Model Year | 2014 | 2017 | |
Model | BMW 3-Series | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
Engine | turbocharged 3.0L I6 DOHC-4v 300 hp@5800 300 lb-ft@1300 |
turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 292 hp@5400 280 lb-ft@1800 |
|
Transmission | 6-speed manual | 6-speed automated manual | |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr Wagon | 4dr Wagon | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 110.6 in | 103.5 in | 7.1 in |
Length | 182.1 in | 179.6 in | 2.5 in |
Width | 71.3 in | 70.8 in | 0.5 in |
Height | 56.5 in | 58.3 in | -1.8 in |
Curb Weight | 3880 lb. | 3440 lb. | 440 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 15.8 gal. | 13.2 gal. | 2.6 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 40.4 in | 38.6 in | 1.8 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.1 in | 55.9 in | -0.8 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 42.0 in | 41.2 in | 0.8 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 38.3 in | 38.6 in | -0.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 55.1 in | 53.9 in | 1.2 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 35.0 in | 35.6 in | -0.6 in |
Total Legroom | 77 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | 0.2 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 17.5 ft3 | 30.4 ft3 | -12.9 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 53.0 ft3 | 66.5 ft3 | -13.5 ft3 |
2014 BMW 3-Series Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2014 | The BMW 3-Series used to be tight inside, but it has grown with each redesign, especially the most recent one. The rear seat of the current sedan isn't nearly as roomy as that in the related 3-Series Gran Turismo hatchback. But it offers considerably more rear legroom than direct competitors like the Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. In fact, combined front and rear legroom is the same as in the one size-class up, ten-inch-longer Mercedes E-Class. (You do get a half-inch more rear headroom and nearly two inches more rear shoulder room in the Benz.) Beyond the specs, the BMW's rear seat is comfortably high off the floor, a rarity in the age of sedans with plunging coupe-like roof lines. see full BMW 3-Series review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2014 BMW 3-Series.
2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2016 | As I've noted before (when reviewing the e-Golf), the seventh-generation Golf's front seats are shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The CX-5's driver seat also fit me well, but not quite as well as the Volkswagen's. Compared to other compact hatchbacks and its ancestors, the current Golf has a roomy rear seat. I can sit behind my 5-9 self with about five inches of air ahead of my knees. Unless unusually tall people populate both rows, the amount of space should be beyond adequate. Compare the Golf SportWagen's rear seat to that in the CX-5, and a funny thing happens. On paper, the Mazda provides about 3.5 more inches of legroom. When sitting behind myself in both vehicles, though, I had about half as much space ahead of my knees in the CX-5. I've noticed in the past that VW measures rear legroom very conservatively, and apparently they continue to do so. The Golf's interior is roomier than the official specs suggest. Plus its rear seat passengers get air vents. The Mazda's do not. This said, I'm not entirely comfortable in the Golf SportWagen's rear seat. To me it feels overly reclined. In neither the GSW nor the CX-5 is the degree of recline adjustable. It is in some compact crossovers. see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review |
2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2016 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
Difficult ingress and egress see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review |