Bench vs captains chairs for car seats

[Kirkaiya]

Wait... doesn't the SX only come with captain's chairs?

Is that person in Canada? I think the trims and options might be slightly different there.

 

[rwmedia]

The SX with the premium package comes with Captain's Chairs, and I believe it also has the Napa leather and the HUD but they do not have any of those models available yet where we live so we decided not to wait.

 

[Ivoba]

Ended up finding an S trim within reasonable distance with the captain’s chairs so we went for it. Unfortunately turned out our car seats were just too wide to allow for the side by side configuration and still be able to slide forward the single unoccupied 2nd row bench seat. Should’ve bought some narrower car seats I suppose haha.

 

[Rondakay]

Ended up finding an S trim within reasonable distance with the captain’s chairs so we went for it. Unfortunately turned out our car seats were just too wide to allow for the side by side configuration and still be able to slide forward the single unoccupied 2nd row bench seat. Should’ve bought some narrower car seats I suppose haha.

Good to know that might help someone else before they buy. Sounds like a new car seat is in order

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[Kirkaiya]

the single unoccupied 2nd row bench seat

If it had Captain's chairs, how does it have a bench seat? I don't understand somehow.

 

[rvv2002]

To each their own right?
Sounds like 2 car seats in bench will work, but they have to be the narrowest ones. Most convertible or routine car seats will not allow for that 3rd seat to come down easily. Putting them in captains still allows for access to 3rd row, albeit uncomfortable to jump through.

 

[rwmedia]

I think the age of the children makes a difference as well. For us, we typically carry a couple of adults as well as the grandkids, one of whom is 4 and the other is 9. The older child sits in the third row while the younger is in a car seat in the second row right behind the driver. This allows us to use the sliding seat on the passenger side of the bench to access the back row, and the kids are happy that they are in different rows. I certainly understand the case for the captain's chairs and image it is a more popular configuration, but for us having the extra seat makes taking everyone out for lunch not only enjoyable, but possible.

 

[Jdgate]

I posted a car seat write up that was done by cars dot com in the "news" section, and will post here in case it might help anyone.

https://www.cars.com/articles/how-do-car-seats-fit-in-a-2020-kia-telluride-402618/

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[rwmedia]

Is that person in Canada? I think the trims and options might be slightly different there.

Yes, in Canada. Don't know about different options down the line, but for now the premium package is not available with the Captain's Chairs, upgraded leather, and HUD. Only SX available had the bench which was what we wanted anyway.

 

[D-Rock11221]

We have an SX but opted for the full bench seat in the middle because we wanted the ability to carry 8 people, since our kids are adults but we have grandkids. Moving the middle row to access the third row has not been a problem at all even with car or booster seats. We just put the latched car seat right behind the driver. Seats slide with the push of a button and adults can access the back with no problems other that watching your head as you enter the vehicle.

As for seating kids away from each other, isn't that just a matter of where you tell them to sit? Do you really need to physically separate the seats to accomplish this? We have had station wagons, minivans, SUVs and sedans over the years always managed to seat the kids wherever we needed to so I guess I am having a hard time understanding the value of having fewer seats. If the captains chairs offer more comfort, I could see that, but after examining them and the bench we did not find it that much easier to access the back and therefore passed on the tradeoff of losing one more seating space for hauling the clan around.

So far no complains from the passengers. My 9 year old grandson loves the reclining ability of the outboard bench seat and the fact he can plug his iPhone into the USB port on the back of the front passenger seat. Overall, I find it a well-engineered cabin with lots of room, and I drive a Chevy Avalanche most of the time.

How did you go about getting a bench row for the SX? Here in NY, I only have the option to get an SX with captain chairs, which will cause me to settle for the EX

 

[popcrnchicken]

How did you go about getting a bench row for the SX? Here in NY, I only have the option to get an SX with captain chairs, which will cause me to settle for the EX

Canadian model.

 

[Lucas & Craig]

Car Seat Video / KIA of Muncie

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[Arch177]

Recently had five adults, a 7-year old in a booster and a baby in a big carseat/carrier in my bench seat Telluride. Two adults and the big carseat were comfortable in the second row bench. Booster seat and a 6'1" adult were fine in the third row. Can't say everyone would have been as comfortable w/ 2nd row Captains chairs.

 

[Arch177]

Other considerations: Bench seat allows younger children to easily reach their stuff, rather than having to put those things on the floor.

Bench seat folded down provides a totally solid cargo floor. Captains chairs do not. If you use your truck to actually haul cargo, I feel the flat floor is more useable.

Captains vs. bench folded down pics attached...

 

[AustereSpoon]

In case anyone is reading this late to the party, I will say that if you have a single car seat it fits nicely on the 40% side behind the passenger seat. We have the Chicco Nextfit Zip Air which is hefty at 19.5 inches wide and 21 inches deep. I am able to secure it, and still have the 60% of the seat slide forward with clearance, but I did have to move the attachable cup holder to the left side of the carseat instead of it being on the right. I dont think there is any way that 2x of these full size rear facing seats could fit on the 60% side of the bench together.

 

[Mah1186]

We have two forward facing in the far right. I LOVE it!!! Super easy to still access the third row!

Any idea if 2 of these seats would fit in the 3rd row forward facing in the middle and driver side outboard seats where there are rear tethers?

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[G-560781]

We have an SX but opted for the full bench seat in the middle because we wanted the ability to carry 8 people, since our kids are adults but we have grandkids. Moving the middle row to access the third row has not been a problem at all even with car or booster seats. We just put the latched car seat right behind the driver. Seats slide with the push of a button and adults can access the back with no problems other that watching your head as you enter the vehicle.

As for seating kids away from each other, isn't that just a matter of where you tell them to sit? Do you really need to physically separate the seats to accomplish this? We have had station wagons, minivans, SUVs and sedans over the years always managed to seat the kids wherever we needed to so I guess I am having a hard time understanding the value of having fewer seats. If the captains chairs offer more comfort, I could see that, but after examining them and the bench we did not find it that much easier to access the back and therefore passed on the tradeoff of losing one more seating space for hauling the clan around.

So far no complains from the passengers. My 9 year old grandson loves the reclining ability of the outboard bench seat and the fact he can plug his iPhone into the USB port on the back of the front passenger seat. Overall, I find it a well-engineered cabin with lots of room, and I drive a Chevy Avalanche most of the time.

are you sure you are able to get an SX with a bench? I wasn't aware that was an option

 

[iloqin]

are you sure you are able to get an SX with a bench? I wasn't aware that was an option

In Canada apparently the SX has bench seats (would love that option here in the states).

That option would here in the states would be LX or EX no premium package. I'm thinking about trips where need the cargo space like to use the 3rd row down in the back and stack 3 kids in the 2nd row. Also likely requires narrower seats (Diono 3RX or 3QT comes to mind).

S, EX /w premium, SX has captains chairs.
1) You'd have to figure out your configurations, either both captains chairs tied up with car seats + 3rd car seat would be in the 3rd row.
2) 2 car seats in the 3rd row and 1 open captains chair. Depending on the setup, you either put the 60% down (if the car seat is a using the latch system or the 40% down if one or two narrower car seats are using the Front facing tether system)

Personally, it depends on how many folks you're expecting to carry. Say a family of 5, 3 kids and 2 adults. With captains chairs it's a 7 seater, but for a longer ride maybe 6 seater if you use both captains chairs up with car seats and adult+1 chair in the back. Or adult in 1 captain's chair, 2 car seats in the back and 1 car seat in the other captains chair. Probably not much room in the 3rd seat in the 3rd row with 2 car seats there.

The bench adds that "8th" spot, again possibly a car seat in the middle (depends on orientation) and 2 adults on the side, with the 3rd row open, or 2 car seats in the back, With a bench, you can fit 2 kids, but also possibly 2 adults and a kid, freeing up room in the back for 1 kid + 1 adult easily. Sure it says 8, but 8 would be cramped depending on size of car seat, and 8 may work with smaller kids in the back. Also not much cargo space. but I can see as the kids get older they would want to bring friends and every now and then grandma+grandpa.

 

[ddcrowley]

Other considerations: Bench seat allows younger children to easily reach their stuff, rather than having to put those things on the floor.

Bench seat folded down provides a totally solid cargo floor. Captains chairs do not. If you use your truck to actually haul cargo, I feel the flat floor is more useable.

Captains vs. bench folded down pics attached...

Thank you for including the photos in your post! I've been wondering how the captain's chairs fold and couldn't find information on that topic anywhere. So, your photos answered a major question for me, thanks!

 

[dprodriguez]

We have two forward facing in the far right. I LOVE it!!! Super easy to still access the third row!

so your car seats here are both on the 60 side of the 60/40 split bench? and you can still independently slide and tilt the 40 side to access the back row? I will still have 2 rear facing kiddos in 2nd row, 1 forward facing in the back who can’t buckle herself so I need to be able to climb back there relatively easily to secure her.