[jenny]

I am considering purchasing a 2008 Compass and this website has been a huge help so thanks everyone! I was wondering if anyone with a Compass has small children? I am pregnant with my first baby and looking to purchase something a little larger than my VW Golf and was hoping someone could comment on how much space there is for car seats and baby gear in the back (strollers, playpens, etc...).

Also, I have read a few reviews that state there are some bad blind spots...is this true?

Any info you could provide would be very helpful.
Thanks!

 

[i2canoe]

I think you'll find the Compass MUCH larger than your VW. Plenty of room for car seat, stroller, playpen and any thing else you could think of. Very safe and confidant feeling to the drive.

As for the blind spots, it takes a bit of driving to get used to the rear views, but hay . . . wonderful large door mounted mirrors really give a great rear view.

Test drive the car. I think you will find it super pleasant. Good luck.

 

[rommel543]

I have 3 boys and everyone fits great. The entire family can go on a trip and we have plenty of room for lugage and stuff. We just went on a trip to my parents place for 3 days over christmas. We had to pack bags for each of the kids, my wife and I; gifts; all the winter gear to go sledding; etc.

 

[jenny]

thanks so much for the speedy response! I'm going to test one out this weekend!

 

[Webmaster]

Got two car seats in mine. Works fine for our stuff. We haven't done any huge cross-country trips but there's plenty of cargo capacity for 99.99% of our trips.

 

[TheGatekeeper]

I have a 2008 Compass that upgraded from a 2004 Matrix. I also have a two year old daughter. I find that we have plenty of room for everything we need. The Compass seems a bit larger then the Matrix, not sure if there is actually more room, but it sure feels like it.

This holiday season we did a lot of hauling gifts, both ways, plus of course booster seat and whatever extras. Even with my daughter getting a small TV as a gift, and a large play set, we still had plenty of room to spare.

 

[BreatheJeeply]

I have 3 kids. One in a car seat who is 3, a big 9 yr old boy, and a 15 yr old daughter. It is very cramped in the back seat for them and I hear nothing but complaints. I originally had my youngest in the middle but found that due to the lack of dome light over the back seat (it is a dark hole back there, especially since I live on an acreage in the country with no street lights to help out!!), that it was way too dark to see the seat belts. Good luck finding anything that is dropped on the floor at night. I also found it kind of difficult to do up the car seat due to the rear wheel well/fender cutting into the door way. I ended up moving the car seat to the outside seat behind the driver and now I don't have to remove the car seat when I need to put down the backseat for more cargo room. There is only 1 little light in the door switches as well and that is in the driver's window switch. This is a pain in the butt as well when I go to pick up my daughter at night and the door is locked so I have to turn on the dome light to search for the unlock button. The drink holders on the floor aren't the greatest idea either. Also, the hatchback doesn't have a handle on it either so I end up with dirty hands trying to close it. These are small things, but really irritating ones that would keep me from buying this car all over again. It does have lots of cargo room and drives nice though. :wink:

 

[rommel543]

I have 3 kids. One in a car seat who is 3, a big 9 yr old boy, and a 15 yr old daughter. It is very cramped in the back seat for them and I hear nothing but complaints. I originally had my youngest in the middle but found that due to the lack of dome light over the back seat (it is a dark hole back there, especially since I live on an acreage in the country with no street lights to help out!!), that it was way too dark to see the seat belts. Good luck finding anything that is dropped on the floor at night. I also found it kind of difficult to do up the car seat due to the rear wheel well/fender cutting into the door way. I ended up moving the car seat to the outside seat behind the driver and now I don't have to remove the car seat when I need to put down the backseat for more cargo room. There is only 1 little light in the door switches as well and that is in the driver's window switch. This is a pain in the butt as well when I go to pick up my daughter at night and the door is locked so I have to turn on the dome light to search for the unlock button. The drink holders on the floor aren't the greatest idea either. Also, the hatchback doesn't have a handle on it either so I end up with dirty hands trying to close it. These are small things, but really irritating ones that would keep me from buying this car all over again. It does have lots of cargo room and drives nice though. :wink:

Do you have a big car seat? My Kids are 11,11 (step-son not twins)and 9. My 11 year old is almost 5' already and my step-son (although shorter) is almost 120 lbs and wearing adult ciothing. Unless they are atempting to play with Pokemon cards and complaining that their little brother is bothering them, I don't hear any problems about room. With kids though, once they hit a certain age, unless you drive a bus they're going to complain that they are too close to their siblings.

 

[BreatheJeeply]

Do you have a big car seat? My Kids are 11,11 (step-son not twins)and 9. My 11 year old is almost 5' already and my step-son (although shorter) is almost 120 lbs and wearing adult ciothing. Unless they are atempting to play with Pokemon cards and complaining that their little brother is bothering them, I don't hear any problems about room. With kids though, once they hit a certain age, unless you drive a bus they're going to complain that they are too close to their siblings.

I actually had to switch car seats with the one that is in our truck because the original one was wider. I don't know how the current one compares size wise to other car seats though. There definitely would be more room if my 3 yr old didn't have to use one but he does. I have sat back there in place of my 15 yr old daughter and it wasn't fun. Luckily, all 5 of us are rarely in there together and for road trips we always use our truck because it is much roomier. Maybe not a bus, but my next vehicle will have 3 rows of seats for sure. :mrgreen:

 

[Neely2005]

I have 3 kids. One in a car seat who is 3, a big 9 yr old boy, and a 15 yr old daughter. It is very cramped in the back seat for them and I hear nothing but complaints. I originally had my youngest in the middle but found that due to the lack of dome light over the back seat (it is a dark hole back there, especially since I live on an acreage in the country with no street lights to help out!!), that it was way too dark to see the seat belts. Good luck finding anything that is dropped on the floor at night. I also found it kind of difficult to do up the car seat due to the rear wheel well/fender cutting into the door way. I ended up moving the car seat to the outside seat behind the driver and now I don't have to remove the car seat when I need to put down the backseat for more cargo room. There is only 1 little light in the door switches as well and that is in the driver's window switch. This is a pain in the butt as well when I go to pick up my daughter at night and the door is locked so I have to turn on the dome light to search for the unlock button. The drink holders on the floor aren't the greatest idea either. Also, the hatchback doesn't have a handle on it either so I end up with dirty hands trying to close it. These are small things, but really irritating ones that would keep me from buying this car all over again. It does have lots of cargo room and drives nice though. :wink:

I have 2 kids - 3 (Car Seat) & 11 and there's plenty of room for them. Also I think the 2008 has more Interior Dome Lights than the 2007.

 

[i2canoe]

Also I think the 2008 has more Interior Dome Lights than the 2007.

I hope so, that is one critique I have on my '07 - It IS DARK inside. There should have been a rear seat dome light or reading lights. If you have to look for something in the back seat you really need the detachable flashlight. At least it works well and is bright.

 

[Webmaster]

If the 08's have lights, I want them. I've already had my headliner down and did some wiring for the DVD player. It would probably be pretty easy to wire up some extra lights..... hmmmm.....

Can anyone confirm or provide a photo of such rear seat lights?

 

[i2canoe]

I am going by my dealer this morning and will look into the '08 rear seat lights. Will let you know.

 

[i2canoe]

Show room model was an '07, no sunroof so there is a cabin light centered between slightly behind the front seats, affording light in back. The sales man confirmed the '08 has lights over the rear seat windows.
Can't imagine why we didn't have them last year.
Salesman off hand could not tell me about any other differences between the two years models but admitted if I did not ask him specifically about the lights he would not have thought to have mentioned them.
Smart boy.

 

[Webmaster]

Show room model was an '07, no sunroof so there is a cabin light centered between slightly behind the front seats, affording light in back....

Huh? I have no sunroof and there's no light slightly behind the front seats..... ???? The back seat is DARK, DARK, DARK. Well my local dealer has 5-8 Compass' so I'll have to stop by there and see if any of them are 08's.

 

[i2canoe]

Show room model was an '07, no sunroof so there is a cabin light centered between slightly behind the front seats, affording light in back....

Huh? I have no sunroof and there's no light slightly behind the front seats..... ???? The back seat is DARK, DARK, DARK. Well my local dealer has 5-8 Compass' so I'll have to stop by there and see if any of them are 08's.

Interesting . . .
Variations between earlier and later production runs?
Could there have been unmentioned, and unpublished production updates over the year :?:
I'm going to start a new thread polling other drivers on the rear seat lighting.