Baby be coming...all we need is a truck.

@hiPSI Thanks for your reply, it's always good to get multiple perspectives. Just curious but how big was your family? Height...size... I wonder if a smaller sized person might do ok. Also, I'm very curious about your 3rd point. What are some of these things you noticed that needs to be secured that a tacoma couldn't do?

Hope you aren't offended by any of the questions, it's more a curiosity than a argument. Thanks!

 

The only thing I agree with is #4. I would suggest a tonneau or cap with or without kids.

But then, I had the truck long before I had my kid. We adapted with the truck and the only thing that I changed was to have my wife get a Venza instead of the Chevy Tracker that she was driving. It was a piece of shit and I didn't want our only son in that death trap.

 

i bought a brand new taco shortly after my baby was born. needless to say, an infant seat fits pretty snug in the back of a dub cab. space is pretty tight all around, but its still very manageable. i didnt buy the taco because its a shining beacon of family hauling, but more because its toyotas jack-of-all-trades. if i need first class comfort i have the sequoia. now thats toyotas ultimate family hauler imo. in your title, you stated all you need is a truck (with the ability to haul an infant/family.) if thats the case im guessing you already have another vehicle. the taco is a great complimentary vehicle and will look good in your stable.

 

If you need a truck and are having kids you should get a 1/2 ton or bigger.

When my children first came along we had a Camry. Getting carseat carriers in and out of a 4 door Camry wasn't fun. So we later got a Toyota Sienna. Night... and... day.

After we got divorced I sold the Camry off and got a Tacoma double cab. By then my kids weren't in carriers anymore but all needed carseats or boosters. It...was...tight.

There are lots of days I wish I had a Crew Cab 1/2 ton. The kids are pretty cramped in my Tacoma and I'm down to a single booster seat these days. My oldest (12) rides up front with me these days because she's the size of many adult women. We're not a big family. I'm 5'6" and I'm the tallest.

Rear facing child seats (which infants require) suck in a Tacoma.

 

As many others have stated you clearly need an F150 crew cab man...

 

Better invest in some good changing pads. There will be lots of poop and you will be changing the kid in public.

 

I have 2 kids and a 3rd on the way. I also have a second gen DCSB.

Chicco KeyFit 30 is what we have used for the children when they were infants. It's really a great carrier with lots of other options. We have the stroller that it just clicks into and you are ready to roll (or stroll). Both kids have graduated from that are are in carseats. One rear facing and the other front facing. I like the Graco All-In-One seats that adapt from infant to booster. They are durable and comfortable for the kids.

Currently one is rear facing and the other is front facing. I am able to fit a "medium" sized duffel bag in between the carseats. It's tight enough though that my daughter (the older of the 2) is unable to pull it up and out from between the seats.

I recently added a camper top. My wife was adamantly opposed, but I do like the convenience of it. I can put the fridge and the double stroller back there and not worry about either getting wet or walking off.

We traded the 4Runner for a Honda Odyssey when we found out #3 was on the way. Neither of us wanted to, but it made the most financial sense. We both hate it and are already looking at Sequoias. Take that for what it's worth, which probably isn't much.

Keep an eye out for the small Cabela's bag that goes on sale on occasion for about $10. I have the camo version and I call it my "Daddy Diaper Bag." It stays on the floor behind the driver seat and has several spare diapers, a change of clothes for each kid, crayons/toys for when we go out (a lot of places don't offer things for kids to color on or have crayons), a knife (no reason other than it fits and why not), baby wipes, hand sanitizer, odor control bags (for dirty clothes so the car don't smell like sh!), and sanitizing wipes. There is plenty of room for a spare clip and hand gun if needed. I've never carried it with me outside of the truck, but it is good to have it all together. It's also convenient to have it in the bag for when you need to take it inside (for use if you are out somewhere or not at home, or if you are home and need to restock).

As others have said, it is cramped and there is very little room inside the cab with both car seats. I would highly encourage you to look at Tundras as an alternative.

FWIW, I'm 5'9" and my wife is 5'6". With the carseat behind the driver being rear facing, I have to slide the driver seat forward. It's doable, but I wouldn't want to be any closer. On the other side, with the carseat facing forward, my daughter kicks the back of the seat...sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. It's just too close.

 

Bye bye Tacoma, hello raptor. Good riddance. PS mine is for sale 31k for 2017 sport 4x4 premium tech package. Brand New falken lt tires...

 

Not at all. Don't know if you priced baby stuff lately but some strollers are close to a grand! I have a 9 month grandchild and had a Tacoma when the baby was born. Everything was tight in the back seat including all the stuff that goes with a child. I had a tonneau cover too! The stroller took up most of the under cover storage.
Once the baby gets 5-6 months old, packing up for a weekend the
Stroller
Diapers
Food
Toys
The little thing that little ones sit in and bounce

+Luggage for two for a weekend is tight.
I traded for a Tundra for towing reasons but it is much easier than with the Tacoma.
Seriously, a mini van like a Sienna is the absolutely best family vehicle. It carries as much payload as the Tacoma too.
The two things wrong is it does not look as cool and does not rock crawl, although it does dirt roads like a champ.
Oh, we are a big family. I am 6'4 250 lb and my wife is close to 6'. Our kids are our size lol.
It would have been easier if we were smaller but not much. The Tacoma back seat is small. Again, this is truth.

 

That is not truth, that is far from it. We do all kinds of trips and use the Tacoma as a family vehicle. It not super spacious but it is comfortable. It’s amazing how many people buy huge rigs to tote around 2 adults and 2 kids. Mine are 4 and 5 now and have gone from rear facing, to front and now high back boosters. They do great in the back and love riding in the truck.

 

@hiPSI haha seriously strollers are not ever close to a grand. My wife bought a stupid expensive one and it was $400.

 

Tell you what... I will loan you my Tundra for a weekend road trip.

The OP did not ask if it would work. Shit, people make those little bitty Yaris's work. He asked how good a Tacoma was for a growing family.
Well, compared to larger vehicles, it is a poor substitute. Again, a mini van is the absolute best for hauling a family and their stuff. Not a Tacoma. A mini van works better than my Tundra at that task.

 

Hey so much insights and experiences, thank you all. For sure the size of the family determines the comfort of the Tacoma it seems. Me and the S.O. are a one and done family. But out of curiosity I went and test drove a Tundra.

I test drove a Tundra today and that thing is HUGE, couple worries with the Tundra is...when getting in the backseat... getting in is quite the climb. Can't see how we will be able to place the child in the seat without getting in first. Which would mean... 1) lay the child on the seat... 2) than proceed to climb in... 3) Fit the child in.

Secondly, the Tundra TRD PRO did not have a push button start. The last thing I want is to fumble with my keys when trying to load everyone I care about.

It looks like a Tacoma is perfectly suitable and workable but requires some finnesse in certain circumstances. Whilst a bigger truck doesn't neccessarily mean problem solved...it has it's own batch of problems.

I could see why the vans are attractive...good height... good space... only issue is... if for a 3 member family will the van be too much. Considering we already have a Camry.

 

The thing about kids is that they grow. Sometimes you have more than one kid. And you'll reach a point where your kids want to bring friends. Tacomas suck for that. You can keep it for a while, but you're going to reach a point where it will no longer work as a primary vehicle for a family

 

How tall are you? I have two kiddos with two large car seats. Also I recommend a long bed, you will cherish the extra space.

 

Absolutely. We use a carseat with a base that is preinstalled in the truck and stays there. The carseat also snaps into the stroller. So basically you put the child in the carrier in the house, carry it out and snap it into the base that is already hooked up using the LATCH points.
Warning... this system is not cheap!
Uppa Baby Vista system.

 

Depends on how tall your other half is, my wife is 5’2-5’3 and she was fine with the baby seat behind her.

 

This is true. Middle area isn’t bad but behind driver you need to look at the smaller seats. Taco isn’t bad for one kid but two in car seats it isn’t great

 

We had this for both our kids we they were infants, was awesome.