2k5spd

how well does your 5th gen max work with the kids. my wife and
i are expecting our first, and if this car is going to be inconvenient w/
a car seat and stuff, i'll have to think of a new ride.

any problems?

weltonw

I have one child (now age 5) and it's worked great for me the past 2 years. My previous car (85 Accord) was a PITA because it didn't have the LATCH system.

The biggest problem: food crumbs all over the seat .

DJSCIASCIA

It works very well. I have a 2 year old and she is able to get in and out with not problems. The car seat locks in very well. Congrats and enjoy parenthood.

IWNTMORHP!!

iTrader: (5)

i got a rug rat too...and another on the way, and this is my 2nd 5th gen...no issues except the usual kids foot prints on the back of my seat if i have it back too far...

weltonw

Yeah, my daughter liked resting her feet on the seatback too. I punched two holes in a small towel and hung it from the head rest.

gsumax

iTrader: (2)

My kids throw up in the back seat

boondoxmax

iTrader: (1)

I have 2 kids and i find that the charcol cloth shows lots of crumbs and stains easy. think its time for leather

2k5spd

Lol! dude, that is genius. you should patent that.

AX5.G.2K3.SE

Congrats on the soon to be addition. Keep the Max.
It'll fit an 8, 5 and 3 year old across the back. Sometimes you need to use the ABS to stop the fighting.

My Three Sons

Y2K1JKSE

congrats on your first child...as for me i have to worry about college before that enters my mind...my lil sister likes the backseat more then shotgun so i'm guessing its comfortable in the back..btw that towel thing is a great idea..u never know when u'll have lil ones in the backseat.

AcidReflex

Congratz on the new one! I had my max with my newborn (now 5 month). I love how safe this car is.
The only real issue is if you use one of the carrier car seats that have the base that stays in the car. Sometimes it is kind of hard to fit the carrier through the door when the handle is up. Not a big thing at all, it gets a lot easier after you figure out how to fit it in there. As in all cars you have to move the passenger seat up with a rear facing seat. But you can still sit comfortably in the front. Unlike my wife's echo which you get to ride with your knees smashed up againt the airbags .
Congratz and peace.

03BlkSETE

iTrader: (3)

I've got two child seats in the back seat and can fit a small woman in between the two if necessary.

Please don't get a minivan.

DanL

No problems, especially if you have leather. IMO, leather is essential for any kid mobile. If you don't have leather, trust me -- buy a can of Scotch Guard spray or you'll regret it later. If you do have leather, pick up a piece of rubber no-skid material (the kind used underneath throw rugs) to keep the car seat from sliding. You may also want to place a towel over that to help protect the leather.

TitaniuMax03

iTrader: (1)

have a 2 year old..the latch system makes it soo easy and secure...as for the food crumbs and stains, that comes "STANDARD" w/ kids

2k5spd

huh? i was just heading to the dodge dealership to see about
picking up a used caravan w/ the wood side panels.

KIDDING! uh no. no minivans.

kratz74

Works ok. Have a van for trips though b/c the Max's trunk is too small for toys suitcases, etc for a family. Use the Max for commuting.

Mack Daddy

have 2 kids with car seats and stillhave room for a maid as well but she is smallish. haha
For longer journeys I used the Grand cherokee just for the extra space for hauling 2 strollers and what seems to be most of our house furniture

maxS

every time i floor my maxima, my 6 years old daughter goes "do it again , do it again!!!"

Fezzik

iTrader: (2)

The car works great with kids. Espically if u have leather. It's a lot easier to clean up than the cloth and doesnt stain as easy. the latches are nice too. also +1 to whoever said to use the scotchguard. That stuff is excellent to keep stains out.

Oh i dont have kids but I have hauled around a few. Also> congrats on the new edition to the family. No better way to bring a kid up but loving a maxima

NizanDrivn

I've found that a thick towel over the rear seats REALLY helps trap crumbs...at the end of the day all you need to do is beat the crumbs out, and lay it out again...This especially keeps the crumbs out of the stiching on leather seats!!!..

Virus

iTrader: (1)

This is a perfectly honest answer. Newborn rear facing seats are horrible to put in on the 5th gens. It took the fire dept almost an hour to get the first one in for our first child and it took almost as long for the 2nd. Even under the best circumstances, it still leans a tad towards on side because of the way the seatbelts attach. Once it's in, it isn't bad at all, but be prepared for the install and for god sake don't take them out.

On the good side, front facing car seats are painless and easy to install. The only problem is if you have leather and decide to use the teather straps, it will leave indentations in your leather headrests that won't come out.

Mom's2kGLE

Congats on the arriving package. Our max is just fine we have a 4yr old and he likes this car better than our previous one (2k grand prix gt) the car seat sits higher and he can se better out the rear windows. the GPrix seats sat so low he had a tough time seeing. The only thing better on the gP is the trunk size and design of how deck shut,it doesn't have the big arms that fold into the trunk. Best of luck.

Todds_max

Maxima'a are definitely family-friendly! Definitely easy to load-unload the kids. Don't care for the off-center tether hook on Bose-equiped cars, but otherwise child seats fit nicely. My son comments "dad's car is fast, mom's car is slow!"

AKM2k5

If you had the 3.5 she would say "FOR GODS SAKE! STOP DADDY STOP! I CANT TAKE THE SHEER ACCELERATION OF THIS CAR!!!"

desperado_45

It will be safer than a SUV or minivan, you should check consumer reports. I belive they put out a review of the best cars (safety wise) for parents/children.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

my 8 year old son says the same thing. i do it just to see him fly back in the seat.
and he has learned about ricers already "daddy, thats just a civic. you can take him. show him whats up"
yup, hes my son!!!

AKM2k5

I think SUVs are safe only to a certain point... As for minivans, I would def recommend a Odessy or a Sienna.. No fords please, we have one, and it gave us too much trouble... Dont know about the nissans and chrysler minivans.

AKM2k5

thats funny...

ahaling

iTrader: (1)

I agree with Virus. Back facing infant seats are a big pain. I have a Graco and use the base that remains in the car. That is the only way to go safely. You also need to buy a base that will be adjustable for the angle. The rear seats angle backwards substantially and need propping to get the baby carriers angle gauge to be in the green. Finally, I am tall and the carrier will not fit behind the drivers seat. It will only fit behind the passenger seat with the passenger seat more than halfway forward. Good luck.

kcowden

iTrader: (2)

Should work fine just as long as you don't have twins. Had to trade in my 6 month old brand new 97 SE max after we found out.

MannyNJ2k2max

iTrader: (3)

Congrats on the new peanut....My wife and I are also expecting in Aug. and last year when I purchased my 5th gen the back seats and baby seat latch system was added comfort....lookin' forward to usin' it and scotchguarding my car

NebrMax

I have a 2 1/2 year old and 9 month old. Have 2 full size car seat/booster seat type seats, one forward facing, the other rear facing. The only issue I have is that the seats don't seem to be very snug even the the seatbelt tighten to it's max. Could be that it has leather and I put a towel between the car seat and the rear seat of the Max.
There no longer is any room in the middle for anyone but a small child to sit, but the Maxima is a perfect family car. My 2 1/2 year old LOVES the car as he calls it "mommy's car" : (

Jaeger

One will not be a problem at all. There's plenty of room for my two-year-old and all her assorted baggage / stroller and whatnot. Pretty glad I have leather seats though. Even two will work out fine. Three or more and you're in the minivan zone for sure.

Cheers,

Jaeger

itdood

Heck, I bought my Max as my "dad" car. I was driving a 95 eagle talon TSi b4 (I actually held onto that as my beater).


These are the worst cars to get toddler seats into. The rear facing infant seat was easy since you just use the seat belt.

But the new toddlers have to be mounted to those 3 hard points. The rear deck lid is easy enough, but the two behind the seat are impossible to get to. Don't even mess with these, just take the bench out. There are two releases just under the bench. Pull those out and the bench will pop free, then pull the bench forward. Attach the other two hard points then just pop the seat back in. No tools. Put the bench back by pushing it back and down. It'll snap back in place.

If you try to fish the latches through the seat with the bench in place, you'll be there forever.