Which five-seater SUVs fit a person between two child seats?

If you are looking for a family car or SUV that can fit a passenger between two child seats in the back row, this is a must-read for you.

We know one of the biggest dilemmas facing parents buying a family car is seating a passenger in the back with two child seats. Often, not all kids are of child seat age, or the Grandparents or Nanny need to travel with you, and sometimes a parent would like to sit in the back with the children, especially on long journeys, to keep them calm or keep the peace!!

For an older sibling or at weekends, blended families need to travel in the car too. But inevitably, they end up with a seat buckle in their bum cheek or their shoulders twisted and contorted in order to squeeze between the child seats.

As I have found in my testing, not all five-seat cars can fit a passenger in the central seat comfortably with a child seat on either side; in fact, many won't!

A little tip: You can often get more space for the passenger if you put the two child seats next to each other and the passenger in an outer seat 😉

However, if, like me, you want your little child seated cherubs separated so they can't poke, prod or touch each other on journeys, then the below list will help you!

At BabyDrive, we test EVERY family car for just this arrangement, and here are all the five-seater SUVS we have found that an adult can sit between two child seats in the back…

Here is a list of all the five-seat cars in Australia that I have reviewed and found will fit a passenger between two child seats with the child seats used in BabyDrive testing:

Audi Q5

The Audi Q5 is a very popular luxury family SUV. The new 2026 hybrid model ranges in price from around $81,000 to $122,400. Three child seats fit very comfortably across the back seats of the Audi Q5, fitting either three forward facing child seats or a combination of forward and rear facing child seats. Legroom is very good in the Audi Q5, fitting a 184cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat or 186cm+ driver in front of forward-facing child seats. For families that want to sit a passenger between two child seats in the back you can with a little shoulder squeeze and the rear footwell has a hump in the centre so central passengers do have to straddle that with their feet. The Audi Q5 is a great luxury family car that is solid on the road and practical for family life.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a fully electric five-seat SUV, which ranges in prices from $64,990 to $97,990, with a battery range of either 470km or 600km. It's a really spacious in the back seats of the Ford Mustang Mach-E so I could very comfortably sit between two child seats. You can see our full family review of the Ford Mustang Mach-E here.

Subaru Forester HEV

The new five-seater Subaru Forester Hybrid SUV, is a great choice for tall families. With two child seats in the back I could just sit between them. See the full family review of the of the Subaru Forester here.

Mahindra 3XO

The Mahindra 3XO makes a very practical and very affordable small family SUV. The 3XO ranges in price from around $23,490 to $26,490. The rear seat of the Mahindra 3XO is very flat and wide so not only do three child seats very comfortably across the rear seats but I could sit between two child seats in the back of the Mahindra 3XO! The Mahindra 3XO is a great affordable small SUV for families. You can see the full family review of the Mahindra 3XO here.

Leap Motor C10

The fully electric Leap Motor C10 is a very spacious car for tall families. I could comfortably sit between two child seats in the back of the Leap Motor C10. Legroom is enormous, there is no hump in the rear footwell so you have good kickroom too. Priced at $45,888 to $49,888 plus on road costs the Leap Motor C10 makes an affordable family EV.

Mazda CX-70

The Mazda CX-70 is a luxury five seat family SUV. The Mazda CX-70 ranges in price from around $75,970 to $84,970. The rear doors open nice and wide making access easy and I could sit between two child seats in the back of the Mazda CX-70. Legroom however is not as generous as I'd hoped in an SUV of this length, a 175cm driver can sit in front of rear-facing child seats or a 186cm driver can sit in front or with forward-facing child seats installed in the back of the Mazda CX-70. You can see the full family review of the Mazda CX-70 here.

Nissan Qashqai

The Nissan Qashqai is a spacious car with some nice features for families. The rear doors open 90 degrees, giving really easy access to the back seats for passengers big and small. I found I could fit between two child seats in the back of the 2025 Nissan Qashqai. The e-Power Hybrid model is a lovely quiet drive too. The price ranges from $32,665 to $54,365. You can see the Australian launch review here.

Toyota RAV4

The New Toyota RAV4 ranges between $42,600 and $58,000. It has great interior space, which made it possible for me to sit between two child seats. I could fit three child seats in the rear seats; I tried both three forward-facing child seats and two forward-facing and one rear-facing and both combinations fitted. 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.

Renault Koleos

Three child seats across the second-row seats, or I could just fit between two child seats in the Renault Koleos, although my shoulders were a little compressed, and I'm 162cm. The Renault Koleos has a lot of space throughout the car, and legroom is impressive and very practical for families. With rear-facing child seats installed, we could put the driver's seat in its furthest back position and fit a 186cm driver in the front! The price ranges from $32,000 to $46,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Renault Koleos here.

Honda ZR-V

The Honda ZR-V is a spacious but quite compact SUV for families. Available as a five seater, in the five seat model you can very comfortably fit three child seats across the back seats or you can seat a passenger back there between two child seats too. Legroom is very good; a 186cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing infant capsule. The price ranges from $36,000 to $60,000. See our full family review of the Honda ZR-V here.

Mazda CX-60

The five-seat Mazda CX-60 makes a very spacious family SUV. We found three child seats fit comfortably in the back seats, and I could fit between two child seats in the back of the 2025 CX-60. Legroom is good, fitting a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing infant capsule. The price ranges from $60,000 to $88,000. You can see my family review here.

Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage is a spacious and practical five-seater car for families. Three child seats fit across the rear seats, or I could comfortably sit between two child seats in the back too. Legroom is good too for the front passengers. The price ranges from $32,000 to $55,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Kia Sportage here.

Nissan X-Trail

I could sit between two child seats in the back seat of the five-seater Nissan X-Trail. This car is great for families, the rear seats are nice and wide, so three child seats fit across comfortably. The front passengers get a good amount of legroom too in front of rear-facing child seats. The rear doors of the Nissan X-Trail open very wide, so all rear passengers have easy access. The price ranges from $38,000 to $59,000. See the full family-friendly review of the Nissan X-Trail here.

GWM Haval H6

I could very comfortably sit in the back of the Haval H6 between two child seats. This medium-sized SUV is affordable and practical for families. Legroom is good too, a 184cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing infant capsule. The price of the Haval H6 ranges from $33,000 to $46,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Haval H6 here.

GWM Haval Jolion

Three child seats fit nicely across the rear seats of the Haval Jolion, or I could just sit between two child seats in the back of the Haval Jolion. This car is slightly smaller than the Haval H6, but still great for families, as it is very spacious inside. The price of the Jolion ranges from $25,000 to $37,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Haval Jolion here.

MG4

The fully electric MG4 makes a fantastic family car for everyday life. We found a child aged 8-9 could fit between two child seats in the back of the 2025 MG4, but it was too much of a squeeze for an adult. A 180cm driver can fit in front of a rear-facing infant capsule in the MG4. The price ranges from $37,000 to $55,000. You can see my family long term review here.

Volkswagen Tiguan

The rear seats of the five-seater Volkswagen Tiguan will fit three child seats across. They narrow at the shoulder, so you need to check if your three child seats will fit. I can sit between two child seats in the back of the Volkswagen Tiguan, which is great for families that need that seating flexibility. This car is great for families, I found a 180cm driver could fit in front of rear-facing child seat. The VW Tiguan prices range from $43,000 to $73,000. See the top three family-friendly features of the Volkswagen Tiguan here.