There are many five-seater cars on the market today that have three top tether points across the rear seats. So you would presume you would be able to fit three child seats across the rear seats, but as I have found in my testing this is not the case! The main reasons I find are either the cars simply aren't wide enough, or the rear seat bases aren't wide enough or the seat bases or backs are too sculpted for three child seats to fit!
- Looking for seven-seaters that will take three child seats across?
- Which dual-cab utes are easiest for fitting child seats?
Here is a list of all the five-seater cars on the market in Australia today that I have reviewed and found would fit three child seats across the rear seats with the child seats used in BabyDrive testing:
Mazda CX-60
New to the luxury five-seater line up is the Mazda CX-60. Prices range from $60,000-$85,000. This family SUV has a minimal interior with a rear seat slightly wider than the CX-5. So far I have tested with two Infasecure child seats and they fit very comfortably with an adult sat between them so I am hopeful a third Infasecure child set will fit too when I do my full testing in a few weeks!
Porsche Cayenne
It's a beautiful family car! The Porsche Cayenne is a luxury SUV that is modern, luxurious, fast, and at the same time it is incredibly practical as a family car. Three Infasecure child seats fit comfortably across the back seats with good legroom for a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat, or taller with forward-facing child seats. Priced from $117,000-$293,000 it is not in everyone's budgets. You can see the top three family-friendly features of the Porsche Cayenne here.
Subaru Forester
A capable five-seater SUV, the Subaru Forester is a good choice for tall families. With three Infasecure child seats across the back row a 184cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing infant capsule or with forward-facing child seats even taller driver and front passenger. See the top three family-friendly features of the Subaru Forester here.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV is a great five-seater plug-in-hybrid SUV priced between $47,000 – $54,000. Three Infasecure child seats fit really nicely across the rear seats with a good amount of legroom in the front too. To read more about the child seats in this testing click here. The Eclipse Cross PHEV did around 50km to a charge which I found a practical amount for daily driving on battery alone. See the top three family-friendly features of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV here.
Citroen C4
With a spacious back seat the Citroen C4 is a practical five seat SUV. There are three top tether anchorages in the Citroen C4 and I could fit three Infasecure child seats across in the back comfortably. I installed two Infasecure Attain More rear-facing and an Infasecure Achieve More in the central seat. Legroom is good in the Citroen C4 and with rear-facing child seats in the outer two seats we found a 180cm driver would fit or a 186cm passenger. . See the top three family friendly features of the Citroen C4 here.
MG HS
The MG HS PHEV is a great five-seater SUV, affordably priced between $30,000 – $47,000. Three Infasecure child seats fit across the rear seats. To read more about the child seats in this testing click here. The MG HS PHEV has around a 52km electric range which I found a practical amount for daily driving on battery alone. See the top three family-friendly features of the MG HS PHEV here.
Porsche Macan
The very lovely Porsche Macan luxury five seat SUV is very practical car for family life. Three Infasecure child seats fit across the rear seats nice and comfortably. I installed three Infasecure Attain More seats across the rear seats both forward-facing or rear-facing they all fit really nicely. Legroom is good in the Porsche Macan and with rear-facing child seat installed, a 176cm driver could sit in front or with forward-facing a 186cm driver. See the top three family friendly features of the Porsche Macan here.
Genesis GV70
The Genesis GV70 is a luxury five seat SUV. It has a beautiful interior and the rear seats have ISOFix in the two outer seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seats. Three Infasecure child seats fit across the rear seats nice and comfortably. I installed an Infasecure Attain More, Achieve More and a Serene. With a rear-facing child seat we could just fit a 180cm driver in front or with a rear-facing child seat on the other side of the car, we could easily fit a 186cm front passenger.
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a great allrounder for families looking for functionality as well as good styling. You are able to fit three Infasecure child seats across the rear seats. I installed the Infasecure Roamer II, Infasecure Versatile folding booster seat in the middle and the Infasecure Achieve More child seat rear-facing. Legroom is quite good in the Volkswagen Golf Life, with rear-facing child seats installed in the back a 180cm driver could fit or a 186cm front passenger. See the top three family friendly features of the Volkswagen Golf Life here.
Kia Cerato Hatch
The Kia Cerato GT Hatch is a more practical five seater than you'd imagine. Priced at just $26,000 – $37,000 it makes it good looking and fun sporty car for families. I could fit three Infasecure child seats in the back of the Cerato GT Hatch. It was a tight squeeze and a bit of a juggle getting three children in and out of the back but it is possible if you really need to! Legroom is good in the Kia Cerato GT and with rear-facing child seats fitted, we could sit a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing seat and 188cm tall front passenger.
Haval Jolion
The Haval Jolion Hybrid is a super affordable hybrid SUV. Priced at just $28,000 – $41,000 it makes it very affordable for a lot of families. The Jolion fits three Infasecure child seats nicely across the rear seats. I installed the Infasecure Attain More in the outer and central seat and Infasecure Aspire More booster in an outer seat. They all fit nicely and you could put three Infasecure Attain More seats across if you wanted to. Legroom is fantastic in the Haval Jolion. We found we could comfortably fit a 186cm passenger in front of a rear facing Infasecure Attain More. Or a 180cm driver in front of a rear facing Infasecure Attain More.
GWM Haval H6 GT
The GWM Haval H6 GT is well equipped SUV for the price. Priced at just $40,000 – $47,000 it has ISOFix in the outer two seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seats. The Haval H6 GTÂ will easily hold three Infasecure child seats across the rear row; I installed the Infasecure Attain More, Aspire More and Achieve More. You could fit three forward or rear-facing Infasecure Attain or Achieve More child seats across if you need to in the Haval H6 GT. In the Haval H6 GT model we could only fit a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat. However we could fit a taller driver in the non-GT Model Haval H6 Lux.
Chery Omoda 5
The New Chery Omoda 5 is a very affordable five-seat SUV for families. Priced at just $30,000 – $33,000. In the back of the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 there are ISOFix in the outer two seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three seats. Room is good for an SUV of this size and three Infasecure child seats fit across the rear seats nicely. I installed the Infasecure Achieve More and Versatile folding booster seat forward facing and the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule rear facing behind the driver's seat. In front of the capsule we could fit around a 180cm driver, or with a forward-facing child seat installed, a 186cm+ driver fits.
Nissan X-Trail
The Nissan X-Trail is available with a petrol engine or as an e-power hybrid. The Hybrid model feels like a fully electric car to drive it is really enjoyable. This new model makes a lovely five-seater family SUV, that I could fit three Infasecure child seats in the back seats of comfortably. I installed the Infasecure Adapt more and Achieve More rear-facing in the two outer seats and I put the Infasecure versatile folding booster seat in the central seat. There are ISO Fix in both the outer rear seats and top tether anchorage points on the back of both of the outer rear seats and the central top tether point is in the ceiling of the boot.
VW Tiguan
The VW Tiguan is a lovely five-seater family SUV, that I could fit three Infasecure Attain More child seats in the back. There are ISO Fix in both the outer rear seats and top tether anchorage points on the back of all three rear seats and easily reachable through the boot. The rear seats are quite flat, allowing for three child seats to be installed, but the seat base was only just wide enough to accommodate the child seats I tested with so if you intend to fit three child seats you'll definitely need to check your chosen models will fit across the Tiguan during your test drive. See the top three family-friendly features of the VW Tiguan here.
Haval H6
The Haval H6 Lux is a very affordable and practical five-seater SUV priced at $32,990 drive away for the lowest spec up to $39,990 for the top spec. Three Infasecure child seats fit really nicely across the rear seats and legroom is very good. If you are looking for a car good for taller families then this is a good option. Here is a link to an article with other cars with good legroom. The Haval H6 has great boot space too and some nice family friendly features throughout. See the top three family-friendly features of the Haval H6 Lux here.
Hyundai Tucson
The Hyundai Tucson is a very practical five-seater SUV for families and ranges in price between $35,000 and $52,000. I fitted three Infasecure child seats in the back seats with a squeeze and found I could just fit between or beside two child seats. There are ISOFix points in the two outer seats and top tether anchorages across all three seatbacks. A 184cm driver could fit in front of a forward-facing child seat and a 184cm passenger could travel in front of a rear-facing child seat with good legroom. See the top three family-friendly features of the Hyundai Tucson here.
Kia Sportage
The New Kia Sportage is a fantastic five seater SUV for families and ranges in price between $33,000 and $53,000. I fitted three Infasecure child seats in the back seats and found I could just sit between two child seats. There are ISOFix points in the two outer seats and top tether anchorages across all three seatbacks. Legroom is pretty good in the cabin, with a rear-facing child seat, we found a 180cm driver could fit in front or a 186cm passenger could fit in front. See the top three family-friendly features of the Kia Sportage here.
Toyota RAV4
The New Toyota RAV4 has great interior space which made it easy when installing child seats. I could fit three child seats in the rear seats. It was a bit tight but I could fit either three forward-facing child seats or two forward-facing and one rear-facing. Legroom inside was good enough for a 180cm driver to sit in front of a rear-facing child seat which is fab! See the full review here.
Nissan Qashqai
The New Nissan Qashqai ranges in price from $34,000 to $48,000. It can comfortably fit three Infasecure child seats across the back row. I installed the Infasecure Adapt more and Achieve More rear-facing and the Infasecure Attain More forward facing although the rear seats feel wide enough that you should fit three forward-facing Attain More child seats across the back if you needed to. Legroom in the Nissan Qashqai is tight with rear-facing child seats a 170cm driver can fit in front, or with forward-facing child seats a 180cm+ drive for front passenger. See the full review here.
Renault Koleos
Three child seats fit across the rear seats of the Renault Koleos using the three top tether anchorages and two ISOFix points. There is a good amount of interior space throughout the car and legroom is very practical for families. With rear-facing child seats installed we could put the driver's seat in it's furthest back position and fit a 186cm driver in the front which is very rare! The price ranges from $32,000 to $46,000. You can see the top three family-friendly features of the Renault Koleos here.
Honda CR-V (5 seater)
The five-seater Honda CR-V ranges in price between $31,000 and $45,000. I could fit three child seats in the second-row of the five seater model with loads of legroom and boot space throughout. In the seven seater model I could fit five child seats in the back, the top tether straps do go in the third-row passengers faces which you can read about here. See the full review here.
Peugeot 3008
The Peugeot 3008 fits two child seats and a booster seat nicely in the back seats and the front passenger seat folds down flat so it's easy for kids to climb in and out past rear facing child seats too. The 3008 ranges in price from $45,000 to $50,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Peugeot 3008 here.
Mazda CX-5
You may be surprised to find I could fit three Infasecure child seats across the back seats of the Mazda CX-5. You do need to be selective about your child seats and check they fit first but we could fit the Infasecure Attain More, Achieve More and Aspire More across the rear seats. The CX-5 has three top tether anchorages in the back of the seat backs and all three seat backs fold forward individually too. There is ISO Fix in the two outer seats too although I couldn’t use the ISO Fix when fitting three child seats as I needed to bring the child seats further out to the edges of the seats so I used the seat belts with the top tethers, which worked really well. See the full review here.
Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos has ISOFix in the two outer rear seats and top tether anchor points on the back of all three seatbacks. I installed three Infasecure child seats across the back seats of the Kia Seltos; one Infasecure Attain More rear-facing and one forward facing and an Infasecure Achieve More forward facing too. There was not enough room in the back seats however to have three forward-facing child seats across as the car tapers in at the window height preventing three fitting. Not all families need to fit three child seats across. A combination of forward and rear-facing child seats works best. Legroom was a little tight and in front of the rear-facing child seat, we could fit a 170cm driver. See the top three family-friendly features of the Kia Seltos here.
Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza Hatch has AMAZING legroom with rear-facing child seats installed and I could just squeeze three across too! The boot is big and it's just such a fuss-free, easy to drive car that is also nippy and fun for pleasurable child-free journeys!
Subaru Outback
I found I could install three child seats in the rear seats of the Subaru Outback. There are ISOFix points in both the outer seats and top tether points in the backs of all three seats. I found it was a tight fit and with just the two outer child seats installed there was enough room for me to sit between them. Legroom is fantastic, and in front of the rear-facing child seat a 184cm driver can sit comfortably. I was amazed there was so much room with such a large boot as well. See the full review here.
VW Touareg
I loved driving the VW Touareg, it easily fits three child seats across the rear seats. I found that forward-facing or rear-facing car seats fit and with a rear-facing child seat installed a 180cm driver could sit in front of it. See the top ten family-friendly features of the VW Touareg here.
Genesis G80
The five-seater Genesis G80 is a luxury sedan ranging in price from $85,000 to $100,000 so it is not in every families budget, however, for those that can it is a very nice family sedan. I could fit three child seats in the second-row with very good legroom for front passengers. A 180cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing child seat or on the passenger side, a 184cm passenger will fit in front of a rear-facing child seat. With a forward-facing child seat on the driver's side then a 184cm driver can sit in front of it. See the full review here. See our top five family-friendly features here.
Hyundai i30 Sedan
The five-seater Hyundai i30 sedan has a lot of space for child seats in the back. I could fit three child seats really nicely and legroom was good too, with a rear-facing child seat on the driver's side a 180cm driver should sit in front of it and on the passenger side at least a 184cm passenger could sit in front of a rear-facing child seat or infant capsule. Ranging in price from $25,000 to $38,000 it is an affordable and practical family sedan. See the full review here.
Mazda6
Very surprisingly I could fit three child seats in the back of the Mazda6Â sedan (but not the wagon)! There are three top tethers across the fixed parcel shelf in the back, which are within plastic guides but because of their position, as well as the ceiling and the back window being so low, they are REALLY tricky to access and connect to. They are even harder to disconnect. There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are within plastic guides and relatively easy to connect to. With a rear-facing child seat in the back, I had a good amount of legroom in the front passenger seat too (I'm 162cm). The main difficulty is posting Bub into their seats, as the low roofline is just hard work; I hit my head and my daughter's head on it many times!
Citroen C5 Aircross
The Citroen C5 Aircross costs between $35,000 and $65,000. The rear seats of the Citroen C5 are individual and as the fantastic family seven-seater the Peugeot 5008 they are super comfy and easily fit three Infasecure child seats across. This five-seater SUV is PACKED FULL of family-friendly features and definitely worth a look. See the top three family-friendly features of the Citroen C5 Aircross here.
Toyota Corolla sedan (11th generation)
There is a lot of legroom in the Toyota Corolla. We managed to install three child seats: A Mountain Buggy Protect infant capsule and Infasecure Kompressor 4 (both rear-facing) in the outer seats and an Infasecure Foldaway booster seat in the middle with enough legroom in front for a 184cm driver. There are two ISO Fix points, one in each of the outer rear seats, and three top tether anchorages situated in the parcel shelf behind each rear headrest.
Suzuki S-Cross
I was very surprised I managed to squeeze three child seats across the back row of the Suzuki S-Cross! I did this with the Britax Graphene (rear facing) and the Britax Unity capsule, plus the Britax Maxi Guard Pro in the middle. You would definitely need to check your three child seats fit before buying them if you need this functionality. There are three top tether points across the backrests of the rear seats and ISO Fix in the two outer seat bases. They are within plastic guides and were all very easy to connect to. Two child seats fitted really nicely into the S-Cross rear outer seats using the ISO Fix with the top tether.
BMW X1
The BMW X1 SUV costs between $54,000 and $83,000. When it comes to installing three Infasecure child seats I found the BMW X1 can only fit the Versatile Folding Booster seat between two child seats (the Infasecure Achieve More and Attain More) and there was not enough space for another Attain or Achieve More to fit across the shoulders. With a rear-facing child seat in the second-row, we could fit a 180cm driver in front. See the top three family-friendly features of the BMW X1Â here.
Range Rover Velar
I could easily install three child seats in the back of the Range Rover Velar! There are ISOFix points in the two outer seats within plastic guides so they were easy to connect to and top tether points across the back of all three rear seats. It was fantastic to be able to use the ISOFix points and have three seats installed, as usually, you have to move the outer child seats further outwards and use the seatbelts.
It was a little tricky reaching the top tether points through the boot as the boot is so long, so it was easier to bring the seatbacks forward to reach them.
BMW X3
The BMW Alpina X3Â costs between $93,000 and $128,000. I found three child seats fit well in the back seats, with good legroom for the front passengers and a 180cm driver can sit in front of the rear-facing child seat. See the top three family-friendly features of the BMW Alpina XD3 here.
Audi Q8
The Audi Q8Â fits three big child seats really easily forward-facing or rear-facing, with good legroom for the front passengers and a 180cm driver can sit in front of the rear-facing child seat. See the top three family-friendly features of the Audi Q8 here.
BMW X5
In the back of the five-seater model of the 2019 BMW X5, the seats are very spacious and comfortable. I found three forward-facing child seats fitted really nicely across the second-row seats. The ISOFix are in the two outer seats and are easy to connect to and the seat base is really deep and wide so it is easy to install three seats. The only problem I had was connecting the top tether straps because I could not reach across the boot, I am only 162cm, so had to kneel on the child seats and reach over the seatbacks. I could easily sit between two child seats in the outer positions and legroom was excellent and we could easily seat a 182cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.
Volvo S60
The Volvo S60 Sedan does fit three specific style child seats across the back seat. However there are some big considerations due to the rear seat shaping, roof height and headrests. To learn all about it click here.
Jaguar F-Pace
The Jaguar F-Pace really does excel with its rear seats surprisingly fitting three child seats across the rear seat. Alternatively, the central seat was large enough for an adult to sit between two child seats very comfortably and the seatbelt buckle was well-positioned to not stick in your bottom! Legroom, however, is a bit limited, there was not a lot of space between my driver’s seat back and the rear-facing infant capsule installed behind it when in my driving position and I am 162cm. It is perhaps a car more suited to families with slightly older children in forward-facing child seats. (Who are also well trained in not kicking the back of chairs!!!)
Jaguar E-Pace
In the back of the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace, the seats are comfortable and deceptively spacious and I found I could fit three child seats in there! I wasn't expecting it at all! I wouldn't have fitted three big forward-facing child seats alongside each other but I found the combination of two forward-facing and one rear-facing did work. With just two child seats installed in the outer seats then it was less crowded with a nice amount of space around the child seats. There are three top tethers in the seatbacks that are easily accessible through the boot and within clearly labelled, plastic guides. The ISOFix points are in the two outer rear seats, they are within plastic guides and I found the plastic guides made them a bit tricky to connect to. Although the E-Pace is a small SUV, a 180cm passenger could just sit in front of a rear-facing child seat installed in the back.
Hi, what car seats are you using in these videos please? Thank you.
Here’s a guide to all the seats we use and dimensions
https://babydrive.com.au/articles/will-my-child-seats-fit-in-my-car/
Hi, thank you for your reviews they have been great, assisted us when we bought our CX9
Would you be able to tell me if I could fit three across in a BMW 2016-2020 3 series and what type of seat would fit best
Glad we helped with that CX-9 and hope you’re enjoying it! Did you check our BMW 3 Series review, 3 across might be very hard no matter the seats: https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/sedans/2019-bmw-3-series-330i-sedan/
What about a more recent Volkwagen Passat wagon e.g. 2016 models and beyond? Is the backseats too sculptured?
We will try to get one for review!
Hello, can you include distance of inner isofix points in your future reviews? It says more than words as I can calculate if an adult can sit in between seats or if the third one fits in. Thanks!
Most seats extend beyond the ISOFix mounts though?
Hi there could u test the MG HS to fit 3 seats
Coming soon!
Hi. I’m looking at buying a MG HS do you know if 3 seats fit across?
Hi, yes sure the three I tested with were the Infasecure Serene, Optima and Versatile folding booster seat. Depending on the ages/size of your three children.
Do you think there would be sufficient room for an adult/teen and two child seats to fit in the back of the MG HS? Thanks Al
Depending on the type of child seats and the build of the teen/adult I think so. Might be a squeeze but possible.
Hey,
I have a 2007 Mazda 3 and needing 2 slim compacted car seats to go next to a baby jogger capsule, what would you recommend??
Sorry never tested that model, we started the website in 2018
Have you tried fitting 3 seats into a Hyundai Elantra?
Hi never tested one
Just a thought; here it’s called the i30 Sedan: https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/sedans/2021-hyundai-i30-sedan/
Can you test Skoda Octavia?
We did this one ages ago https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/wagons/2018-skoda-octavia-wagon/
Hi! We have a 3.5 y/o, a 2 year old and soon a newborn- preferably want them all to rear face until at least 4.5. Any idea which car would be suitable for that? Thanks so much – your website and the videos are so helpful!
Hello,
I want to buy a car for family of 5, one forward facing child seat, one booster and adult sitting in the rear seat. Any recommended car for that range? Thanks…!
Can you please review the Tesla Model Y now it is available in Australia?
Looking forward to doing so
Also the BYD Atto 3 please!
And the Polestar 2. I saw one of these the other day and it looked a lot roomier than I had thought from photos.
https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/electric-cars/2022-polestar-2-long-range-dual-motor/
Any progress on this happening?
This was referring to the Tesla Model Y.
Hi! Love the site. Have you tested the model Y as yet?
Still waiting…
I’ve tested a Model Y myself and it does fit 3 car seats across the back. I tested with a Britax Maxi Guard Pro+ in the middle and then an Infasecure Achieve Premium on both sides both rear and forward facing. It was tight with all forward facing with the outside shoulder just touching the window. The beam above the outside car seats stopped the headrest being raised to the top level but the one below was OK. I also tested with a Britax Millenia+ and Graphene+ in the outside spots (both rear and forward facing) with one of the Infasecure Achieve Premium’s in the middle and that fit fine. We just did a 450km each way road trip in a Y with this last setup (Graphene and Millenia both rear-facing) and it was great. The cargo space in the Y is incredible, 971L (854 in boot and 117 in Frunk) with rear seats up which is huge!
Hello, did you test 2021 Mercedes GLS for 3 child seats?
Never tested a Mercedes bigger than a GLB sorry!
Please have you tested 2019 BMW 5 series for 3 child seats
Sorry no 5 series yet!
Why have you removed VE/VF commodore reviews ??
Never reviewed one!
I have a Toyota Cross over on order. I’m having difficulty finding out if 2 for ward facing childcare seats will fit in back row with a booster seat m between them for a 6 year old ‘ as they are new baby bunting can’t tell me they will as they haven’t seen the car as yet
Follow our Instagram to find out when we review one!
Lol none of them is affordable
Any second hand recommendation?
sasfety is for the rich only silly
I am curious which 3 forward facing car seats you found fit in the BMW x3 and x5?
We used these https://babydrive.com.au/articles/will-my-child-seats-fit-in-my-car/
Hi, I was wondering how about Peugeot 2008 with three seats or with two seats, how much room left for the mother at middle row. Do you have pictures for that case?
Couldn’t get 3 in a 2008. You’d need slim seats and adult to fit, even then would be a squeeze
Hello, I would also like to know if the 2020+ BMW 5 series would fit 3 across, I have two children in boosters and 1 rearward facing