Editor's note: This Car Seat Check was written in November 2017 about the 2018 Toyota Camry. Little of substance has changed with this year's model. To see what's new for 2019, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
Model-year 2018 was the year of the mid-size sedan, as two of the segment's most popular sedans got completely remade: the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. The Accord wowed us with almost straight-A grades in our Car Seat Check, and the Camry didn't disappoint either, with plenty of room for two car seats as well as easy-access Latch anchors.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
Solid
- Latch, grade A: The two sets of anchors are under removable plastic flaps for easy access and connection. The three top tether anchors sit on the rear shelf under hinged plastic covers; they're clearly marked and easy to use.
- Infant, grade A: Easy install and good fit; the 5-foot, 6-inch front passenger had enough legroom.
- Rear-facing convertible, grade A: Easy install and good fit; the front passenger seat can be moved farther back for even more legroom.
- Forward-facing convertible, grade A: After removing the head restraint, this seat fit well and was easy to install.
- Booster, grade A: After raising the head restraint, the booster also fit well. The buckles are on short but stable stalks, so kids should be able to use them independently.
So-So
- None
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 Cars.com'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.
Source: Read Full Article