How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2020 Mazda CX-9?

Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in August 2019 about the 2019 Mazda CX-9. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. See what’s new for 2020 or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

The verdict: Mazda’s largest vehicle is one of the more fun-to-drive SUVs in the three-row class and it’s no slouch when it comes to car seats either. The 2019 CX-9 has plenty of room in its second and third rows, but it’s Latch anchor setup isn’t our favorite.

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 Mazda CX-9.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

A Grade

• Booster: In the second row, the booster fit well after we raised the head restraint. The buckles are on stable stalks, which should make them easier for kids to grasp and use.
• Third-row forward-facing convertible: There are no lower Latch anchors in the third row and only one top tether anchor on the passenger side, which was easy to find and use. We had no trouble using the seatbelt to install the car seat. The seat fit well; the fixed head restraint is slim enough so that it didn’t push the convertible off the seatback.
• Third-row booster: Again, the slim fixed head restraint didn’t prevent the child seat, in this case the booster, from sitting flush on the seatback. The stable buckles should make it easier for kids to buckle up independently.

B Grade

• Latch: In the second row, the two sets of anchors are buried in the upholstery, tucked under a flap. The three top tether anchors are clearly marked on the seatback; they’re easy to find and use.
• Infant: Connecting to the Latch anchors using this seat’s skinny connectors was a little easier than with the convertible seat’s chunky connectors, but it still required some muscle. Our 5-foot-6-inch-tall front passenger fit fine.
• Rear-facing convertible: Again, the front passenger had enough legroom and we had to fumble around to connect to the lower Latch anchors.
• Forward-facing convertible: After raising the head restraint, this seat fit well. Again, we had some difficulty with the lower Latch anchors, but connecting the top tether strap was easy.
• Third-row access: The second-row bench seat slides and folds easily, opening up a decent size pass-through. If car seats are installed on both sides, however, getting to the third row is difficult, and might require climbing in through the cargo area.

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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