How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2019 Volkswagen Golf?

Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in April 2018 about the 2018 Volkswagen Golf. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. See what’s new for 2019 or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

The verdict: It’s tough to get excited about a compact hatchback, but Volkswagen’s Golf impresses. It’s a vehicle that delivers the best of both worlds. Its peppy engine and engaging road manners make it fun to drive on even the most boring errand runs, while its hatchback body style and accessible Latch anchors make it roomy enough for groceries and flexible enough to be able to handle two car seats with ease.

Does it fit three car seats? No

Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2019 Volkswagen Golf.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

A Grade

• Latch: The two sets of lower anchors sit under pop-off plastic covers in the Golf’s backseat and are easy to use. The three top tether anchors sit on the seatback of the Golf; the outboard ones are midway down, while the middle one is at the top. All are clearly marked for easy connection in the rear of the VW Golf.
• Rear-facing convertible: This seat was also easy to install and didn’t take up as much room in the VW Golf as the infant seat. We were able to move the car’s front passenger seat back for a bit more legroom.
• Forward-facing convertible: In forward mode, the seat went in easily and fit well in the VW after we removed the vehicle’s rear head restraint.

B Grade

• Infant seat: This seat was easy to install in the rear, but we had to move the Volkswagen’s front seat forward a bit to accommodate our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger.
• Booster: The seat fit well after we raised the vehicle’s head restraint. The buckles are on stable stalks in this model of VW, which makes them easier to connect to, but the stalks are flush with the car’s seat-bottom cushion, making them tougher for kids to grasp.

C Grade

• None

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger, Jennifer Newman and Matt Schmitz 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 shorter 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. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.

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.

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