Considering a 01-04 double cab. Thoughts?

so I got married about 2 months ago and my wife and I are talking about having kids. I currently have a 2000 xtra cab that’s got a lot of work into it, and a 94 xtra cab 2wd pickup. The 94 was my first car, so it’s gonna stay. So my only option is to consider replacing my Tacoma. I’m thinking of getting an 01-04 double cab, mainly cause I could swap 90% of my upgrades from my 2000 to the new truck. I know how capable and reliable these trucks are, but I’m concerned about space. How well do carseats fit in them? Keep in mind I’m 6’2 and my wife is 5’10.

 

I wouldn’t buy a first gen to start a family. A second or a third gen are much better trucks space wise and comfort wise.

 

Being that tall and the price of 1st gen double cabs I’d get a second gen.

 

All gens suck for a car seat. 4runner is a little better

 

I’ll be honest, I thought about it. The wife has a 02 4Runner, kinda seems redundant to have 2 4runners

 

Car seats and kids fit but the is no space for anything else in the cab, you need a camper shell. I have 2 kids, one in a car seat and it's doable but not ideal, 2nd gen are better but not much. I would say SUV all the way. What does your old lady drive? Edit: Never mind you beat me to the punch. Highlander, sequoia or 4dr tundra if you need a truck. You will find you need maximum space with kids, new car seats are huge, add stroller, and a bag. If you plan on any travel bigger is better

 

I've had mine for 14 years. My youngest son was 4 when I bought the truck.


This is my youngest (of 3) son (and a daughter) now... We always seemed to make it work.

We always had 2 vehicles though, if we all needed to go someplace, the 6 of us weren't gonna fit in the taco.

 

I'm 6'5''. Love the 1st gen. Back seats are very tight; its a mini truck

 

Wife drives a 2002 4Runner sport. Kinda want to stick with something with a 3.4 so I can swap my supercharger, and she won’t let me put it on her 4Runner

 

Oh heck no... A DC and a T4R would be perfect. I tried to talk my wife in to buying a T4R last year. But she's a Chevy girl at heart.

This is what she wanted, so that's what she got.

 

They did make a few ex cab 4x4 first gen tundra with a 3.4. Alot of the 1st gen taco stuff will swap

 

Good idea. They’re relatively big, and they’re damn cheap compared to Tacomas.

 

That’s kinda what my thought was. Maybe I’ll take my nephew’s car seat with me when I start looking, see how it fits

 

I've got two kids. I've had my 2004 DC since before my kids were born, and at 7 and 9, they still fit in it just fine. We've put 10's of thousands of miles worth of road tripping in that thing, and we never felt cramped. We're not especially tall, I'm 5'9" and wife is 5'1". Kids are, well, mini humans.

If you and the wife are both (W)NBA players, maybe look for a 2nd/3rd gen, or a Tundra.

I'm not going to lie, my new 4Runner is MUCH more spacious and quieter. But with all that "extra" room, we just end up packing more shit in there. My dad has a Sequoia, and that thing is just laughably huge inside. It's like driving a small building.

The covered rear end of the 4runner is nice to keep gear out of the elements, but if I were to pick one, it'd be the pickup. I just wish it were smaller, though.

 

Yikes, it's not like the 3.4 is a powerhouse in the Tacoma, I can't imagine what it'd be like in a bigger heavier truck. There's a reason they only did that for a couple years. If you get a Tundra, for god's sake get one with an I-Force V8.

 

We’re a family of four. Our car seats went into an old Saturn SL2 back when. I’m 6’4”. (Or was...). Our eldest is 6’1” at 14. It can fit people no problem.

The main caveat is the space for all the bits and pieces you may carry. Diaper bags, etc. four people in a DC is pretty much it. Even some CD’s and a bag of snacks can make things pretty crowded.

 

DC and car seats is doable, but it is cramped. Works best with a camper shell, from my perspective. Bed and shell gives you the option to haul all kinds of dirty/smelly stuff. Best option for the cap is to have flip up windows on the sides, gives you access to the entirety of the bed.

 

look into 4x4 tundra, double cab

 

You could make a Tacoma work if you were dead set, but the small door openings in the back would make the car seat years a real pain. After that and up past 10 years old would be no problem. A double cab 03-06 tundra would be my choice for the practicality of it, but paired with a 4runner you could definitely get away with the Tacoma, pretty easily.

 

I like my DC a ton, I don't have kids but me and my girl both have two dogs. Not the same I know but the truck works. I also rock a hard cover on the bed, so it's essentially a big lockable trunk. And it gets stuffed when camping lol, but I love the size of the truck and wouldn't give it up for a newer tacoma. But we are also short and so there's a lot of room behind the front seats on the floor for items.

Your problem is your height, I think it would be doable if you plan on just one kid, car seat in middle of back seat kinda thing. Otherwise it's gonna be very cramped for you in order to fit multiple car seats back there.

Also, I really like the 1st gen AC tundras, and one day would love to have one. But from the ones I've looked at in person it seems like the back seat has WAY less leg room then my truck does. Width wise there's more which works for my dog but not car seats. Just a thought to keep in mind. I've also noticed prices for tacoma DC's going down in general. Not all of them, but some. But harder to find em with lower miles, although that's another topic lol