Is a Tundra right for me? Suicide doors and sixth seat concerns.

Hello,
I am getting ready to purchase my first ever vehicle and I would love for it to be a truck. So far the first-gen tundras have really caught my eye (specifically the 2002-2006 model years). I like how they're relatively small compared to the new giants of today, have a backseat for my little brothers and friends, have a sixth seat, are pretty reliable (so I've heard), and I love the look of the suicide doors on the access cab. I have a couple of questions that I hope ya'll could answer, and forgive me but I am not at all a car person and I don't really know any technical terms.

1. Can you open the back doors of the suicide doors in the access cab without having to open the front doors first? The door handles on the access cab's back doors are a huge draw to me over a comparable Chevy or Ford. I don't like the idea of having to open the front door first if I want to access the back seat alone.

2. I don't like how the back of the sixth seat/console when it's folded down sticks out into the legroom of someone sitting in the middle seat of the backseat. Do ya'll think that I could possibly remove the sixth seat from its hinges and scoot it up so that when it's folded down into an armrest the back of it is more flush with the back of the front seats? Please tell me if you need more clarification, I don't know if I'm explaining it adequately. Here's a picture to show ya'll the problem I'd like to fix.



Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Well I do declare! A southern belle. Welcome.

Some quick answers:

1) No. The front door needs opening first and then the back doors can open.

2) Not sure as my 02’ package came with the Captains Chairs. Probably you’d be better off just raising the center arm rest to accomodate your needs. Anything is possible and you may be able to modify the arm rest to your needs.

Sounds like you are drawn to this style 1st Gen for the same reasons I was when I bought it (suicide doors and medium size). The truck has never let me down. It will suit your needs for kids and grown ups to fit in the back in a pinch. The front seats need to be moved up for maximum room for the back occupants. Overall, its just enough room for short trips.

 

1. no, but i greatly miss suicide doors (had em on my silverado)

 

the front doors do have to be open to access the rear suicide doors.

As far as moving the console up, I really doubt that's possible since it would mess with how the seat back operates and when folded up, and it wouldn't line up with the other front seat backs. best bet is to leave well enough alone, or find a first gen with from buckets instead of the 60/40 split bench.

like so

 

Not sure this helps but my 2018 has the bench seat up front and it does not interfere with the rear passengers knee room when folded down. For what its worth.

 

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply. The door situation is a bummer, but I don't know if it's a deal breaker for me yet. Looks like I'll leave the front seat alone If I do decide to get a Tundra. Thank you to everyone for the help and for answering my questions.

 

Honestly i have an an 2 of the 07 and i actually love my 2006. Perfect size and room. I have a 4dr limited. Happy with my purchase

 

I do not get the love for the suicide/access cab doors. Had a extended cab Silverado version and ended up selling it after 3 years, with the doors one of the major reasons. Not sure where you live, but the parking lots in my area have been narrowing the parking spots for years. Open the front, passenger exits, but then there's not enough space for the rear door to open so passenger then closes front door to step around it, then reopens front door from the outside, stepping toward the front of the truck as it swings open, then rear door opens, rear passenger exits, rear passenger has to repeat the same process of maneuvering behind the rear door, close rear door, closer front door.

And if it's windy, raining, count on the front door swinging into and dinging the car next to you.

Don't even ask about parking beside an F250 with wide trailer mirrors...

Doublecab all the way from me....ymmv.

 

I'm not a big fan of the suicide doors, but I love the V8 power for size of my '02. Welcome from SoCal!

 

Really, the access cab tundra is a two seat pickup that you can put a kid in as well with enough room left for a backpack and your coat. No adult is going to be comfortable anywhere in the back for more than ten minutes and certainly not in the middle seat. It’s really just there for car seats.

For me this is fine, it’s the kind of truck I was looking for. If I wanted an SUV I would have got one.

I would not want a full size truck for my first vehicle, or my only vehicle. They use way too much gas and are too big for just daily driving. I use a Subaru for that. My truck is for doing truck stuff.

 

A crew max would fit you better.

 

You mentioned little brothers. Are they still in car seats? From what I've heard car seats will not fit in access cabs.

As someone else mentioned, no one can really ride comfortably in the back for very long.

If you like the first gens I think you should opt for the double cabs. They offer leg room without being much bigger than access cab. They look great honestly.

 

Welcome from South Carolina. Good luck with your shopping

 

I owned an access cab for 5 years. No chance a car seat will fit. It’s really a storage area, not a sitting area

 

Exactly. I’m not a fan of 4 full car doors on a truck (although the Toy DC looks better than the rest). If I wanted high passenger capability, then I’d get a mini-van with slider doors on each side (not cool looking).

I’ve had regular cabs before and that limits the seat tilts and small item storage in the back. The Access Cab really ticked the boxes for me. The sexy look. The extra storage. The ability in a ‘pinch’ to seat 4-5 people for short distances if needed.

One average sized person can fit comfortably long distances in the back seat behind the passenger if their seat is forwarded a bit. More than one adult in the back is a short distance only trip. Small kids? 2-3 kids not in special chairs will more than fit and they are in close arms reach of a smack down if needed!

 

Honestly if you plan on having passengers just get the full four doors. I believe you will be happy. Also rear window slide all the way down which is a great feature on these trucks

 

"From what I've heard car seats will not fit in access cabs.

I owned an access cab for 5 years. No chance a car seat will fit."

This is not true. I bought my tundra specifically to put car seats in the back. I tested this before I bought it and have been using it as such since then.

Expanding family is the only reason I sold my 93 toyota two seater and got a Tundra instead. Got tired of being able to go to town with my kid, or with my wife, but not both.

 

The only child seat that would comfortably fit in an access cab is a booster. I will give you that

A rear facing would fit in the center....but that’s impossible if you have 2 kids in car seats.

I have a gen 2 double cab and transitional car seats barely fit in those. And this model has double the space as an access cab.

 

I don't know what to tell you. I have a 3 year old and a car seat that is one of the those that is supposed to keep converting up until they are ten or however old your supposed to keep them in it for. I've used it in all three rear positions in my access cab. Of course I never place it rear facing...maybe that is the confusion? But I haven't used a rear facing car seat since she was eight months old.

And I'm 6' and 250lbs so its not like I keep my seat forward or anything.

If the car seat didn't fit I wouldn't have ever bought the truck.

 

Car seat will fit, it isnt the best but it will, I've done it.

That said, it's small back there for adults, and for kids it's small back there by todays standards. When I was a kid my mom put my two brothers, my 3 cousins and myself in the back of a Datsun and drove from Riverside to Mexicali and back frequently. From my potentially warped experience a kid or two would do okay back there but we are way off point.

OP, how old are your brother and his buddies? Are you talking pick them up from school to home, or going on real long drives? You've considered this carefully and guessing you are young it's a very insightful approach on your part. I think a double cab first gen might meet your needs better but will never look as cool as an access cab.

Yeah I said it

 

Yeah, when I was a kid we used to go on road trips in my Dads 93 silverado, extended cab, no suicide doors, just a front seat that slid forward so you could crawl in. Makes the back of an access cab tundra look roomy.

 

With the little flap down seats?

 

At least you were in the back bed getting fresh air. I was stuffed in a back window ledge over the back seat on long trips.

 

Where did you get these seat covers?

 

I'll add my $.02 here and recommend a 2005 or 2006. These came with a computer controlled 5-speed overdrive transmission and these are golden.

BTW, I owned a 2006 AC for 12 years and 225,000 miles. My daughter owns it now and takes her two youngin's with her everywhere (in car seats in the back).

Dan

 

Absolutely correct, the 05-06 4.7 access cabs are the cream of the crop. Good luck to anyone trying to find a nice clean one for sale.