2024 Jeep Wrangler Review: Can The Second Row Fit Car Seats?

Today is a first-time tour for me as The Car Mom! The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most popular vehicles on the road, but I’ve never felt too drawn to test it out because it doesn’t have great safety or family-friendly features. That being said, let’s test out the second row and see if you can install car seats correctly.

If you’re new here - welcome! I’m Kelly the Car Mom and as a mom of almost four (if you missed the life update click here), CPST, and a huge car fan, I can’t wait to walk you through all the features of the 2024 Jeep Wrangler to help see if it’s right for your family.

Before you dive in and start car shopping, make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle today’s market with confidence. To learn everything from dealership prep to a complete negotiations strategy, check out my Car Buying Course!

2024 Jeep Wrangler Exterior + Background

When you're a car reviewer, manufacturers like to send you different vehicles to walk through. It's a really fun perk of the job, but sometimes that means getting a car that you know nothing about and is a little out of your comfort zone. This Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition is one of those cars for me.

This car is souped up and comes with an MSRP of around $90,000.  I am not the girl to tell you why it costs that much, but I am the girl to tell you if you can fit car seats in the back so that's what we're going to focus on primarily.

That being said, I do want to touch on the exterior. This is the classic Jeep Wrangler exterior we know and love. It’s the definition of the rugged cool car that you can off-road in. Do I like the boxy cool look? Yes. Is it the most practical? No.

2024 Jeep Wrangler First Row + Infotainment System

I did a HUGE deep dive into the Jeep Gladiator (check out the review here for more details), but in terms of the first row, they’re pretty much the same. The biggest note is the new 12.3” touchscreen infotainment system. This new standard equipment offers wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, Trails off-road software (a map for off-roading if you will), and the UConnect 5 System. 

You can add up to five user profiles to customize music, app, seating position, mirrors, and climate preferences. Another fun feature is the ability to connect two phones via Bluetooth simultaneously. Up front, there are dual USB-C ports and a standard 12 V accessory outlet, but a 115-volt AC outlet, like an outlet in your home, is available.

Jeep also thoughtfully pulled the climate control out of the touchscreen so you have easy, physical control of your heat/AC without fumbling through the infotainment center.

2024 Jeep Wrangler Second Row 

First off, I want to point out right away the bench seat is a pretty decent size! I was very impressed to see how wide the middle seat is, which is one of the first things I look for when testing a three-across candidate, but it’s not quite versatile enough to plant my flag in it.

One crucial point I want to mention is if you have/are considering a Jeep Wrangler, the headrests are non-removable. It's honestly such a pain because it can really affect some forward-facing car seat installations, so you've got to be super selective with which car seats you put there. I installed the Graco SlimFit 3LX and it excels in installation, even with a headrest. 

Now we're going to switch to rear-facing seats, which I get asked about Wranglers and rear-facing seats a lot. I think it’s because a lot of people drive this car and then have a baby and are trying to make their Wrangler work. Spoiler Alert: it's tight and not great. 

I'm not obsessed, but I want to show you some options so you know what you're getting yourself into. I tried to install the Nuna Pipa Load Leg and since the load leg doesn’t have an overhand limit I thought it would be better, but it’s so uncomfortable for me as an almost 6-foot-tall driver. This is going to be the case for a lot of the top rear-facing car seats.

I would honestly opt to do a middle installation with the seat belt because you could worry a little bit less about the overall space, but the raised portion in the middle flooring will make the load leg frustrating. I want to leave you with a solution and the rear-facing seat I’d recommend is the Chicco OneFit ClearTex.

As for boosters, the EvenFlo is a great option because it’s affordable and fits really well. You’re going to run into fewer problems with the headrests and boosters, but be patient when testing out options. 

Last note: I don’t like these doors or ventilation. They do not open wide enough and there are just two little vents on the back center console. Neither is ideal.

2024 Jeep Wrangler LATCH Diagram:

2024 Jeep Wrangler Trunk

Let's talk trunk space. For a five-passenger car with no third row, the Wrangler has a pretty decent-sized trunk. It's not very wide, but it's quite deep. I threw my Mockingbird stroller in and it fit well with still good room for groceries. 

2024 Jeep Wrangler: Wrap-Up

Overall, I’d say the Jeep Wrangler is not a family-friendly vehicle. If you already have a Wrangler and are trying to make it work, I think the infant stage is going to be the hardest by far. Once they’re forward-facing or in a booster seat, you will have more options.

Have you tried to make a Jeep Wrangler work for your family? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with all the latest family car tours, check out my recent posts: