Coriander

Hello I have been looking into buying a pre-owned CT to replace my Toyota Tacoma XTRA Cab w/ 268K miles.

I commute 65 miles round trip for work.

We also have a 3rd Gen Prius that my wife DD's and I do not want to have two of the same looking cars in the household.
We do plan on having a child in the future (1-2 years from now) and I'd like to see if any of you w/ newborns/ toddlers think the CT would not be a good choice for families.

I have see some videos w/ rear facing child seats in the middle fine but some complain that the space is too "tight".

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Clutchless

It may be and you really need to check one out in person to make your own choice. A dealer would let you test fit a child seat since it is a crucial buying issue. A used Lexus HS250h may be a better choice. It is a bit larger inside and more comfortable and it has the larger Camry hybrid engine/drivetrain. There are fewer around as it was only imported from 2010-2012, but is still made in Japan. I traded my CT for an HS and have not looked back, much. Also, the HS has you sit a bit higher and drives more like a European car than a typical Lexus.

We commuted for a couple years with a rear seat passenger in the CT and they never complained. I found it easy to get in and out of the back. Once took an all day wine tour with 2 friends in back and they were comfy. So a child seat may work. However the HS would have more room in back and being higher be easier to deal with those issues.

Coriander

That was just about all I wanted to hear.

Thanks for the info. I am hoping to check some out towards the end of the year. I've only begun my research a few days ago.

Miamiboy87

The CT is too small for a car seat. I have a 5mo and 19mo. One has the typical infant seat and the other has the larger seat but still rear facing. On both I have to move the driver and passenger seats forward. I'm 5'7 and i'm at an uncomfortable position, but doable if commuting short distances.. otherwise my legs would probably start cramping. They usually ride in the wifes Toyota Highlander.

Coriander

Did you have the same issues when just one rear facing seat is placed in the middle seat?

Miamiboy87

I didn't try that, but I figured it be the same. I think that the corners of the car seat would touch both driver and passenger seats. You might have some more wiggle room, but I don't think you'd be able to back the seats up more without tilting the child seat towards the back.

Coriander

Thanks. Definitely makes me reconsider the CT. I want it to be future proof. Although my wife drives a Gen 3 Prius, it would be nice to have more than one vehicle that would be able to move us around when needed and without question.

Coriander

Just found this.

Miamiboy87

Thats exactly my car.. You might want to consider a Hybrid Camry if mileage is a factor and also the seating and if you're trying to budget.. They are fairly cheap with low miles.

Coriander

Revisiting the Prius V now. Hah.

Raidin

I was just gonna reply that Alex on Autos did a review of the CT and then did a separate video for the interior that shows child car seat usage and fitment. Good find.

Don't forget that the ES hybrid is very large inside and gets similar fuel economy (40 combined vs 42 for the CT, unless the size of the car is the issue).

GSEDAN

I had a Ct with a 3 year old and an infant.

Needless to say I had to switch to a GX, the roof line was very low and the overal vehicle height was low as well. It was very hard to get a child in and out of the back seats