Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in July 2021 about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline; little of substance has changed with this year’s model. See what’s new for 2022 or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
The verdict: The Honda Ridgeline stands out in the mid-size pickup truck class with its refined ride that often makes you forget you’re in a pickup truck. The Ridgeline, which has new front-end styling for the 2021 model year, handles family duty easily thanks to its roomy interior.
Does it fit three car seats? Yes, the Ridgeline’s spacious backseat handled our car seats.
Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2022 Honda Ridgeline.
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A Grade
- Latch: The Ridgeline has three sets of lower Latch anchors in its backseat that are easy to find and use. The outboard rear seats’ tether anchors are positioned on the sides of the seat base. The middle seat’s tether anchor sits in the seat bight between the two lower Latch anchors.
- Infant seat: This rear-facing infant seat was easy to install. We had to move the front passenger seat forward about an inch to fit the car seat, but our 5-foot-8-inch tester had enough legroom to sit comfortably.
- Rear-facing convertible: We again had to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate this rear-facing car seat, but as with the infant seat, our tester had enough legroom to sit comfortably in the front seat. The car seat was also installed easily.
B Grade
- Booster seat: Our high-back booster seat fit well in the Ridgeline’s flat rear seats. What knocked the Ridgeline’s grade down to a B were the seat belt buckles: While the buckles are rigid, which is usually a plus in our evaluation, they’re also spring-loaded and flip into the seatback cushion — not the bottom seat cushion. This could be difficult for kids in booster seats to manage independently.
C Grade
- Forward-facing convertible: Installing a forward-facing convertible seat in a pickup truck is often a struggle because of the truck’s top tether anchor placement. In the Ridgeline, the outboard rear seats each have a tether anchor that sits low on the side of the seat base. To use it, you need to remove or position the head restraint so it’s in the uppermost position, then route the tether strap between the head restraint’s legs. Next, lift the tether guide cover and route the tether strap through the red-colored upper guide. Finally, route the strap down the outside of the rear seat and connect to the tether anchor. Connecting to the tether anchor in the Ridgeline’s middle seat is a different story: First, lower the head restraint to its lowest position. Then, route the tether strap over the seatback, lift the cover and route the strap though the upper guide. Next, route the tether strap downward along the seatback and attach it to the center tether anchor that’s between the lower latch
Grading Scale
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 the third row when available.
C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access the third row when available.
D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
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.
Keyword: How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2022 Honda Ridgeline?