Family Planning - Upgrade to 3rd Gen?

My wife drives a 4runner with our 2 kids, and I have a DCLB 3rd gen. 4Runner all day long. The car seats we have do not fit very well in the tacoma, its doable but very tight for everyone.

 

My parents will be buried in that 4Runner, lol.

All good points everyone makes. Sounds like the general verdict is:

Tacoma will work, but not ideal as it would be a tight fit and a little uncomfortable. Still maintain usefulness of a truck which is important. We are home owners, so trips to Home Depot/Lowe's are frequent and it is nice to throw stuff back there without much thought. Again, mostly me being lazy and i'm also OCD with my cars so the thought of dirtying up the inside of an SUV makes my skin crawl. I am already mentally planning for the amount of messes kids will make and will just have to be on top of it.

4Runner is more ideal for comfort and accomplishes basically everything the Tacoma does. Confirmed more family friendly.

Also will note, my wife works outside sales so her car really can't be used for a kid hauler as she has to give clients rides, etc. and doesn't want nor can't really have car seats in it.

I'll go in to a dealer with a car seat and test some out. I'm surprised by the 4Runner suggestion, I sat in one newer generation 4Runner for an Uber ride (only time i've ever been in a new 4Runner) and i actually thought it was pretty small in the back seat as well.

 

Amazon has portable vacuums for cars, and we have a trash bin in the back that attaches to the center console. It helps, a lot! Kids in cars doesn't necessarily mean the car has to be gross. ETA they make car-friendly toy boxes also.

 

If the 4runners are too expensive, Why not toy around with a Lexus GX(Land Cruiser Prado)? Those things are stupid cheap and have essentially the same frame/engine/suspension as a 4runner but alot more spacious. You have a thrid row if you want or you can yank them out. 04-09 GX470s are on craigslist for 6-15k all day long

 

100% agree with him. The infant car seat barely fits on my dbl cab. I have to pull the passenger seat forward. Buy 4runner or a full size truck.

 

I was in your shoes and skipped on the Tacoma due to the age of my kids, and I don't regret it. Having the secure back space for all the crap kids need (at there is a lot) has made the 4R a good choice. Now that I don't have rear facing kids anymore, and am now the need for strollers, I will pick up a Taco in a couple years when I turn my Land Cruiser into an expedition rig. It will be nice to have a bed throw bikes and kayaks in (although my racks work fine too). Not sure if it is every model, but my Limited 4R allows the rear seat to move forward and backwards. It isn't super roomy by any means, but has a decent back seat. A highlander is much roomier with more creature comforts, but it won't work for me based on the way we use our rigs. If I didn't go off-road, the Highlander would make a lot of sense. Another thing to note is we have done a ton of work on our house, and have been able to get most things in the 4R. And with the rear window rolling fully down, getting long boards is a piece of cake. We did rent a Home depot truck once for a large load of wood chips, and it only cost about $30 for the time we needed it.

It just didn't make sense with kids (I liked the way the 4Runner drove and shifted much more, and having driven the similar and felt like it had better finish, even though the Tacoma is more updated tech wise). Keep in mind that you can get safety sense on a new Tacoma but not a 4Runner (wasn't an option when I looked a couple years ago).

Not sure what your parking situation or other needs are, but I'd recommend checking out a Tundra too. We loved ours (just couldn't fit it in my work parking garage in Portland due to very low ceilings). The Crewmax has a huge back seat.

Once you go in and test fit you'll get an idea what will work for you.

The other thing to keep in mind is the Tacoma has insane resale, even better than the T4r.

And as I said previously, there are a few brands of car seats that are not quite as bulky, which a Google search will show you. No matter which way you go, a smaller seat will be a good idea as neither the 4R or Tacoma have a lot of rear leg room.

 

I'm 6'2'' and my wife is 5'10''. The only way we can get my son's rear facing seat to fit is to push the passenger seat all the way forward with my wife crammed in behind me. When we do a longer road trip we just take her Lexus RX. If we had a second kid I would have buy a Tundra because I need my seat all the way back in order to safely drive the vehicle.

 

Before you go shopping, re-read posts 21 and 31.

And at least try a couple out. If you take the time to examine their flexibility (especially considering a hitch/small trailer for the HD runs) you may be shocked.

 

I saw this and tried not to comment, but . . .

Have you thought about just hanging on to the ACLB? My thought is that we lived through our first daughter with a saab convertible and a PoS Dodge Stratus. The rear facing seat in the saab was doable, but uncomfortable. Ours were only in it for a short time. A forward facing seat fits nicely in the back of the AC when I took a friends' kid to the airport.

Once they are forward facing and even better, when in a booster, you might be missing what you had?

 

Not sure if you already saw this thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/child-car-seats-thread.585030/

I know you said it isn't, but if you have the option to, I would seriously consider keeping your Access cab to keep around as a beater truck and then get another vehicle for your family hauler.

But if you can only have one vehicle, like myself, I think a crew cab/double cabs are okay. The thing I say about the short bed crew cabs is that they're not great at either hauling things or people. Due to the short bed and cramped rear seat room. But they're the only vehicle that lets you do both at the same time.

Looking at new vehicles this time around, I considered all sorts of options. Especially with my cargo hauling days most likely over by now. But decided didn't want to give up the features that owning a pickup truck provides.

I didn't have to deal with rear facing seats in a Tacoma though. As others mentioned it's kind of tight back there but should be doable with one rear facing seat. I don't see it working with two but like I said I don't have experience with the Tacoma.

btw, if you get a crew cab long bed, it hauls things well but then you have to deal with the extra length of it which causes issues too. ie if you're navigating tight places, searching through places with limited parking spaces, etc. Which are the kinds of places we'd often encounter when doing family things. ie shopping malls, school parking lots, tourist attactions, etc. That's why for me an ideal situation would be a beater access/king cab truck and another car. With your 2014 and being the only owner, I'd seriously consider it if I was in your situation. Or at least hold onto it, until you know you really need to get a family hauler for yourself. And maybe there will be better options out there by then or you'd be in a situation where keeping it as an extra vehicle is an option.

 

It sucks for car seats. Yeah it will fit but the person sitting in the front seat will suffer because they will need the seat scooted way up. Ask me how I know. Wife has a 5th gen 4 runner. Plenty of room! It's actually a way better vehicle than the Tacoma.

Don't knock one until you have at least test drove one.

I'm guessing you have 1 or two more years left paying on the truck? Keep it! its almost paid for. Then get the SUV and live magically ever after.

 

I have an 8 year old in a booster seat and a baby due next week! After fitting the rear facing infant seat behind the front passenger seat, there’s hardly any room left for my wife to sit up front. Her knees are literally touching the dash. It’s just too tight of a squeeze for my liking. I’m debating whether to get rid of the Tacoma and into an SUV with more backseat space and a covered cargo area for strollers, groceries, etc. Babies take up so much space, but it’s worth it!

 

I have 2 kids and thankfully only one needs a front facing car seat. I have it in the middle and my wife sits back there with the kids. It works but definitely tight. I only want a truck and test drive the tundra today. Sat in the back and man, it’s night and day so I’m now stuck contemplating.

I think it comes down to how long you plan on keeping the truck. I think it will work for you for now but as your family or kid grows, you might upgrade to SUV or full size truck.

 

I remember sitting in a Tundra when I purchased my Tacoma, it felt like a living room!

 

Yes. I was VERY impressed. Never knew how much room there is!

 

The car will be fine for shorter trips and as a daily runner. It’s a truck, not a luxury sedan. I enjoy it and so does the family. Tacoma and tundra are two entirely different beasts. Price points, fuel efficiency, and length. I would think the tundra would be great for long trips but cumbersome for everyday errands. If your daily commute is under 30min with kids, I would so consider tundra.

Some of the American midsize trucks have larger backseats. But Tacoma’s are simply better looking.

 

3rd gen. I have two boys 10 months and 3 years. Car seats fit fine with no issues.

 

I had a 2010 Tacoma DCSB when my wife had twins. I placed one baby seat in the middle and one on a side in the back. I was able to fit a small adult on the other side. So I could take the twins, my wife, and my mom. Or I could be a passenger in the back with the twins with my wife and nanny up front.

The twins are now seven and I now have a three year old. I have a 2018 Tacoma DCSB and the three kids ride in the back with the three year old in the back middle.

A camper shell is extremely useful when you have infants. You have to haul a considerable amount of stuff when you travel.

Something to consider is your expenses are going to go way up. Much, much more than what you might be initially anticipating. Also your wife may very well desire to stay at home. My wife was working on her doctorate and teaching at a university at the time. She took a year off then went back to finish her doctorate. We hired a nanny (expensive) to help my happy ass while she was in class and teaching class. The second she got her doctorate she became a full time stay at home mom.

I ended up getting the wife a minivan.

 

Two car seats for fine. My advice is to not take on a car payment. Kids are super expensive. Especially daycare.

 

Funny, I'm with you on the SUV front. Never wanted one. Modern mini-vans are absolutely the best family vehicles hands down, no question, no debate. The 4wd Sienna is just perfection.

Image? Well, that's a personal problem. I'm a big ass meaty bastard. When ya look like me, you can wear a pink shirt, drive a mini-van, and write poetry. They're not strong enough to take the man card outta these meat hooks.