Steering You Right with Sharon Peters: Cab Confusion
Q: We’re in the very, very early stages of researching pickup trucks. The online stuff, really. Some are referred to as extended cabs and some are crew cabs. Is this just different terminology or are they different things?
A: Both have that “rear seat” so you can have more than one passenger riding with you. But there is a difference.
In extended cab trucks, the rear seats generally are fine for kids but pretty cramped for regular-sized adults (and some of them are really cramped for adults). Not all extended cabs are identical in size so you should examine the numbers online, and then go to the dealer to check out the larger ones if having normal sized adults in the rear seat is likely to be a regular occurrence for you.
Crew cabs provide much more accommodating dimensions for any grown-ups who have to sit in the back, and the set of doors for entering the backseat are normal size so you don’t have to duck and scramble to make the entry. That said, you’ll get a smaller cargo bed with this crew cab configuration. Again, there are differences from truck to truck, so use this as general guidance and check the specifics of any models you’re interested in.
It’s not even a bad idea to ask a couple of adult friends to ride in the back seat when you do the test drive so you’ll have real information on just how reasonable the accommodations are back there.
Q: Quick: What do you see as the two (and only two) most important tips for parents who have or will soon have teen drivers coming up?
A: First: Be a perfect role model. Never coast through stop signs, run red lights, or text while driving. Even when they’re riding in the back seat with their noses stuck in their phones, they’re very aware of what you’re doing. If you normalize poor driving behavior, they will too.
Second: Even once they get their license, ride with them regularly. Consider it more practice/coaching time. For many more weeks. Every extra hour of time they spend behind the wheel with your supervision is important.