Any Prius owners around?

[kristenk]

DH and I will be replacing my '99 Camry within the next few months. We're going to go with either another Camry or a Prius. If you have a Prius, could you tell me what car seats you have and where they're located? Do you think there is enough room for 2 adult passengers in the back seat if a Marathon/Wizard is in the middle?

I'm hoping to go to the dealer tomorrow to check out a Prius, but I'd love info from real life Prius drivers. Thanks!

[niferbee]

I have an 04 Prius (have had it a year and a half now I think)

I have the Britax Marathon - it's installed on the right side in the back.

I'm not sure if there'd be enough space on both? I know the car is roomier than people think it is, so I think there might be. Can you take a car seat and try it out at the dealer?

[SusanMae]

You should take your seat and try it out at the dealers. If they want you to buy their car they will let you see how your car seats fit. If they don't, don't buy your new car from them.

If I didn't know how carseats would fit in my new car, it would be a deal breaker for me.

Susan

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

My mother has an 05 Prius and we LOVE it! I have had avi RF on the side of the back seat with the MA installed with Latch. It seemed like two adults would be able to fit back there with him, the backseat is very roomy, i have sat back there with two other grown adults and it was alot more comfortable then the back seat of my fathers volvo!

HTH

Ilana

[kristenk]

I'll definitely take the car seat to try out at the dealer. My problem is that I'm under a bit of a time crunch and I was hoping that someone here would have some real life experience with car seats and the Prius (like you!). We're going with either a Camry or a Prius and, for tax reasons, we'd like to buy the Camry before the end of the year (as in, gulp, 3 days from now?!?!) or the Prius after the end of the year! With family in town for the holidays, etc. etc. etc. it's just a complicated time to go car shopping and I was hoping to get an idea of whether 2 adult passengers + a car seat in the back of the Prius is even an option. Thanks for your help! :)

[kristenk]

I agree that the dealer should have no problem letting me try out the car seat. I was asking here to get some real world advice about rear passengers and car seats. Sometimes what seems comfortable in the car dealer's showroom isn't all that comfortable on a 3 hour trip! :)

[kristenk]

Thanks so much for replying! I'm hoping to check out the Prius IRL today, but you've given me more hope of things actually working out. Now I just need to settle on the Prius or the Camry...

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

I just wanted to tell you that you should try out your stroller in the trunk of the prius. If it is a very large stroller it may not fit well. I did not have a problem with avi's stroller i just wanted to tell you about this.

HTH

Have fun car shopping!

Ilana

[niferbee]

I don't think my post went through - but if it did, sorry for the duplicate!

FYI - if you can wait, there is a hybrid tax credit going into effect in 2006. Right now, if you buy it before the end of the year, it'll be a tax deduction on your 2005 taxes.

linky: http://hybridcars.about.com/od/news/a/hybridtaxcredit.htm

[kristenk]

That's exactly why we'd wait until next year for the Prius! :) If we end up going with a Camry, we can deduct the sales tax on it this year but wouldn't be able to do that next year. Just a couple of days to decide on, and perhaps buy, a car. Yikes!

[catfeet]

My mom has an 04 Prius. We fit, albeit tightly, my sons Wizard in the center, ff, and put my sister and her husband in the back seat with him. It was tight, but it did work.

HTH,
Ann