Does this work as a family car??

BGZ

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I'm currently driving a VW GTI, with two kids (10 and 5) and a 40 pound dog in the backseat - it's getting tight!! Looking for something with more space and love the Mach-E, but is it going to give me any more room? Can anybody tell me how the car feels as an everyday car with kids in tow? Backseat and cargo space for weekend trips?
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Have a 7 year old and tote her around with Grandma in the back all the time. We replace a 2006 Mustang with a MachE for the exact reason of wanting more utility but not wanting a second Explorer. The fact that it is electric is a happy bonus.

The frunk is also pretty nice. We camp and use it for smaller supply's and the rear hatch for the tent and bed rolls etc.
 

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I'm currently driving a VW GTI, with two kids (10 and 5) and a 40 pound dog in the backseat - it's getting tight!! Looking for something with more space and love the Mach-E, but is it going to give me any more room? Can anybody tell me how the car feels as an everyday car with kids in tow? Backseat and cargo space for weekend trips?
I have a 7 yr. old son and twin 4.5 girls - all 3 booster seats fit (tightly) across the back seat. Trunk is standard crossover size. I would say it's probably only marginally bigger than your GTI tho. Our true family car is my wife's Expedition Max.
 

ohmslaw

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Yes; but due to the slope of the trunk the dog may be uncomfortable back there.
Rear seat legroom is more than enough for any car seat with plenty of room for the seats up front to adjust back pretty far.
 

sotek2345

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You would be fine with the wife and kids. Not sure on the dog. We have used our for trips (NY to Maine and NY to Canada) with our 13 and 16 years old and everyone was comfortable with plenty of room for luggage.
 


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Is your dog 40 pounds tall, or is s/he 40 pounds wide? If the former, the slope of the roof might be a problem as stated before (but 40 pounds still isnā€™t ā€bigā€). If itā€™s 40 pounds wide, definitely no problem for the back.

With the three kids I have left in the house at 15, 11, and 8, they all fit in the back seat with the 8 year old in a full booster without trouble. I wouldnā€™t do a LONG trip that way, but it works. With just the two younger kids and space in the middle, itā€™s perfectly fine even for longer journeys because they have two USB charging ports (one A, one C), the pull-down center arm rest with drink holders, and WiFi being produced by the car so there are no phone tethering headaches.

Plus, the frunk gives you storage space that you might lose in the back from the dog. :)
 

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Have a 7 year old and tote her around with Grandma in the back all the time. We replace a 2006 Mustang with a MachE for the exact reason of wanting more utility but not wanting a second Explorer. The fact that it is electric is a happy bonus.

The frunk is also pretty nice. We camp and use it for smaller supply's and the rear hatch for the tent and bed rolls etc.
Absolutely, we switched from a Honda Odyssey.
 

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I downsized from a Toyota Highlander Hybrid (7-seater)nto the Mach-E and it's been great so far. My kids are younger (5 and 7) and my dog is ~50 lbs; she fits in the back without issues along with some cargo. For "fully loaded" trips my recommendation is to use many smaller bags as opposed to 2-3 big suitcases. That way you can have a snack/toy bag in the car with you, and then less used stuff like tents or sleeping bags in the trunk/frunk. Our last big trip worked fine using 4-6 reusable grocery bags for all of our stuff instead of bigger suitcases.

If the kids were teenagers we'd probably be fine on longer trips unless we were doing something like camping; in that case I'd probably rent a larger vehicle. Well, that and the fact that charging infrastructure isn't great "off the grid" anyway, at least not yet.
 

awp0

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Two teenage boys in my family, and they're pretty tall with the older one at about 6 feet. Our family of four feels comfortable in the MME for long road trips, and we can fit a fair amount of luggage in the back, but not a huge amount. As for the frunk, think "airplane carry-on luggage size".

We also have a 60 pound dog, whom we haven't yet brought on MME roadtrips. I did fit him into the cargo area as a test, and he didn't look super comfortable sitting or standing, due to the sloped rear hatch. He had plenty of space laying down but this would take away almost all storage space in the back. My conclusion is that it's a great car for a family of four, but a tight squeeze if you throw a dog into the mix and wouldn't work well for long road trips this way. We're not getting rid of our Telluride family hauler just yet :)
 

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We live north of boston, 2 boys, 6 and 8, and a 25lb dog that rides in the backseat between them. We have plenty of space and easily fit for a week's vacation. We have only used our highlander when they have friends, we will also use the highlander for Winter trips (Maine and Canada) from Dec-Mar I would imagine.
 

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I have 3 adult sized kids and 3 dogs. The Mach E suited us very well. Plenty of room in the back seat and behind the seat for dogs and stuff. Pretty easy to clean up too.

rosieMach E.jpg
 

mccdeuce

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I had a 2007 GTI (no family, just me and the pup then), went to a 2021 VW Tiguan and finally to a 2022 MME.

No issues. Love the car. Drives more like my GTI minus the manual transmission but has the space of the Tiguan. Overall space is a bit smaller even with the frunk.

I have had 2 car seats and a booster across the back, although its a bit tight. Have done road trips with 3 adults, 1 toddler and a pup in the trunk (she prefers it back there, but I only give her half of the space and I have the floor on the bottom peg)

For me it is a great family car. I do not want the Suburban/MiniVan or other large vehicle.
 

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Itā€™s all about what you prefer and what you expect from that car.
Short answer. For me. No, itā€™s not a family car. Since school started MME become my weekend toy.
Size: MME size is well, not something super spacious or tight. Itā€™s standard midsize SUV. Youā€™ll have enough room for all your needs. Great to have a Frunk. But still its depends. When I was younger (much younger) with two kids and pregnant wife our family car was BMW E36 Coupe :cool: . And we (I think WE, not only me ā€¦. love my wife) was happy with it even for long vacation trips. Now with three grown kids and two dogs our 6 seats big size SUV not enough for us. And for our luggage we use roof cargo box for vacations.
Ride: šŸ¤” Hmmm ā€¦. If you can drive MME not like a maniac without accelerations and hard braking and you have smooth roads in your area I think your family will be fine. In my case my wife refused to ride with me in our GT because she got sick šŸ¤¢

PS Sorry puppies šŸ¶ šŸ¶ I love you, but ā€œDogs are prohibit in GTā€.
 
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TLDR; Yes, it has been a great family car for us.

My wife went from her 2016 GTI to the Mach E. We have a 5 year old and there is more space in the back width and depth wise but the roof line isn't as square. Using the golf bag test, there is definitely more room in the Mach E. The frunk has also been really useful for extra space. Rear seat space is good with a booster and two grandparents in the back. Not for a long trip but definitely enough space for trips around town. For the 3 of us on long road trips or booting around town, it works really well.

The roads are good around here so the ride is smooth and firm. Feels a lot like the GTI both in feel and handling. We went with the Premium so the seats aren't as buckety (you know what I mean) as the GTI which I miss. The GT will have larger side bolsters.
 

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I'm currently driving a VW GTI, with two kids (10 and 5) and a 40 pound dog in the backseat - it's getting tight!! Looking for something with more space and love the Mach-E, but is it going to give me any more room? Can anybody tell me how the car feels as an everyday car with kids in tow? Backseat and cargo space for weekend trips?

Aside from my car being in the shop for a month now (HVBJB replacement) it was a fantastic family car. No dog, but 2 kids and 2 car seats (7 and 5) and constantly hauling them to all their appointments, school fishing, hiking, etc.... It's been a work horse and my kids love it. It's not the most comfortable drive long term, (it's a sports car my guy) but It's super fun, great range, and all the safety features are nice. Not to mention, it's costing me 1/3 of what my wifes escape does with gas pricing.
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