Six Seater Road Trip Worthy with all six seats occupied?

[trekkie]

Hello -

I currently have two EVs, a Bolt and a Fiat 500. These are used to mostly to pop around town, did a small solo roadtrip in the Bolt when I first got it (prior to model 3 release). We have one giant non EV, the Ford Expedition. I also have a wife and four kids.

I've driven EVs enough and the infrastructure is there that the reason to keep that behemoth in the garage barely driven once a month has come and gone. But only if I can make the interior work to take all of us on an 1100 mile one way trek each year.

Infrastructure/charging wise, that can be done no problem now. I work at a place that has free charging as well so my 30 mile commute i will use this for as well works.

What i'm unclear on is if I can really use all six seats. I'm looking at a used 2018 from Tesla, but wanted to see if anyone has taken a couple teenagers and some pre-teens on the road and does everyone fit and not lose feeling in legs?

The tallest among us is my 16 year old, and he's 6'2. I'm 5'10 and usually driving, my 17 year old is 5'2, and the others are under that.

I've got no idea how to test drive for that. Any suggestions?

 

[NewFavThing]

Hi there,

I've a 7-seat Model X that our family of four, with two animals and luggage, regularly fits into comfortably for 3-4 hour trips.

On three occasions I've had seven people in the X for 3+ hours. The upside is everyone fits! I'd definitely put the smaller people in the 3rd row, with the 2nd row seats moved halfway forward to give them some more leg room. The 3rd row windows are on the small side so it can feel a little cramped psychologically. But the kids are usually buried in their phones and don't seem to notice!

If you are traveling with six people, I'd put three into the second row, and one person in back. You can move one of the second row seats forward to give the third-row person some more leg room. If you don't need the extra trunk room for luggage you can have both third-row seats in the up position, which means your third-row passenger can sit slightly sideways (which my sons find more comfortable)

I obviously cannot speak to the 6-seat Model X, but the 7-seater has been extremely versatile for us.

Good luck!

 

[trekkie]

Thanks. i discovered a new six seater w/console at the nearby Tesla dealer as well, going to check that out too. it comes in less expensive than if I do it on the configuration so not sure what I'm missing, but if it's the same I think we'll just get a new instead of a used one from a used car lot.

 

[mxnym]

I don't think you'll have too much trouble (I'd definitely recommend going with a 6 seat, personally I wouldn't want the console, but the 6 seat with console would probably still be better to me than the 7 seat). You may not be able to just walk in and get a test drive, but you should be able to request one. It may be possible to do online, but you should indicate you want to drive with your family of 6 using the 6 seats since they may normally have a 5 seater for test drives and presumably typically plan to ride with you on a test drive. Regardless, if the large SUV literally only comes out once a year, why not ditch it and rent something once a year? Should cost less than paying for maintenance, insurance, and depreciation on the large SUV.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I think a 6 seater would definitely work for you but a 7 seater would probably be too claustrophobic for adults or older children on long rides.

You should mention it to Tesla and see if they can give you a loaner for a weekend. Then you can take it on a short road trip and try it out with the whole family.

 

[trekkie]

, if the large SUV literally only comes out once a year, why not ditch it and rent something once a year? Should cost less than paying for maintenance, insurance, and depreciation on the large SUV.

That was a topic of discussion, unfortunately we didn't think about this until much later in the life of the big SUV. To be honest though, at the time of purchase our 17 year old was 13 and youngest was 3 so the idea of not taking kids everywhere wasn't there. now that it's 4 years later, we thought that was maybe a better plan for the replacement. It's only in the last year that we've parked it in the garage and try to never use it. for the first three years of ownership it was out daily. Since my oldest is entering college locally she's staying with us so we'll need six seater for at least two to four more years anyway, just not the giant cargo room.

I think a 6 seater would definitely work for you but a 7 seater would probably be too claustrophobic for adults or older children on long rides.

You should mention it to Tesla and see if they can give you a loaner for a weekend. Then you can take it on a short road trip and try it out with the whole family.

I'm not that smooth unfortunately as I didn't think of that, but the local Tesla dealer had a white six seater with console in stock sitting there when I went in last night. Between the pedestal the middle row sits on my experiments with it, i think we will be fine with it. Hope so as I put the deposit on it last night

 

[trekkie]

stuffed everyone in it two hours after picking it up, it's either fine or the novelty of the car was so much they didn't notice

my 16 year old son's first reaction was 'oh my god we have a car that opens like the back to the future delorean'

Little did he know I've always wanted doors that opened upward. Wish they were on the front too

 

[Adityarad]

The good thing about the 6 seater is that people in the back seat can stretch their legs in the space between the middle seats. I have driven many times with all 6 seats occupied, it works fine.
the 6 seater is a lot more comfortable than the 7