If the parents were truly concerned about their teen’s safety, they would only look at sedans, which are inherently safer and more crashworthy by virtue of their structural advantages.  Also, where are the active head restraints and stability control?  Oh, not available on this vehicle.  That earns this car a failing grade in my book.  Besides, it’s still a Toyota at heart, and a Camry underneath, no less, with that characteristically numb steering and dangerous isolation from the road (to the point that it’s all too easy for the driver to be unaware of their actual speed), which don’t exactly aid accident avoidance. 

Try again, MotherProof.

One more thing- if you think this car has any visual appeal whatsoever…

It’s about as exciting as a bowl of oatmeal and raisins. 

This car is trying way to hard to look cool, and is failing miserably. 

Really, your reviews are normally much better than this.

Hey T driver, listen up. How many cars do you know come with standards KNEE airbags? Not many. The Tire Pressure system really works and alerts you if a tire needs changing. 4 wheel ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, anti lock 4 wheel disc brakes, and brake assist. Ok, and realize this, not many cars come with the active head restraints, but the cushions on the restraints are soft. So instead of complaining and yapping your lips off for no reason, know your role and SHUT your mouth. This tC is plenty safe, and I am a proud ADULT owner who’s received many compliments on this car. So for it’s safety, this is MUCH better than what most cars offer.

As a Mom who researched the alternatives last year and invested in a TC for my daughter, I did it because 1) was the only safe car that my daughter thought looked “cool”. and 2) because it was as safe as I could get in her price range - I’m sold on the vehicle.

tdriver - which auto manufacturer do you work for?

Proud tC Driver- many other cars have tire pressure monitors now.  As far as the knee airbags, many cars without them do just as well in front crash tests.  Stability control is incredibly important, enough for the government to mandate it as standard equipment within the next few years.  The softness of the head restraints doesn’t matter- their ability to prevent whiplash does, and active head restrains can make a tremendous difference.  And quite frankly, if you’re an adult who’s driving a car aimed at kids- grow up. 

Safety Mom- your teen should have been grateful to have been getting a car at all, especially a reliable new car.  If she didn’t like the looks of whatever other car you would have chosen for her (and there are plenty of safer cars out there), she could have either lived with the uglier car or just not driven it.  I don’t work for a car company.  A midsize sedan might have made for a better choice; there are plenty of midsize sedans that start within the same price range of the tC.  I’m a teenager, and not a single person I know or have met even likes that car.  Last year’s Honda Accord and Toyota Camry had commendable crash test results (from the IIHS, not the unrealistic tests of the NHTSA), and the Hyundai Sonata fared well, also.  The Sonata came standard with active head restraints and stability control, and all of the cars also had a full complement of airbags.  Compromising on safety for looks- now that’s an excellent message to communicate to your child.  Great parenting.

Hey t driver:  This is called Mother Proof, after all, not Teen Proof.  If you’re going to come here to be constructive (in a kind and respectful manner), we’d love to have you, but if you’re going to be rude and harp on others commenting, maybe you should go vent elsewhere…

Chief- funny, it was the other commenters who instructed me to “shut my mouth and know my place” and questioned “which auto manufacturer” I worked for.  I’m merely questioning the content of some of the reviews on this site.  If the reviewers can’t handle questions, then perhaps the content should be reevaluated.

All – Mother Proof is meant to take the intimidation factor out of car shopping for women/moms– harsh words are counterproductive to the intention of the site.

If you have an issue with anything here, please contact me directly ( ).