Model S with 3 kids

[hannofichtner]

Hi,

I am undecided between Model S and X for 3 kids.

I want to use the car to drive from San Francisco to Tahoe to go skiing primarily. So I like the option to have skis on the roof with the Model S.

Who has experience with 3 kids sitting in boosters and car seats in the 2nd row?

My kids are 4, 6 and 8 years old.

I also want to get the trunk seats but prefer to have a standard setup with the kids in the 2nd row. Does that work?

Best,
Hanno

 

[AndreyATC]

I have 2,4 and 7 year old kids
Oldest one seats in the rear, while the other two in car seats in second row
3 years and counting ...
Very happy with the setup

 

[hannofichtner]

Thank you AndreyATC! Does it also work to have all 3 next to each other in the second row?

 

[ggnykk]

Hi,

I am undecided between Model S and X for 3 kids.

I want to use the car to drive from San Francisco to Tahoe to go skiing primarily. So I like the option to have skis on the roof with the Model S.

Who has experience with 3 kids sitting in boosters and car seats in the 2nd row?

My kids are 4, 6 and 8 years old.

I also want to get the trunk seats but prefer to have a standard setup with the kids in the 2nd row. Does that work?

Best,
Hanno

don't get the trunk seat, that area is supposed to be a rear crumple zone in case ur car get rear ended.

I would recommend going for the Model X, higher driving position and larger interior room are great. Not to mention more comfortable seats and many people mentioned. You can just buy a rack for your ski that attach it to the trailer hitch at the back of Model X. Definitely go for 90D, anything with less range is not very feasible for long road trip. And if you can wait couple more months, 100D (non-performance) version will be out in couple of months.

 

[kirkbauer]

Note I have never been inside a MX, so this is just my MS experience. If you are going to get the rear-facing seats then why not use them? Fitting three car seats in the rear seat will be challenging, and the rear seats will be taking up valuable cargo space. There is only LATCH for the outer rear seats.

But I love the rear-facing seats as they are so much easier than car seats. I'd suggest two in there and one in the rear seat.

However for the money and three kids the MX is probably a better choice (I only have 2).

 

[FlatSix911]

Consider the Model S ... it handles the Tahoe snow better than our SUV

 

[Hazelwood]

I have 3 kids 11, 8, and 3, with the 3 year old in a forward facing car seat. All 3 fit more comfortably in the S than any other car.

 

[sport1000]

Hi Hanno,

I feel like I'm reading my own post. My kids are 2, 6, and 8. My wife and I were deciding between the S and X as well for our family. We saw both models in the showroom but my wife felt the 3rd row of the X was a little too cramped. We ultimately choose the S with the optional rear jump seats. We use the rear jump seats for the two older kids whenever we have 1 or 2 more people joining us. Otherwise, the default for us is all three kids sit in the 2nd row. The youngest in a rear facing child seat in the middle and the older two on each side in boosters. All three seats fit just fine next to one another. We do use seat belt extenders for the two older kids so that they can buckle themselves in easier. We are super happy we went with the S. With the jump seats folded down, we still have that expansive trunk in the back for gear, luggage, etc.

 

[JPUConn]

My 3 kids are younger (3.5, 2, 2) and our Diono Radians fit perfectly across with ample room to load/unload (better than SUV / Mini Vans we've had)

S with Pano roof can add cross bars and roof box. I have Whispbars and Yakima Skybox for trips needing more storage.

With 3 across there is a Middle Seat to fight for - this can be a pro or a con depending on how well they act like siblings.

X is incredible but if you end up with the popular 6 seat config for a less cramped feel then your cargo space is less than the S.

Even Elon has said he prefers driving his S over X but that comes to a personal preference. In my house my wife would rather be high up and in an X while I like the low to the ground sedan

 

[tinanbran]

We have 3 kids 2,6,8 and the rear jump seats in the S are amazing. With them in use I only have a small booster seat in the back that can go in the frunk when not in use, and make the car a regular sedan for business use with the odd toy on the floor.
My kids also love what they call tesla launch when we get the from day care, 3,2,1, Tesla launch they yell and I let out some electrons.
We personally don't like the look of the MX from the back

 

[rscott0]

One thing to be aware of is that some booster seats may not fit. There are some threads about booster seats that are not quite as wide as traditional ones (the BubbleBum being a popular choice).

 

[Marcboy]

I have 3 kids. 3,6,12. While they all fit in the 2nd row of my S, they are way to close for each other for my liking (he is touching me. She is taking my space...). So I got the rear facing seats retrofitted. Best $3400 I ever spent.

 

[RYCO]

I have the jump seat and my kids love it. My family of 7 fit perfect in my S. The ones in the back get a little warm sometimes but I bought 2- 12 v clip on fans for like 15 bucks each on amazon and now they are good to go even in the AZ heat. They just get clipped onto the rails that the back cover slides into. I also bought a 12v extension cord and a splitter to tie both in. Then I run the cord to the 12 v adapter in the center console.

 

[mercer2]

I have 3 kids, 2, 4 and 6. I have model s P85DL with 2 full car seats on the sides and a booster on the middle. Is tight but i also have the rear facing seats on the back when the nanny comes.

The convenience and looks of the model s is umbeatable. i also have a 2015 GL63 amg with a rentech updated and now I barelly use it. I find the model S more practical and too much fun to drive.

 

[BagheeraNY]

I hope not, but does anyone have any experience getting rear-ended in their MS with rear-facing seats? The rear-facing seats seem amazing for the kids and it sounds like the back of the car get reinforced, but it still makes me a little nervous.

 

[mercer2]

18 wheeler hitting the rear of a tesla model s.

And the day was going so well...


I will keep researching this for a while, since is major concern for all of us.

And the main reason my wife does not allow them to ride on the rear facing seats on the highway.

 

[Marcboy]

you can't compare a non reinforced car with a reinforced one.

Now will it make a difference if a 18wheeler slams into it, I don't know

 

[amallah]

I have the rear jump seats and two kids, currently 6 and 8, on my Model S. The 6 y/o loves the rear jump seats and is very disappointed when they are folded in and I have stuff in the trunk. The 8 y/o hates them. Her complaint is that they get very hot and the ventilation doesn't get back there. After reading similar complaints in posts here, most people suggest this:

Welcome to Nogglenation.com - Making The Backseat Cool Again!!

As for safety, that is also a concern, but the claim from Tesla is that they're safer. The problem I find in most of the one-off anecdotes is that there is never enough proof to say "the 2nd row was safer." Most stories are either damage so severe, that everyone in the car was injured, regardless of their placement in the car, or severe damage to a non-jump-seat (thus not reinforced) rear.

Inside the Tesla Model S - Extra seats (3) - CNNMoney

 

[Sandy]

I was under the impression that an MS with factory-installed rear facing seats had extra impact protection built into the rear of the car.

 

[FlatSix911]

New feature with 8.0 release

Cabin Overheat Protection
In an industry-first safety measure, we’re also introducing Cabin Overheat Protect, focused on child (and pet) safety. This feature keeps the car at a safe temperature for hours, even when the car is off. This feature is only made possible by an electric vehicle with Tesla’s uniquely large battery packs.