Back seats - anyone use them?

I'll apologize in advance for sounding like such a Newbie, but . . . I AM a newbie! Today was my first official day of "legally" driving my VX! Two things that are screaming for attention after one day of driving the VX are improving visibility, and figuring out the rear seats/cargo area. I have read and accepted that the back seats are a little hard to enter and exit, but I had NO IDEA you all meant physically impossible for most! Now I am a very fit person, not overweight, and pride myself on being trim and agile, but I had a hell of a time getting in and out of the back seat area of my VX! I can't imagine a slightly overweight or larger than average person getting in successfully, and I also can't imagine that any of my dogs will be able to get in there. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow when it's not so cold outside, but at this point I'm thinking, if no one (human or otherwise) is going to be sitting back there, should I just remove the back seats altogether? Besides that, the headrests on the rear seats really obstruct what little rearview I have, so there's another reason NOT to keep them in. What has everyone else done?
Thanks in advance.
Sue in CT

Ah-hhhhhhhhhh...welcome to the club!

Yes, to put it simply...the back seats are a BITCH!

What I would do if I were you, put the seats in a folded up position and let your dogs enter through the back. If you don't want them peeking over the seat while you're driving, buy one of those seperators that will keep them from licking your face at every turn.

Take the back head supports off. You won't need them.

Also just giving you a warning..your windows will probably malfunction. They will either get stuck going up, or drop down into the door itself.

The Cd player will also break so have it checked at the first sign of the CDs not rejecting! There is only a three year warranty on the CD player so watch out.

I am leasing mine. My lease is up in the summer of 2006. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep the car, because I may be moving to Florida. I'm 36 now and I don't wish to have all those "Fast & Furious" kids think I want to race down there...Sheesh!

Welcome! You're going to love your VX.

There is a bracket kit for sale that will allow you to move your seat an additional 6 inches. This may be your solution. I think it cost about $50. You can probably find a thread on it. Go to the search botton, on this sight, and push in BACKSEAT or SEAT EXTENDERS.

Enjoy. Peace Out.

Tomdietrying

p.s.
How many miles does your have?

about the rear-view....you dont need to even use it. the mirrors are large enough for you to see behind you...and if youre backing up just stick your head out the window. i've been doing that since i bought it in '99 and i havent hit anything yet (knock on wood). but the mirrors should be sufficient for you to check out cars behind you if you adjust it just right.

rear seats...my friend who is probably 300 lbs fit in the back...just takes a little practice...tell them to step one foot in first and then shimmy their way into the back...puahaha. i always take people in my car and big guys have fit int he back pretty easily b4...you just have to go in sideways.

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Originally posted by Sue777
pride myself on being trim and agile

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thats allways a good thing :evil:

Hi, all, and thanks for the quick replies. As a matter of fact, the person who runs the site that sells the seat-extender brackets dropped me an e-mail along with some pix, and I think that's definitely the way to go. One of my "puppies" is a 120 lb. Neapolitan Mastiff, and I don't think I can teach her to maneuver in sideways to get in the back, she'd probably rather just chew her way in!:eek:

Tomdietrying: My VX had 34,350 miles on her yesterday morning when I finally got to drive her. Didn't look at the odometer when I got home, but I imagine it's at least a couple of hundred higher now. :bwgy:

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Originally posted by Lease-V-cross
...Take the back head supports off. You won't need them.

Also just giving you a warning..your windows will probably malfunction. They will either get stuck going up, or drop down into the door itself.

The Cd player will also break so have it checked at the first sign of the CDs not rejecting! There is only a three year warranty on the CD player so watch out....

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Now, not to flame but, don't take this as gospel. My windows on neither of my VXs broke (Knock, knock) and same goes for the cd changer. My first VX didn't have a problem and now after 3+ years of daily driving, including heavy off road trips, my changer still works great even with CD-R's ( I don't recommend homemade lables though). Of course, I've jinxed myself now.
Not everyone has problems, yes I can say there are vehicles out there that do have these troubles but, But I won't say that it's a majority the ones that do just get publicized more.
Sorry, I'm not trying to be polyanish but, I just don't want a new person or persons thinking that they are definately going to have problems.

Welcome to the board and community! Just thought I'd chime in as I've tortured plenty of friends with the back seat. LOL! When I first test drive ANY vehicle I try out the back seat so I'll know what I'm putting any future passengers through. Now, I'm 6'3" and about 250lbs and thought the VX was "snug" for entry/exit. I've got a few friends in the same weight class but what they lack in height they make up for in width. Glad they don't read this board too! In any case, they manage the entry/exit with less griping now than the first couple times.

Now my puppy, 115lb Rottie, gets in the cargo area with the seats in normal position. I've never driven this way with her for more than 20 or 30 minutes, but she's always eager to hop right back in to slobber on whatever she can reach. She also turns around without any problems.

As for visiblility, you'll get used to it and find where to look to cover the blind spots. I've adjusted my side mirrors more outward to cover the sides and have pushed the mirror stalk as high as it will go so as to better angle the mirror itself. Just be patient with yourself, my fiancee drives the VX from time-to-time and she's adjusted fine. Pretty good considering she's used to the almost panoramic view of her Trooper!

Enjoy!

Lease-V-cross: I think when you come to FL you'll find the fast-n-furious crowd to be another almost non-existent Hollywood fabrication. Bring your VX!

... I own a '99, I avoided the CD problem by replacing my stereo before ever knew a problem existed. Still have my stock system stored in a box, speakers and all, good as new.

As for the windows, I am old school, when something sticks or squeeks, I oil it. My windows are bind free.

As for the rear seats, my kids love the way they recline, and often take naps back there. I get back there myself on occasion and must say it is comfortable.

All in all, you will love your VX

Welcome,

I've only had my VX for a few weeks, was a die-hare anti-SUV anti-4Door vehicle, but wanted to drive through snow.

All I can say is Thank the Folks at Isuzu for making a 2-door vehicle that will go through snow (and anything else by the sound of it here)! I was leary about the SUV part, not used to driving so high off the ground, but I have a much better view of things around me. I've also learned to use the side mirrors to compensate for the rear view of the tire.

When I got the VX, the CD player wouldn't take my CD's and from discussions here I decided to put in a new one.

On the way home from picking up the VX, my passenger window got stuck open. I managed to muscle it up and will probably work on it in the spring.

As for the back seat... my 20lb puppy (Boston Terrier) rides in my lap and I don't care if anyone can get in the back seat...LOL

;Do;
Paula

....after tilting the seat forward you can turn the recline knob forward to get A LOT more space ;Db; I had two firends this weekend that (and i say this with nothing but love for my peeps) are a bit more than big bonededed :rolleyes:

and my favorite is to help them out (usually only for the ladies) and also letting peeps know to keep their butt in the air, thats experience talking it works ;pb; ...x

Sue, just yank the back seats outta there. I did three days after purchase and have never had them back in and probably never will. It's cavernous back there with plenty of room for all kinds of stuff.

Mark
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"puppies" is a 120 lb. Neapolitan Mastiff

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That is a little puppy. My Rotti/Great Dane mix is 200+ pounds. He don't get anywhere near my VX. He would slobber all over it before trying to eat the parts that fit in his big mouth!;eeky;
I can loan him to you if you want that back seat removed....perminantly:naughty:

I took my backseats out too and just love it. However, they are going to have to go back in to accommodate the new baby.

I was thinking about taking them someplace (I don't know where) and having them altered so that they aren't connected anymore. Just put one half of the back seat back in to make a three seater. Any opinions/ideas on the feasibility of this?

I really like the idea of a three-seater version too. I've been thinking it would probably be better to go with a totally new single-seatar chair rather than try to modify the current bench. Upside is that you can put in a higher-quality chair, but the downside is that the standard set of front and rear seats can be laid-back flat to make the entire length of the car a bed - with a single third chair, particularly an aftermarket one, it is unlikely you could the same level of comfort.

I don't know if everyone is aware of this... On mine I noticed that the front seats, when you pull the release lever on the back to fold the front seats, they don't fold down much as they are capable of. So I also turn the knob to make more room getting in and out.

The downside to this... when you flip the seat back upright the seat angle doesn't go back to the original position and you have to turn the knob again, in the opposite direction, to return it to your original position.

Kinda hard getting in and out but lots of room when you get there. Lot more comfortable then my Jeep Wrangler TJ.

I use my back seats all the time. You are getting in from the passenger side aren't you? It actually is impossible from the drivers side, but only very difficult from the passenger side. My fattish friends even get back there on occassion. And yes, dogs exit from the rear...

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Originally posted by Moncha
Not everyone has problems,

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And some of us cause our own problems ...

Without elaborating on how dense I am, if you notice your passenger windows stops working completely - try the passenger window lock button on the drivers door.

What the heck is this button for ... Doh!

nuf said.

Just another point about getting into the back seats... if you have the passenger seat reclined quite a bit when in its upright position, the seat doesn't tilt as far forward when you try to get in... its kinda a pain, but if you rotate the knob on the side of the seat to lean it further forward, it will be easier to get in and out of... I am 5'9"ish... and weight about 225'ish... I can get into mine even with the thing lifted 3'ish inches... so its should be possible and relatively easy for MOST people... When my son and his friends get back there, they just climb over the console... but he isn't a full-size human yet... miniature sized right now.

TTYL!

Coach... I mean Randy (I often forget who I really am) ;)
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Undergoing LS1 Coversion as we speak!
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I took 'em out!!!! :D

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Originally posted by dyanni
And some of us cause our own problems ...

Without elaborating on how dense I am, if you notice your passenger windows stops working completely - try the passenger window lock button on the drivers door.

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I did that for my first 2nd-4th weeks of ownership. I was sure that I was experiencing the infamous burned-out regulator problem...

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Lease-V-cross: I think when you come to FL you'll find the fast-n-furious crowd to be another almost non-existent Hollywood fabrication. Bring your VX!

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HAHAHA..have you been down to west palm lately?? Wannabee street racers are everywhere...i see em get pulled over all the time , and broken down on the side of the road even more....but on the up side, they only bother each other and the local law enforcement.. and they support the tow companies quite well im sure.. Its still VX safe.... :D

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I took my backseats out too and just love it. However, they are going to have to go back in to accommodate the new baby.

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Man.... If I had a baby I would probably have to get a 2nd car. I watch my best friends baby often and this is what I do.... Leave one rear seat folded down and put the baby in through the back door. There is no way youll get a baby car seat in and out of the front doors.

OUT! Sitting in the shop as a coffee break spot. Belts too. Never once used them. Convinced that's where the speedbump rattle is comming from anyway. Was gonna do it today, just got too busy

(nothing like bringing an ancent post back to life, eh?) But hey, for any newbies, I'm sure the backseat issue is one of the first things they notice, so I guess it can't hurt to pump a little CPR into this topic once in a while.

I went to the garden center last night and picked up 10 - 50 lb. bags of rocks, as well as some plants. It's amazing how little room we really have back there with the rear seats in their regular position. I flipped up the rear seats and had them upright against the front seats, which gave me enough room for the rocks and plants, but then you can't really recline as much as you'd like while driving, so on the top of my list for today is to get the rears out of there. If I want to take the dogs with me they'll have plenty of room back there, and I DO NOT WANT anyone coming with me when I'm out cruising in my VX - that is MY time. Crank up the music and not have to be sociable.

Time to go catch up on all the posts I've missed lately. My husband spotted "my VX" at the Costco parking lot the other day, except . . . it wasn't mine!
Sue

I took mine out...., and they can go back in pretty easy if you get longer bolts to make it easier.

My back seats have been collecting dust on the garage floor for over a year. I took them out to carry stuff on my move from Texas to California and never put them back in. Plenty of handy space in the VX without the back seats.