Any Model S owners with an infant / toddler?

[BrianSF]

Aside from being a commuter, I'll be using the S to transport our 6 month old daughter to and from grandparents / daycare / etc.

How practical is the car for someone who has to deal with a toddler / 1-3 year olds (not getting the rear seats btw as they seem to be for kids that are bigger).

We have a Prius and a used civic, so this will be our "family sedan". Anyone have any experience, pros / cons using the car with a young child vs. something more traditional like a crossover or SUV?

Btw, wife told me to find a "used family sedan" so I did. Got a 85P CPO on order and expected to be here in few weeks

 

[prash]

It is just like any other Sedan. Obviously not as easy as a SUV or minivan.

 

[Takumi]

My wife isn't that tall and she says the LEAF is more comfy (more headroom) than the Model S.
I'm not that tall either and I've hit my head back there a few times while riding as a passenger for "test drives." I think the X is the better buy if you have to deal with car seats. But if a "used family sedan" is what she wants, then happy wife...

Major pro for us is leaving them asleep in the car (garaged, of course) when we get home. Just put a monitor in there and do what you have to do before they wake up!

Enjoy your new ride!

 

[J1mbo]

We have a maxi cosi with ISO base. Rear facing. I can't install it behind the driver's seat as it takes up too much room and I wouldn't be able to drive with it. This was a bit of a suprise at the time, always thought the MS was quite roomy!

Only other thing I would say is that the ISOfix points are not in the easiest place to use. They are fine if you just leave the child seat base there, but I get the impression it would be easy to tear the rear seat if you have to remove and reinstall the base a lot.

 

[Snowstorm]

I have 2 clek fllo toddler/child seat installed in forward facing position in centre and outboard with another graco infant carrier base on the other outboard seat. My 6 month, 3 and 5 all can fit no problems. I also have the 3rd row child seats which they sometimes use, but they don't like seating there too much. The S is a great family carrier. If a kid falls asleep, you can leave the ac or heat on in the garage and they can keep sleeping without worry of exhaust gas.

 

[Ande]

No problem at all, had forward and backward facing baby seat, and cussion for 5 year old.

 

[Mobius484]

My 3 5 and 6 yr olds fit just fine in back seat, but ended up having rear facing seats installed and now it truly is the best family sedan EVER! Done some amazing road trips this last year with the fam.

 

[tstafford]

Twin four year olds here and we've had the Tesla since they were two. There have been several occasions where my wife's car (minivan and now Cayenne) has been out of commission. She dislikes the MS with the kids. Says it's too low and hard to get them in and out of.

 

[jason.a]

We also have a Model S and a Civic, so I've been able to compare the two over the last 2 years.
- The Model S has several more inches of legroom for the passenger with the car seat installed behind them.
- LOTS more storage space in the Model S, it fits our biggest stroller and still has room to spare
- The headroom is a minor issue when getting our daughter into the car seat but it isn't a big deal (ditto for overall height of the car).
- If you need lots of legroom for the front passenger, move the car seat into the middle position, the tapered shape of the front seats lets you push them much further back than you'd think.
- The ISOFIX/Latch points were a bit difficult to reach in my 2015 but after a few installs it became a 2-minute process. The new seat design in our 2017 thankfully has made them more accessible.
- Kids love the all glass roof!
- The loss of engine noise and vibration had no impact on car napping, she's still out like a light within a few minutes.
- We looked at a 6-seater X before upgrading to a 2017 S and stuck with the sedan after taking an extended test drive. The 3rd row was handy but did not have a lot of space for a kid in a car seat, we're going to look at the X again when our daughter transitions into a booster.

 

[JPUConn]

4 yr old and twin 2 yr olds here. Model S works great as the family car

In my 2013 we had the twins rear facing and older daughter forward facing. While
Rear facing it was a bit tight to load/unload the middle child vs our prior jeep but it was do-able. If you have 2 kids it should be no issue at all.

 

[steinermeister]

8 month old here...works great for us.

 

[David.85D]

Our kids have moved up to boosters. One thing to watch is the iso/ latch connectors are pretty deep in the seat and seem to be spaced narrower than other cars. The center rear position does not have latch, but does have a top tether

The seat belts also seem fairly narrowly spaced. We struggled to find a booster that didnt block the buckle. I could always do it, by pushing the seat sideways, but it is easier if the kid can buckle it themselves as they get older (I would give it a tug from the front seat to check it was latched and tighten it up).

So, try out car seats somewhere they will let you test fit before buying... or at least somewhere a return isn’t a hassle.

 

[BrianSF]

Thank you guys! Any reco in rear facing car seats btw that fits the S well?

 

[J1mbo]

Can fully recommend the maxi cosi pebble. Light, adjustable & convenient. It can be turned to forward-facing when they get old enough, if they still fit!

 

[croman]

S can be a pain with taking little ones in and out. The clearances are tight for the center seat (which is the safest for 1). With a toddler who is very tall for her age, the all glass roof provides extra room to place into the seat (particularly when she is resisting) but also is a hard surface which makes it more dangerous. My daughter loves the view, particularly in tunnels and forests. Despite the hard surface and 38in toddler, I think the tradeoffs are worth it. I'd consider an X though with >2. X is definitely better designed for kid ingress/egress.

 

[davinci2017]

I LOVE the S for toddler duties

PROS compared to comparable sized Audi's and my Chevy

SPACE (be it the flat floor in the second row or the massive boot which can store ANY stroller you want, it beats them all IMO)
Comfort (Its very comfy, practical and easy to use with a baby in the back, there is good space in all directions)
Its so quiet and plane like that she naps the best in the Model S compared to other cars
Easy to clean, no awkward shapes/angles to deal with its straightforward
LATCH installation removal is easy

CONS

pointy rear doors (opening it wide requires good clearance on the sides)
Narrow and low slung door openings (especially painful for rear facing seats)
Leather seats I hear arent quite as durable as the competition per many reports
, my multi patterns are holding up good but I'm worried about spills all the time even with Scotchgard
This is a BIG ONE that most folks miss (you have to be conscious of acceleration and decelleration). Especially with the new speeds on the 75D, its proper sports car territory, your baby is NOT going to like that, so you have to work on smooth driving and smooth regen braking quite a bit to nail it down


My recommendation for convertible is a Diono Radian (Which looks like it was made for the tesla really) and it takes up very little room, looks superb, built like a tank.

 

[croman]

Oh and AP makes it that much easier when the inevitable toy is tossed at your head (balls especially bounce well off the all glass roof and into the driving area) and for handing a snack back there as required. You can still stare ahead but have a hand free from moment to moment to deal with parenting.

 

[Buddy]

Thank you guys! Any reco in rear facing car seats btw that fits the S well?

I have the Britax B agile Car seat (and travel system). Used it since day 1 and hes now 6 months old.

Fits perfect in my S. Any questions let me know.

 

[FlyingCookie]

Our kids have moved up to boosters. One thing to watch is the iso/ latch connectors are pretty deep in the seat and seem to be spaced narrower than other cars. The center rear position does not have latch, but does have a top tether

The seat belts also seem fairly narrowly spaced. We struggled to find a booster that didnt block the buckle. I could always do it, by pushing the seat sideways, but it is easier if the kid can buckle it themselves as they get older (I would give it a tug from the front seat to check it was latched and tighten it up).

So, try out car seats somewhere they will let you test fit before buying... or at least somewhere a return isn’t a hassle.

I'll sometimes take one of my friends and his son/daughter to places, and we've found this issue. Their booster seats will cover the buckles in the back of the car, which makes it pretty hard for them to buckle themselves in. It seems like the bolstering on the outside of the back seats causes the booster seats to be pushed over the buckle... The work around for us is to just put the booster seats in the center of the back seat, though ymmv.

 

[Lifeinabox]

CONS

This is a BIG ONE that most folks miss (you have to be conscious of acceleration and decelleration). Especially with the new speeds on the 75D, its proper sports car territory, your baby is NOT going to like that, so you have to work on smooth driving and smooth regen braking quite a bit to nail it down

This quickly becomes a big Pro. My 2 year old loves dad’s rocket ship and pressing the imaginary turbo button.

Get a Recaro booster and the Radio Flyer mini S.