Which family cars have the best third rows? - carsales.com.au (2024)

Not everyone who buys a seven- or eight-seat SUV or people-mover has a large family and is going to use the third-row seats on a daily basis.

However, the practicality and convenience of a third row – in any household situation, really – is important for when the in-laws come to visit or your child springs an after-school play date on you.

In every situation, comfort and accessibility is important.

What’s more, some third rows will fit child seats and some won’t, and regardless of age, passengers back there are going to want storage for their drinks and phones, and somewhere to plug in their devices.

With our ever-taller kids, legroom and headroom are important, and for many families it is critical to know whether people can climb into the third-row seats if there are child seats installed in the second row – and do so without having to remove a child seat.

So which family cars have the best third-row seats?

As a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have tested the third-row seats of hundreds of cars over the past seven years with my family and friends. So I definitely know a great third row when I see it!

Here’s my pick of SUVs and people-movers with the best third-row seats…

One of the jewels in the crown is the new seven-seat 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, which is a class act when it comes to transporting families.

Whether your kids are big or small, they are well catered for in all three rows, especially in the third row.

Kids and adults alike get a nice big space to step through to the third-row seats, and you can even do it with child seats installed in the second row (as long as you use ISOFIX instead of the seat belt).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a generous amount of shoulder-room, headroom and legroom for third-row passengers, so if you have tall teenagers they should be pretty comfortable back there.

A pair of child seats will fit nicely in the third row of the Jeep Grand Cherokee too, so if you have little ones you need to fit in the back it’s doable and with plenty of room.

Passengers are thoughtfully provided with USB-A and USB-C sockets for charging their devices, and there is great storage including cup holders and phone trays on both sides.

For those putting their precious cargo in the third-row seats, the FamCam enables you to keep an eye on your little ones while you are travelling.

Importantly, there are air-conditioning vents in the third-row side pillars so all passengers are kept nice and comfortable.

Considering legroom is generous in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, you would expect it to impact on the boot space, but it doesn’t. A twin pram still fits in the boot even when you are using the third-row seats.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade is available with two seating configurations to suit your family’s needs, without compromising third-row access or comfort.

Seven-seat models have captain’s chairs in the second row, which gives great access for passengers to walk through to the third-row seats.

The eight-seat versions have a second row that moves forward far enough for passengers to comfortably climb through the huge doors and into the third row – even with child seats installed in the second row (provided they are installed using ISOFIX).

For families wanting to put child seats in the third row, there is one set of ISOFIX attachments and there are two top tether anchorages – although they are so close together you can only fit one child seat at a time back there.

Third-row seats in the Hyundai Palisade are generous with their headroom and legroom, so the in-laws or lanky teenagers shouldn’t be complaining back there!

Unlike some rivals, the Palisade’s good third-row legroom does not affect the boot space as families can still fit a twin pram in the boot while using all rows of seats.

Third-row passengers are kept comfortable with air-conditioning vents in the ceiling and two good-size cup holders on each side of the car.

In large family SUVs you often have to shout to be heard by passengers in the third row, but not in the Hyundai Palisade. It has a great feature called Passenger Talk, which amplifies voices between the front and third-row speakers so no one has to shout!

The most spacious option for families needing to use the third-row seats is the 2022 Volkswagen Multivan, especially the long-wheelbase version.

Passengers can easily walk through to the third-row seats around the two seats in the second row, and parents can walk through from the front to put little ones in their child seats or to fasten any seat belts or harnesses for younger passengers.

If you have ever had to strap children into the car when it is bucketing with rain, this feature is a game-changer!

The ceiling height gives teenagers and adults great headroom in their seats and when getting in and out of the vehicle too.

Legroom is not a problem at all for passengers in any row in the Volkswagen Multivan, and if you need to install rear-facing child seats in the second- or third-row seats, there’s still plenty of legroom for passengers in front of them.

The Volkswagen Multivan’s third-row bench seat is spacious and comfortable, so depending on your family’s needs you can seat three adults across or three child seats can fit.

In fact, any combination of passengers and child seats can comfortably be accommodated while still retaining good personal space for everybody.

The third-row bench seat slides back and forth so you can distribute legroom how you need to. This also allows you to alter the size of boot space, which is so generous in the long-wheelbase Multivan that you can stand a pram up in it!

Air vents for all three rows of passengers in the ceiling of the Multivan also mean you can keep the cabin comfortable for everyone onboard.

We can’t talk about seven-seat SUVs without giving the 2022 Mazda CX-9 an honourable mention.

The queen of seven-seaters it is a fantastic option for families needing to use all three rows on a daily basis.

It has excellent third-row access, even with three child seats installed in the second row, and because the second-row seats are split 60/40 with the single seat on the kerb side, it is safer for kids climbing in and out.

Visibility is good for passengers in the third-row seats too, which is helpful for those who get travel sickness, and there are two USB sockets and cup holders for third-row passengers.

Unlike the other vehicles mentioned here, the CX-9 is not (and does not feel) quite so enormous, so for those looking to make the jump from a smaller car it’s not so daunting.

This doesn’t mean you have to compromise with space and practicality though, because I found a six-foot third-row passenger can fit behind a rear-facing child seat in the second-row seats.

Oh, and the CX-9 has anchor points for two child seats in the third row as well!

I relegated the CX-9 to honourable mention because it doesn’t have air vents in the third row, so all rear passengers at the very back are relying on two low-mounted second-row vents.

Let’s hope this is corrected with the incoming new Mazda CX-90.

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