Anyone own Volvo SUV?

[cara1]

We want something with extra seating, but DH doesn't want a minivan. He likes the Volvo SUV, but was hoping someone could answer this question. If there are two car seats in the middle row, can the back row still be accessed by additional passengers? And, are the car seats placed side by side (one in the middle) or both outboard?

[Marisa6826]

Cara-

I don't have one YET - but we're planning on getting it soon.

The way you get into the third row, is that the second row slides forward. I'm not sure if you have to fold the second seat, or if you can squeeze in behind.

I know you can do three seats across in the second row - my girlfriend has three little kids and she has them set up this way.

Marinkitty has one, as does mom2kandj. I think there are a few other owners here too.

-m

[cara1]

How can you slide the second row forward if the car seat is anchored/tethered???
Marisa, please check out my post in Reality Layette (TIA).

[Marisa6826]

Good question. Maybe another Mommy can answer.

-m

[muskiesusan]

The tether anchor is on the back of the seat you are moving, so it is not affected when you pull the seat forward. The seat sliding forward is nice to give those in the 3rd row more leg room, but you still have to tilt the seat forward in order to climb into the 3rd row. We have a FF Marathon and a RF Roundabout in the outbound seats, making our 3rd row unaccessible. The RA is behind the passenger seat, and it is a tight fit. The front seat is pulled almost all the way forward and the seat the RA is in cannot be moved forward at all for the additional leg room in the 3rd row (does that make since?). I have thought about putting the RA in the middle, but am afraid Nick will be a little too attentive to the baby, KWIM?

I love this car, and I cannot say enough good things about it. I had a 4-Runner previously, and the Volvo drives like a car, not a truck. Also, I don't have to have a step ladder to get into it. I love the built in booster seat, and the fact that seat moves forward as well. The 3rd row seating is pretty comfortable, which was not true of some of the SUVs with 3rd rows.

I do wish, however, the 3rd row was more accessible. I don't know why they don't have the option to configure the seats more like a minivan with 2 seats in the middle and 3 in the back. But I'm not a car designer, so I am probably missing something! We hardly use the 3rd row, just needed it as an option for when relatives are visiting.

On a side note, my DH was completely against a minivan, and I wasn't totally sold on the idea either, which is how we ended up with the XC90. Well, the jokes on him, as his new company car is a Towne and Country!!

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01/01
& Alex 04/27/04

[marinkitty]

Well, I haven't tried it yet in ours, but I suspect that if you put the two carseats outbound, you wouldn't be able to access the third row unless the person climbed over the back of the seats from the rear. We have a Roundabout behind the passenger seat now and there is no way you could tilt the seat to get into the third row on that side. I really think the third row becomes useful with older kids who are either in boosters or do not need any kind of extra seat.

It is possible you could do it with the seats in the outbound and middle positions though the middle seat is a bit narrow so I wonder if the carseat would "overflow" into the other outboard seat and prevent it from coming forward as needed to get into the third row.

All that said, we LOVE our XC90. And even now, when we can use the third row because only one side is blocked off, we have only used it about 3 times, so I suspect we'll get by with the relative inconvenience of having it blocked off for a couple of years while we have two in full carseats. Then, in the heavy-duty carpool years it will be handy.

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03)
Another March baby EDD (3.22.05)

http://lilypie.com/days/050322/0/0/1/-6/.png

[Java]

Wow this is weird. DH and I were just talking about the Volvo SUV this afternoon. We don't know anyone who has one so I'm glad someone brought this up!

I'm wondering how much "trunk" space it has. Can it hold a dual stroller? A Kettler? Golf clubs?

We're considering the Expedition because we carry a lot of stuff when we visit my family - 8 hour drive, week long trip so you can imagine all the stuff we bring. I half jokingly told DH that we need to rent a U-Haul trailor when we have 2 kids. As it is, we're practically busting out with 1 baby and a dog in a Passat Wagon with a Thule bullet.

I really like the look of the Volvo but am afraid it may not be big enough.

[mom2kandj]

Here's what we do. For our family of four, we always have DS in a Marathon FF on the driver's side 2nd row. DD rides in a Graco Turbobooster on the passenger outboard 2nd row. If we take a fifth body, depending on the length of the ride, DD either slides to the center in her TB or we belt the TB into the third row and DD rides in the center integrated booster with another passenger in the outboard seat. In the unlikely event that we carry six or seven, DD's TB is in the third row. The configurability gets better as your kids get older and move to boosters! (DS is another story and will stay harnessed for a lonnnng time!)

As for the question of storage space, with the third row put away, we have plenty of room on long road trips. We used to have an 2002 Expedition which had the third row that you propped up. Our storage space is the same or better now. Where you really notice a difference between the Expedition and the XC90 is the space across the width of the car and also the leg room of the 2nd row. HTH!


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02

[muskiesusan]

With the third row down, I haul an Aria twin, Pilko, and a Volo all the time. They fit perfectly on the floor and cover pretty much all the space available.

HTH

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01/01
& Alex 04/27/04