Cars.com's certified technicians gave the 2026 CX-5 an A for LATCH, the infant seat and the rear-facing convertible, with no meaningful hit to front passenger legroom. It does not fit three car seats across, and the booster buckles sit flush with the cushion, so kids will struggle to buckle themselves.
Compiled by our gear team from Cars.com's Car Seat Check. Published July 18, 2026. Car seat fit findings from Cars.com's Car Seat Check, conducted by certified child passenger safety technicians.
The grades at a glance
| Test | Grade |
|---|---|
| LATCH | A |
| Infant seat | A |
| Rear-facing convertible | A |
| Forward-facing convertible | B |
| Booster | B |
Three car seats across: no. Cars.com found it does not fit three.
Where the anchors are
Lower anchors. Two sets, under removable plastic covers, easy to find and use.
Top tethers. Three, midway down the seatbacks. Well labeled, but under the upholstery, so they take some digging.
NHTSA recommends always using the top tether with a forward-facing car seat, whether it is installed with the lower anchors or the seat belt, as long as both the car seat manufacturer and the vehicle manufacturer permit it. Check both manuals for your specific combination, and check your car seat's tether weight limit: NHTSA directs you to stop using the tether once your child exceeds it, even while they still fit the seat. Our car seat safety guide covers how to use it.
Infant car seats
Straightforward, with the 5-foot-6-inch front passenger keeping comfortable legroom.
That matters more than it sounds. In a lot of compact vehicles a rear-facing seat pushes the front passenger forward until the front row is unusable. Browse the infant car seats we carry, and if you are weighing whether a rotating base is worth it, see our comparison of rotating versus standard infant seats.
Convertible car seats
Rear-facing. Easy at the Level 2 recline angle, front passenger still comfortable.
Forward-facing. Needs the head restraint removed to sit flush, and the top tether anchor stays hidden in the seatback fabric.
Some vehicles need the head restraint removed or raised to seat a car seat flush against the seatback, and some have fixed restraints that cannot be moved at all. Check your vehicle manual before forcing anything, and note that where a fixed restraint holds the seat off the seatback, that is a fit problem rather than something you can work around. See our convertible seats.
Boosters
Fits well after removing the head restraint and reclining the seat slightly. The buckles are short stalks flush with the cushion, so independent buckling is hard for kids.
Will your stroller fit?
Cars.com's road-test review of the redesigned CX-5 reports a 1.8-inch increase in cargo depth, and relays Mazda's figure of 2.3 inches more rear knee clearance over the previous generation. The Car Seat Check itself does not measure cargo. Source.
Cubic feet is the wrong number to shop on anyway. What decides whether a stroller fits is its folded footprint against the width between your wheel wells and the height to your cargo cover. A trunk can have generous volume and still refuse a wide fold.
Measure the space you will actually load into, whatever shape it is: how deep it is, its narrowest width (usually between the wheel arches, or between the bed rails on a pickup), and the height of the opening you have to lift over. Then compare against the folded dimensions of whatever you are considering. If the numbers are close, a compact fold like the Cybex Beezy leaves room for everything else; if you have space to spare, a full-size frame like the UPPAbaby Vista V3 earns it back in storage and expandability. Browse all strollers.
Mazda CX-5 takeaway
Car seat fit is unlikely to decide this purchase either way. The installs were straightforward, and the booster buckles are the one thing to plan around.
Across every vehicle: Which cars fit three car seats · Which cars let kids buckle themselves
More car seat help: Car Seat Safety Guide · All buying guides
Educational information only. This guide is for general education. It is not professional, medical, legal, or safety advice, and it does not create any advisory or professional relationship between you and SugarBabies. You are responsible for the safe selection, installation, and use of any car seat.
How a car seat fits and installs depends on your exact vehicle (its model year, trim, and seating configuration) and your exact car seat model. The instructions that came with your car seat and your vehicle owner’s manual always control. If anything in this article ever conflicts with those instructions, or with current guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), follow the manufacturer instructions, your vehicle manual, and NHTSA, not this article.
Our fit findings are compiled from third-party sources, including independent car seat fit testing performed by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians and manufacturer specifications, that we believe to be reliable, and we provide all of it “as is.” Specifications, model years, and vehicle configurations change, and we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or current status of any of it. This article does not replace a hands-on check by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). If you are near Sumner, Washington, our in-store CPST check is free with every infant seat we sell, and we encourage you to use it or to find a certified technician near you.
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