Hello,

I have an old 1995 Dakota right now. She's been a good truck, but I have two kids now - a four year old and a 7 month old - and the club cab is small and a little tight.

I am considering a large car or SUV, but I like having a truck (I've used it a lot) and was thinking that a Ram with a quad cab might be an option.

My question is, how practical is this really? Do any of you have two small kids with car seats and are able to fit them in there easily? If so, what model do you think would be recommended? I want something with a hemi and 4x4 as I in a snow belt, but close to work (gas isn't an issue).

Thanks!

 

IF you are going for a RAM and have kids, don't get a quad cab, get a crew.

A guy at work has a crew cab RAM with a 9 year old, 7 year old, and 3 year old. He tells me it work great.

 

You could fit 3 car seats in the back seat of a crewcab ram. Shouldn't really have any issues with them in a quad cab either though.

 

I am on my 4th quad cab Ram- crew will give you more cab space no doubt but you need to consider what you'll be hauling because you'll lose a foot (or more?) of bed space.

3 shoulder belts in back work great for kids car seats

 

You'll appreciate having a little more leg room with the CC version as the children grow.

Coming from a Dakota myself back in '05, the shorter bed really on the CC RAM really didn't matter to much. I still haul sheetrock, plywood, among many other small/large miscellaneous items with no problems. Its just nice having 4' between the wheel wells inside bed, even though it's only a 5' 6" box length wise. Having a 6' 6" box on my '05 Ram, there's really nothing I've been limited to hauling now with the shorter box. However I do miss having the leaf springs.

 

go with the crew cab , grand kids in mine [3] one in a car seat in the back

 

I went from a '04 quad cab Titan to my '09 Crew (i was in a bind with the Titan and the CC Ram was the last '09 on the lot, long story). My kids were 2 and 3 when we got the Ram and i was surprised at how much we could fit in the cab without feeling cramped. Now they are 5 & 6 and the extra space really pays off. I wasn't looking for a crew cab but now that i have it i don't think that I could go back. That being said, the shorter bed takes a little getting used to but should still be as much or more space than you current Dakota. I also highly recommend getting the step bars. Makes it much easier getting the kids buckled in.

 

I have a CREW, and i have 3 boys, 6,11,21, I will tell you something I was told while looking between, Quad, and Crew..(they dont stay small for long), I went with the Crew ,and never looked back, I tried the child seats in the Quad, and there feet hit the back of my chair, but not in the Crew.

 

If you can swing the crew, you will never be sorry...... It's a huge luxury SUV with a truck box. More than enuf room to seat adults in the back, very comfortably.

 

The crew cab does offer more room but you also lose a foot of box space if you can live with that go for the crew, i have a 2011 quad cab and yes there isn't as much room as there is in a crew cab but I've had my two little cousin's in my truck (both with car seats) and theres plenty of room. I've also had some of my buddys in the back of my truck that are some pretty big guys and they don't complain at all, they say theres plenty of room.
Each to their own though.

Either way you'll have room no matter what.