I want the SUV making companies to rethink the concept of teh interior.

[Anonymous]

So why nobody is offering a car with two rows (not three) that you could freely move the seats in the second row towards back into the space of the cargo area.

The flexibility of a back seat would be an amazing feature. If you carry more stuff, you move seats forward, If you happen to give a ride to people in the second row, and you have nothing in the cargo area, you just push those seats as far back as you want giving the passengers as much legroom as possible.

At this time the only cars that let you somewhat move the second row are the cars that offer third row seating and even with it the flexibility is very tinny.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they can find a way to build the SUVs so that they kill fewer pedestrians.

But yeah, legroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they can find a way to build the SUVs so that they kill fewer pedestrians.

But yeah, legroom.

Maybe they already have the technology and it is already offered on a lot of new SUVS such Mercedes, BMW, Volvo etc..
it will stop the car when it detects the pedestrians. So yeah, that is out there, so lets get back to talk abut the legroom. K?

[Anonymous]

I have a Honda Element that I will drive until it's a pile of dust on my driveway because of the flexibility of the combination of the side ("suicide" style) doors, split hatch, and 2nd row seats. I currently have my seats out completely, but they can also lay flat or flip up on the sides. It's an incredibly functional design—I can't understand why they quit making it and why nothing has taken its place. To be fair, it would have been a better vehicle with nicer finishes, more comfortable seats, and higher weight capacity, but I still love mine for its versatility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So why nobody is offering a car with two rows (not three) that you could freely move the seats in the second row towards back into the space of the cargo area.

The flexibility of a back seat would be an amazing feature. If you carry more stuff, you move seats forward, If you happen to give a ride to people in the second row, and you have nothing in the cargo area, you just push those seats as far back as you want giving the passengers as much legroom as possible.

At this time the only cars that let you somewhat move the second row are the cars that offer third row seating and even with it the flexibility is very tinny.

This won't happen because by design the 2nd row is about as roomy as the driver/passenger. Once this design is locked down, it's then impossible to slide those seats back towards the cargo area because the rear wheel wells are in the way. If you look at all 3-row vehicles, the 3rd row is significantly narrower. This is not as pronounced in minivans, but even there the 3rd row is narrower by a few inches. I guess you could make 2nd row seats that have a center portion that you could remove, and then slide the two outside seats closer together first before sliding back, but now you are talking about a complicated in-floor track system that is not only complicated to design, but they have to design it to be sturdy enough to withstand crashes.

[Anonymous]

Why not just a van? My Honda Odyssey allows me to push the 2nd row seats back (not a whole lot, but a foot?). I always have the 3rd row folded down for storage and have the 2nd row as roomy as possible. My van is on a crossover/SUV frame, not a truck frame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So why nobody is offering a car with two rows (not three) that you could freely move the seats in the second row towards back into the space of the cargo area.

The flexibility of a back seat would be an amazing feature. If you carry more stuff, you move seats forward, If you happen to give a ride to people in the second row, and you have nothing in the cargo area, you just push those seats as far back as you want giving the passengers as much legroom as possible.

At this time the only cars that let you somewhat move the second row are the cars that offer third row seating and even with it the flexibility is very tinny.

This won't happen because by design the 2nd row is about as roomy as the driver/passenger. Once this design is locked down, it's then impossible to slide those seats back towards the cargo area because the rear wheel wells are in the way. If you look at all 3-row vehicles, the 3rd row is significantly narrower. This is not as pronounced in minivans, but even there the 3rd row is narrower by a few inches. I guess you could make 2nd row seats that have a center portion that you could remove, and then slide the two outside seats closer together first before sliding back, but now you are talking about a complicated in-floor track system that is not only complicated to design, but they have to design it to be sturdy enough to withstand crashes.

Agree with all of the above, and also remember that the seat belts attach to the sides or roof of the car. Your seat can only move so much before that arrangement doesn't work. For maximum seat movement, the seat belts would have to be harness style attached to the seats themselves.

With current designs, second row legroom comes from the front row (they can scoot forward) or the total length of the car (longer car gives you more room in the middle, e.g., a van or minivan). I don't think there's a huge market for people who want short cars that carry long-legged people in both the first and second rows.