i'm not talking young kids like driving age, i'm talking like me as a young single mom, i have a 5 month old. so far i haven't found any other parents who have this car and can tell me anything, whether it works for them or it doesn't, or some things do and others don't. i've tried and i've tried. me? i love the car, but my daughter comes first always and forever. so, if you know anything, anything at all, please, please, please help me out on this.
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I have a 17 month old and only transport him when absolutely necessary. Read some threads here about how the xA does in a crash (not well) and I think you will see why we use our Sienna when at all possible.

 

i thought it had a 4 star crash rating? i'm not sure what the sienna is, but i'll look it up really quick. price is a humongous factor for me, so it's not like i can get an suv. but this will be a big step up from a camero which in my opinion is way worse for children.
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alright, i looked at that car, it's a van...i've only got two people in my family, me and the wee mooshkin. i did a ton of research, there aren't too many small cars (they way they make them now days anyways) that are extremely safe, especially when you're on my budget. besides crash rating...is it easy for you to get him in and out? sippy cups? strollers? all of his gear?
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i've got a 3 year old boy, and in my opnion this car works great as far as having what you need with you, and being able to fit everything. the backseats are tight when you have a car seat in, but other than that its a great car, and i would reccomend it.

 

awesome! thanks!
off topic, but, how do you get that little picture of the scion up there? i know it's not a real pic, i see that nearly everyone has one, and it's not covered under the faq section.
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If you feel like your child's safety may be compromised because of the size of the car, get side air bags as well. I did and it gives me a better feeling of being secure in the car.

 

the biggest problem with the xa is that it is tiny. while it is probably okay for front and side, since the rear end is practically empty, if you get seriously rear-ended, your xa will be two-door in a heartbeat. there is a pic of an xa that got hit like that, luckly nobody was in the backseat i think, but if they were, it would've been pretty bad for them.

 

Once you log into the site, click on the Profile button at the top of the screen. On the left side of your profile window there'll be a section - "fluddrbie's vitals" - with an image next to it saying "no avatar uploaded". Click on that and you can change it.


To answer the question in your OP, I have a 23 month old and she rarely rides around in the xA b/c we have a Camry which is much safer. As others have stated, the xA's diminutive size is what causes me the most worry when driving her around in my Scion. Another problem I have, with my daughter in particular, is that she is rather long-legged for a toddler and, while I'm only 5'8", my seat is far back enough that her feet are constantly tapping on the back of my seat which is a nuisance if she's not in the mood for behaving (which means she always does it).

The xA, all other factors considered, is a great car and very fun to drive. However, considering what is most precious to you (as should be with every parent), I wouldn't recommend this car to you, in good conscience, as a primary means for transportation if you plan on driving around a lot with your daughter in the car. I completely understand the price factor in purchasing a car. I'd consider looking into the used car market for an older Camry or Accord. Both are reliable, safe, and practical. Someone mentioned the side-curtain airbag option, which won't really do much in a rear-end collision which is what I fear the most with my daughter in the car.

Another consideration is how much stuff you need to take with you and your daughter. We take my daughter over to family and to the park, the zoo, etc. fairly regularly and our full sized stroller took up a lot of space. Even now with her umbrella stroller, along with the toys, the diaper bag, and whatever else we need, it fills up pretty quick. If it's primarily just going to be you and her riding around then passenger space won't be a problem. If you mount the car seat in the center of the back seat then the rear seat essentially is for emergency passenger use only. Our 2 black labs take up the rest of what space we have if they're coming along for the ride.

Hope this helps.

 

I pick my 3 year old and 4 year old girls up from school in my xA and getting them in and out of their car seats is easier in my xA than my wife's Accord. Ditto what was said though about getting kicked from behind, the seats are really close to you. But then again, when you need to reach back to smack - oh I mean - hand them a sippy cup or something they are really close to you.

If you're really set on a scion I would think the xB would be even easier to get kids in and out of.

That being said, I would ditto comments about safety and also recommend a used Accord, Camry, or even a Civic if this were going to be my sister's and neice's only transportation. The danger of a rear collision is pretty real - there's just not much crush zone there.

Good luck to you and God bless all the single moms!

 

It does. It got ranked 4 out of 5 stars on every crash rating, which is well above average.

Toyota Sienna got mostly 5 stars and a few 4s as well.

 

thank you all who have helped. i was mainly looking for ease of transportation and ride. i'm 5'2 on a good day btw, lol so i almost have to have seats all the way up, but nevermind that. price is a really really huge factor for me, i mean, i can't stress that enough, i think i'll be luck if i can afford another car, but my 91 camaro is in such good shape (not kid friendly by any means, but still good shape) that i can get a good price on it and have it for the down payment. i think that'll be my ace kicker right there.
also, i'd heard that if you had children riding you were supposed to turn you airbags off because it could injure them in the event of a collision?
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Not to put down the xA (because I have one myself), but I think that a better car would be a VW Jetta. The new ones are pretty cheap and are super safe. I've had my little 7 year old cousin in the backseat of my car and he kept bouncing around. He said the ride was basically too rough. He said it was fun because the car made it seem fast, but it was still too bumpy. The biggest thing for kids is comfort and I think you should get a car that suits that. Even the VW Rabbit is safer than the xA.

 

i just looked at the jetta...i like vw's, i use to own a cabriolet...till it went caput on me 6 months after i got it...i finally paid it off this year (and this all happend neaarly 4 years ago). but, when i had it i liked it. did you know that you now have to pay over a grand for an automatic?! that should be an option, not something you should have to pay for. i don't mind manual, but i'm likely to get into an accident picking up a binky or sippy cup, and i'm not too great on manual anyways. jetta is ok, way over priced, i think the only good thing i saw about that was the two 5 star side impact crash ratings...other than that it really ticks me off about the automatic transmission.
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Just my 1.25 cents worth...
if you need the room and can swing it go look at a xB...
true they don't have the side air bags...but just keep an eye out for the idiots that try to "sooner the traffic lights..

oh btw.. the 'box has 3 anchors for kiddie seats on the rear seat
so you can put the booster seat in the middle ...
and there is more than enough room for the "stuff" that you need to carry around.

last time I was home I hauled a 52 in Sony LCD TV home.. with all the doors and the hatch closed

 

i never wanted to say anything...since this site hosts all three cars...but goodness gracious i hate that car! i'm sorry, i said it, i can't stand that car, i cringe when i see it. paint it white and put a blue eagle on it and you've got a mailman truck...ok, i've said too much, i'm now sorry, but i can't hold it in. i can take odd cars, but that one is just too odd for me. i don't know what i'm going to do when cars start getting wierder! i dread the thought!
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<chuckle>
No offense taken...actually they tend to grow on ya after a while.
The wife said the same thing when I bought mine... [asked me "Just exactly when do the clowns climb out?"]

then she drove it just 3 times .....
next time I got home I found out that she had traded off her V8 T-Bird and bought one for herself..

And I've heard it called everything from a mailbox, toaster,breadbox,Hummer excape pod, flintstone car [where's Fred?'] rolling brick, mobile dumpster, coffin with picture windows,and several other things that are best left unpublished.

but pls don't knock the box until you have at least driven one around the block.
and have done a "test fit" of the car seat..(do this on Any car that you are considering)

gramps

 

Even alot of xA drivers act like you have to have a big vehicle to be safe. The xA is safer than most cars that were on the road 15 years ago. IMO, the xA is plenty safe enough to allow anyone to ride in it. Based on the responses on this thread, its not surprising so many people immediately head to the SUV or minivan store as soon as they have a kid.

If you need a reliable and economical car, the xA is a good choice. The only thing that looks like it could be a little tight is the storage area behind the back seat. It is pretty small. I don't know if all strollers would fit back there or not. The xB is a little bigger (but some people don't like how it looks and it doesn't get as good gas mileage). Another car to look at would be the Honda Fit. I think it is ugly, but you might find it suits your needs better.

 

We have a baby on the way in 3 months and I just bought a 06 Black XA! Manual trans with side air bags. I've been driving a VW pickup for the last 7 years or so and this car is WAY safer than that. I loved the old VW's but the new ones have to many recalls, are way over priced and get lousy quality control reviews. I've known several people with newer VW that have had lots of problems.

I also hated the XB when I started looking at Scions. I sat in one and they are really great inside! After looking at them a while they have really grown on me and I like them now, still not enough for me to want to get rid of my XA! I love my XA more every time I drive it.

"Old School XA" -

New XD -

Hodakaguy

 

oh dear goodness don't get me started on those honda fits...oooo and have you guys seen that other toyota wanna be jeep thingy? it looks like zeus had car children ate the hummer and the jeep, they formed one in his stomach, caused a ruckus and so he spit 'em back up...and that's the ugly thing that popped back out. (i only use that annalogy because of the old legoned, no, i'm not all blah on mythology ).
her stroller fits back there, but not much else does, that doesn't concern me seeing as it's just the two of us, her car seat fits, but not if a tall person was driving, thank goodness i'm short.
haha, i kinda hear ya on the xa's vs. xd's but at least they put the guages in the right spot this time.