this car seat check was written in december 2017 about the 2017 chevrolet trax; little of substance has changed with this year's model. to see what's new for 2018, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
chevrolet updated its smallest suv for 2017, but caregivers who need space for car seats should look elsewhere. the 2017 trax has buried latch anchors, which made installation difficult, and rear legroom was in short supply, making it tough to wedge our rear-facing car seats in back.
how many car seats fit in the second row? two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- booster, grade a: after removing the head restraint, the booster fit well. stable buckles will make it easier for kids to buckle up independently.
so-so
- latch, grade c: the latch anchors are set deeply within the cushions and are also set up high against the cushion, making connection difficult. the three top tethers on the seatback are clearly marked for easy use.
- rear-facing convertible, grade b: installation was a little easier than with the infant seat because of this seat's chunky connectors, and the front passenger had ok legroom.
- forward-facing convertible, grade b: after removing the head restraint, the seat fit well. connection was better with this seat's chunky connectors.
skip it
- infant seat, grade d: the buried latch anchors made connection especially tough with the infant seat's think connectors. we had to move the front passenger seat all the way up to make room; the 5-foot-6-inch front passenger's knees were in the dash.
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.
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