@ExPoMike - I appreciate the offer!! I will take you up on that sometime in the future.
@mccustomize - are either of your boys in booster seats? How do they do in the back for a long road trip?
I don't plan on living in CA forever, so the emissions items can hopefully be dealt with at a later time.
You guys have brought up some good points about interior space and passenger comfort. I also agree with BuliWyf that packing and being organized goes a long way. I definitely like to be organized I know for a fact the my family is only going to be growing in the near term so more space is better than less. ExPoMike has me thinking that a LB might be one of those compromises that I'm going to have to make.
I'm also not discounting a 'Burb, Excurision or 4x4 Van as an option. Maybe it turns out that is a better choice after analyzing all the details. Anyone wish they had gone that route? A nice thread on
Excursions here.
I'm a visually learner so I attached some photos below. If I understand correctly, despite the rear door arrangement being different. The 2nd Gen "extended cab" and 3rd Gen "crew cab" are essentially the same? How does an average size adult do in the rear seat for an extended period of time? Can you fit 3 car seats across the 2nd row, if I do have another child?
2002 "Extended Cab" Interior
2003 "Crew Cab" Interior