Family of 5: 6 Seats or 7 Seats

[Annie]

7 seater is great. Have a family of 5 - 3 teenagers with large dog - golden retriever. Keep the car in 5 seater config most of the time with loads of flat boot space. All fit in well. Then can put up either one or both of the extra third row of seats when required.

Love the boot space often load the car up for holidays etc, with dog .

 

[Chandu_732]

7 seater if you need Cargo space. 6 seater if not

 

[HyperionMark]

I'm confused with people saying the 6 seater is great because people can crawl through the middle aisle to get to the back. Don't the middle seats in the 6 seat config move forward to get into the back from the side?

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I'm confused with people saying the 6 seater is great because people can crawl through the middle aisle to get to the back. Don't the middle seats in the 6 seat config move forward to get into the back from the side?

Yes, but if you're a kid it's faster to jump in and go between the captain's chairs.

At least if you're my kids.

 

[mxnym]

I assume the 7-seater bench has the same 40/20/40 split option but I've yet to test it. The real appeal is I simply find the greater recline of the bench seat much more comfortable than the 6-seater monopod seats, especially for extended trips.

My 2017 7-seater bench doesn't have a 40/20/40 split. If it did, I'd be happier with it for sure. Maybe they've made that improvement in newer versions, can't imagine why the 5-seater would have that and the 7-seater not.

 

[FatherTo1]

My 2017 7-seater bench doesn't have a 40/20/40 split. If it did, I'd be happier with it for sure. Maybe they've made that improvement in newer versions, can't imagine why the 5-seater would have that and the 7-seater not.

OMG, how embarrassing, I mixed up the X and Y! The Y has 40/20/40 split 2nd row, but the larger 5-seat X does not (and probably also not the 7-seater X).

 

[basilray]

Recently got to test drive the 6-seat config w/ Ludacris as part of my lead up to convincing the wife we should get a Model X.

She went from "Quit talking about how much you want an expensive car" to "This is incredible" after about 5 minutes of driving. We have two boys under 5, and the ability for one of us to sit behind them and the distance between the seats to keep their hands to themselves (for now, LOL) is a big win for us.

The Model X convinced her in person!

 

[Bigriver]

One of the drawbacks for shorter passengers in the model X is how tall the seats are. It can be difficult to see forward from most of the 2nd and 3rd row seats. The coveted back seat spot in our car is the middle spot in the 2nd row of the 7 seater. It gets a great view out the front. And while I agree that the bench row doesn’t look as nice as captain chairs, I think the tilt is more comfortable. The bench seat is also reasonably comfortable to lay across.

 

[danbucks]

I'm confused with people saying the 6 seater is great because people can crawl through the middle aisle to get to the back. Don't the middle seats in the 6 seat config move forward to get into the back from the side?

We've owned our X for 4+ years, and "crawling" between the two middle seats is in fact far superior. In fact, if you are a larger size individual, you will never fit between the seat pulled all the way forward, and the back door frame. Better to push the seat all the way back, and enter through the center...

 

[DIL]

We are a family of 5 plus a dog. Kids used to be happy 3-across in my S, but they’re growing and it’s now a tight squeeze. Seems like 6-seater is the way to go as a people hauler, but cargo space will be compromised.

 

[DDotJ]

We have a family of 5, we elected for the 6 seater. 2 people up front, 2 in the second row, and one person sits in the 3rd row but can stretch out their legs in the aisle between the second row. It can comfortably seat 5 adults.

3 abreast in the third row is a little tight and the middle seat in the 7 seat configuration also has reduced headroom as well.

 

[FatherTo1]

We have a family of 5, we elected for the 6 seater. 2 people up front, 2 in the second row, and one person sits in the 3rd row but can stretch out their legs in the aisle between the second row. It can comfortably seat 5 adults.

3 abreast in the third row is a little tight and the middle seat in the 7 seat configuration also has reduced headroom as well.

We travel with my parents and, since they're small people, my wife, Mom, and daughter are all comfortable in the backseat of the S or other large sedan. However, I hadn't thought of the reduced headroom in the second row middle seat of the 7-seater. Thanks for that insight.

 

[ddenboer]

The 7 seater in 2015/16 was great because it had captains chairs in the middle row that moved. Then they went to the fold flat ones and it was horrible. The back row lost a ton of leg room and the middle row did too. Folding the middle row to enter/exit is difficult at best, and if the driver or passenger is tall and has seat back, then the middle row doesn't move much, and it is incredibly difficult to get in the back without tripping -- and never expect to get an adult in that back row of the 7 seater.

 

[Roy2001]

If you constantly have more than 4 passengers, 6 seater is definitely better. I usually have 2-4, so I ordered 7 seater for flexibility.

I wish mid seats in 6 seater can fold. Fixed seats is no good.

 

[Kan-O-Z]

What about long trips? I would think with a bench seat in middle row you dont need to use the 3rd row. This allows the cargo space to still be quite large and enough to carry all 5 peoples luggage.

Yeah around town where you aren't carrying much, the 6 seater would be nice if you have 3 kids.

 

[OK-S]

The 7 seater in 2015/16 was great because it had captains chairs in the middle row that moved. Then they went to the fold flat ones and it was horrible. The back row lost a ton of leg room and the middle row did too. Folding the middle row to enter/exit is difficult at best, and if the driver or passenger is tall and has seat back, then the middle row doesn't move much, and it is incredibly difficult to get in the back without tripping -- and never expect to get an adult in that back row of the 7 seater.

I was thinking I would try to update a newly acquired 2016 MX 7-seater to get the fold-down seats (if that is even possible) but you may have convinced me that what I would lose would be greater than the potential gain. Seat comfort in the second row is more important.

 

[Kan-O-Z]

I was thinking I would try to update a newly acquired 2016 MX 7-seater to get the fold-down seats (if that is even possible) but you may have convinced me that what I would lose would be greater than the potential gain. Seat comfort in the second row is more important.

I’m not so sure how the fold down version of the 7 seater lost leg room everywhere. People act like you feet can’t go under the seats of the non-pedestal but they absolutely can. The bigger problem is do your knees hit the seats which can’t be any different.

7 seater is great for occasional passengers in the 3rd row and for lots of cargo ability with fold flat seats.

I would go check one out in person before relying on someone in this thread.

 

[bikeandsail]

6 seater the seats do not fold. I traded a 2016x in for a 2017x to get folding seats.

 

[OK-S]

We've gone for the 7-seat 2016 version. By some accounts, the bucket seats are somewhat superior to those with folding backs. And more adjustability. We will have to give up any thought of it as a camper but otherwise, in reality, the folding seats would be of real marginal use. Appreciate everyone's input.

 

[mxnym]

I’m not so sure how the fold down version of the 7 seater lost leg room everywhere. People act like you feet can’t go under the seats of the non-pedestal but they absolutely can. The bigger problem is do your knees hit the seats which can’t be any different.

7 seater is great for occasional passengers in the 3rd row and for lots of cargo ability with fold flat seats.

I would go check one out in person before relying on someone in this thread.

Have you seen the back of the pedestal seats? They are curved like the back of the front seats. Seems to me like that would have some effect on legroom. Another problem with the folding seats in their rearmost position is getting your feet down there, yeah, they'll fit once there, but getting them in and out becomes problematic (the back sticks down much further than the pedestal back so that it can close the gap when they are folded). Beyond that is the fact that this thread is arguably about the 6 with pedestal vs 7 with fold-flat based on when it was created. Differences in seats notwithstanding, having a seat not there provides ample legroom in comparison with having a seat there.