How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI?
Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in June 2019 about the 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI. 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: The Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch combines fun with practicality. Add in its easy-access Latch anchors and you have one of the most fun small family cars on the market. We had no trouble installing car seats, though taller front occupants could need more legroom when rear-facing car seats are installed.
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 VW Golf GTI.
Related: Search Car Seat Checks
A Grade
- Latch: The two sets of lower anchors are exposed for easy access and connection. Three tether anchors are easy to see and use on the seatbacks.
- Forward-facing convertible: After removing the head restraint, the convertible fit well. Latch connection was easy, and finding and connecting to the top tether anchors was also problem-free. The outboard tethers sit halfway down the seatback and the middle one is on a chrome bar just behind the head restraint; all are easy to find and use.
B Grade
- Infant seat: The seat was easy to install, but we had to move the front passenger seat up a little to accommodate it. Our 5-foot, 6-inch-tall front passenger had just OK legroom.
- Rear-facing convertible: Again, the seat went in without problems, but taller front passengers will need more legroom to be comfortable.
- Booster: The booster fit well after we raised the head restraint to ensure it sat flush with the car’s seatback. The buckles are on stable but short stalks, which could make them tough for kids to use independently.
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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