6 seat vs. 7 seat

[flar]

There is a lot of feedback of people sitting in the 3rd row in showrooms, but how many have sat in the 3rd row for driving around town, especially over rough pavement?

The placement of the rear seats on the axle is likely to make the ride decidedly more bumpy than the other 2 rows.

 

[elguapo]

Two hours ago I was going to reply that I was in your camp (I have three kids). Just got home from the test drive event and found the 7 seat layout to be bordering on ridiculous. It was horrible. See my notes here:
Any More Test Drive Reports From The Tour? - Page 2

I read them all - great notes! Thank you for taking the time to post. All of these posts do make me second guess the 7 seat I chose. The good news (for better or worse) is my car is in production and I can't change the configuration, even if I wanted to. To be honest, I don't really need to see my kids in third row - they're busy on an iPad or reading a book - I know they're there. I never expected the third row to be comfortable for a 6' tall adult - there's no way it could be given the length of the car.

Bottom line - I know I will regularly need to carry 7 people around - three of whom are kids, so I needed the 7 seats - no real choice. I do wish Elon had said go for the six seats much earlier.

 

[ohmman]

Bottom line - I know I will regularly need to carry 7 people around - three of whom are kids, so I needed the 7 seats - no real choice. I do wish Elon had said go for the six seats much earlier.

He did say "unless you need to carry 7".. which you do. So I think you made the right choice.

I'm going to regret not having that capacity from time to time, so it's a trade-off either way. Stop worrying and get ready for delivery!

 

[elguapo]

He did say "unless you need to carry 7".. which you do. So I think you made the right choice.

I'm going to regret not having that capacity from time to time, so it's a trade-off either way. Stop worrying and get ready for delivery!

Great point! Onward and upward. Expecting car within 45 days!

 

[Vizir]

Yep. We will stick with it too. It'll be a 5 seater for most journeys, but switch to a 7 in emergencies.

 

[Darryl]

We went with 6 seats. My wife and I are retired and could have done with 5 but for several reasons we chose 6. 1) There is a rare occasion when we pick up people at the airport which is about 45 miles away. 2) from a resale value we thought many would prefer 6 seats 3) the space between the second row seats is perfect for a cooler, 4) if we go to the hardware store and need to carry some long pieces they will slide in between the second row seats and finally 5) ordering with 5 seats would have delayed the order
I know some are concerned the second row seats don't fold as there are times they need to carry extra cargo. We got the trailer hitch option and have a small trailer we use to haul if we need the extra space. Also this keeps the Tesla in better shape not putting this stuff the the car.

We asked if we ordered a five seater would the second row fold. We were told it would be the same bucket seats in the second row whether we ordered 5,6 or 7.

We we went to pick up our car last Thursday and my wife really liked the 6 seat option. It is much easier to get to the third row if you go to the third row via the second row missing center seat. We will probably leave the third row folded under normal circumstances as the head rest block the view in the rear view mirror. Without the middle seat you have a clear view.

 

[Eracer]

I'm 6' and tried the third row of a seven seater for more than 10 minutes.
It was easy to enter and felt very comfortable and cosy. I did not feel claustrophobic at all.
Leg room was sufficient.
I only need 3 seats, but I don't like to have a gap in the second row.
If I fold down the third row I still have 5 seats plus the second row middle seat protects passengers from loose luggage in case of an accident.

 

[Mark Z]

...We will probably leave the third row folded under normal circumstances as the head rest block the view in the rear view mirror...

The ability to only fold the headrests and leave the seat backs up provides a clear rear view while securing any cargo behind the third row seats. If passengers enter the third row, they can easily raise the headrest.

 

[Slappy32]

I ended up switching from seven seats to six. After thinking it through it just made more sense for our family. I was able to see a six seater and drive it and felt having the space in the middle row was advantageous.

 

[P90D]

I think their might also be a market for a 4 seat option. Rarely need a seat for a 5th person, and that seat is the most uncomfortable due to crowding. Might be best to have just 4 seats with that nice open area between them.

And you know this because you have seen a five seat configuration and know how much space will be freed by the removal of the third row?

- - - Updated - - -



I agree, a four seat option would be great.

There are two different ways to spin four seat, each with advantages for some sorts of tasks.

For executive types or folks looking to balance rear seat comfort with maximum space, a second row four seat car makes sense.

For extreme cargo space, you could have a "third row" four seat car - no middle row at all, one massive load floor in the middle truly at floor level. If the third row got a flip after the fold, you could create a long, flat, low load floor from front to rear instead.

Yup. I will not be buying an X until there is a 4 seat option. Don't need 3rd row, don't want middle seat.

I understand the reasoning, I just don't see how having a 4 seat SUV makes sense :\

The seats in the Model S fold down so that's almost better in most regards.

Doesn't make sense to you. Makes perfect sense to me. I prefer the height of an Suv over a sedan. No people to haul, just my spouse and I and the dog. We do two major road trips a year and want to bring as much of home with us as we can. A 4 seat version(no middle row) makes perfect sense for the Chinese as well who want that executive, chauffeured feeling.

+1
One of the popular trim of Full Size Range Rover is the Autobiography that comes with 4 seats.
I would not be surprise if MX would come up with executive trim 4 seat in the future, there's definitely a market for it.

Tesla is missing the customer demand here.
I also wanted a four seater and offered to pay for six, just leave the third row in a box or give me a credit towards a retrofit if ever it became possible.
Advantages:
1 ) less weight (better performance)
2 ) taller and more voluminous cargo area
3 ) never having to offer to drive the kids' swim team to a meet! : )
4 ) third row seat design is not great
5 ) rearward visibility of six-seater configuration

 

[Buckster]

Great picture of the interior but a couple questions; Does the second row seats have armrests? Does the third row seats recline? Wife and I are retired but there may be times we'll have kids/grandkids with us but don't think those few times warrant the 7-seat model but having 6 adults comfortable during long trips would be nice.

 

[ohmman]

Great picture of the interior but a couple questions; Does the second row seats have armrests? Does the third row seats recline? Wife and I are retired but there may be times we'll have kids/grandkids with us but don't think those few times warrant the 7-seat model but having 6 adults comfortable during long trips would be nice.

No armrests. Only the driver and passenger front seats recline. The second row tilts back slightly but each seat does so as a whole unit. Third row is fully fixed as far as reclining/tilt goes.

 

[Mark Z]

...having 6 adults comfortable during long trips would be nice.

In all honesty, I would find it difficult to be comfortable in the rear third row seats for a long trip. Tesla Motors did not engineer arm rests on the window side. You sit next to the large wheel well with no extra flat cushioned spot to place your arm. Add the large towering seat in front of you, and the desire to switch seats during the long trip will be on the mind of the two passengers sitting in the rear.

On the plus side, the absence of the center second row seat does make for nice leg room for one. Two adults could find it challenging. There may be one exception to all of this concern. Put the most affectionate couple in the back row and let them enjoy the long trip. :wink:

 

[Mayhemm]

So, would it be correct to say that while Tesla spent considerable Model X development hours on the middle row (and ending up with essentially aircraft seats), the rear seats are no better designed and function about as well as something found in a typical minivan?

 

[Nototrader]

So, would it be correct to say that while Tesla spent considerable Model X development hours on the middle row (and ending up with essentially aircraft seats), the rear seats are no better designed and function about as well as something found in a typical minivan?

minivan third row is way more comfortable.

 

[ohmman]

I'm guilty of making the minivan/Odyssey comparison myself (especially in reference to sliders instead of falcon wing doors), but the truth is that making the comparison of a minivan to a compact SUV is unfair. Minivans are designed with space in mind - space for hauling and space for people. There is no doubt that no SUV on the market compares to the utility and comfort of a minivan, but people in the US still buy [S,C]UVs. There's a style issue with vans, which is driven partly from the space and comfort constraints (as well as design restraints around the sliding door, to my chagrin).

So compare the second and third row of the MX with the second and third row of other CUVs like an Acura MDX. I think they compare favorably.

As much as I'd like the utility of our van in a Tesla, I've come to accept that aerodynamic and styling constraints of a higher profile just don't allow for an EV with a reasonable range and the same amount of space.

 

[Nototrader]

I'm guilty of making the minivan/Odyssey comparison myself (especially in reference to sliders instead of falcon wing doors), but the truth is that making the comparison of a minivan to a compact SUV is unfair. Minivans are designed with space in mind - space for hauling and space for people. There is no doubt that no SUV on the market compares to the utility and comfort of a minivan, but people in the US still buy [S,C]UVs. There's a style issue with vans, which is driven partly from the space and comfort constraints (as well as design restraints around the sliding door, to my chagrin).

So compare the second and third row of the MX with the second and third row of other CUVs like an Acura MDX. I think they compare favorably.

As much as I'd like the utility of our van in a Tesla, I've come to accept that aerodynamic and styling constraints of a higher profile just don't allow for an EV with a reasonable range and the same amount of space.

well said. i just made the same comparison in my new thread!

 

[MiddKid]

I'm 6' and tried the third row of a seven seater for more than 10 minutes.
It was easy to enter and felt very comfortable and cosy. I did not feel claustrophobic at all.
Leg room was sufficient.
I only need 3 seats, but I don't like to have a gap in the second row.
If I fold down the third row I still have 5 seats plus the second row middle seat protects passengers from loose luggage in case of an accident.

I really found this post interesting as I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'4" and we both felt claustrophobic. My gut reaction was confusion since usually the issue with 3rd rows is seat depth/leg space. So it wouldn't seem possible for someone 6' to not feel claustrophobic. But then I realized the problem is not the seat depth...the seats are quite nice for a 3rd row. The leg room is OK (but my knees were hitting the seat in front). It's the darn height of the second row. So I realized that someone 6' has a higher line of sight than I do resulting in less claustrophobia. I, on the other hand, am lower down and mostly looking at black plastic. This would also explain that while I was trying to convince myself it was OK ("I can kinda see") my wife was adamant that it was too claustrophobic (her line of sight being even lower). A child would feel completely locked in (and in reality that's who's going to ride back there anyway).

As I mentioned in my original post...3 kids but going 6-seater...never would have thought I'd say that!

 

[Eracer]

I really found this post interesting as I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'4" and we both felt claustrophobic. My gut reaction was confusion since usually the issue with 3rd rows is seat depth/leg space. So it wouldn't seem possible for someone 6' to not feel claustrophobic. But then I realized the problem is not the seat depth...the seats are quite nice for a 3rd row. The leg room is OK (but my knees were hitting the seat in front). It's the darn height of the second row. So I realized that someone 6' has a higher line of sight than I do resulting in less claustrophobia. I, on the other hand, am lower down and mostly looking at black plastic. This would also explain that while I was trying to convince myself it was OK ("I can kinda see") my wife was adamant that it was too claustrophobic (her line of sight being even lower). A child would feel completely locked in (and in reality that's who's going to ride back there anyway).

As I mentioned in my original post...3 kids but going 6-seater...never would have thought I'd say that!

Tja and we have one kid and I orderd 7 seats...

It's interresting how different perception can be. For me third row X felt much better than backseats Model S.
I put my knees on each side of the second row seat, could easily view to the front and out of the window. Felt similar to an airplane where I prefer window seats and the view forewards was much better. Only armrests where missing but I felt comfortable leaning to the side a bit. No edges, propably good to sleep.
I wonder how children feel there. Sometimes they like to hide or play in closed up spaces.
If you put the second row seats foreward you could even seat quite tall people in the third row and children in the second row.
I also thought about 5 seater but since you can fold third row it didn't make sense to me.
Of course I also like the six seater but my wife complained about the gap ( she likes to put stuff on the back seats) and I missed the armrests. Maybe I could retrofit them, but I can always get rid of the middle second row seat if it bothers me. It was the same price with my sig.
Did anyone try to put skies inside a seven seater?

 

[mikevbf]

I really found this post interesting as I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'4" and we both felt claustrophobic. My gut reaction was confusion since usually the issue with 3rd rows is seat depth/leg space. So it wouldn't seem possible for someone 6' to not feel claustrophobic. But then I realized the problem is not the seat depth...the seats are quite nice for a 3rd row. The leg room is OK (but my knees were hitting the seat in front). It's the darn height of the second row. So I realized that someone 6' has a higher line of sight than I do resulting in less claustrophobia.

My wife and I had the same experience. I am 6 feet and was pretty much ok for the short term while my wife at 5'8" used the exact word "claustrophobic within the first 3 minutes of being in the 3rd row of a 7 seater. In the 6 seater she was ok for 15 minutes or so back there, but said she would want the 3rd row to recline a little if she were back there for a long time.