Hey guys! My wife and I are looking at starting a family soon and seeing as carseat + tC = PITA we are in the market for a different type of car. I was hoping I could get a bit of insight from you xD owners as to whether or not this would be a good choice for us! We've test driven the xD and we both love it. It's small, good looking, and comfortable. Plus the road noise is soooo much better compared to my rattle-box tC.

Here's what I'm wondering:

Can you fit 2 carseats in the back seats of the xD? And how easy are they to get in there? (we are starting with 1 kid soon, but you never know...)

Can you fit a collapsed stroller into the trunk? (this is our main concern)

Basically we both love small cars, but we have to have something that will fit our needs in the long run. On top of that I'm an insurance agent by profession and I drive a LOT so the gas mileage is an issue as well. We've been thinking about the xB2 as well, but neither of us are too keen on it yet... Also, I could probably convince the dealer to swap me almost title for title on the cars... (worst case I'd have to come up with 1-2k tops)

What do you guys think?

 

Hrm... I think two carseats back there would be tight actually. Not completely sure. I would go for the xB-2 honestly since it seems more roomy inside and seems to have that "van" like feel lol.

 

2 car seats fit fine. (+groceries, soccer *****, shoes, cooler, etc.) This car is very versatile with cargo and passengers. I used this car for about 90% of my last move. I even fit a partly disassembled bowflex with my daughter in her car seat.

Gas mileage is fantastic too. I use cruise control a lot and get around 36-40mpg. I already have over 15k on my D and I haven't had any problems...

And no, I don't work for Toyota.

 

I've got two kids that are still in booster seats that I occasionally haul around in my xd, and they are fine in the rear seat. However booster seats don't take up nearly as much room as rear facing car seats that you would put an infant in. I think the xd would be fine for one rear facing seat mounted in the middle of the rear seat, but I bet you'd have to move the front seats forward to mount one directly behind either front seat.

As for the collapsed stroller in the hatch area, I think that is going to depend on the type of stroller. As long as it is a fairly compact stroller you’d be okay.

If it is going to be your only car I’d go for the xb2 for the extra room.

 

Well I have to say the xD has surprised me! I borrowed my friend's stroller and carseat today and lugged them down to the dealership to test out the xD, Corolla, and Matrix (no doubt it would fit in the xB2 as well). Here's the thing, her son has special needs so this is crazy-go-nuts imported stroller from Germany that can take a kid up to 88lbs. The thing is huge! It does fold up, but it's still a beastly thing to fit in a car. We figured if we could fit THIS one inside a car, we'd be more than fine.

It fit in the xD easier than the Corolla AND Matrix. Go figure...

We did have to slide the rear seats forward most of the way to get it in there, but that's not a big deal. Plus, the carseat was easy to get in and out. And best of all, my wife loves the car.

We're leaning this way for now... it has the space we need, while still being plenty small (we both like small cars), and the mileage is a huge plus since I own an insurance agency and do a LOT of driving...

We're going back on Thursday again to do more test drives. Maybe I'll sneak a run in the RS 4 tC they had just for fun...

By the way, what's the mod scene look like so far for the xD? I'm used to there being a bijillion parts available since I own a tC now. Also, do we have any word on the 2009 xD yet?

 

The mod scene is slowly but surely progressing. Most sites don't even have the xD listed yet, but they have the xB2 listed. Figure that one out....

Haven't heard anything on the '09 xD except that people are hoping fogs are a factory option among other things.

 

Hmmm... just trying to determine if it's worth it to buy one this month or wait a bit for the 09's to start wandering in. I know the RS1 is coming along soon as well, but I don't think I'll be jumping on that wagon this time around...

 

I don't think the '09s will be out until at least August to be honest.