TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
2012
On paper, the Malibu's rear seat is only a little tighter than those in the 2008-2012 sedan and in competing cars. In person, rear knee room would only be marginally competitive in the compact sedan segment. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, my shins graze the front seatbacks. GM is rushing some revised seats to market. But if past attempts to fix a cramped rear seat are any indication, this won't make a substantial difference. The rear seat in the Ford Fusion is roomier, if also short of the segment's quasi-limos.
see full Chevrolet Malibu review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2014
4dr Sedan 196-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
Both front & rear compartments very roomy & comfortable. Again, this is noted improvement over our 2009 Malibu.
see full Chevrolet Malibu review
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2013
4dr Sedan 182-horsepower 2.4L I4 Hybrid 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
This is tight if front seats are postioned at or close to the back of their range; shorter wheelbase in this model compared to prior version. Rear seat access is excellent (i.e, for infant car seats, small item transport).
see full Chevrolet Malibu review
2012
4dr Sedan 169-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
2015 Chevrolet Cruze Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2016
The old Chevrolet Cruze, like the Ford Focus, had a rear seat on the tight side even by compact sedan standards. According to the specs, the new one has only gained a few tenths of legroom. But the improvement feels much larger. Chevrolet claims that rear knee room (not a standard spec) has increased by two inches, and this aligns much better with my perceptions.
Some competitors, including the Honda Civic, continue to offer more rear seat space. But the new Cruze's back seat could be the most comfortable in the class for two average-sized men. With a position well above the floor, the rear seat cushion provides much better thigh support than the typical sedan, much less the typical compact sedan. The Civic has a lower rear cushion and insufficient foot space under its front seats, squandering its on-paper legroom advantage.
Up front the Cruze has comfortable seats (though, like those in the Civic, without adjustable lumbar support) but shoulder room typical of a compact car. The Civic has two more inches of shoulder room and feels more like a midsize sedan in the front seat. Both cars have good driving positions with reasonably compact instrument panels.
In L and LS trim, the new Cruze has a 14.9-cubic-foot trunk, nearly identical to that of the new Civic and about as large as you'll find in the class. But the LT and Premier have a compact spare tire that reduces cargo volume to 13.6 cubic feet. Still pretty good.
Next year both cars will also be available as hatchbacks.
see full Chevrolet Cruze review
2015 Chevrolet Cruze Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
The Cruze's rear seat is among the tightest in a compact sedan, and the diesel engine doesn't affect this. Though rear seat headroom is abundant, adults will feel a bit cramped even behind a driver of average height. The Jetta's rear seat has a little less headroom but far more legroom. So the best option depends on whether your rear seat passengers have long legs or long torsos.
see full Chevrolet Cruze review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze.
