in a class full of solid, comfortable and affordable cars, toyota's corolla compact sedan hasn't managed to stand out recently. the new 2019 corolla hatchback changes that with a peppy new powertrain, an updated multimedia system and a host of standard safety features. where it loses points, however, is in car-seat accommodation due to a lack of legroom and hidden top tether anchors.
two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- booster, grade a: after raising the head restraint, the booster fit well. stable buckle stalks will make it easier for kids to buckle up independently.
so-so
- latch, grade b: two sets of lower anchors sit under pop-off plastic covers. they're easy to find and use. three top tether anchors sit on the base of the seatback. they're clearly marked, but the anchor is buried in the seatback carpet, so you have to fish around to make connection.
- infant, grade c: this seat was easy to install, but our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had her knees touching the dash and was not comfortable.
- rear-facing convertible, grade b: another easy install, and we were able to move the front passenger seat back a bit for additional legroom.
- forward-facing convertible, grade b: after removing the head restraint, this seat fit well and it was easy to connect to the lower latch anchors. it lost a grade because of top tether connection issues.
skip it
- none
grading scale
solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.
a: plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. easy to find and connect to latch and tether anchors. no fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. easy access to the third row.
b: one room, fit or connection issue. some problems accessing third row when available.
c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.
d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
f: does not fit or is unsafe.
about 's car seat checks
editors jennifer geiger, jennifer newman and matt schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
for the car seat check, we use a graco snugride classic connect 30 infant-safety seat, a britax marathon convertible seat and graco turbobooster seat. the front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. the three child seats are installed in the second row. the booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
we also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. if there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. learn more about how we conduct our car seat checks.
parents should also remember that they can use the latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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