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Future Toyota hybrids?
May 2007
Does anyone know anything about new Toyota hybrid cars that will be released here in the next couple of years? I've read about a hybrid mini-van and heard about a Prius stationwagon. We're looking to buy a hybrid car with room for our expanding family. anon
Hi, I thought the prius was pretty good, but after I checked into it I realized I should wait. They are having trouble with separating the electrical lines from the gas. When they cross you have boom boom, pretty unsafe. You pay more for the car to save gas and then in a few years you have to buy a battery for $5,000, so where is the savings? Can you imagine buying a prius and in five years putting $5,000 into it? Even the dealer told me they were having electrical issues. Told me to wait five years and then they will probably have these issues resolved. So I recommend waiting five years. You will be better off right now buying a Toyota Celica or a nice Cadillac CTS with a footless clutch and automatic tranny in one! I get 40 mpg when I use the shift mode. Around town is about 20 mpg. James H
Not sure where the previous responder to this post got his info, but in the 2.5 years I've owned my Prius I haven't heard anything about fuel/electrical crossover problems - no recalls, no mentions on the Prius owners boards I've read. As far as the battery goes, it's waranteed for 8 years or 100,000 miles, so if it did need to be replaced after 5 years it's on Toyota, not the owner. And like the original poster, I hope Toyota will come out with more models soon - a hybrid station wagon would be nice! Carla
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Sept 2006
My mom is in the market for a car. Within the next two years, she will be moving in with us and she wants to buy a car that will seat 5 *comfortably* (including an adult in the middle and back seats) and more if needed. She is interested in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and I said I'd check with BPN for any experiences members have had. She said she doesn't want a minivan because they are ''too big,'' and she's interested in the Hybrid version of the Highlander because of gas mileage. I'm interested in storage issues, comfort, driving, etc. as well as mileage. Thanks for any information, Laurel
I never believed I'd ever say this about an SUV, but I love LOVE our Highlander Hybrid. We are a family of four (2 kids in carseats) and it serves our needs well. You should be able to fit three adults in the backseat comfortably. However it is a tight fit for an adult to sit between two carseats in the back.
The third row is not very useful for seating however. There is little leg room, you cannot adjust the seatback angle, and it is hard to get in and out. You can move the second row forward all the way to increase leg room for the third row, but it will still be uncomfortable for adults unless they are petite. Overall I find the third row pretty useless, though it may be ok for older kids?
Storage is great with the third row concealed, but minimal if the third row is in use.
I find it very comfortable to drive, there are multiple angles and heights to adjust the driver's seat. I find I have a much clearer view through the back window as a driver, than I did driving our previous car (a compact car). The rear windows pretty much end right at the end of the car, so it's a good frame of reference for parallel parking. I had never driven an SUV or minivan before getting our Highlander, and I was pleasantly surprised it has been so easy to get used to.
As for mileage, we don't have the luxury edition, so we don't have a mpg meter on the display, (which I think is ridiculous). However I factor that our mileage is about 30 mpg, which is about the same as our previous car (a compact Hyundai).
Overall we would recommend the Highlander Hybrid. I don't think we could ever switch back. Best of luck anon
I have a 2002 Toyota Highlander. It seats 5 very comfortably with lots of leg room in the back. I found that those with the 3rd row seats don't offer as much rear storage or leg room for the middle row. I love my Highlander and I'm glad I didn't get one with the 3rd row since it pretty much can only seat small children (although I don't think you can fit car seats in the 3rd row). The Hybrid would be better for mileage but my Highlander actually gets as good as mileage as most sedans.
Highlander driver
Carseat for 2-door Toyota Tercel
May 2005
I'm looking for advice on buying a carseat that will fit into my 2 door Toyota Tercel. My son is about to outgrow his infant seat, and I'd rather buy online, as most seats are cheaper... but I'm not sure what will fit. The good news is that I am quite small and keep the driver's seat pulled all the way forward, and there is rarely someone in the passenger seat. I would like to get a Britex Marathon, especially since my car is not the most impact proof. Can anyone tell me what they think might or might not fit? Thanks! ann
Theres a growing database on which car seats fit your car... go check here - and while you're at it, add your experience to help the next parents!! www.carseatdata.org/ new mom
We just had a similar situation to deal with and ended up getting the Britax Roundabout. We put it behind the passenger seat in a 2 door VW Fox. It required that we pull the seat all the way forward. When I got in the passenger seat, my knees touched the dashboard (I'm 5'4'') and my husband couldn't sit in the passenger seat. It was very difficult to get the baby in and out of the car, but we made it work for a while. It was irritating enough though that we ended up buying a new car. Wendy
Carseat/booster for preschooler in Toyota Corolla
Feb 2005
My 2.8 year old son will be outgrowing his Britax Roundabout soon. I'd like to keep him in a 5-point harness for as long as possible, and am thinking about getting the Britax Husky or Marathon. However, I know those seats are both quite large, especially the Husky, and I'm not sure it will fit in my small car -- an older (1995) Toyota Corolla sedan. I know I can go to a store that sells carseats and try them out, but I figure I can save myself the trouble by asking what other folks with smaller cars have found to work for them. So, is there anyone out there who has tried fitting the larger Britax seats into a small 4-door sedan? And, if those didn't fit, what did you get instead? Thanks! -- small car owner
We have the Marathon in a Honda Civic, and it fits fine. We still have it in rear-facing mode, but I assume it will be an even easier fit once it's foward facing. There's a website that tells you what carseats fit in what cars, but I can't remember it now... maybe someone else could point you toward it? Stephanie
I have a classic car that I love. Unfortunately, when baby and car seats came, the sight lines were such that all of the really ''safe'' car seats got in the way. I just couldn't see well enough to be safe. I bought and returned several seats!
On a whim, I ordered the Sit-n-stroll from The Right Start catalog. It fit perfectly. Yes, I have to buckle the seat belt around it each time. That was not a problem for me. I liked double checking everything every time and giving him a kiss before we start. It 's a nice ritual. I loved having the stroller combined. It is so convenient!! Air planes, take bart & a taxi, walk to the market, see a friend & go with her.....I love the thing. So much that I bought 2 new ones when my second child was born.
OK, they are rickety. They aren't really designed to be used daily, or off road like I did. One broke it's spine crossing a railroad track and I had to pick it up with child and run. One is so bent that it is nearly impossible to open into a stroller. It is just an extra car seat now. One still works perfectly and one kid sits in the seat and the other on top for a total of 80 pounds....not what the manufacure had in mind, but very handy. This is over a 6 year period with 2 kids, 3 seats = $600. not the cheapest way to go but I did not have to buy another car so........
I did get a double jogging stroller which is also from The Right Start and huge but very great for daily to & from school up & down hills...... Annie
Corolla wagon with 2 carseats?
Feb 2003
We are investigating buying a new (used) mini station wagon, and are looking for input from other parents who drive Toyota Corolla wagons.We hope to have another baby, and I know that both a forward facing and rear facing car seat would not fit in our current wagon (Tercel). Have people had any trouble with car seats in the Corolla wagon? Jenny We have a 1991 Corolla wagon with one forward facing and one rear facing car seat -- they fit but the rear facing makes it so you can't bring the seat back all the way. We keep the rear facing car seat on the passenger side because my husband is over 6 feet tall and needs to move the seat back to drive. We would love to replace this wagon with a new Corolla wagon, but they don't make them anymore. Oh well. Good luck. Sarah Sarah
I have a 1991 Toyota Corolla wagon (which replaced my even older two-door Tercel when I had my second child). I've got two carseats in there, no problem. Can I get anyone else in the back seat? Well, no. But it works fine for our family of four. I'm a big Toyota fan - even the used cars will, when kept up, give you 20 years of reliable service. You really can't go wrong with a Toyota. Julie