2 door parents - how is using car seats? Any regrets?

[See_Later_Alligator]

I love the look of the two door. We have a larger SUV for family time with spouse and two kids. However, there might be occasions where I would have to carry all 4 of us - will this be hell? Also, I drop off one kid to school. Would it be painful to get them in/out for one trip a day? Not looking to take up yoga. If you’re a two door car owning parent, do you wish you had purchased the four door?

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[MDbeachguy]

i do not own one , however as a smaller man who test drove one, getting into the back of the 2 door sasquatch rear seats was NOT fun. They also dont lock forward

I have a 2 door on order but if i started a family i would immediately trade it for a 4 door

 

[RoLyMa27]

We have a 2 Dr. I currently do not have kids in car seats. I have three aged 20, 22 and 29 so I fought the car seat war. The seat back has a handle that releases the seat back and then you just pull and the whole seat slides forward and it stays there. I rode in the back Saturday just to see how it was. I'm 55 and I got in and out with no problems and I found the back to be spacious and comfortable. Now, I would not recommend it for adults going on cross country treks, but short day trips will be no problems. I'm 5'8" average build. I think getting the car seats in will be doable but not easy. Since you said this will not be your primary day to day vehicle once you get the seats in and you are not taking them in and out on a daily basis just slide the seat forward and the kiddos should just be able get right in. Infants will be more challenging, but I think you could use the hand off method where mom gets in the back and you hand the kids in to her and she buckles them in. I would NOT recommend the two door as a daily driver for families with kiddos!
Edit: My oldest was raised in a 2 door S-10 Chevy Blazer which I would say is comparable to the 2dr Bronco

 

[See_Later_Alligator]

We have a 2 Dr. I currently do not have kids in car seats. I have three aged 20, 22 and 29 so I fought the car seat war. The seat back has a handle that releases the seat back and then you just pull and the whole seat slides forward and it stays there. I rode in the back Saturday just to see how it was. I'm 55 and I got in and out with no problems and I found the back to be spacious and comfortable. Now, I would not recommend it for adults going on cross country treks, but short day trips will be no problems. I'm 5'8" average build. I think getting the car seats in will be doable but not easy. Since you said this will not be your primary day to day vehicle once you get the seats in and you are not taking them in and out on a daily basis just slide the seat forward and the kiddos should just be able get right in. Infants will be more challenging, but I think you could use the hand off method where mom gets in the back and you hand the kids in to her and she buckles them in. I would NOT recommend the two door as a daily driver for families with kiddos!
Edit: My oldest was raised in a 2 door S-10 Chevy Blazer which I would say is comparable to the 2dr Bronco

Very helpful thank you. Getting the car seat in seems fun. Step 1 - remove roof lol

 

[BroncoIA]

are yours in actual car seats or boosters? I am getting a 2 door and my 5 and 9 year old have practiced getting in and out of the 2 door at the dealer. Zero issues. They can buckle themselves in though. If you are doing the buckling in or have a car seat to drop in, it will be mildly challenging. But if the 2 door is not your primary vehicle I think the occasional inconvenience will totally be worth it.

 

[rustedgoat]

The 2 door is not the best vehicle if you have younger kids. All the extras in getting the kids safe and happy. Forget about changing a diaper or shirt. May have to double check space for the stroller.

Even for older kids, getting out to let them climb in is going to wear out on everyone. But the coolness factor may offset that when the top is off.

I think the 2 door looks a lot better, but there are trade offs as a daily driver.

 

[2100]

You can see some of the struggles in this video.

 

[See_Later_Alligator]

are yours in actual car seats or boosters? I am getting a 2 door and my 5 and 9 year old have practiced getting in and out of the 2 door at the dealer. Zero issues. They can buckle themselves in though. If you are doing the buckling in or have a car seat to drop in, it will be mildly challenging. But if the 2 door is not your primary vehicle I think the occasional inconvenience will totally be worth it.

Thanks for the response. Dealer hasn’t had any two doors to test this. They’re still in car seats, but aren’t infants.

 

[Jdc]

You can see some of the struggles in this video.

My daughter is 4 and can get in her car seat and buckle herself up. The 2-door still seems like a PITA. There just seems to be two(see what I did there) many little annoyances for families. 4-door crew all the way.

 

[@BadBlueBronco]

im in my 20s and 6ft and had a hard time getting in n out of the back seat. 1 more grab handle and a beefy step will help. I think putting a kid into the carseat wouldn't be too hard depending on the age and if they are throwing a tantrum.

 

[First BaseMan]

Two kids and a two door reserved. Both are old enough to get themselves buckled into their car seats, so I just adjust the buckle and tighten the straps, and at least one will of them will be in a booster by the time my Bronco shows up. So this may not be applicable if you have kids in carrier seats or who need to be lifted into their seats.

A local dealer has a 2 door Badlands mannequin, and I've taken them down there a couple of times to see how much of an ordeal getting them in an out will be. The front seat has a quick release, and helping them up and down was actually easier than reaching down into my Fusion to get them in and out, and there is a LOT more space for them to scramble in with the front seat moved all the way up.

Similar to OP we have another vehicle for a kid hauler, but I drop them off at school every morning. I may feel differently after a few months but the process of getting them in and out of the 2 door at the dealership was a lot better than getting them in and out of a mid-size sedan and reinforced my decision.

 

[See_Later_Alligator]

Two kids and a two door reserved. Both are old enough to get themselves buckled into their car seats, so I just adjust the buckle and tighten the straps, and at least one will of them will be in a booster by the time my Bronco shows up. So this may not be applicable if you have kids in carrier seats or who need to be lifted into their seats.

A local dealer has a 2 door Badlands mannequin, and I've taken them down there a couple of times to see how much of an ordeal getting them in an out will be. The front seat has a quick release, and helping them up and down was actually easier than reaching down into my Fusion to get them in and out, and there is a LOT more space for them to scramble in with the front seat moved all the way up.

Similar to OP we have another vehicle for a kid hauler, but I drop them off at school every morning. I may feel differently after a few months but the process of getting them in and out of the 2 door at the dealership was a lot better than getting them in and out of a mid-size sedan and reinforced my decision.

this is exactly my scenario. It seems like no biggie but do wonder if I’ll feel differently after a few months. Also, I have a family sedan right now and there is definitely some lower back stress with doing that. Hopefully you get yours soon and remember me a few months after to check back in.

 

[PaulBrownSr]

I ended up getting the four door because I have a one year old. I think I could’ve managed but it was a concession to my partner lol

 

[GPPBronco]

We’re a family of four with 8 and 2 year old boys, waiting on a 2 door Bronco Base. Our other family car is a Ford Transit Connect wagon (underrated and recommended, BTW). So, like the OP, the Bronco won’t be our primary family hauler. But it will certainly be used for trips with all four of us. I know I will always try to find a way to rationalize it… ;-)

The Bronco replaces our 1997 Wrangler TJ which was my daily driver for three years. I used to pick up our then-first grader and one of his classmates from school. It was really important to have side steps for the kids to use, but other than that it was easy for them to climb in. For the two year old, limited rear seat space in the TJ forced us to install his car seat sans base and forward facing - sooner than we would have liked. But from what I’ve seen with rear seat legroom in the Bronco, I don’t think that will be a problem. I bring up the TJ because we were able to make that work for our “around town” driving and some weekend and day trips out of town. Cargo space with four people was seriously limited to only the bare minimum essentials.

I grew up in a “wheels” family. Convertibles, classics, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc. So it’s not new to me to make comfort compromises in the name of fun and capability. My wife didn’t experience that as a kid. The base TJ (manual, soft top, half doors, factory A/C and radio delete) was a stretch for her because it genuinely felt like riding around in a bumpy tent, especially at highway speeds. We’re really stoked to have a modern vehicle that will deliver fun and capability in a safer and more practical package.

Long-winded reply, but I think you’ll be fine and encourage you to get the bronco you want. You’ll make it work.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm ready to trade my 2dr Base for a 4dr .... and we don't even have to deal with car seats.
I can't imagine the hell that would be if the kids can't fully buckle them selves.
I have to fold the back seats down just to haul the dog (smaller German Shepherd - 80lbs max).
Just for daily use, the more door will work soo much better.

I'll answer the question as Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs ....
Two car seats in a two door Bronco?
I have two words for that .... I don't fuckin' think so.

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