Liberty as a family vehicle?

Ally · 12-29-2005, 11:03 PM

I'm new here and not sure if this is the right forum or not. I have an 02 Liberty Ltd that I just love. Currently, I'm pregnant with our second child and am nervous about fitting 2 car seats in the back. Do any of you have experience with this? Our older son is in a forward facing booster seat and I'll need to add a rear facing infant carrier seat and later a rear facing regular seat.

Please don't tell me it's time to get a minivan. I don't think I could handle that!

Thanks,
Ally

madmanfrommars · 12-30-2005, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ally

Please don't tell me it's time to get a minivan. I don't think I could handle that!

Hahaha

Anyway, I mean you've probably seen that the rear seat space in the back is somewhat lacking, although for small children it probably wouldn't be that bad (although I have no direct experience stuffing children in my car).

bhysjulien · 12-30-2005, 01:17 AM

My wife and I have a 2 year old that sits in a car seat in the back. We are planning on having more children and are going to keep the Libby. I don't think more than 2 kids could fit back there but 2 should be fine. The only change we are going to make is to go from our 02 Libby to a CRD.

Fouros · 12-30-2005, 03:33 AM

i have a 4 1/2 year old and a 5 1/2 year old and have no problems with them in the back

(apart from the standard fighting )

gonz165 · 12-30-2005, 06:52 AM

We've got two kids with two car seats. Have a rear-facing infant seat on one side and just exchanged a forward-facing seat for a booster seat on the other side. Both fit just fine, although you then have no room for other passengers. (Space in the middle becomes the toy holding area.) The Liberty is just about the perfect size for a family of four, but if a third kid comes along, there isn't anymore room. That's probably true with anything less than 3-row seating. Personally, I wouldn't go the mini-van route. I'd rather get a Commander or some other 3-row SUV.

Ally · 12-30-2005, 09:40 AM

Thanks everybody, I'm feeling a little better. gonz165, were you able to use the front passenger seat with legroom with a rear facing seat behind it? I don't want to have the rear seat in the middle, right next to the other car seat. That seems like asking for trouble.

We plan to get out the other car seat this weekend and try it out. My husband has a Grand Cherokee and I'm sure that'll be fine. I could get one of those, but my Liberty is pretty loaded and I love it and don't want to give it up! I'm nearing 60,000 miles and was thinking about siderails, but don't want to put $ into a vehicle I won't keep.

Thanks,
Ally

Tightwadsjeeper · 12-30-2005, 10:28 AM

You'll be fine... different car seats take up more or less room... look around and don't just grab the first one you see.

Depending on the model of car seat, you can even get the two car seats in (one side, one in the middle) and still have room for a third kid (not in a car seat) on one side.

Oh yeah... there's still room behind the passenger seat with a (forward facing) car seat behind it... you just can't recline it too far.

Luis

acatd · 12-30-2005, 01:09 PM

You can easily fit the the booster and car seat in it. My girlfriends neice and nephew both fit perfect in my liberty. He is in a front facing seat now and she just got a booster. They fit great, When he was in the rear facing it fit fine. My girl is 5'10 and I'm 5'11 and we had more than enough leg room even when we had the other seats. Don't put them together, thats asking for trouble and a headache, but you will still have room inbetween them for the bags, makes a great seperator for them to.

Blue56 · 12-30-2005, 03:17 PM

And remember all that noise comming from the back seat is the sound of America's future and that future is looking bright indeed. (with all due apologies to our northern friends)

Valkraider · 12-30-2005, 04:03 PM

We have fit three child seats in the back seat of our CRD.

Well, 2 boosters (that are large but use the Jeep seat belts) and one forward facing carseat.

It was MIGHTY crowded and took forever and a lot of cussing and pinched fingers to put them all in - as you can't really get to the seat belt latches when all three seats are in there.

For all intents and purposes, 2 child seats is all you can get in the back.

**mytjtoy** · 12-30-2005, 08:17 PM

We have 3 daughters and my wife hauls them around all day in the Liberty, however, they are cramped and argue more (she touched me, she is on my side etc). One more year and our oldest (13) will be big enought for us to comfortably have her sit in the front passenger seat!

lucas/liberty · 12-30-2005, 08:21 PM

i wouldnt trust any other vehicle for my wife and son, the libby is the best for my family...by the way my wife just loves her '02 libby...

danoid · 12-30-2005, 08:36 PM

The only concession I made to the kids was the Mopar seat covers. When they're two, their legs are just the right length to get their muddy feet on the back of the front seat.

I now have a 4 and 2 year old and they're kicking washable nylon instead of leather.

2005 CRD Limited Flame Red w/ Renegade rock rails & light bar, AirLift rear helper springs -225/75R16 MT/R's on cheap black steel wheels, dual MOPAR subwoofers & seat covers.

gonz165 · 12-31-2005, 05:09 PM

Our car seats are on the larger end, so we did have to sacrifice some leg room up front to get them both in. The rear-facing infant seat is on the passenger side with the passenger seat having to move about an inch or so more forward than would be ideal for the wife. I just gained another inch of reclining space with the use of the booster in place of the forward-facing seat on the driver's side. I must say I had to take a dramatic pause as I reflected upon the significance of removing the one car seat and installing the booster seat. They're only young once...

At once point I tried to install the first car seat in the center, but the latches are only installed on the left or right sides. The center requires use of the seat belt, and I felt more comfortable using the latches.

The leather has held up relatively well, considering how many foot prints I'm constantly wiping off.

x99j · 01-01-2006, 05:20 AM

we have an 8 month old facing rear in the center and a 2 year old facing forward on the side. both seats fit well because of the ancors in the crease of the seat. we hate mini vans so we chose the liberty because of the room in the back seat. the only problem i see is the two year old puts her feet on the seat in front. but other that that two cars seats work out great, and the liberty has been a fine family car. mike

12-30-2005, 10:28 AM	#7
Tightwadsjeeper Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Tampa Florida Posts: 149 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	You'll be fine... different car seats take up more or less room... look around and don't just grab the first one you see. Depending on the model of car seat, you can even get the two car seats in (one side, one in the middle) and still have room for a third kid (not in a car seat) on one side. Oh yeah... there's still room behind the passenger seat with a (forward facing) car seat behind it... you just can't recline it too far. Luis __________________ 2005 Bright Silver Rocky Mountain Edition Liberty 4x4 with Tow pkg, Trac-loc, and 3.7L engine. Have had CJ5, CJ7, and TJ. Wife has 2005 White Liberty Sport.

12-30-2005, 01:09 PM	#8
acatd Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 31 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	You can easily fit the the booster and car seat in it. My girlfriends neice and nephew both fit perfect in my liberty. He is in a front facing seat now and she just got a booster. They fit great, When he was in the rear facing it fit fine. My girl is 5'10 and I'm 5'11 and we had more than enough leg room even when we had the other seats. Don't put them together, thats asking for trouble and a headache, but you will still have room inbetween them for the bags, makes a great seperator for them to. __________________ 2005 Liberty Renegade: Light Bar, Underside armor, rock rails, class 3 Tow Package, GPS, Fog lights, Still built like a tank!!

12-30-2005, 04:03 PM	#10
Valkraider Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 362 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	We have fit three child seats in the back seat of our CRD. Well, 2 boosters (that are large but use the Jeep seat belts) and one forward facing carseat. It was MIGHTY crowded and took forever and a lot of cussing and pinched fingers to put them all in - as you can't really get to the seat belt latches when all three seats are in there. For all intents and purposes, 2 child seats is all you can get in the back. __________________ [URL=http://www.biodiesel.org]Biodiesel[/URL]: No war required.

12-30-2005, 08:21 PM	#12
lucas/liberty Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: reno,NV Posts: 344 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	i wouldnt trust any other vehicle for my wife and son, the libby is the best for my family...by the way my wife just loves her '02 libby... __________________ ...you dont stop playing just because you get old, you get old because you stop playing... ...If a man speaks in the woods where there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? Wife=2002 jeep liberty sports traded it in for an RX330 lexus ===2007 nissan Xterra X

01-01-2006, 05:20 AM	#15
x99j Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ohio Posts: 420 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	we have an 8 month old facing rear in the center and a 2 year old facing forward on the side. both seats fit well because of the ancors in the crease of the seat. we hate mini vans so we chose the liberty because of the room in the back seat. the only problem i see is the two year old puts her feet on the seat in front. but other that that two cars seats work out great, and the liberty has been a fine family car. mike __________________ 99xj, 4.0, aw4, nv 231 d-30, 8.25. dessert sand pearl. former rent a car from Enterprise. great shape! 06 kj 3.7l, 6speed manual, np241 command track 91 yj 2.5l, ax-5, np 231 3 inck lift, 31'' mud rovers

12-30-2005, 01:17 AM	#3
bhysjulien Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ND Posts: 66 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	My wife and I have a 2 year old that sits in a car seat in the back. We are planning on having more children and are going to keep the Libby. I don't think more than 2 kids could fit back there but 2 should be fine. The only change we are going to make is to go from our 02 Libby to a CRD.

12-30-2005, 06:52 AM	#5
gonz165 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: ohio Posts: 178 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	We've got two kids with two car seats. Have a rear-facing infant seat on one side and just exchanged a forward-facing seat for a booster seat on the other side. Both fit just fine, although you then have no room for other passengers. (Space in the middle becomes the toy holding area.) The Liberty is just about the perfect size for a family of four, but if a third kid comes along, there isn't anymore room. That's probably true with anything less than 3-row seating. Personally, I wouldn't go the mini-van route. I'd rather get a Commander or some other 3-row SUV.

12-30-2005, 09:40 AM	#6
Ally Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Thanks everybody, I'm feeling a little better. gonz165, were you able to use the front passenger seat with legroom with a rear facing seat behind it? I don't want to have the rear seat in the middle, right next to the other car seat. That seems like asking for trouble. We plan to get out the other car seat this weekend and try it out. My husband has a Grand Cherokee and I'm sure that'll be fine. I could get one of those, but my Liberty is pretty loaded and I love it and don't want to give it up! I'm nearing 60,000 miles and was thinking about siderails, but don't want to put $ into a vehicle I won't keep. Thanks, Ally

12-30-2005, 03:17 PM	#9
Blue56 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 153 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	And remember all that noise comming from the back seat is the sound of America's future and that future is looking bright indeed. (with all due apologies to our northern friends)

12-31-2005, 05:09 PM	#14
gonz165 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: ohio Posts: 178 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Our car seats are on the larger end, so we did have to sacrifice some leg room up front to get them both in. The rear-facing infant seat is on the passenger side with the passenger seat having to move about an inch or so more forward than would be ideal for the wife. I just gained another inch of reclining space with the use of the booster in place of the forward-facing seat on the driver's side. I must say I had to take a dramatic pause as I reflected upon the significance of removing the one car seat and installing the booster seat. They're only young once... At once point I tried to install the first car seat in the center, but the latches are only installed on the left or right sides. The center requires use of the seat belt, and I felt more comfortable using the latches. The leather has held up relatively well, considering how many foot prints I'm constantly wiping off.