Parenting is tough, and in some cars, installing your kid’s car seat can make a calm, collected mom or dad feeling like throwing a tantrum worthy of a toddler. Cars.com’s annual honor roll is our way of calling out those cars that make car-seat installation a breeze thanks to a roomy backseat and an easy-to-access Latch system, the anchors that are supposed to make car-seat installation easier. For 2019, we have our largest honor roll ever — with 13 vehicles earning our praise.
Related: More Car Seat Checks
Of the 13 cars and SUVs, eight were recently redesigned, including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry and Toyota RAV4. More automakers are recognizing the importance of the Latch system and making sure they work well for families. Hyundai spokeswoman Michele Tinson said the automaker significantly improved the Latch system’s accessibility with the Santa Fe’s redesign.
Jennifer Pelky, a senior engineer at Toyota who worked on the Avalon and Camry redesigns, said both cars’ Latch systems were improved along with the sedans’ overall redesign.
“We were able to utilize the redesign of both vehicles to make Latch ease-of-use improvements, particularly to the lower anchors,” said Pelky, who’s also a certified child passenger safety technician. “The end result … is a Latch system that has lower anchors that are very easy to both find and connect to a child restraint.”
Cars.com’s Honor Roll recognizes the vehicles that earned straight A’s during our Car Seat Checks published between September 2018 and August 2019. A vehicle must receive the top grade of A in our Car Seat Check categories that test fit for an infant seat, a rear- and forward-facing convertible seat, and a booster seat. Our on-staff certified child passenger safety technicians also test a car’s Latch system for ease of use.
These cars and SUVs made the grade in our 2019 Honor Roll:
