We are thinking about getting a Telluride or maybe another 3-row vehicle. Has anyone here had experience fitting 2 kids in car seats (both under 2), 2 large dogs (around 70 lbs each), and all the usual stuff like groceries and gear into one?
We’re also looking at the Carnival, Sienna, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Sequoia, and Honda Pilot, but the Carnival doesn’t have AWD, which might be a dealbreaker for us. If you have any tips or suggestions for these options, especially with dogs and kids in mind, please share your thoughts! Also, how do you manage loading the dogs with car seats in the second row?
If your weather is mostly mild, I’d say the Carnival might work better for your older dogs, especially if you don’t really need AWD. AWD is useful in snow or ice, but it doesn’t replace driving carefully in those conditions. How often do you actually travel with the dogs though?
We’ve got two kids under 5 in captain’s chairs and two dogs who ride in the third row on occasion. Most of the time, the third row is folded down for all the kid stuff. Our dogs (a Frenchie and a Boxer) fit fine in the back. They jump in through the back doors instead of the trunk.
The other cars you mentioned are fine, but they don’t look as nice or have as many features as the Telluride in my opinion.
@CarCraze
Thanks for sharing! We live in Massachusetts right now but are planning to move somewhere like Maine or Vermont, so AWD feels necessary. We take the dogs with us a lot—they’re like family. One can jump in, but the other needs a little ramp to get up. I agree about the style; the Grand Highlander felt kind of boring and didn’t drive as nicely. Toyota’s reliability is appealing, though. Can you adjust the second-row seats in the Telluride to slide back enough to put the dogs on the floor between the first and second rows?
@StingerStar
We’ve got two rear-facing car seats in ours, and the second-row seats are pushed all the way back. The car seat barely touches the driver’s seat when my husband drives, but it’s fine for the passenger side. Dogs could fit between the seats if they’re small to medium-sized. I usually keep diaper bags or groceries in that space, though. It’d be tight for a big dog. You should try taking your car seats to a dealership and testing them out in the car.
@StingerStar
The seats slide back quite a bit; there’s a lot of range. Would a dog be comfortable between the rows? Maybe, if it’s not too big. We’ve got small dog beds that fit in that spot.
I’ve got twins and two big dogs (70 lbs each) plus a medium-sized one. I’m not a fan of minivans because of their blind spots, and sliding doors can be tricky with active kids—they’ve caused some minor accidents in our family.
We’ve used a Pilot for a long trip with five kids (three under 1) and two adults, with the youngest across the bench seat. The Grand Highlander is better than the regular one, but the back row is still a bit cramped for taller kids or adults.
As for the dogs, their size might be an issue more than their weight. We use harnesses that buckle into the seat belts, which is much safer for everyone in case of an accident. Our medium dog even sits in a spare booster seat. The child locks on the windows and doors are lifesavers since that dog loves putting the window down!
The captain’s chairs in the Telluride are great, but wide car seats might be tricky. Rear-facing seats in the second row make it harder to access the back row. We sometimes fold part of the third row down to make space for the dogs. Diaper changes are easier in the SUV trunk than in a minivan.
If you’re traveling light, the Telluride works well. If you’re hauling a lot of stuff, it might get tight. We’ve been happy with it, though, and it’s easy to adjust for different driver heights, which hasn’t been the case with other cars we’ve owned. Hope this helps .
@marinbeyer
Thanks so much for the detailed advice! It’s great to hear how it works for families.
We bought a Telluride for a similar setup—two kids in car seats in the second-row captain’s chairs and the dogs in the third row. There’s still room in the trunk for a stroller and some other stuff.
CHRISTINE said:
We bought a Telluride for a similar setup—two kids in car seats in the second-row captain’s chairs and the dogs in the third row. There’s still room in the trunk for a stroller and some other stuff.
Thanks! How big are your dogs? Do they sit on the third-row seats, or do you fold them down?
@StingerStar
Both of our dogs are around 70 lbs. They climb between the captain’s chairs and sit on the third-row seats.
CHRISTINE said:
@StingerStar
Both of our dogs are around 70 lbs. They climb between the captain’s chairs and sit on the third-row seats.
That’s good to know! Do you have to take the car seats out to let the dogs in? And do you use dog seat belts, or do they stay secure enough back there?
@StingerStar
No need to remove the car seats. One of our kids is in a forward-facing seat, and the dogs can just squeeze past. We use seat belts for the dogs—it keeps them safe and in place.