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How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross?

2018 mitsubishi eclipse cross; photos by christian lantry

if crossing a convertible with an suv sounds like it'd be awkward, it is. the new-for-2018 mitsubishi eclipse cross wears the name of the automaker's now-defunct convertible paired with "cross," as in "crossover," but the vehicle doesn't offer much by way of sport, style or utility. mitsubishi calls the eclipse cross a compact suv, but the brand already has one of those in the two-row outlander sport. the new model slots between the outlander sport and three-row outlander in mitsubishi's lineup, and when it comes to car seats, this fiver-seater was just ok. 

two

related: more car seat checks

solid

  • none

so-so

  • latch, grade b: the two sets of anchors are exposed and easy to use. there's three top tether anchors midway down the seatback, but they're not very easy to use because they're in narrow slits in the upholstery.
  • infant, grade b: this seat was easy to install, but we had to move the front seat up a bit. taller passengers will need more space.
  • rear-facing convertible, grade b: again, this seat was easy to install and we had to keep the passenger seat in its moved-up position. taller passengers will need more space.
  • forward-facing convertible, grade b: after removing the large head restraint, this seat fit well, but we struggled to connect to the top tether anchor.
  • booster, grade b: after removing the head restraint, the seat fit well. the buckles are on short stalks and sit flush with the seat cushion, however, which could make them tricky for kids to use.

skip it

  • none

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.

's editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. in line with 's long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don't accept gifts or free trips from automakers. the editorial department is independent of 's advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

 

Source:Cars.com