Cars.com Releases List of Best Child-Passenger-Friendly Vehicles in Annual Car Seat Check Honor Roll

After testing car seats in 65 new-car models, Cars.com [NYSE: CARS] experts have released their annual Car Seat Check Honor Roll. This exclusive list includes 2017 and 2018 model-year vehicles that received a perfect score on their Cars.com Car Seat Check, which tests each vehicle’s Latch system and its ease of use. Car Seat Checks are performed by installing an infant seat, convertible seat and booster seat. Cars are scored on an A to F scale.

“Out of 65 model-year 2017 and 2018 vehicles tested in our Car Seat Checks between September 2016 and August 2017, only 10 have made this year’s Car Seat Check Honor Roll,” said Jennifer Newman, Cars.com’s editor-in-chief and a certified child passenger safety technician. “These vehicles earned the top grade of A in all of our Car Seat Check categories, setting them apart as the best for car-seat installation.”

The Car Seat Check Honor Roll recognizes the cars that Cars.com experts have tested during the last year that have ample room for at least two car seats and have Latch anchors that make car-seat installation easier. This year’s Honor Roll includes:

2018 Chevrolet Equinox: Families will find a lot to like about Chevrolet’s redesigned-for-2018 compact SUV. Although the Equinox shrank in size this year, there’s still plenty of room for two car seats in its ample backseat, and exposed Latch anchors mean installation is a breeze.

2017 Genesis G90: The 2017 Genesis G90 is the first model in Hyundai’s luxury offshoot brand, and it has a lot to offer a family willing to spend the roughly $70,000 on a fledgling nameplate still vying for market cachet. The five-seat flagship sedan is comfortable, luxurious and spacious — particularly in the backseat — while offering robust performance and easy-to-use tech features.

2017 GMC Acadia (Two Rows): With its 2017 redesign, the GMC Acadia is now a mid-size SUV that can be had with either two or three rows of seats. The five-seat Acadia just managed to fit our three car seats across its second-row bench. The bench seat slides forward and back, and the seatbacks recline for easier car-seat installation.

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid: Honda’s Accord Hybrid excels when it comes to wringing the most out of a tank of fuel, but the question for families is, does it do well when it comes to accommodating car seats? With a better score on the infant seat than the regular Accord sedan, the answer is a firm yes.

2017 Lincoln Continental: Lincoln resurrected a storied name for its new flagship sedan. The 2017 Continental features a backseat that the automaker said can be compared with a private jet. It sounds too nice for toddlers, but if the Continental is tasked with family duty, it offers plenty of room for two car seats.

2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Redesigned for the 2015 model year, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class added a new coupe variant to the lineup for 2017. Families with car-seat-age kids will still want to opt for the C300 sedan — for more reasons than just its four-door pragmatism.

2017 Subaru Impreza: Subaru offers all-wheel drive on its compact sedan and hatchback, giving it a leg up in this crowded segment, but that’s not all that helps the Impreza standout. Redesigned for 2017, the Impreza offers two things that are sure to impress parents: loads of available safety features and plenty of room for two car seats.

2018 Volkswagen Atlas: The new-for-2018 Atlas changes everything: It’s roomy, loaded with family-friendly features and excels when it comes to car seats. There’s three sets of Latch anchors across the second row, and three car seats installed easily and fit well.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan: The previous Tiguan was cramped and inefficient compared with just about any other vehicle in the segment. A redesign for 2018 changes much of that, and families will appreciate two key upgrades: The new Tiguan grows in size and offers an available third row.

2017 Volvo S90: Volvo’s flagship sedan takes luxury to new heights with a Nappa leather interior decked out in low-gloss wood trim. In the S90’s backseat, there’s ample room for two car seats, and easy Latch anchors earned this sedan high grades.

“Proper car-seat installation can be a daunting task for many parents,” said Newman. “Automakers have added Latch systems to make the process a little easier and less stressful, but not all of these systems have been created equally. That’s why we test them in nearly every new vehicle. We want parents, grandparents and caretakers of young children to understand their options and which ones are the easiest to use.”

To learn more about Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks or the Cars.com Car Seat Honor Roll, visit www.cars.com/news.