1
2
GTO:
MINI:
etc, etc, etc...
We may be looking at a car to replace our smashed WRX soon and something fun would be nice. Problem is we have 3 kids. They are kids of course so they don't take up much room. 
, but we do need 3 rear seats. Token seats are fine BUT WE NEED 3 #$%#$ REAR SEATS! Cross the MINI and the GTO off of the list. 
Try the Hyundai Elantra, be prepared for a big surprise, my 6'3" son rides fine in the rear, I have transported wheelchairs in the trunk and mine is a stick. 
Well, both the GTO and MINI are sold as 4-seater cars, so I'm not following you. Cars have been sold with 4 seats for decades (66 Charger comes to mind...). If you want 5 seats, shop 5-seater cars.
Mazdaspeed3 /thread?
In reply to aussiesmg:
So, tell us about your Elantra. Do you like it?
Gee, a Mini isn't a 5 seat car? Who knew?
Aside from the cars you mentioned not being sold with 3 seatbelts in the back seat, don't you think putting 3 kids back there would be difficult?
neon4891 wrote:In reply to aussiesmg:
So, tell us about your Elantra. Do you like it?
You just love to poke the bear don't you Neon 
um....try an 08+ wrx. The rear seat is flattish, and it has about 3-4" more legroom than the 07 and earlier models ;)
3rd kid in trunk. Problem fixed.
Man, something like this would be perfect!
Get a crown vic, two parents up front and three suspects in the back!
I added the Saturn sedan rear seat belts to my SC2 so we could put a car seat in the middle. Something like that might be possible on the GTO. Coupes and car seats don't work terrible well together regardless.
I'm in for MS3, too. They depreciate fast, have manual transmissions, and are really fun to drive.
The point is that I keep thinking about cool cars and finding out the rear only fits two. Sucks! Used to be they shoved as many seats in every car as possible, not so anymore.
benzbaron wrote:Get a crown vic, two parents up front and three suspects in the back!
Lol-they are 6/5/1. I hope I have a few more years before I worry about them becoming suspects.
dyintorace wrote:Man, something like this would be perfect!
Evil evil man.
(Sadly I doubt it would make sense financially to have our reliable car be an M5 )
I couldn't fit three car seats in the back of the E39 which is why I switched it up to a Mazda5 but it won't win on the auto-x course.
While you're complaining about 3 seats, can we add complaining about rear leg room in supposed "family" cars. My XR4TI has significantly more rear leg room than a new Focus, Mazda 3, Sentra, etc., and it only has TWO DOORS!
Why shop small coupes with 3 small kids? Even a small 4 door would be better.
Allow me to put on my tinfoil hat for a minute, but I blame the government. Before you declare me a paranoid idiot, follow my logic for a minute. I'm 36 years old, when I was a kid once you broke 40 pounds you were out of the 'baby seat' and could sit anywhere in the car you wanted. In its constant quest to eliminate any kind of possible injury, the government started mandating how long kids had to be in car seats and have been constantly extending it. Now kids can't get out of a booster seat until they're 4'9", 80 lbs or 8 years old (at least here in Ontario). If a family has 3 kids, odds are there is less than 8 years difference between the oldest and the youngest. Ever tried squeezing two baby seats and a booster seat in the rear of a car? Those seats take up a lot of space. Unless you're driving a Crown Vic or something large like that, it's a very difficult task (at least according to my brother who now has 4 kids). This is what has forced the explosion of 3rd row seats, minivans, etc. Carmakers have realized that having a third seat in the back seat is almost useless unless all of a family's kids are older than 8 years old so they're saving the money of an extra seatbelt in the back of non-family cars that may have had 3 seats 20 to 40 years ago - wasn't the original GTO a 5 seater or am I mistaken?
That's my ridiculous thought of the day.
Bob
darkbuddha wrote:While you're complaining about 3 seats, can we add complaining about rear leg room in supposed "family" cars. My XR4TI has significantly more rear leg room than a new Focus, Mazda 3, Sentra, etc., and it only has TWO DOORS!
Your Xr4ti is the same size of a 2011 Focus. It is easier to get more room in a 2 door than a 4 door if they are the same size car. So either the Focus is a small "family" car or the Merkur is a large coupe, your choice.
In reply to Schmidlap:
Bob-yep, gubments and our fault. Bigger outside, smaller inside. Fatter walls are safer. Fatter seats are more comfy. We hate sacrificing comfort. Why shove a family in a little car when for only $x more a month you can have a bigger car. I want the option of something fun for the 95% of the time it is just her, and something we can survive when she hauls the kids.
In all seriousness, why not buy back the WRX and swap the bits into a Forrester? You end up with a super cool car. In the meantime, pick up a P71 for family hauling. Call me if I can help.
Build this!
Datsun1500 wrote: Your Xr4ti is the same size of a 2011 Focus. It is easier to get more room in a 2 door than a 4 door if they are the same size car. So either the Focus is a small "family" car or the Merkur is a large coupe, your choice.
Sometimes, but not always... the 4 door XR4i (never sold in the US) had the exact same interior dimensions on the same wheel base. They just moved the B pillar forward and shortened the front doors to make room for the rear doors:
3 door XR4TI:
5 door XR4i:
Same size, same wheelbase, same interior, just two extra doors. And still has more leg room than modern hatches the same size. I know why, I just don't like it.
Here's one nearby. Sell the running drivetrain for recoup.
