 0-mile warranteed vehicle might prove too good to pass up.

 

[Granger]

Car seats can be a bit of a chore but if you are only dealing with forward facing and/or booster seats it shouldn't be a problem at all. The rear facing seats make for interesting loading and unloading.

Another thing to consider is where the front passenger seat belts are situated. They more or less block the back seats when they are engaged and if you have little ones that could fit out of the access doors without moving the seat you will still have to unhook your seatbelt first. Not a big deal, but not as easy as a 4 Runner.

Hope that makes sense

-Granger

 

[John Smith]

I took this shot at the DC Auto show. Hopefully this gives you a better idea. Note this model is a prototype FJ Cruiser and not a production model.

 

[firetruck41]

The rear facing carseat was a bitch in our Element with the same door/seating arrangement (hence we now own a 100 series). I think forward facing seats would be fairly easy to deal with, and the baby carrier setup was also fine to use. Can't comment on width as the Element only seated 2 (very comfortably I might add).

 

[G-Cat]

as the Element only seated 2 (very comfortably I might add).

I work with a guy, former University of Miami football player (played with Jim Kelly) who is 6'4" 285 with shoulders as wide as the house.

He bought an Element for the head/shoulder room...he LOVES it...we like seeing him pull up ala Circus Bear getting out of a clown car!

Sorry for the chat...