Kids in a 98 RR?

[DevynsDad]

Okay, I have a 2000 Disco with the jump seats in back for the rugrats, two in car seats. Three kids and the wife make five full-time passengers counting me. My question is this: How tight is the back seat of a 98 Range Rover? That is, could two car seats and a 10 year old squeeze back there?

My local dealership has an awfully nice 1998 RR for $19,900. I've always loved my Disco, but boy oh boy is this Range Rover nice. Someone talk me out of it....

Oh, and if anyone has any experience with the aftermarket "third row seat" that Atlantic British sells, I'd appreciate the input.

[hamrendan]

The rear facing after market seats are expensive, plus you lose alot of cargo space. The Disco SE7 is really built to carry your type of load. It has the rear single door that opens up with a handy retractable foot stool. The rover you will have to have the kids climb up on to the tail gate and then have someone assist them to close the door..

Stick with the Disco, there are plenty of RR owners that look at Discos and wish they had one of them!

[national]

The RR has lots of room in them..you should be fine..how many miles on that one? sounds kinda high unless really low miles..I have a white 98 with 89k I will sale alot cheaper but im in tennessee..depsnds on where you located or my miles may be too many for ya also..
Brian

[1955diesel]

Land Rovers may be solid, but I don't like using the jump seats. If you get rear ended, there is no crumple zone. The same can be said about alot of other 7 seaters.

[troverman]

The P38a Range Rover (4.0's & 4.6's) are wider than Discos. They also have a longer wheelbase (108.1" vs 100") which means the back seats are much roomier, plus the back seats of an RR are more comfortable than a Disco anyway. I doubt too much of a squeeze for your kids. We can put three 6'+ people across the rear seat of our P38a without much discomfort at all.
As for the price, obviously the market is different across the country, but before we bought our '95 4.0 we tried out a 98 4.0 SE, blue with 80k miles at a high-end dealer and he wanted $13,000. This was a year ago, too. The truck was very nice, still EAS, very clean interior, etc. This was in NH.
And as for the other comments, there are some people who bought a P38 and wished for a Disco. The Disco has less electronics by far and is much more reliable. But if you like message centers, dual power-memory-lumbar-heated seats with power headrests, wood trim, etc--go for the Range Rover!
As for the safety of 7-pass cars, I will say 7-passenger European cars are safe; American 7 seaters are for the most part not. That's because American companies don't have the safety budgets as the Euro companies do; my E320 Mercedes wagon has the extra 3rd rear seat (most comfortable 3rd seat I've sat in) and the car as well as many before and after it is rigorously crash tested in the rear at high speeds as well as offset rear, and many other tests. The Range Rover / Disco doesn't need a crumple zone in the rear (it doesn't have one in the front either, by the way except for the "crush cans") because it has a massive non-moving steel ladder-box frame which protects the back of the car.

[DevynsDad]

I'd like to thank everyone for the input. I think my desire for the Rangie has subsided and I have decided to slum it in my Disco. Plus, my wife told me if I waited awhile I could maybe (just maybe ) get a Defender.

[OkieRover]

It's a lie!!!!
Don't believe her!!!
She will probably spend the money on a new couch!!!!

Just kidding. Good luck on the Defender.

[3sonRover]

Originally Posted by DevynsDad

I'd like to thank everyone for the input. I think my desire for the Rangie has subsided and I have decided to slum it in my Disco. Plus, my wife told me if I waited awhile I could maybe (just maybe ) get a Defender.

And where are you going to put three kids and a wife in a Defender? I have three boys (two in seats and a nine year old)... they have never complaned about space.

[OrangeCountyLR714]

haha. funny