10 Best Cars with Heated Rear Seats

2017 Hyundai Elantra Sedan heated rear seat control

Heated seats may well be one of the greatest comfort and convenience features the automakers have invented. Not only do they keep you toasty warm in winter—and without having to wait until the engine warms up and the heater starts blowing out hot air—but for people with bad backs, they can provide soothing relief. Heated car seats are not a new invention, but for years they have been reserved exclusively for the front row—but now more and more automakers are starting to offer their cars with heated rear seats as well. Here are ten vehicles that will warm the back sides of your back seat passengers.

Hyundai Elantra

Heated rear seats are something we still consider to be a luxury item, and we expect to find them in prestige-branded luxury cars—a fact to which most of this list will attest. So you might be surprised to learn, as we were, that Hyundai offers them in its affordably-priced compact sedan, the Elantra. Heated rear seats are part of an optional Tech Package (which also includes navigation, a sunroof, and an upgraded stereo). “Ah-hah,” you might be saying, “sounds expensive!” Not really—a top-of-the-line Elantra Limited with the Tech Package has a sticker price well under $26,000, including destination fee. We should add that the Hyundai Elantra has been freshly redesigned for 2017, with a roomy cabin and a decidedly upscale interior, making it a cost-effective way to treat your rear-seat passengers right.

Photo by Hyundai

Lincoln MKC

Lincoln’s small SUV is full of surprises, and optional heated rear seats are only one of them. This 5-seat compact crossover is based on a European-market Ford vehicle called the Kuga. As a result, it handles like a proper European car, which is to say that it’s far more fun to drive than you would expect from a small luxury suv. Especially one with the name “Lincoln” on the body work. It’s worth nothing that the MKC is a compact crossover that takes the “compact” thing seriously—though certainly not uncomfortable, it’s a bit tighter in the rear seat than some of its competitors. But your back seaters will have warm buns, so you can expect few complaints!

Photo by Lincoln

Dodge Charger

Maybe it’s unfair, perhaps even prejudicial, but the Dodge Charger is the last car we expected to offer heated seats for back seat passengers. The Charger is all about the driver: It packs lots of power under the hood (its engines range from 300 horsepower all the way up to over 700) and it has an aggressive face that tells the world that something wicked this way comes. The Charger is, to say the least, not a car for introverts. But the Charger is also unusually kind to its back seat passengers—not only does it offer them acres of legroom, but heated rear seats are available on the Charger’s option list.

Photo by FCA Media

BMW 3-Series

BMW vehicles offer some of the niftiest technological gizmos on the market; their top-of-the-line 7-Series even has a night-vision camera and a “fragrancer” that perfumes the air with a choice of user-changeable scents. The smaller 3-Series doesn’t take things quite so far, but it does offer heated seats for back seat passengers. The 3 also offers great driving dynamics and a fantastic selection of engines. We suggest you encourage your back seaters to close their eyes and enjoy the sensation of a warmed backside, so that you can enjoy BMW’s legendary road manners without their noticing.

Lincoln MKZ

We mentioned Lincoln’s small SUV, the MKC, as an unexpected surprise in the Lincoln lineup. The same can be said about the MKZ, which is their surprisingly roomy midsize sedan. Like the MKC, the MKZ has European roots—it’s based on Ford’s European-division Mondeo midsize sedan—and it’s also fantastic to drive, certainly more fun that you’d expect if you still associate Lincoln with pillow-soft seats and pillow-soft suspensions. EcoBoost versions are quick but thirsty, but the hybrid version returns decent fuel economy. We love the MKZ’s interior styling, and back seat passengers will love the optional rear-seat heaters.

Photo by Lincoln

Ford F-150

Time was when pickup trucks were beasts of burden and nothing else, with an interior that had all the charm of a packing crate. Nowadays we find pickups offering many of the same amenities as luxury cars—including heated rear seats. You’ll find this nice-to-have feature in the Ford F-150 Platinum, the top-of-the-line model of Ford’s aluminum-body pickup, along with other surprises such as power-adjustable pedals and steering column, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, and a moonroof. And what about work? Yep, the F-150 can do that, too—the F-150’s lightweight aluminum body frees up more weight for payload, and it’s one of our favorite tow vehicles because of its rock-solid stability.

Photo by Ford

Audi A6

The Audi A6 doesn’t seem to get the recognition it deserves; here in status-crazy Los Angeles, it is outnumbered on the road by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-Series. That’s sad, as the A6 is an extraordinarily attractive package: It’s great to drive (and very fast if you opt for the supercharged B6 engine), offers plenty of room, and feels like everyone who worked on its design and engineering had a Ph.D. or better. The A6 is a great value compared to other German luxury cars, with standard features that are optional on its rivals (such as genuine leather upholstery), and you can add nice-to-haves like heated rear seats and front seat massagers without jacking the price up into the stratosphere.

Photo by Audi

Subaru Outback

Subarus in general—and Outbacks in particular—are inordinately popular in the Rust Belt. It's because, when the roads get snowy, a Subaru is among your best bets to get from Point A to Point B. Subaru was in the all-wheel drive business long before the current crossover craze, and their system is still among the best in the biz. But the Outback’s winter hardware goes beyond merely providing superior winter traction: Subaru also offers thoughtful bits like thick floor mats with tall lips on them, perfect for containing slush and snow, and wiper de-icers that keep the blades from sticking to the winters. And what about back seat comfort? Yep, Subaru offers heated seats for back seat passengers.

Photo by Subaru

Kia Soul

The Kia Soul is a favorite of some of our writers because of its shape—and not just because it looks cool, but because it is eminently practical. That squared-off roofline provides lots of headroom for rear seat passengers, and combined with the tall seating position, it’s a surprisingly comfortable car for four people, especially when you consider its small size. The Soul is a budget-priced car, so we were surprised to see that heated seats are among the Soul’s optional features—and not just for the top-of-the-line model, either. You can add this nice-to-have option on the mid-level Soul Plus as part of the Primo Package, which also includes leather seats, a heated steering wheel, and a giant panoramic sunroof.

Photo by Kia

Volvo XC90

Volvo is a brand in transition: They are in the process of redesigning each and every one of their cars, and their flagship SUV, the XC90, has its sights set squarely on the best-of-the-best from Range Rover and Mercedes. The XC90 has a uniquely Swedish vibe, with its relaxing interior and tablet-computer-like infotainment system. Naturally, it’s brimming with luxury features, including an upscale stereo and elegant wood-and-leather trim. It’s no surprise that the XC90 offers heated rear seats; after all, Sweden is a cold place in winter, and the Swedes have a reputation for knowing how to keep people warm when the weather is cold.