These Family-Friendly Cars Can Easily Fit Three Car Seats, According To KBB
If this Kelley Blue Book (KBB) list of three-car-seat vehicles speaks to you, what it likely says is, "there need to be more family-friendly muscle/super/hyper vehicles." Where's the Ferrari Purosangue, Hellcat Durango, or Renault Espace F1 on this list? Admittedly, KBB is looking at safety, not spine-deforming performance, because when you're ferrying kids, you're probably not looking for small and sporty, but rather family friendly. At least, friendly enough to fit the kids in without too much trouble. Can your whole family fit in a Camaro ZL-1? Define "fit."
A vehicle gets extra points if it features the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) restraint system for all three positions. You know this system, it's the one with the tortured acronym that really should be LATFC, which, we must admit, isn't as catchy. It's intended to make it easier to properly secure a car seat, though finding the little anchor bars inside the upholstery is often like helping birth a calf. Fortunately, the tether anchors are generally easier to find.
This list is broken up by type and will go over KBBs preferred choices for minivans, crossovers, SUVs, pickup trucks, and passenger cars. KBB makes a good point worth mentioning up front: take your kids' car seats with you on your car shopping excursion. You want to make sure they fit next to each other with no issues.
The minivans: Sienna, Odyssey, Pacifica, and Carnival
Saying the names of KBB's minivan choices together sounds like a playful law firm. They're the top dog minivans on the market right now, though Car and Driver loves the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Microbus, which has a triple LATCH second row, too. The Toyota Sienna is a favorite for minivan aficionados (yes, they exist) because, let's be honest, are there any brand's vehicles that do a better job of being reliable to the point of invisibility? And Siennas not only feature three LATCH positions in the center row, but in the third row, as well. You can even yell at the third-row passengers with the optional Driver Easy Speak feature. If you need to feel rugged, fine, get a Toyota Sienna Woodland.
Honda made the Odyssey for drivers. Its 280-hp V6 will scoot this shuttlecraft to 60 in just 6.4 seconds. That's only 0.1 second behind where the Porsche 911 was in 1982. All seats in the middle row, including the removable center seat, have LATCH anchors. The third row only has LATCH anchors on the outside seats.
For buyers who might want to fit three adults in the second row when the child seats aren't LATCHed in, the Chrysler Pacifica has full-size seats all the way across. Center-sitting adult butts will thank you. If, for some reason, you want a second-row center seat that can slide back to almost parallel the third row, then get tickets to the Kia Carnival.
The crossovers: RAV4, CR-V, CX-5, Rogue, Ioniq 5, Forester, Tiguan, XC60, Escape, and Outlander
Of the crossovers, only the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Maxda CX-5, and Subaru Forester have LATCH anchors for all three back seats. Does this mean people who buy Nissan Rogues, Hyundai Ioniq 5s, Volkswagen Tiguans, Volvo XC60s, Ford Escapes, or Mitsubishi Outlanders love their kids less? No, the center child will just have to make do with seatbelt anchoring.
All these vehicles are five-passenger, though Outlanders have a third row and will seat seven if you, uh, want an Outlander? The RAV4 Prime gives you 302 hp, and it's actually fun. And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says the car seat anchors are easy to use.
Buyers looking for terrifying acceleration need the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which offers 641 brutal horsepower. The rear has 53.6 inches of hip room, enough for three terrified/exhilarated children and their car seats. While the Mazda CX-5 doesn't have Lamborghini-like thrust, it feels like a tall, useful Miata with a chassis hewn from solid granite. Sure, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 looks worse, but it's Mazda, so it'll be amazing. The Honda CR-V's rear doors open to almost 90-degrees, making inputting child seats and children simple. It also means you'll have to avoid opening doors into neighboring parked cars. Volvo's XC-60 has built-in booster seats on the outer second row seats because Volvo's quirkiness and safety consciousness will never cease.
The SUVs: Telluride, Outback, Palisade, MDX, Highlander, Pilot, Traverse, Pathfinder, Passport, and Explorer
You know you've gotten to the SUV section when most of the vehicle names have something to do with traveling. Except for the Toyota, which is named after a '80s movie about immortal sword-fighters. The Hyundai Palisade, Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, and Honda Passport all have three seats with LATCH anchors in the second row, while the Kia Telluride, Subaru Outback, Chevy Traverse, and Ford Explorer do not.
It's odd that the Kia Telluride doesn't have LATCH anchors all the way across when the Hyundai Palisade does, since they share platforms and drivetrain. The Telluride is also the top pick on KBB's SUV list. Perhaps it's the ride quality and standard safety features that push it over the edge. The one-way Passenger Talk system lets parents correct ornery behavior without return sass, too. Yes, the otherwise excellent Andy Kalmowitz hates the Kia Telluride, but he's easily forgiven because he's 100% correct that minivans don't deserve the hate; Honda Odysseys rule, for example.
Those who answer the call of off-roading will like the capability of the Subaru Outback and its 9.5 inches of ground clearance. If you spend all your time on the road and have a depleted uranium foot, you will probably want the 400-hp EcoBoost V6-equipped Ford Explorer ST, which Car and Driver got to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.
The Pickup Trucks: F-150, Ram 1500, and Santa Cruz
Nope, no Chevy Silverado, no Rivian R1S, no Toyota Tundra, no Nissan Titan, and no Honda Ridgeline. KBB thinks the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Hyundai Santa Cruz are your most safety-conscious pickup options. Of the three recommended pickups, only the Ram has triple LATCH anchors for backseat-dwelling children. Rams also famously have an incredibly car-like ride for a pickup truck, and perhaps it's that smooth, quiet demeanor that earns its spot on the list. This is thanks in large part to its multilink, coil sprung rear suspension.
The Ram is not the top choice on the list, though, as that would be the Ford F-150. But does it have the Ram's Hemi and "symbol of protest" badge? No, it has an EcoBoost, Coyote, Carnivore, or three-phase permanent magnet AC. The Lightning's electric motors don't get a cool name. Perhaps "Mjolnir"? Figure it out, Ford. What the Lightning does get is up to 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. Plus, it's the only F-150 with independent rear suspension, which improves its ride and handling to be more Ram-ish.
While the Santa Cruz is definitely diminutive compared to the larger pickups, that can be a plus. It's smaller, more maneuverable, and car-based, but it can handle 5,000 pounds of towing, so it's no slouch. Also, with only 4,100 pounds or so of curb weight, its turbocharged inline-four can give it decent scoot, as evidenced by Car and Driver's zero-to-60 time of just six seconds.
The passenger cars: Accord, Civic, Crown, Altima, and Legacy
Perennial Jalopnik punching bag, the Nissan Altima, deserves a little respect. Unlike the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Toyota Crown, and Subaru Legacy, the Altima is the only car on KBB's list that boasts LATCH anchors on all three rear seats. It even offers all-wheel drive (AWD), and safety nannies like blind-spot monitoring and emergency brake assist.
Still, though, if you want a fun, engaging driving experience, go for the Accord or Civic. Well, okay, the Civic R and its 315-hp, manual-only raucousness is the pinnacle, but not everyone wants such extremes in a daily driver. You might prefer the Toyota Crown's sedate cruising, standard AWD, and generous safety tech. However, it has 47.7 inches of rear hip room to the Accord's 55.4. Then there's the Subaru Legacy, which obviously has excellent AWD grip. It also has an optional 260-hp turbo flat-4 that gives great grunt, but just be aware that whatever engine or trim you choose, you must accept a CVT.
Now, if you're willing to go used and want the siren song of a V8 paired with a manual transmission, I'll point out here that three kids fit in the back of a Cadillac CTS-V just fine. Despite the lack of center-seat LATCH anchors, they're so compressed back there, they can't move when exploring the limits of lateral-G loads. And, the exhaust is so loud, you won't hear them complaining during acceleration runs.
