2016 Honda HR-V: Car Seat Check

Honda has a vehicle for every SUV segment, from the large, three-row Pilot to the compact two-row CR-V. New to the automaker’s 2016 lineup is an even tinier SUV, the subcompact HR-V. With seating for five and the automaker’s space-defying Magic Seat, there’s nothing tiny about its backseat and cargo area.

More Car Seat Checks

We tested an EX-L with leather seats, and there was ample room for two child-safety seats, though buckles that crowded the Latch anchors complicated installation.

How many car seats fit in the second row? Two

What We Like

• In both forward- and rear-facing modes, the convertible was an easy install, and we did not have to move the front passenger seat forward to make room for it. The seat also reclined to help expose the seat bight and the Latch anchors. In forward mode, we removed the head restraint so the convertible would sit flush with the seatback.
• After removing the head restraint, the booster fit well on the seat. The HR-V’s stable buckles are easier for small hands to grab than floppy buckles.

What We Don’t

• The two sets of Latch anchors sit in slits in the leather. What prevented them from getting an A was the placement of the buckles. They sit too close to the Latch anchors, crowding them and complicating access.
•  The HR-V’s three top tether anchors are clearly marked and easy to connect to, but the middle anchor is in the ceiling; it will block visibility when in use.
• We moved the front passenger seat up slightly to accommodate the infant seat. Average-size passengers will still have enough kneeroom.

Grading Scale

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row. 

B: Plenty of room. One fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.

C: Marginal room. Two fit or connection issues. Difficult to access third row when available.

D: Insufficient room. Two or more fit or connection issues.

F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-6 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.

We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. To learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks, go here.

Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.