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Hello - first post and new to the community. I apologize in advance if this post violates any forum rules or contains duplicate questions - I couldn't find the answers elsewhere and thought some people here might know.

My wife and I are planning on purchasing a Model X this year. Our primary concern is safety, and we have been impressed with all of the features and reviews about the Model X on that score. We have one 2 year old and may have one more child in the next couple years (almost certainly never more than that!). We are planning on the 7 seater. I know that is often disfavored, with many preferring the 6, but our thinking is that we would almost always use the 7 seater like a 5 seater (i.e., with the third row down) and only use the 3rd row on rare occasions when we might need to transport others.

With that in mind, some questions:

1) Given my use case above, do most agree that the 7-seater would make sense for us?
2) Does anyone have experience with child seats in the Tesla? While we only one have child, we would keep the car seat in the middle of the 2nd row, rear facing for at least another year. If we have a second child, we would ideally keep the youngest one rear facing in the middle with the older one front facing on one of the side seats. Would that set up work well? Any suggestions in my thinking?
3) Is the multi-pattern black interior OK with kids and spills? Or might it stain/damage too easily and thus the faux leather would be worth the $3300 upgrade?
4) Any other tips that Model X owners with small children have?

Thanks for the help! I look forward to being part of the Model X community!
 
I love the fake leather although I dont have it. Its your choice. I'd do 7 seater as it comes with A/C in the rear. I got into a big accident and perfectly fine. I have 6 seater and love it.

Do you want custom order or inventory? Lease? What options and color? 75D, 100D, P100D? I can send you some nice configurations if you want.
Got a referral code for FREE lifetime supercharging and $1k off for ordering before 10/31. I am getting prizes like the powerwall, selling it and donating it to charity. Let me know what you exactly want and I can find some cars!
Thanks
 
Hi @spurswin99!

1) I also have the 7 seat config. As I'm sure you know the 7 seat option costs a little bit more, but I think you're completely spot on with getting the 7 seater and just keeping the back rows flat. I'm single and young (I don't have kids) and didn't expect to use all 7 seats much. However I have to say I've used them a lot more than I anticipated, and looking back, I'm so glad I got the 7 seat option and would highly recommend!

2) I don't have any experience with the kids seats in the Model X, but I have some aunts with younger cousins, and I know it was always a huge problem when they tried to put three kids seats in the 2nd row of their Honda SUV. While I know the circumstances are a bit different (3 seats vs 2, Honda vs Tesla), it begs the question of whether two car seats right next to each other would knock against each other or cause discomfort for the children. My hunch is that the middle seat may end up vacant and the two sides will be used.

3) I have heard that the multi-pattern black seats are decent for spills, but that the faux leather seats (and in particular the highly reinforced white leather seats) are far more durable to spills and wear. I personally have the white leather seats, and after 37,000 miles and several nasty spills, they've completely held up.

4) Other than that, I think the MX is like most other cars when it comes to children. The car is definitely very safe to impacts of all kinds and is definitely a solid choice!

Also, you may want to consider ordering by October 31st, since you get $1000 off the purchase price if you use a referral code from certain existing owners and order buy October 31st. If you are in need of a referral code, I have one available, and it'd be cool to have it used since I'm one referral away from a cool milestone. I also have an extra Tesla goodie I won't use that you can have if you want it. If you need the code it's through the this link which routes you through Tesla's site Unlimited Tesla Supercharging and Extended Solar Warranty. Good luck with the new car, you'll love it!
 
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Hi @spurswin99!

1) I also have the 7 seat config. As I'm sure you know the 7 seat option costs a little bit more, but I think you're completely spot on with getting the 7 seater and just keeping the back rows flat. I'm single and young (I don't have kids) and didn't expect to use all 7 seats much. However I have to say I've used them a lot more than I anticipated, and looking back, I'm so glad I got the 7 seat option and would highly recommend!

Same boat, single with no kids.

i have the 7 seat, but it is the mono-post 7 seat config which i hate with a passion.

i drive with the rear seats down all the time to increase usability, and better vision.

however it's nice to have those 2 extra seats in the back for when i have a couple extra to bring along.

the new 7 seat would hopefully have much better vision without the big head rest in the middle sticking up like on mine, but i know for a fact that i will be going 6 seat in the future. :)
 
No offense but if you don’t have kids then there’s no personal experience to share...

I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. I got the X last year when they were 3 and 3 months old. I have the 7 seats monopost (no longer produced for the 7 seater). One thing I want to point out is that the 7 seats is now cheaper than the 6 because of bench configuration vs monopost on the 6.

My 3rd row is usually down most of the time. We have a stroller in the back all the time so we need the space. The stroller still fits with the 3rd row up, just FYI.

1. We love the 7 seats esp with monopost. We have the front facing on one side and the rear facing on the other. One can access the 3rd row with the car seat AND the kid intact. Not sure if the bench can do this. My petite wife can sit in the middle between the kids when needed instead of all the way in the back (but some also say that’s not an issue with wife in the back). New bench seat has lower center headrest which is better for visibility compared to old monopost.

2. See above. One thing to note is that the center seat in the middle row does not have iosfix hooks, which applies to both monopost and bench. So for 7 seaters there are 4 set of isofix anchors. I’d keep the seat on the sides because of much easier access.

3. No experience with cloth but our real black leather is fine with kids. I also don’t baby my car so my experience is not important in this area.

4. Turn on child lock so they can’t open the FWD. Turn off auto present if you have it or risk your child getting hit by the door. Get a lightweight stroller if you intend to use the 3rd row. Wrap your seat backs and race track if you have OCD. If yes on OCD then get also black headliner. Turn off 1-close all doors or risk getting kid hit by FWD.
 
1) We are still awaiting delivery, but the 7 seat layout is one reason we wanted to switch from our current Model S.

2) We have 1 kid with another arriving next month and wanted to be able to haul visiting family members and take short trips with other families in a single vehicle. Most of the time the car seats, and eventually boosters, will be in the middle row and the 3rd row will be folded down for cargo space. Initially we'll be using two child car seats concurrently in the MX: a Britax B-Safe infant seat and a Diono Radian RXT for our pre-schooler, both seats were fine in the MS and have read positive reviews about them in the MX, so we are pretty sure they'll be fine in the MX.

3) We don't have experience with the multi-pattern seats. We went with the cream interior for the MX since we really like having the tan interior in our current MS and it has held up incredibly well (though we've been careful not to allow messy food, drinks other than water, etc).

4) One thing that I'm really happy we did with our MS is getting all-weather mats to use in it. With a toddler, the peace of mind about keeping carpets clean and the ease of cleaning the all-weather mats is really great. I've already ordered the currently available all-weather mats for the MX (waiting for the 2nd row mats to become available for the new 7-seat layout). Relatedly, since day 1 with the MS we kept the entire back seat covered with a light blanket and also used a seat protector under the car seat, so the rear seats are like-new despite having had a toddler in and out many many times. We also got the EVAnnex cargo area protector to keep the back of the MS clean when hauling stuff and will do something similar with the MX.
 
No offense but if you don’t have kids then there’s no personal experience to share...

i didn't say that i'm 1 of 7 children in the household...i have plenty i can share. being single shouldn't discount my credibility thank you very much, (not that offended)

my "kids" are older, ranging from 10-27 and sometimes the parents want a ride as well.

the 3rd row is the most disliked mostly because of the middle mono-post seat in the 7-seat config. as our "kids" have longer legs.

but, it has also been a great feature when i'm a designated driver among 4 or 5 slightly sloshed friends. :D

put simply the middle seat/chair on the second row doesn't get as much use unless somebody is taking up both of the 3rd row seats and the smallest person gets put there. :)

my family begs rides off of me at any given chance! lol
 
Welcome! I might have some great information for you. We ordered our Model X in June and took delivery Sept 12. (X 100D) 7 seat configuration. Here are our thoughts so far (2300 miles into ownership). Full disclosure. We have 4 kids 9-17 (with our 17 being 6'4) 2 english bulldogs + cat... We got the white seats based on the reviews of other owners that had kids/pets... The white interior is REALLY EASY to clean. (As in just wipe it off with a micro fiber). We have new middle row bench. If we take everyone that is 6 people in the X. The back row is a bit tight not just for legroom, but to get your feet actually under the seats. The bench does move, and having fold flat is a huge plus. You DO give up the power seats for the middle row, so it turns into a manual move. (NBD unless you have a 9 and 10 year old that want to always change it. We thought long and hard 6 seat versus 7 seat. We would rather have the fold down bench than the additional room between the seats. (All weather floor mats are not avail for the x yet either. We have had car seats in the X and are easy, much easier than any other car we owned. Hope it helps from this new owner.
 
I have a 2 year old and will have a newborn in a few months. We have a 6 seater (no console), and just past 10,000 miles, so can give you our thoughts.

1. The center aisle is really, really useful. While supercharging or whenever the wife and kid are hanging out in the car while I'm on errands, the kid can roam around the inside of the car. The back seats are down, so she can play in the aisle or the back as she wishes. I assume with the 7 seater, you're either restricted to the middle or the back. Once the second car seat is in, there is even less space in the middle. Our thought is that Wife in the third row can reach both kids in the second row plus have room beside her for baby stuff. If she had to sit in between two car seats, well, I guess it's not my problem.

2. There are some car seats that are especially narrow to accommodate three in a row, which you'll need if you're going to put one in the middle. Most will not fit, however, especially ones with extra side protection. I'm aware that statistically the center is the safest. But given the X's superior side intrusion protection and the extra car seat side protection, I'm comfortable with them in the sides. I'm using Britax Pinnacle and B-Safe 35 Elite, which have the three layered side protection. I've tried the Diono Radian RXT, which is designed to fit 3 in a row. I did not like them. They're a pain in the ass to put in and they feel skimpy on the side protection.

3. I have the white interior. It looks really modern and fresh, and makes it easy to find all the crap the kid loses in the seats. So far, it wipes clean.

4. The 2 year old is now potty trained, but when she has to go, we don't have a lot of time to look for a bathroom. Plus most public bathrooms are nasty. So my wife found out about Kalencom 2-in-1 Potette Plus. This thing is awesome. Pull over to the side of the road, set it up in the center aisle (see, it's so useful!), and you're good to go. Afterwards, a few minutes with Bioweapon Defense Mode, and you're back on the road. Oh, and definitely get the all weather mats because if the kid kicks over the potty, you don't want just carpet.

Last, make sure to use a referral code for your $1000 off. Just PM anyone for it. They call can give you one.
 
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If you're only planning on two kids, the 7 seater would be fantastic and forward thinking. You will be driving other kids around as they get older, and double strollers, in particular, are easier to get out when you don't have to lift as much, which you would have to do if you were putting it in the well in the back. They're just generally heavier and more awkward. We have five kids, but ours are slightly older: 6-12. I do not let anyone eat or drink anything other than water in the car. I have the black interior, which I vacuum out every week or so as dirt seems to show. We have a lot of fall leaf debris now which can make quite the mess. I also suggest that the kids take off their shoes when they get in the car if it's a long ride so they don't scuff it up or get shoe prints on the door. I plan to wrap the seat backs before they get scratched! (Got ours just before Easter). You may want to put a mat down on your seats of some kind if you plan to let them eat in your car. My old car's seats were trashed from food and drink spills at the base of the car seats. Also you will want the all weather mats. Kids love mud and mess!!

I also suggest putting the children on the outer seats. The middle seat is very narrow, and it will be hard to get a good fit, and it will be hard for anyone riding with you to buckle in. I used to have three car seats across in my Navigator, and I had problems with someone unbuckling the non latch car seat when trying to buckle themselves in. It was a huge pain!! Use LATCH when you can; it's much safer in the long run! We only have boosters in ours now, so I don't know how easy it is to install LATCH seats in an X. You will want to take your preferred car seat into a show room to test fit. Narrower bases seem to work better. Our Britax Parkway can barely squeak in if the youngest's main seat is in my husband's car, but I found a more narrow one that fits better.

Outie had some great suggestions above!

We have the 7 seater with monoposts which I love! I can control moving the rear seats back into position when the kids just hop out of the car and leave me hanging, but I use that feature all of the time. If you are only occasionally hauling people, then you will be fine with the new style. We have the tow package, so I'm not worried about being able to flatten all of the seats.

Hide your keys up high. The kids always want to play with the fobs!!
 
We have 2 girls (aged 5 and 8) both in high back boosters. After much thought and research we went with the new 7 seat folding option and white faux leather. The kids will go in the middle row outer seats using the latches and the back row will be only for occasional use by other family and kids friends.

I was initially thinking about the 5 seat option, but it doesn't have the rear HVAC like the 6 and 7 seat options. That was actually the main reason we went for the extra seats.

The 6 seat option looks good if you need to use the rear row seats often, but we couldn't justify the cost and loss of max luggage capacity. So for us I think the 7 seater was the best option. Only time will tell if I was right!
 
1) Given my use case above, do most agree that the 7-seater would make sense for us?
2) Does anyone have experience with child seats in the Tesla? While we only one have child, we would keep the car seat in the middle of the 2nd row, rear facing for at least another year. If we have a second child, we would ideally keep the youngest one rear facing in the middle with the older one front facing on one of the side seats. Would that set up work well? Any suggestions in my thinking?
3) Is the multi-pattern black interior OK with kids and spills? Or might it stain/damage too easily and thus the faux leather would be worth the $3300 upgrade?
4) Any other tips that Model X owners with small children have?

Thanks for the help! I look forward to being part of the Model X community!


1) Reconsider the 6 seater. At the approx. age gap between your kids, they are likely to be drawn to each other intensely, and mysteriously unable to separate when they inevitably start to drive each other crazy. In a few years when your kids start to annoy each other there is a huge advantage to having a chasm in between them. I think in the 6-seater X this behavior is minimized in part because of the design that others on the forum here are fond of. Absolutely leave the rear seats down, but when you need them, the middle row seats slide out of the way nicely without any car seat adjustment.
2) I have a 6yo, a 2yo, and a 6-seater X. I understand the plausible advantages to center placement, but on balance you're driving around in an X. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on center placement.
3) I got black leather. Look, your kids are going to destroy this car either way. You'll still love the car and your kids. Your biggest enemy is obviously crayons, milk spills, and sharp things. I don't know what the right answer is, but I don't think you are crazy if you go with fabric
4) You'll want seat covers obviously, but also covers for the front seats cause your kids will kick at em. Resign yourself somewhat to your kids damaging both the interior and exterior of the car, and have a shopvac handy for quick cleaning. It will be years before they understand why things have value. Consider keeping the FWD buttons a secret from as long as you can, because they will be abused. Be careful about how much you emphasize your love of the car, because your kids will pick up on it and walk around town bringing it up in socially inappropriate ways. "Hi, my name is Timmy, I'm really smart, and my mommy drives a Tesla."
 
I'd echo dmeyer. 6 seats all the way.

We have 2 sons (3 years apart and a bit older) and a 6 seater.

Don't underestimate the advantages of splitting the kids up. The gulf between the 2nd row seats works pretty well. If not, the third row works like a charm -- one kid, each row. Plus, when they travel with friends, you can pair them up.

I think the 3rd row would be of fairly limited utility if you didn't have the aisle to get to them. It's just too cumbersome to move the second row seats to get to the 3rd row.

Final advantage. If you're traveling with a dog, it can easily lie in between the 2 seats in the 2nd row.
 
Summary of my posts in other threads. Two kids, two car seats, new MX. Before buying we actually tried (through loaners and mounting car seats and having kids in there) 7-seat bench seating (only option for current builds for 7 seats), 7-seat monopost config (only available now through CPO/older builds), and 6-seat monopost. Hands down, 6-seat monopost was the best. It is the only config which enables you to keep child seats mounted AND access the 3rd row when you need it, plus removes claustrophobia for 3rd row occupants and allows them to stretch their legs. Plus as driver, you have much better rear visibility. Elon’s favorite config.

If you really don’t care about the rear seats, you can get 5-seat config and save money. But if you ever use them, be prepared to dismount car seats whenever you want someone to get in back there with the 7-seat config, especially with elderly or less limber passengers. It is really pretty obvious if you just go and try out the different configurations live. Finally you need to decide if you want to optimize your MX for cargo or kids. For cargo, nothing beats the 7-seat bench, but it is the worst for child seats unless you like dismounting and mounting seats. For me, seat mounting takes inordinate amounts of time and worry on par with sticking the towing eyebolt in my eye.
 
I have the 7 seats config with 2 kids. Newer bench setup with 2 car seats in the second row. One rear facing in the middle seat using seatbelt and one front facing in outer seat. Working well for us so far. The 3rd row is definitely tight and requires the front 2 rows to move forward by at least 2" for use. Note, height of 3rd row occupants from 5'0 (no space issues) to 5'10" (needs 1st row moved and 2nd row moved forward in order to fit).
 
I've got the 6 seater with two kids. We like the gap between the seats for rear access (if we have adults, my kids go in the way back, if we are hauling friends, they can get back there without moving seats as well). We also like it for road trips, where it houses a cooler or a basket with books, games, etc.

In most configurations, the X is a very good kid hauler. Enjoy whichever configuration you choose!
 
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I have the 7 seats config with 2 kids. Newer bench setup with 2 car seats in the second row. One rear facing in the middle seat using seatbelt and one front facing in outer seat. Working well for us so far. The 3rd row is definitely tight and requires the front 2 rows to move forward by at least 2" for use. Note, height of 3rd row occupants from 5'0 (no space issues) to 5'10" (needs 1st row moved and 2nd row moved forward in order to fit).

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. Liquidtyde - your use case seems to be exactly what I was thinking if/when we have a second kid. How do you feel it is working so far? I wasn't sure whether you could fit 2 next to each other, but it seems like you can.

For all those recommending the 6 seater, I hear where you're coming from, and if I thought we would use the 3rd row even semi-regularly, I would be swayed. But I think it would be very rare that we would have anyone use the 3rd row. Maybe like 3-4 times a year at the most, at least while the kids are in car seats. Once they are in school and in boosters (or once they've outgrown boosters), maybe we'll be carpooling more but by then it shouldn't be as big a deal to put the bench down. Because of that, it's not worth the $3K extra or the loss of the middle seat (which is the safest spot for kids). I have a 24 loaner coming up this week so I'll test it out then
 
Thank you everyone for the recommendations. Liquidtyde - your use case seems to be exactly what I was thinking if/when we have a second kid. How do you feel it is working so far? I wasn't sure whether you could fit 2 next to each other, but it seems like you can.

For all those recommending the 6 seater, I hear where you're coming from, and if I thought we would use the 3rd row even semi-regularly, I would be swayed. But I think it would be very rare that we would have anyone use the 3rd row. Maybe like 3-4 times a year at the most, at least while the kids are in car seats. Once they are in school and in boosters (or once they've outgrown boosters), maybe we'll be carpooling more but by then it shouldn't be as big a deal to put the bench down. Because of that, it's not worth the $3K extra or the loss of the middle seat (which is the safest spot for kids). I have a 24 loaner coming up this week so I'll test it out then

I have a Britax advocate (front facing) and an UppaBaby Mesa infant seat (rear facing; middle seat). We also need the 3rd row at least once a week when the grandparents/relatives come visit. So far it has been no issues but I'm not the one sitting in the 3rd row :p
 
We have the 7 seater (with the fold-flat second row), three kids, and one dog! Our kids are 8, 6 and 1. We wanted the 7 seater so that we could fit three car seats across the second row, and leave the third row folded for the most part - giving us more space for the stroller, kid stuff and the dog. We figure if family are also going to be in the car with us, we'll move the two big kids to the third row freeing up space for two people in the second row.

The 7 seater is likely better for a rear-facing car seat. Rear-facing in the middle seat gives more space for the driver and passenger due to the shape of the driver and passenger seat. We have our Clek Fllo rear-facing in the centre seat, installed with the vehicle seat belt and built-in lock-offs on the car seat (as someone mentioned, centre seat doesn't have latch connectors, but installing with a seatbelt is just as safe). We would struggle to install this car seat as per the car seat manual in any spot except for the middle.. it is a big seat! We may be able to get it in behind the passenger seat, but the passenger would definitely lose a lot, if not most of their leg room. We also use either use two Clek Oobr's either side (high-back boosters that latch in) or Clek Olli's (no-back boosters that also latch in) for our two older kids depending on whether its a short trip or a long trip where they both may fall asleep. The only issue with wide boosters like we have in this configuration is that it is hard for older kids to get their hands between the booster seat and car seat to click in their seat belts. So we generally leave the seat belt belted in, and the kids slide into their booster seats under the seat belt, and then tighten the seat belt once in. Once they get the hang of it, it's faster than waiting for the 6 year old to do up his seat belt haha!!

It is a wide vehicle, so i'm sure you will be able to fit your car seats in as you mentioned.

Clek also makes a "Mat Thingy" that is crash tested with Clek car seats which would go under each seat to protect the vehicle seat. We have never used them in the 8 years we have been using car seats, as long as we vaccum often, it seems to be ok. Be careful with aftermarket seat protectors, unfortunately most are not crash tested and can also prevent car seats from being installed correctly.

We have the multi-pattern black interior, no problems so far. We haven't had the car all that long, but we do have after school activities daily, the kids eat in the car, the dog goes in the car, muddy kids from soccer go in the car, it seems to clean up ok.

We have a pretty big stroller, Bugaboo Buffalo, and it leaves us with tons of trunk space with the third row folded (haven't tried to fit the stroller in with the third row up yet). We also have a double bike trailer/stroller that we use on trails and bike rides (Thule Cross 2 - which is massive) and still leaves us with plenty of trunk space.

With all the kids stuff, we use the frunk for groceries, shopping, etc. Nothing rolls around in there, and its pretty amazing how much stuff you can actually fit in there too!

As others have mentioned, using the childlock on the falcon wing doors. And most of the time my older kids slip off their shoes once they are in the car.. They have a tendency to bounce their legs and kick the seats infront of them, which wouldn't be fun to clean when they have muddy soccer cleats on!!

Good luck!
 
Hello - first post and new to the community. I apologize in advance if this post violates any forum rules or contains duplicate questions - I couldn't find the answers elsewhere and thought some people here might know.

My wife and I are planning on purchasing a Model X this year. Our primary concern is safety, and we have been impressed with all of the features and reviews about the Model X on that score. We have one 2 year old and may have one more child in the next couple years (almost certainly never more than that!). We are planning on the 7 seater. I know that is often disfavored, with many preferring the 6, but our thinking is that we would almost always use the 7 seater like a 5 seater (i.e., with the third row down) and only use the 3rd row on rare occasions when we might need to transport others.

With that in mind, some questions:

1) Given my use case above, do most agree that the 7-seater would make sense for us?
2) Does anyone have experience with child seats in the Tesla? While we only one have child, we would keep the car seat in the middle of the 2nd row, rear facing for at least another year. If we have a second child, we would ideally keep the youngest one rear facing in the middle with the older one front facing on one of the side seats. Would that set up work well? Any suggestions in my thinking?
3) Is the multi-pattern black interior OK with kids and spills? Or might it stain/damage too easily and thus the faux leather would be worth the $3300 upgrade?
4) Any other tips that Model X owners with small children have?

Thanks for the help! I look forward to being part of the Model X community!

I gave 3 kids and love our pedestal model 7 seat. Putting kids in this car is a dream. 7 seats is an absolute must for us. If I was able to deal with 6 seats I would get that as it is easier to stick skis in. And 2x4s.
Forward facing carseats go great in pedestal second row with easy access to third row.