Ferrari California back seat kid friendly?

Be aware that the back seat is VERY small. It is imperative that you test drive the car, with both your wife and son, so that you can make a proper choice. The Cali is a lot of fun, but realistically speaking, it is a two seater. A small child will fit in the back, and that is with the roof open.

 

A couple of times, our daughter sat sideways in the seat, as there is figuratively no leg room behind the passenger's seat. And literally no leg room behind the driver's seat. Unless you are fitting a child seat in the back, it is pretty much a two person car.

 

I have 11 and 10yo and they fit easily in the back of my Porto and I don’t think the Porto is any bigger. Even when they complain I tell them their choice is the Ferrari or mommy’s Escalade ..... guess what they pick every time!! Don’t worry about size of back seat, there’s plenty of room for a kid to have an awesome time (roof up or down). Occasionally we scoot the front seats up a bit, but I really think all this talk about the back seat for kids is silly .... they’re in a Ferrari, not a comfy couch. It’s worth whatever they have to deal with!! Or, put them in the front seat for a real awesome drive .... NJ regulations require a booster and back seat only until age 8. They’ve been riding with me up front for years.

 

The front seats in the Porto are thinner than the CaliT, giving more legroom for the back passengers. Not a ton but it is noticable.

 

Here goes again!
I always like to post this pic when people ask about Cali back seats.

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25 lb dog in the back seat of our Cali with my wife in front seat, who is 5' 8" and so seat is not fully back. If your child is tall, I would follow Alex's advice and test drive with someone sitting back there, top up and top down. Best of luck...T

 

2 in or 5 cm as I recall...T

 

I also came out of a GTC into my Cali two and a half years ago. My kids at the time were 7 & 9 and were ok in the back. Fast forward to today and they are 10 and almost 13 it’s no good and going up for sale!

 

Had to chime in. I know what you’re looking for. A fun sporty attractive car to enjoy with the family. I tested the Cali T and Portofino. Wanted the Porto to work so badly. Ended up with the Lusso and It’s amazing with my wife and six year old daughter. The car is outrageously capable and so so so fun. Like Chris Harris said, “I can’t keep a straight face anymore. This car is utterly bonkers and I love it.”

I asked my daughter how she liked the view in the Portofino. She said “Dad all I can see is the seat!”

I’m not sure you’ll enjoy the Cali as you’ll always be stressed about your kid in back. Just my two cents. Good luck!!

 

Cali backseats are no fun for toddlers as they provide no view and no space. Tried to go on a ride with wife and my two year old in my Cali T HS and both complained. He likes to ride in the front seat though, in which case the Cali becomes a two people car, just junior and me. For family rides I added a Mercedes AMG S63 convertible to the stable. In the AMG all enjoy riding with the roof open.

 

By all means, trade in the Ferrari for a Sebring convertible ... tons of space, great views, wonderful experience ......

A car like this is for the driver, not the passenger. Don’t sell your happiness short .... I have five kids under 11 and they all love driving in the back seat, and they like my new Turbo S as well which has an even higher “wall.” If they don’t like it, then tough for them.

 

My daughter is 13 and 5'4"
When my wife is in the passenger seat, she can move it up pretty far and give my daughter room. I wouldn't put her through rides like this for more than an hour or two. She can sit "side saddle" and put her legs into the other seat if need be. Still, it is a Ferrari, and she loves it. If the top is down, it is easier. A bit tougher to get in and out of if the top is up.

She is an only child, and I couldn't bring myself to exclude her by getting a two seater.

good luck!

 

That is a pretty big contradiction. "They fit easily", "when they complain". That makes it pretty clear that they are not comfy back there.

Let's get the facts on the table. When people say there is next to no leg room, that is the case. A normal sized 10 year old is going to be very crammed in back there.
On top of that, the back seat is very upright. Unless it's a small child in a dedicated child seat, it's not a nice place to be.

If a CGT was only just enough, then a Cali is not going to work, because it is a lot smaller back there.

The rear seats are for luggage or child seats, not for really sitting in.

Get a Lusso. Real SAFE back seats, and a glorious V12. It also drives and handles better.

My take is this. I think that sometimes those who insist that there is enough room, do so out of necessity. It's the only way the family can have a Ferrari, because for one or other reason it is frowned upon to have one of the sportscar models.

The Lusso is a great car, and have all kinds of space. No it is not an open top car, but in every single other conceivable way, it outperforms the Cali, Cali T and Porto.

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It’s not a contradiction. I have 9 cars ... we can have or take whatever car we want. My point is that if your choice about whether or not to have a Ferrari comes down to how comfy the kids are, either get it and enjoy life or don’t and stop trying to rationalize it. There’s plenty of room for kids who aren’t coddled.

 

The OP's post suggests that he and his family are interested in rallies and possibly longer trips. A California is good for a top down ice cream run in nice weather. Otherwise it is not comfortable for a longer trip unless you're taking a baby or small child.

 

I don't have kids, I could care less, so no coddling. But if you want everyone to enjoy the ride, get a Lusso V12. There's no defending it as a real four seater, it's that simple.

 

I have 4 kids and this is my daily driver. I have a 13, 11, 9 and 6 yr old. Always have two with me. We just move the passenger seat up and there is plenty room for my 11 yr old. Trust me, they dont complain getting dropped off at school and soccer in it. Lol

 

I’ll just add my experience here and say if the youngster will spend very much time in the back seat they will grow to hate it. I was convinced to check out a friends FF and while I had to get over how the car looked from the rear of the door back the room inside is just amazing. I’ve grown to be quite fond of the FF and Lusso now and think for “the family model” it’s the way to go. If it were just me, or a passenger and me the Cali is the way to go. But they are also both different cars with different attitudes. Neither car is really a typical Ferrari in most people’s mind.

 

"Typical Ferraris"? Did Enzo say this?

 

Has anyone found a car seat that fits? I have yet to find one for my 4 going on 5 year old.

 

I think there is at least one thread regarding this. It seems they are difficult to find.

 

I guess what I mean is when you say Ferrari most people’s vision doesn’t gravitate to a California or Lusso. Usually people see in their minds a 308, or 458/488.

 

I guess the rumor about the California being a "fake Ferrari" still isn't dead!

 

Most people≠most Ferrari buyers? Most Ferrari buyers bought California (T)/Portofino and FF/Lusso. So is the truth in data or some individual's perception?

 

Actually he is right.

Most people does not equal Ferrari buyers. And even if you think it does, does that not change the fact that if you say Ferrari, most owners/buyers do not think about the Cali first. They will most likely envision the classic V12 or modern sportscars, or perhaps one of the halo cars. If I hear sjmeone say Ferrari, the picture that pops into my head is usually a Testarossa, a 308, the 812 or perhaps the 250 Cali. Not once have I ever had the first car be a Cali unless I was about to drive one. Same goes for the Porto. On occassion the Lusso pops up, but there's a specific reason for that.

But there is nkthing inherently wrong with saying typical Ferrari, and it is 100% correct to say that there are Ferraris that are much more quintessential Ferrari that those off of the Cali platform.

Move outside of the Ferrari comunity and it becomes even more so. The sales figures of the Csli platform does not represent what most think of as quintesential Ferrari, it just represents what is the cheapest Ferrari to get into. Some owns it for this reason, and some for the subdued and practical nature. But I've yet to meet a multi car owner that sees his/her Cali/Porto as their favorite car. At my dealer, I reckon 8 out of 10 cars in the Cali/Porto segment was for the wife or girlfriend, same is the case for the Roma.

This has nothing to do with being real or not, it is. It has to do with simply not being as coveted as its higher end GT and sports car siblings.

In simple terms. It is not a commonly thought of Ferrari, for perhaps others than single Cali/Porto/Roma owners.

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