The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Performed Worse in Our Car Seat Check Than the 2025
What Consumers Should Know
- The 2026 Toyota RAV4 earned overall lower grades than the 2025 model in our Car Seat Check due to altered lower anchor placement.
- The RAV4 compact SUV was redesigned for model-year 2026 and moved to an all-hybrid powertrain setup but retained its same overall size.
- Other Car Seat Check scores shifted slightly between models due to changes in the seat bolstering.
The Toyota RAV4 was redesigned for 2026, and some big changes came to the compact SUV for the new model year, including moving to a hybrid-only powertrain. And while the new model’s dimensions are only slightly changed from the outgoing 2025 version, tweaks in backseat space and design means, overall, the 2025 model fits car seats better.
Related: Search All Car Seat Checks
How Does the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Fit Car Seats?
Most significantly, the 2025 RAV4 earned an A grade for its lower anchor setup thanks to exposed lower anchors that are very easy to find and use. Easy lower anchors and plenty of legroom helped the infant and rear-facing convertible seats also earn A grades.
The forward-facing convertible and booster scored a bit lower with a B grade due to a top tether anchor buried in the seatback carpet. Lastly, the booster scored the lowest with a C grade due to seat bolstering that pushed the booster on top of the buckle, complicating access, as well as low buckles that could be tough for kids to grasp and use independently.
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How Does the 2026 Toyota RAV4 Fit Car Seats?
Meanwhile, changes to the 2026 model’s lower anchors downgrade it from an A to a B grade. The 2026 model’s anchors are partially exposed and set snug against the cushions, complicating access for skinnier, hooklike connectors. This lowered the grades of the rear-facing convertible with its hooklike connectors; the infants seat’s rigid connectors were easier to use during installation, so that seat still gets an A for 2026.
The booster seat’s grade raised from a C to a B thanks to more amenable seat bolstering that helped situate the booster flat against the seat. The 2026 model’s buckles are still on very short stalks, however. Lastly, the forward-facing convertible’s grade sank to a C for 2026 due to buried top tether anchors, like last year, as well as the difficult lower anchor connection.
Read the 2026 Toyota RAV4’s Full Car Seat Check
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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.
Read More About The Toyota RAV4:
- 2026 Toyota RAV4 Review: The Obvious Choice Becomes the No-Brainer
- How Does the All-New 2026 Toyota RAV4 Compare to the 2026 Honda CR-V?
- 2026 Toyota RAV4 Up Close: A Guaranteed Sales Supernova
- 2026 Toyota RAV4 Goes All-Hybrid, Gets Upgraded Tech
- 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid Review: Serious Support Vehicle
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