I'm looking at buying a '99 Explorer in great shape w/low miles, but no 3rd seat. The wife is screaming for a minivan, but I might get her on board with the Explorer if we can add a 3rd seat and have at least a little room behind it for groceries, etc. Anyone done this? How'd it turn out? I've found the website littlepassengerseats.com and this option looks attractive, but I'd like to hear from someone else first. Thanks.

 

I put one of those little passenger seats in my '92 (forward facing) when we learned that we wer going to have twins (making 4 kids in all). It works pretty good. There is just enough room for a row of grocery sacks between the seat and the rear hatch. My 9 y.o. is getting uncomfortable back there -- it really is only meant for little people. It is a pain to climb back in there to buckle someone in a car seat or help a little one do up his/her seat belt. Basically this type of 3rd seat works best for 5-9 yo who is big enough to do up her own seat belt (or have the 2nd little one buckle up her seat belt for her) IMO. And, even though there is some room behind the third seat, there will undoubtedly be times when you'll be wishing there was more room (of course, that can be said of mini vans, too). To help get an idea of what it would end up like, find an Expedition or a newer Explorer with the factory third seat. The space between the seat and the rear hatch is approximately the same.

If you decide to install the seat rear facing, there will, of course, be more room for stuff, but there will be a greater temptation to put it in the kids' laps.

It's been a while since I've seen their Caravan, but I didn't think there was that much more room behind my in-law's Caravan than my Explorer ended up with. A Grand Caravan (or equivalent) does have a good amount of room.

IMO, there isn't much on the road today that can compete with a Ford Excursion/Chevy Suburban for hauling both people and cargo (that's the main reason I got my Suburban and my brother picked up an Excursion).

Whatever you decide, remember that you're married to her, not the vehicle. You don't want to twist her arm into getting the Explorer only to have her hate it.

Hope that helps.

 

I would never do this. I'd worry about the anchor points for the seats in an accident and the seat belts. If either of these is even a little off, the person in the seat could be killed in a crash. This was well documented in conversion vans- the seats lifting up off the floor, the seat belts tearing or ripping out, etc. I especally wouldn't put a child back there because they're much smaller. Just spend the extra money and get a 2002 explorer- the safety outweighs the incresed price. I know the website is convincing, but I just don't trust this sort of thing- and the price of the seat could be the difference between the 99 and the 02.