[morphia-EXCLAIM]

While I just have two kids at the moment, I am thinking strategically about what car seat to get, so we can accomodate a third one eventually. Is the back seat of the ID.4 similar to any other Volkswagon model? I'm in a Facebook group that has information on good configurations for specific vehicles. So if I could look up what people are saying about another model, that would help guide me a bit.

Thanks!

 

[ChristophW]

I don't know how the ID4 compares to other VW vehicles, but:
There are no ISOfix points in the middle back seat, just on the two outside ones. However, there are also two ISOfix on the front passenger seat. A very slim person could likely be seated between two child seats in the back. We use a couple of mifold "boosters" (actually belt adjusters) next to one regular child seat, and that works quite well.

My very tall 6 years old granddaughter (picture an 8 year old) says our car has a lot more room in the back, esp. leg room, than her mom's Ford C-MAX.

 

[ExCivilian]

It looks about on par as every other "5 seater" VW. We have a forward facing and rear facing Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 in our ID.4 for our two kids and the armrest can come down between them but not by much. I doubt anyone but a small child could fit between them comfortably.

I don't know which carseats would fit three across the back of a VW but I will say the exact ones we had protected our children when my wife was hit on the freeway while she was stopped in traffic and someone hit her at 70+ mph. The emergency staff were impressed enough by the carseats to comment on them and to say they weren't worried about the kids' safety (although they did check them out in the ER, they just weren't "worried" about them), which did make me wonder what kinds of car seats they saw on average coming in to the ER.

 

[mlsstl]

I have a 2018 Tiguan (the larger one for the US market) and, having tested out the ID4's back seat, they are very similar in roominess.

 

[Lxtruong]

I have a 2018 Tiguan (the larger one for the US market) and, having tested out the ID4's back seat, they are very similar in roominess.

We have two Diono car seats and from the look of them they should fit three across. If you want I can put one of them in the middle seat. We have them front facing now.

 

[morphia-EXCLAIM]

It looks about on par as every other "5 seater" VW. We have a forward facing and rear facing Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 in our ID.4 for our two kids and the armrest can come down between them but not by much. I doubt anyone but a small child could fit between them comfortably.

I don't know which carseats would fit three across the back of a VW but I will say the exact ones we had protected our children when my wife was hit on the freeway while she was stopped in traffic and someone hit her at 70+ mph. The emergency staff were impressed enough by the carseats to comment on them and to say they weren't worried about the kids' safety (although they did check them out in the ER, they just weren't "worried" about them), which did make me wonder what kinds of car seats they saw on average coming in to the ER.

Wow! I am so glad everyone was ok, how terrifying. I think we'll go with a Diono Radian because you can fit three across with them. They have a new model that has extra side impact protection. Honestly, I was just going to get the base model, but your story is making me think to upgrade since we need the new seat anyway.

 

[Lxtruong]

Wow! I am so glad everyone was ok, how terrifying. I think we'll go with a Diono Radian because you can fit three across with them. They have a new model that has extra side impact protection. Honestly, I was just going to get the base model, but your story is making me think to upgrade since we need the new seat anyway.

One tip with the Diono, you have to buy an extra foam piece to make it sit comfortably when rear facing. I didn't realize it for the first couple of months.

 

[morphia-EXCLAIM]

We have two Diono car seats and from the look of them they should fit three across. If you want I can put one of them in the middle seat. We have them front facing now.

Thanks! That's what I was thinking - since it seems similar to the Tiguan I'm confident that set up will work! I'm more wondering about a rear facing scenario where a Clek might be better in the center. I'm just going to get another Radian for now though. I was debating getting a cheap car seat for the old car that we won't be using much and moving our current Radian into the ID.4, but see above, might as well upgrade.

 

[morphia-EXCLAIM]

I have a 2018 Tiguan (the larger one for the US market) and, having tested out the ID4's back seat, they are very similar in roominess.

A dealer I talked to said that I'm fairly sure - thanks for confirming.

 

[ExCivilian]

Our Touareg is listed as about 4" wider than a Tiguan (and it looks much larger in person side by side) and we still wouldn't be able to fit three across but ours are not as narrow as the Dionos from the sounds of it.

We were given a Tiguan for a loaner last week and it's very similar to the ID.4 except it had a third row of seats in the hatch. But like I said, pretty much all the "5 seater" VW's are similar inside. You'd have to go up to an Atlas to get much wider (and that's only two inches wider than our Touareg).

 

[ikkviper]

Just did the ID.4 Roadshow in Miami. Both my daughters booster seats fit just fine. Plenty of space!

 

[ExCivilian]

Just did the ID.4 Roadshow in Miami. Both my daughters booster seats fit just fine. Plenty of space!

View attachment 3497

View attachment 3498

Plenty for two but this person wants to put a third seat in the middle.

 

[morphia-EXCLAIM]

Just did the ID.4 Roadshow in Miami. Both my daughters booster seats fit just fine. Plenty of space!

View attachment 3497

View attachment 3498

Cuties!

 

[stowington]

There are no ISOfix points in the middle back seat, just on the two outside ones.

Belts are always an option. It may also be the case that putting a seat in the middle (with the belt, in this case) means the side seats can't align with the ISOfix/LATCH points and need to use the belt. Also, ISOfix/LATCH is only rated for seat+kid under 65 lbs, which doesn't last very long with some seat/kid combinations, and then you're on the belt anyway.

In our Honda Fit, the middle was only place a rear-facing seat could go with two adults in the front, with the seat sticking between/over the shoulders of the front seats, so we seatbelt installed there. With the rear-facing seat in place, the booster needed an extra 1/2" to the side so didn't align with the LATCH points and had to be belt only (LATCH on the booster is only to keep it from moving around when empty; the child uses the belt).

When I moved our two child seats into the ID.4 this week (yay!), I immediately noticed the rear-facing seat in the center would be a problem. The rear seats are higher than the front, much more so than in the Fit, so when I tried the same arrangement the view out the back was completely obscured. Fortunately, even with the driver's seat set for me at 6'2", the rear-facing Clek Foonf can go behind me without (quite) contacting my headrest. My slim mother was able to sit between them, reasonably comfortably.

The transition from seat back to door opening seems shallower than some, which may help in squeezing out those extra few mm. Need better light for that pic. I've got a cover on the way for the back seat (toddler sneakers + lunar gray upholstery is risky!) so will have the child seats out and can take some measurements, if it's helpful.

 

[ChristophW]

Good points! I'm so glad we missed the rear facing law for up to 2 year olds here in CA by mere months with our grandkids. Would have been a nightmare in our Fit with two seats. Now we're on one seat and one (sometimes two) boosters, and the older one is pressuring mom to upgrade to an ID4 so she can stretch her long legs.

 

[morphia-EXCLAIM]

We got our FE two weeks ago and a new Diono that came yesterday. I also got a Graco seat belt trainer that fits in the middle so friends of the 7-yr-old can sit there for now. We also have another Diono that will fit in the middle when we need it.

 

[ChristophW]

Cool! Your kids seem happy back there. 😊

 

[Bmduneman]

We got our FE two weeks ago and a new Diono that came yesterday. I also got a Graco seat belt trainer that fits in the middle so friends of the 7-yr-old can sit there for now. We also have another Diono that will fit in the middle when we need it.

Thanks for sharing! We are considering downsizing from our Atlas and have that exact Pink Diono for our 3 year old. We’ve only used the rear seats once in 2 years. 🤦🏻‍♀️ When my husband went to test drive, the salesman thought he was crazy wanting a ID 4 since it’s much smaller, but we only have one kid and are considering being done at 2 kids. Absolutely done at 3.

 

[Kayla K]

Belts are always an option. It may also be the case that putting a seat in the middle (with the belt, in this case) means the side seats can't align with the ISOfix/LATCH points and need to use the belt. Also, ISOfix/LATCH is only rated for seat+kid under 65 lbs, which doesn't last very long with some seat/kid combinations, and then you're on the belt anyway.

In our Honda Fit, the middle was only place a rear-facing seat could go with two adults in the front, with the seat sticking between/over the shoulders of the front seats, so we seatbelt installed there. With the rear-facing seat in place, the booster needed an extra 1/2" to the side so didn't align with the LATCH points and had to be belt only (LATCH on the booster is only to keep it from moving around when empty; the child uses the belt).

When I moved our two child seats into the ID.4 this week (yay!), I immediately noticed the rear-facing seat in the center would be a problem. The rear seats are higher than the front, much more so than in the Fit, so when I tried the same arrangement the view out the back was completely obscured. Fortunately, even with the driver's seat set for me at 6'2", the rear-facing Clek Foonf can go behind me without (quite) contacting my headrest. My slim mother was able to sit between them, reasonably comfortably.

View attachment 3623

The transition from seat back to door opening seems shallower than some, which may help in squeezing out those extra few mm. Need better light for that pic. I've got a cover on the way for the back seat (toddler sneakers + lunar gray upholstery is risky!) so will have the child seats out and can take some measurements, if it's helpful.

Question, with the rear facing seat where did you attach the top tether?