Guide
Which 7-seater has the most legroom in the third row?
Only some 7-seaters have a third row that adults can use on a long trip. Here is how we rate every back row, and a live list of the cars that suit grown-ups.
The 7-seaters with the most legroom in the third row are mostly large SUVs and van-based people carriers, with one low-priced exception, the Dacia Jogger. Few makers publish third-row legroom, so we rate every back row from what independent reviewers found, using five labels.
How we label third rows
- Adults: reviewers say six-footers or tall adults fit, often on long trips.
- Average-sized adults: fine for people of average height or shorter.
- Adults on short trips: grown-ups can manage a short trip, but the seats suit children better on long drives.
- Teenagers: big enough for teenagers and smaller adults, but not for regular adult use.
- Children: really for children, often because a high floor leaves anyone taller sitting knees-up.
Where reviewers disagree, the model page sets out both views. The label describes comfort, not safety: always check the maker's advice on child seats in the third row.
7-seaters with the most third-row legroom: the live list
This list updates from our data. It includes every current 7-seater labelled "adults" or "average-sized adults", with the roomiest label first.
| No. | Model | Third row suits | Boot, 7 up | Length | Price from | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Audi Q9SUV · six or seven seats | Adults | Not published | 5,310mm | £103,900 | |
| 01 | BMW X7SUV · six or seven seats | Adults | 326 L | 5,181mm | £93,280 | |
| 01 | Dacia JoggerMPV · seven seats | Adults | 212 L | 4,550mm | £18,995 | |
| 01 | Hyundai Ioniq 9SUV · six or seven seats | Adults | 338 L | 5,060mm | £64,995 | |
| 01 | Kia EV9SUV · six or seven seats | Adults | 333 L | 5,010mm | £66,645 | |
| 01 | Land Rover Defender 130SUV · five, seven or eight seats | Adults | 290 L | 5,358mm | £84,250 | |
| 01 | Mercedes-Benz EQVVan-based MPV · seven seats | Adults | 1,030 L | 5,140mm | £92,485 | |
| 01 | Mercedes-Benz GLSSUV · seven seats | Adults | 355 L | 5,217mm | £99,995 | |
| 01 | Mercedes-Benz V-ClassVan-based MPV · seven or eight seats | Adults | 1,030 L | 5,140mm | £77,280 | |
| 01 | Peugeot E-TravellerVan-based MPV · six, seven, eight or nine seats | Adults | Not published | 4,981mm | £48,945 | |
| 01 | Land Rover Range Rover LWBSUV · five or seven seats | Adults | 212 L | 5,252mm | £122,140 | |
| 01 | Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWBVan-based MPV · six or seven seats | Adults | 306 L | 4,962mm | £59,933 | |
| 01 | Volkswagen MultivanVan-based MPV · six or seven seats | Adults | 469 L | 4,973mm | £50,683 | |
| 14 | Citroen Berlingo XLVan-based MPV · seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | 209 L | 4,753mm | £26,805 | |
| 14 | Citroen e-Berlingo XLVan-based MPV · seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | 209 L | 4,753mm | £33,390 | |
| 14 | Genesis GV80SUV · five, six or seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | Not published | 4,945mm | Not published | |
| 14 | Hyundai Santa FeSUV · six or seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | Not published | 4,830mm | £49,185 | |
| 14 | Land Rover DiscoverySUV · seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | 172 L | 4,956mm | £69,540 | |
| 14 | Peugeot E-Rifter LongVan-based MPV · five or seven seats | Average-sized adultsAverage adults | 209 L | 4,755mm | £33,400 |
Most of these cars are close to or over five metres long, and the van-based people carriers among them also have sliding doors. The Dacia Jogger breaks the pattern: carwow's 6ft 2in tester fitted in its back row, in a car 4,550mm long.
What reviewers found in the roomiest cars
The adult-rated third rows earn that label in different ways. carwow fitted three six-foot adults one behind the other in the Kia EV9, and says back-row passengers in the Hyundai Ioniq 9 get as much space as those in the middle row. Auto Express says six-foot adults fit in the Audi Q9's third row with knee room and headroom to spare, and Drive judges the Range Rover LWB's back row properly usable for grown-ups.
People carriers go further. carwow found that five six-foot adults can sit comfortably across the two rear rows of the Volkswagen Multivan, and says passengers in the Mercedes-Benz EQV are as comfortable in row three as in row two. Drive says few SUVs can match the Mercedes-Benz V-Class for third-row room, and there is still space for luggage behind it.
Captain's chairs and access
Many large 7-seaters can be ordered with two individual middle-row chairs instead of a bench. The Kia EV9, BMW X7 and Mazda CX-80 all offer a six-seat layout this way, and the seven-seat Land Rover Defender 130 uses captain chairs that leave an aisle through to the third row. An aisle does not always help, though: in the six-seat Jaecoo 8, Auto Express found you squeeze through a narrow gap, and carwow notes that its middle-row chairs do not slide forward. If the third row will be used often, try both layouts before you order.
Measured legroom, where it exists
A handful of figures are published, and they show why a tape measure tells only part of the story. Land Rover quotes 864mm of third-row legroom and 909mm of headroom for the seven-seat Range Rover LWB, against 517mm of legroom in the Defender 110's 5+2 third row. Fleet World quotes 864mm of legroom and 924mm of headroom for the MG MGS9's back row, yet Auto Express found it only suits small children, because the raised floor pushes knees up high. Auto Express measured 607mm of knee room in the back of the Kia Sorento.
What makes a third row work
- Floor height. A high floor leaves passengers knees-up. carwow says this of the Kia Sorento, and Auto Express of the MG MGS9.
- A sliding middle row. It shares legroom between the rows, but space given to one comes from the other: Auto Express notes that sliding the Volvo EX90's middle row back takes space from the third row.
- Width. A third row between the rear wheels can be narrower than the middle row, as carwow notes in the Land Rover Defender 130.
- Raised seating. Stadium-style seating helps. Auto Express says it leaves decent third-row headroom in the Land Rover Discovery, and that the Range Rover LWB seats third-row passengers 41mm higher than those in the front.
Getting in and out
Space only helps if people can reach it. Wide sliding doors make the Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB and Volkswagen Multivan easy to climb into, and Auto Express says adults can get into the ID. Buzz's third row with dignity. In SUVs, look for middle seats that move at the touch of a button, as in the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Santa Fe. Our list of 7-seaters with sliding doors covers every model that has them.
Before you buy
Sit in the third row yourself, with the middle row set where its passengers will need it, and stay there for a few minutes. Then check the boot with all seven seats up in our 7-seater boot space comparison, because a roomy back row does not always come with a big boot behind it. Our 7-seater buying guide covers everything else to check.
