take a look around while running errands this weekend and chances are good that you'll see a honda cr-v zipping down the street. this compact suv is a sales leader and popular with the family set, too. the automaker is known for putting lots of family-friendly features and tech into its pilot three-row suv and the consummate family hauler, the odyssey minivan. while there's a lot to like about the 2019 honda cr-v when it comes to car seats, however, there's also room for improvement.
two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- infant, grade a: the rear-facing infant seat was easy to install in the cr-v because of its narrow, hooklike connectors; the latch system caused issues with larger latch connectors. we had to move the front passenger seat forward a half-inch to give the rear-facing infant seat enough space in the backseat. this didn't cause any legroom issues for our tester.
- booster, grade a: the cr-v's outboard rear seats are wide and can easily handle a booster seat. the seat belt buckles are on stable bases, which makes it easier for kids to buckle up independently.
so-so
- latch, grade b: the cr-v has two sets of lower latch anchors in the outboard seats and a single anchor in the middle seat. this setup allows parents to install a car seat in the middle seating position with the latch system. while we didn't have any issues installing the rear-facing infant seat with the cr-v's latch system, we did run into problems with the bulkier latch connectors on our britax convertible car seat. the lower latch anchors sit behind vertical slits in the seat leather, and the anchors are located at the base of the slit. in our testing, we consistently had to hold open the slits and wiggle the connector around to get a good connection to the latch anchor. the cr-v has three tether anchors: the outboard seats' anchors are on the seatbacks, but the middle seat's anchor is in the cargo area ceiling. this position impeded the driver's rear visibility.
- rear-facing convertible, grade c: our convertible car seat's rigid latch connectors didn't play nicely with the cr-v's latch system. the lower latch anchors sit at the bottom of vertical slits in the seats; this placement made us work to make that connection. after getting the convertible installed in its rear-facing mode, we had to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.
- forward-facing convertible, grade b: we had the same latch anchor issues when installing the convertible in its forward-facing mode. however, we were able to easily connect the convertible's tether strap to the tether anchor.
skip it
- none
grading scale
solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.
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 third row when available.
c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.
d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
f: does not fit or is unsafe.
about '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.
's editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. in line with 's long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don't accept gifts or free trips from automakers. the editorial department is independent of 's advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.