How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

The verdict: Toyota’s three-row 2023 Highlander SUV is available with a gas or hybrid powertrain and has seats for seven or eight, depending on configuration. For this Car Seat Check, we tested a hybrid version with second-row captain’s chairs for a total seating capacity of seven. While we found a lot to like about the second row, the third row was lacking in many ways and earned low scores.

This car seat check also applies to the gas version, which has the same amount of second- and third-row headroom and legroom as the hybrid. See the models compared.

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 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

A Grade

• Latch: The two sets of lower anchors are exposed and easy to use. The second-row captain’s chairs have tether anchors midway down the seatbacks; they’re easy to find and use. In the third row, there are no lower Latch anchors and just one top tether anchor in the middle of the seatback.
• Infant: The infant seat was easy to install, and our front passenger had plenty of legroom.
• Rear-facing convertible: This seat also went in easily and again, there was ample legroom for the front passenger.
• Forward-facing convertible: Installation was easy, and after removing the head restraint, the convertible fit well in the second row.
• Booster: In the second row, the booster fit well. The seat belt buckles are nestled into the bottom of the seat cushions but stay in place when raised up. They should be easy enough for kids to grasp and use independently.
• Third-row access: The second-row captain’s chairs can slide forward even with a car seat installed, creating a kid-sized pathway to the third row. Without a car seat installed, the captain’s chairs fold and slide forward to create a wide pathway. The step-in height is good, and there are two cutouts in the doorway to make it easier to climb in.

B Grade

• None

C Grade

• Third-row booster: There wasn’t a lot of room for the booster in the third row. Two of the three seats in the third row are too narrow to accommodate our booster seat. We tried to install it behind the driver’s seat in the third row, but the seat sat on top of the seat belt buckle, which is nestled into the seat cushion. The middle spot is also too narrow, and the seat belt buckle comes down from the ceiling, blocking the driver’s view when in use. The booster fit better behind the passenger side. The third row’s fixed head restraints also made it tough to situate the booster flat against the seatback. Lastly, with the second-row captain’s chairs all the way back, legroom and footroom are very tight, even for smaller kids.

D Grade

• Third-row forward-facing convertible: This seat was very challenging to install in the third row. The middle position is the only one with an adjustable head restraint; the head restraint needs to be raised or removed to situate the convertible flush against the seatback. The middle spot is also home to the third row’s only top tether anchor, another essential for installing this car seat safely. Unfortunately, this position is not ideal in other ways. Since there are no lower anchors in the third row, we installed the convertible using the seat belt, which comes down from the ceiling and blocks the driver’s view. Also, the middle seat is very narrow, and the convertible’s base takes up part of the outboard seats’ space and rides over one of the other seats’ buckles. Lastly, with the second-row captain’s chairs all the way back, legroom and footroom are very tight, even for smaller kids.

Grading Scale

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.

B: One room, fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing the third row when available.

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access the third row when available.

D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.

F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat, a Graco Contender 65 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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