I am lucky to be able to test vehicles on a regular basis, and part of that testing involves using whatever I’m driving as my sole vehicle for at least part of the time I have it. With two kids and a schedule to keep, I install and uninstall two car seats every week, often in bad weather. I’ve gotten good at finding the LATCH points and can get a full-size car seat safely installed in very short order. It’s not a skill I can put on my resume and my kids certainly don’t care, but they’re happy that they get to critique the back seat of a new car every week.
Despite feeling pretty confident in my car seat installation skills, there are times when a vehicle’s back seat design makes finding the LATCH points exceptionally difficult. It could be that the seats themselves are too large or are oddly positioned, like in an SUV with captain’s chairs, or it might be related to a design choice that places priority on appearances over utility.
Whatever the case, it’s worth calling out the companies that make it easy on families by clearly labeling and making the LATCH points simple to find and use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives a score for “ease of use” in their testing but comparing those scores to real world use doesn’t always align completely.
That said, I’ve come across a few manufacturers in my testing whose vehicles make car seat installation a breeze. I look forward to driving vehicles from these companies, because I know that I’ll have an easy time making them kid-ready without contorting myself and cursing in the process.
Here are five brands that are making it easy on parents with kids in car seats:
Infiniti
Infiniti wins out over other luxury brands like Lexus for one reason: The LATCH points in vehicles like the QX50 aren’t hidden under a flap or thick layers of leather and padding. The installation process in the Infiniti vehicles I’ve driven has been painless and the anchors are positioned to be easy to reach from either side of the seats. The most recent one I tested was the QX50 crossover, which had seat-back anchor points in the cargo area. Though my test vehicle had a cargo cover, sliding the car seat strap through was a breeze.
Kia
Even when the back seats are small (looking at you, Forte), car seat installation in Kia’s vehicles is a painless process. Either as a budget decision or as a design choice, the LATCH anchor points are close to the surface under thin padding and are easy to reach from any angle. The family-friendly Telluride takes the title for ease of installation over every other vehicle I’ve tested this year. Even after a bout of appendicitis and just a few days removed from the related hospital stay, I could easily reach in to uninstall the seats to return the vehicle after testing.
Volkswagen
Somebody at VW took the time to perfectly engineer anchor points for car seats, and I’m infinitely thankful they did. Instead of tucking the LATCH points into the seat like every other carmaker, the company uses a recessed plastic cover that can be removed to reveal the anchor. This does two things: First, it makes finding the anchors extremely simple. Second, because the LATCH points are set into their own little cubby, there’s no padding or other material to fight when trying to attach the car seat’s hooks. As an example, the 2019 Golf SE currently in my driveway has a small back seat, stretched to the max by my family of four. Even so, car seat installation took less than one minute, and I anticipate that removal will be just as easy next week.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has done a lot to shed its budget brand image over the past few years, and their vehicles’ interiors are a great illustration of that point. Materials are nicer, padding is softer, and the tech is nicer. Despite that, there are still a few exposed bolts and bits here and there. That’s ok, because one of those exposed bits are the LATCH points. They’re visible and easy to use, completely unhidden by covers or flaps of fabric. The Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross I’ve tested this year have both been wonderfully easy to set up for the kids.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Why the whole company instead of one of its brands? They’re all great with car seats, that’s why. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan earned its stripes as a super-efficient family hauler, but also because of its super-simple car seat installation. Even the Jeep Gladiator, with its oddly-shaped rear doors, has anchors that are quick to find and easy to use – not something that can be said about trucks from other companies. The RAM 1500 won every award possible for its highbrow interior, and for good reason. I suspect it would win at least one more if an award existed for ease of car seat installation. I’ll pretend there’s an award for that anyway and give it to the Ram. Keep it up, FCA.
