Would you like to be a rear facing seat passenger in sunny weather?

[Trnsl8r]

Thought about this a couple of times but never brought it up, but has anyone considered how the kids in the rear facing trunk seats would fare on a road trip in sunny weather. We have sun protection in the pano roof, but the kids would be baking under the rear window and that doesn't seem tinted at all. Does anyone have plans for what kind of third-party screens or something to put up there, or should we expect TM to provide something?

Thoughts?

 

[Arnold Panz]

I "only" have three kids, so I envision using the rear seats for short haul trips when we're carpooling, taking nieces and nephews (or other adults) to a restaurant or game or something. For a long road trip, I'd put all three in the back seat and use the trunk for storage. This is what we do now, even with my wife's 3-row SUV. The third row only gets used when there are extra people and/or there is fighting or something between the kids, but that's pretty rare.

I just don't imagine sitting back there, after the novelty wears off, being fun at all to be not facing the rest of the passengers and riding backwards for more than thirty minutes.

BMW has those awesome automatic sun screens on all the windows, but I'm definitely assuming I would need to buy the standard kids screens for back there, even for short trips. I live in Florida, and even with tinted windows it will be way to sunny for anyone to be back there with no way to block the sunlight, even on a short trip.

 

[spatterso911]

Since the seats can be installed at any time, I will hold off and see if enough events occur where I will wish I had the seats to justify putting them in, since it involves a few other compromises.

 

[kevincwelch]

Since the seats can be installed at any time...

Really? That's nice!

Is this in print somewhere, or did you hear this from a rep?

I could use the rear-facing seats, but not sure if I really want to be the "carpool" car.

 

[brianman]

Really? That's nice!
Is this in print somewhere, or did you hear this from a rep?
I could use the rear-facing seats, but not sure if I really want to be the "carpool" car.

I had internalized this as "fact" as well. I don't recall where I heard it officially though.

 

[Lyon]

Really? That's nice!

Is this in print somewhere, or did you hear this from a rep?

I could use the rear-facing seats, but not sure if I really want to be the "carpool" car.

I was told the same thing by a rep at the Fremont event. He said that they could be installed, or removed, at any time. I don't think that they're necessarily designed to be taken in and out by the consumer though.

 

[Trnsl8r]

I was told the same thing by a rep at the Fremont event. He said that they could be installed, or removed, at any time. I don't think that they're necessarily designed to be taken in and out by the consumer though.

Yeah... wondering if this doesn't fall in the same category as the twin chargers, that can be added later... in theory.

 

[mikevbf]

Most test drivers have reported that they feel ok without a shade over the pano roof even on a hot day. Is the rear glass made of the same or equivalent glass?

 

[Trnsl8r]

Most test drivers have reported that they feel ok without a shade over the pano roof even on a hot day. Is the rear glass made of the same or equivalent glass?

My understanding is that the pano roof is heavily tinted, but the rear window is "normal".

 

[strider]

You can always have it tinted in the aftermarket.

I had many rides in the rear-facing seats in a Buick Roadmaster station wagon back in the day. And this was in Oklahoma so it was HOT back there. I survived but would have loved A/C vents back there.

 

[kevincwelch]

Rear facing? Here comes the vertigo...

The last time I faced the rear in any travel was in 1988 flying in the passenger seats of a C5 Galaxy. Talk about wanting to hurl during take-off!!!!
:scared:

 

[Arnold Panz]

I used to get nausea in my friend's parent's station wagon when I was a kid in the 70s riding in the rear facing back seats, but only when the window was open, so we assumed it was the exhaust form the car, not from riding backwards.

 

[jive_devil]

My understanding is that the pano roof is heavily tinted, but the rear window is "normal".

I asked a rep at the L.A. test drive even this precise question, and he told me that while the rear window is not tinted, it otherwise has the same heat-resistant/reflective qualities of the panoramic sunroof.

They also mentioned that the rear seats were supposed to be the "safest" seats in the entire car, although I suspect it's because of the 5 point harness as much as the actual seat location.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Yes, with the 5-point harness, it'd not be as weird-feeling going "backwards" as it'd be without (I absolutely detest sitting the 'wrong' way on a train or a bus).

Speaking of the 5-point harness, I'd have loved to have a 5-point harness option for the driver's seat; would have loved to do some spirited driving with that

 

[VolkerP]

They also mentioned that the rear seats were supposed to be the "safest" seats in the entire car, although I suspect it's because of the 5 point harness as much as the actual seat location.

I think this safety rating is biased with the probability of getting rear-ended vs being in a frontal crash. The 3rd row occupants have very good chances to survive even the most horrific frontal crashes (imagine >75mph) . Most fatalities are in frontal crashes at high speeds.

 

[Jeeps17]

I had many rides in the rear-facing seats in a Buick Roadmaster station wagon back in the day. And this was in Oklahoma so it was HOT back there. I survived but would have loved A/C vents back there.

I have four young kids, and thus will need to use the jumpseats fairly regularly. I had asked this question a while ago, but now that the production cars are out, could anyone going to a test drive event inquire as to whether there is any ventilation for these passengers?

 

[Bound466]

You can always have it tinted in the aftermarket.

I had many rides in the rear-facing seats in a Buick Roadmaster station wagon back in the day. And this was in Oklahoma so it was HOT back there. I survived but would have loved A/C vents back there.

It would be great if the rear-facing seat option came with a couple more vents to blow in the back area for the kids. I'm hoping though that enough air gets back there. I'm definitely tinting though

 

[Teslawisher]

I asked a rep at the L.A. test drive even this precise question, and he told me that while the rear window is not tinted, it otherwise has the same heat-resistant/reflective qualities of the panoramic sunroof.

They also mentioned that the rear seats were supposed to be the "safest" seats in the entire car, although I suspect it's because of the 5 point harness as much as the actual seat location.

First... Welcome to the forum!

It would seem a bit odd to me that if the rear window truely did have the same heasistant/reflective qualities as the pano, why aren't both tinted? Or, why are both not?

 

[Trnsl8r]

First... Welcome to the forum!

It would seem a bit odd to me that if the rear window truely did have the same heasistant/reflective qualities as the pano, why aren't both tinted? Or, why are both not?

Well, the roof is really heavily tinted, so I'm thinking that's a bit too much for a window that you have to see out of, but I would think the rear facing seats should come with some sort of overheating protection, such as (removable) screen and ventilation. Although I did notice they get something the regular back seat doesn't: a cup holder! They little ones won't be thirsty.

 

[NigelM]

Thought about this a couple of times but never brought it up, but has anyone considered how the kids in the rear facing trunk seats would fare on a road trip in sunny weather. We have sun protection in the pano roof, but the kids would be baking under the rear window and that doesn't seem tinted at all......

Thoughts?

I wouldn't chance it in FL, but I could see it being OK in other parts of the country.