11 SUVs and Sedans Around $30,000 With a Backseat Baby Alarm
A backseat baby alarm can be a crucial feature in your next new vehicle. Discover 6 SUVs and 5 sedans around or under $30,000 with this safety equipment.
Hyundai
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A backseat baby alarm serves as a reminder to check the rear seats of your car before you walk away. This feature is not intended to replace driver attention. The way it works and what it's called varies slightly from one car manufacturer to the next, but the technology can prevent serious oversight that can potentially occur before you lock the doors and walk off into the sunset.
Because a backseat baby alarm—a feature more prominently known as a "rear seat reminder" or "rear occupant alert"—is now found on numerous models, we limited our choices to SUVs and sedans around $30,000 with a five-star overall rating from the
Buick
2022 Buick Encore – Rear Seat Reminder
This five-passenger SUV is a more upscale choice offered with standard front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is available. It has a 7 inch infotainment touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as available* safety features that include forward collision alert and lane departure warning.
Rear Seat Reminder is the backseat baby alarm on General Motors products, and it's a standard feature on the Encore. It activates if the rear doors are opened and closed up to 10 minutes before the vehicle is started or anytime the crossover is running. Once active, the system will sound a chime and display a message in the instrument cluster to remind the driver to look in the rear seats.
Buick
2022 Buick Encore GX – Rear Seat Reminder
This two-row SUV has seating for up to five people with a long list of standard features. There's an 8 inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leatherette seating surfaces, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and forward collision alert. Like the smaller Encore, the Encore GX also has a standard Rear Seat Reminder across the lineup.
Chevrolet
2022 Chevrolet Equinox – Rear Seat Reminder
With seating for five passengers, the Chevrolet Equinox has a responsive 1.5L, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that easily gets this SUV up to speed. Inside, there's a standard 7 inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, forward collision alert, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat for easy cargo storage, and a standard rear seat reminder.
Ford
2022 Ford Bronco – Rear Occupant Alert
The Ford Bronco is unique on our list for its extensive off-road capability. It's also unique for the open-air driving experience it offers with a removable roof and doors. This capable SUV has seating for four people in its two-door variant, which comes in just under $31,000. Standard features include 30 inch all-season tires, a Terrain Management System with five selectable drive modes, and an 8 inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Rear Occupant Alert is the backseat baby alarm on Ford products, and it's standard on the Bronco. It activates if the rear doors are opened or closed while the ignition is on. It also activates if the ignition is switched on within 15 minutes of the rear doors opening or closing, or within 15 minutes of an alert. The system will warn you to check the back seats once the ignition is turned off with both an audible chime and a message on the infotainment screen.
Ford
2022 Ford Escape – Rear Occupant Alert
The Escape has seating for five people with a choice of engines. The base offering is a 1.5L, turbocharged three-cylinder. Top trims get a more powerful 2L, turbocharged four-cylinder that surpasses $30,000, but there's a 2.5L hybrid powertrain that delivers better fuel economy and stays below $30,000. Regardless of which engine you choose, the Escape comes standard with a rear occupant alert.
Hyundai
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe – Rear Occupant Alert
The Hyundai Santa Fe has seating for up to five people with a choice of either front- or all-wheel drive. Standard features include an 8 inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, and safe-exit assist. Rear occupant alert is also standard.
The rear occupant alert in the Santa Fe is a bit different from what some other automakers offer. It's a two-stage system. If the rear doors are opened while the engine is on or shortly before it's turned on, the system activates. When the ignition is turned off, it will then issue an audible and visual reminder to check the rear seats. In select trims, it goes one step further with a motion detection system that uses ultrasonic sensors to recognize movement in the rear seats after the vehicle has been locked. It will then notify the driver of rear-seat activity through their phone or email.
Honda
2022 Honda Accord – Rear Seat Reminder
This midsize sedan offers two trim levels that swing below $30,000. Standard features for the Accord include dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt and telescopic steering column, and an 8 inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has an impressive list of standard safety features with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and lane departure warning.
A rear seat reminder is also standard across the Accord lineup. Honda's system activates any time the rear doors are opened when the car is on or shortly before it's turned on. Once active, it will issue a warning chime and a visual reminder to check the rear seats before leaving the vehicle.
Hyundai
2022 Hyundai Elantra – Rear Occupant Alert
This Elantra is a compact sedan with seating for five passengers and a less expensive price than other cars on our list. Despite its smaller dimensions, there's still good room for cargo with 14.2 cu.-ft. in the trunk. Standard features include an 8 inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual USB ports, and a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat.
Rear occupant alert is also standard across the Elantra lineup. This is another door-logic system that's triggered when the rear doors are opened during engine-running or shortly before you turn on the ignition. It will then issue audio and visual reminders to check the rear seats when the engine is later turned off.
Hyundai
2022 Hyundai Sonata – Rear Occupant Alert
The Sonata is the largest sedan in the Hyundai lineup and comes with a 16 cu.-ft. trunk. Standard features include premium cloth seating surfaces, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rear-view monitor with parking guidance, a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, and a four-way manually adjustable passenger seat. It also features the same rear occupant alert system found in the Elantra.
Subaru
2022 Subaru Legacy – Rear Seat Reminder
This roomy sedan features standard all-wheel drive, making the Legacy a great choice if you live in colder climates where snow often coats the roads. There's also 15.1 cu.-ft. of room for cargo in the trunk. Standard features include a 7 inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, and dual USB ports.
Also standard is a rear seat reminder. This system activates when the rear doors are opened shortly before the car is turned on, or while the engine is running. It will then issue an audible and visual reminder to check the rear seats when the ignition is later turned off.
Toyota
2022 Toyota Camry – Rear Seat Reminder
The Toyota Camry is a roomy sedan with 15.1 cu.-ft. of room for cargo in the trunk. Standard features include a 7 inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dynamic radar cruise control, and fabric seats with an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat.
There's also a standard rear-seat reminder that activates whenever the rear doors are opened and the ignition is on or just before it's turned on. When the engine is turned off, an audible and visual reminder is issued to check the rear seats.
Backseat baby alarms are becoming an increasingly popular feature in today's cars. These helpful reminders to check the rear seats make it less likely something will be left behind, but they should never be a substitute for an attentive driver.
*Availability is subject to specific trim level selections
