Question about interior size/feasibility of Prius.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 10:36 AM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

When we started our family I drove a Accord hatchback which was comparable in size/shape to the Prius (aside, we got 20 good years out of the car!). It was fine with one child, but when 2nd arrived we needed bigger and got a Sienna. If you are going to be doing camping you will want extra space sooner.

Since you are thinking a few years before starting a family I would get the Prius and when the extra space is needed get the minivan (or SUV if that is your style). Uae the larger car for trips and the Prius around town. Works for us.

I was just talking to a co-worker who bought a large SUV while single, not dating, with the expectation of starting a family. I've never met a guy planning ahead like this!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 10:36 AM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to PriusChat! Here are a few discussion threads that should help with your questions.

"What's the most you've hauled in your Prius?" http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=15548
On carseats: http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=6305
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1434
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=8063

Hope those are helpful! Good luck with your decision, and let us know what else we can help with!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 10:36 AM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

We have twin girls, 7, and fit just fine. My wife drives a highlander hybrid, so when we want to trek somewhere with other folks, or camp, we take that. As a day-to-day vehicle for 4, the Prius is excellent, adn the girls prefer it. If we had just the Prius and rented the occasional behemoth, we'd be just as fine. For short camping or ski trips, we can fit ok in the Prius, though.

When the girls were infants and the child seats were reversed it was cramped in our (then daily driver) 325. On a whim, i dragged the car seats out and tried them backwards in the Prius and it was a bit better than the 325. Strollers, luggage, et al are minor, compared to those child safety seats. That first year is when you've got the biggest challenge in hauling stuff around constantly, i think. When we put the child seats in 'facing forward', we got a lot of space back. If we had triplets, we'd have been in a world of hurt.

We're light-to-medium packers. We have friends that carry less, and a few that can't venture out the door without a whole lot more than would fit in the Prius.

 

There's a weight capacity of just over 800 pounds. Is this a problem for anyone?

 

There are four of us. The wife myself and two girls 12 and 15. Both girls are tall 5'6 and 5'8 I am 6' we have no trouble with the day to day grind. The wife also has a Highlander but we take the prius most everywhere. So far we have enough room.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 12:36 PM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

Our new Prius works well for my wife and I + 2 kids (8 and 11 year olds) and our 20lb. wirefox terrier (he needs a new restraining order). If you're thinking of starting a family, it's a nice consideration going hybrid for the planet your kids' will be inheriting. It used to be that parents always wanted for the next generation to be better off than they were. Few people reallize that a boatload of cash in a trust fund won't help much in a hurricane, flood or dustbowl climate.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(idaten @ May 26 2006, 01:55 PM) [snapback]261422[/snapback]</div>

The rear-facing baby seats are the big thing. When I was shopping for my previous vehicle I chose a Subaru Outback in part because the back seat had enough room to put in a rear-facing car seat without scooting the driver seat forward. (Many SUVs don't have this room!). When I switched to the Prius I sat in the back seat (no longer need a rear-facing car seat!) and was nicely surprised at the leg room, so I think it can handle the car seats also. Once that hurdle is out of the way, you can make everything else fit. If it really comes down to it, a luggage rack on top or add the hitch receiver and a luggage rack in the back, and it should be fine.

OTOH, I grew up in the late 70's when 5 of us would take 7-hour trips in the middle of winter from MN to ND in a little Mazda GLC. That got a little cramped after awhile :blink: So plug in a portable DVD player in the Prius, and this is a breeze, comparatively speaking. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 10:36 AM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

Heck! I have vivid memories of a family trip in a VW Beetle! Family of five, I was 13 or 14 with 2 younger sisters. Trip was a 3-week road trip from Illinois to the East Coast and down the coastline, including DC, Monticello, Williamsburg, etc. And so home to IL.

Because luggage space was limited, we had to find a laundromat about every 2 days, but other than that, I don't recall too many problems...

Can't imagine doing that with my boys at the same ages, though!

But the Prius: well, you can probably make that work if it's not your only car (or you rent a behemoth when you need it, as someone suggested).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 10:36 AM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

Our Honda Accord V6 was recently hit by a city bus and totaled (fortunately, no one was in the car at the time.) We actually replaced that car with the Prius because it was roomier inside than the old Accord, and roomier than the current Accord Hybrid when we test-drove it.

We have a 1 year old in a rear facing car seat, and the driver has plenty of room to adjust the seat forwards or backwards (not true of our old Accord.) Sitting next to her in the back we also have a 5 year old in a booster seat. With the kids loaded up and two adults in the front, there's still plenty of room in the back for groceries, and the hatchback is easier for loading and unloading things like the stroller compared to our old Accord. Headroom for the front passengers is also better in the Prius than our old Accord. I haven't sat in back yet, so I can't comment on it's headroom or available width for adult hips and shoulders.

I find the front seats comfortable, but people have complained on this site that they don't like them much. We haven't had a long road trip in the car yet, and so I can't say if they would become uncomfortable on longer stretches. Most of our driving is around town however, and for that, the car is a perfect family car. Even in the past with our Accord, if we were going up to the mountains to ski or whatever, we typically would rent a 4WD vehicle to carry our luggage and equipment anyway. We will probably continue this practice with the new Prius as well.

Hope this helps,

Peter.

 

One other thing you might consider is renting a Prius. Our local Toyota dealer had a few in his rental fleet, and we got one for few days to try out. We've always found we need a little more than a "test drive" to see if we really like a car or not, and so having the Prius for a weekend (Friday through Monday, actually) was very helpful.

Peter.

 

The bottom line is, aside from kids, how "light" or "heavy" you travel. If you were raised with roomy vehicles, you may be used to the luxury of being able to pack things---such as folding chairs, rolled-up foam pads, even portable picnic tables---that most don't. In this case, can you adjust to getting by with necessities on a camping trip?

My wife is famous for packing enough food and drink to feed an army when we go on any ride longer than 3 hours. You would not believe it! Our Prius looks as if it's going to Alaska on many Sunday drives.

Another good reason to rent one for 3 days. Take it home and pack it up!

 

We have a newborn and 3 1/2 year old in our 2006 Prius. Our toddler has a regular, forward facing toddler seat installed on the driver side. I borrowed the Graco car seat system (with bases and stroller) for our newborn.

The Graco base doesn't fit in the middle position -- there just isn't enough room for the base next to our toddler seat. We tried with two different toddler seats.

So we have the Graco base installed on the passenger side. But this position forces the passenger seat to be pushed so far forward that I barely fit.

So many people on this thread recommend the Graco... and I wonder if we are doing something wrong in our installation?!? Are there any other carseats that families (convertibles or systems) recommend as a good fit in the Prius -- particularly ones that allow the front seats to be pushed back as far as possible.

 

no, I would not..not for a 'normal' family anyway.

 

I think the Prius is a wonderful family car. It's bigger than it looks from the outside, and holds an amazing amount of stuff. Our family of four camped across Canada for a month last summer, and everything - tents, sleeping bags, foamies, food, stuffed animals (no, I don't mean us ) stove, fridge - fit in somehow. Mind you, I'm used to solo bicycle camping, so the Prius feels pretty luxurious in comparison.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 01:36 PM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

If you get a chance to check out the prius you should be pleasantly surprised at how roomy it is for 4 adults. There is more leg room in the back seat than the Camry. I'm 5'10" 250 pounds and find the back seat more spacious than necessary. If I could redesign it I would match it to the Camry which I am very comfortable in the back seat of and add another inch to the cargo area or the front seat. The Prius has lots more leg room in the back than our previous "SRV" pontiac aztek which I think is the same as the Buick Rendevous. The front seats are more than adequate too.

What the Prius lacks in the back is width. I had to share the back seat with 2 other adults for about 45 minutes and that was more than enough, not because of seat comfort ( I find the back seat more comfortable than the front) but because it is too narrow for 3 average american adults (the other 2 are not overweight, but if I were 100 pounds lighter I still don't think I'd find it comfortable).

What was not addressed in the other replies is the other aspects of comfort. If you get an extended test drive (strongly recommended no matter what new vehicle you consider) you will find that the Prius is very quiet, smooth running and riding. It handles well (definitely not a miata, but not a cement truck either) and I find the power steering perfect.

My wife was concerned about the pollution aspect of the car to take a test drive, but once she test drove one she HAD to have one she loved it that much. The features that you won't find on most cars in this price range helped alot, although the prius is really in the Camry's price range there are features you can't find on most cars at any price such as the backup camera on package 2 and up on the '06.

For those rare events that you really need a suv, rent one, the gas savings will probably more than pay for it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NatureGirl @ May 26 2006, 01:36 PM) [snapback]261376[/snapback]</div>

Pleny of room. In fact you could easily use the back seat area to start a family.