How Well Do Car Seats Fit In a 2025 4Runner

The 4Runner is known for being a true SUV in a sea of crossovers. With its rugged body-on-frame construction and high ground clearance, it’s ready to tackle deep rutted unpaved trails, thick, unplowed snow, slick mud, tow up to 6,000 pounds, and some models are even equipped for tough rock climbing. However, during the week, the 4Runner can also handle family duties, and if that family is young and growing, that usually means a back seat with child seats. As any parent knows, it’s not just one child seat but a string of them because the little guys and girls outgrow them almost as fast as their clothes. Some models are better at accommodating car seats than others, and this Valley Hi Toyota post is here to tell you where the recently redesigned 4Runner stands. 

Cars.com features regular tests to see how well child seats fit and how easily they are installed in numerous vehicles. These tests are performed by editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman, both certified in child safety seat installation. Since checking the fit of every child seat for every model would be nearly impossible, they selected one car seat from each stage that they found best represents the most models in the category, and they have used these same seats for every test. These seats are: 

• Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat 

• Graco Contender 65 convertible seat (front-facing and rear-facing) 

• Graco TurboBooster seat 

The seats are tested in the second row because placing child seats in the front row is not recommended if an alternative exists, primarily due to complications from front airbag deployment. Even before airbags, the second row was considered a safer location. Infant and convertible seats are placed behind the front passenger seat, while booster seats are tested behind the driver. The driver’s seat is adjusted to fit an average 6-foot-tall adult, while the front passenger seat is set for someone shorter.  

They also test the convertible seat in the forward-facing position in the middle of the second row to check if three child seats can fit side by side. They assess the ease and accessibility of the child seat latches. Each test is graded from A to F, with these specific definitions of each grade: 

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.  

B: One room, fit, or connection issue.  

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue.  

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

F: Does not fit or is unsafe. 

Good, but not Perfect Results 

The 4Runner earned two As and three Bs. One issue was with the two rear-facing seats, in which proper installation required the front passenger seat to be moved forward. This will not be an issue if the front passenger is of short stature, but taller occupants of that seat will find the space limited. Here are verbatims of their grade explanations: 

Latch: Grade A 

“The two sets of lower anchors sit under large Velcro flaps; they’re easy to find and use. Three top tether anchors sit halfway down the seatbacks and are clearly marked for easy connection.” 

Infant Seat: Grade B 

“This seat was easy to install, but we had to move the front passenger seat up to accommodate it; our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger’s knees were close to the glove box. Taller passengers will need more space to be comfortable.” 

Rear-Facing Convertible: Grade B 

“Installing this seat was also easy, but, again, front-passenger legroom was negatively impacted.” 

Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade A 

“Installation via Latch was easy, and the convertible in forward mode fit well once we removed the 4Runner’s head restraint to situate the car seat flush against the seatback.” 

Booster: Grade A 

“After removing the head restraint, the booster fit well, but the 4Runner has an interesting buckle setup. We installed the booster on the driver’s side, which has a buckle on a long, stable arm. This type of buckle makes it easy for kids to buckle up independently. However, the middle seat’s buckle is sunken into the cushion and tougher to grasp. The passenger side buckle is also short and flush with cushion, so it too might be tough for kids to grasp without an adult’s help.” 

Will the 2nd row fit three seats? 

“No, although the 4Runner’s backseat is wide, the way the seat cushion is bolstered, and the placement of the buckles prevent the middle seat from being wide enough to hold a car seat.” 

The 4Runner accommodates the seats, but if your expected front passenger is rather tall and you anticipate having children who are young enough to require rear-facing seats, you may want to bring the seat with you when you visit Valley Hi Toyota to look at the exciting new 4Runner.