TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Chevrolet Volt
2015 Chevrolet Volt Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
2014
The original Chevrolet Volt's cramped rear seat could only hold two people. In the second-generation Volt the hump for the battery pack has been lowered to permit a third person to straddle it. But they'd better be small, and even then they won't be comfortable. This fifth spot could be the least comfortable seating position in any four-door car. It's best considered for short-term emergency use.
Even the Volt's outboard rear seat passengers better not be tall. The Volt's roof line sweeps dramatically downward, while the hatch extends unusually far forward. To squeeze rear seat passengers within this oddly configured space, Chevrolet has positioned the seat cushion very low and has located the rear passengers' heads beneath the hatch glass. The roof's rear cross-member produces an odd bulge in the headliner ahead of said heads. As is, both rear head room and rear knee room are in short supply and it is easy to bump one's noggin while getting into the rear seat.
Adding insult to injury, the Volt's rear seat feels even tighter than it is because the rear side windows are small and the front seats largely block the view foward. Claustrophobes better sit up front. One somewhat bright spot: the Volt's rear seat cushion angles sharply upward to provide more thigh support than you'll find in the typical compact car (or the Prius) despite the seat's ultra-low butt pocket.
The Prius's official interior dimensions might not differ much from the Volt's, but its rear seat passengers enjoy much more rear knee room (if slightly less rear headroom) and feel like they have far more room.
see full Chevrolet Volt review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Chevrolet Volt
Rear seat is adequate, but it is difficult to install or remove a child seat. The cushion is too firm to make this easy.
see full Chevrolet Volt review
2014
4dr Hatch 149-horsepower Electric + Gas CVT FWD
The car is only a four seter so there is no room if you have five people and with the front seats back all the way it is a little tight.
see full Chevrolet Volt review
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Subaru Outback
2016 Subaru Outback Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2015
Through the 2009 model year, the Outback (and the related Legacy sedan) had a tight back seat. Though marketed as a midsize car, it was actually a compact. The 2010 redesign dramatically expanded the Outback's interior, especially in the back seat. The 2015 redesign added another inch of shoulder room, such that the Outback (and Legacy) are now not only truly midsize, but rank among the roomiest midsize cars. Rear air vents are offered--in Outbacks with leather. So the tested car lacked them.
Some compact crossovers, including the Cherokee, are about as roomy, but they achieve their specs through a more upright seating position. People in the back seat are closer to the front seats, so they don't feel like they have as much room even though they have just as much space for their legs. But they get rear air vents even in the lower trim levels.
see full Subaru Outback review
2016 Subaru Outback Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
The front seats have an unusually high bulge just below my shoulder blades. This feels more odd than uncomfortable, at least to me. The driver's lumbar adjusts, but this affects the area below said bulge. Partly depending on your height your experience might vary. These seats also provide very little lateral support, which admittedly isn't much of an issue given the non-sporting character (and non-sporting tires) of the Outback.
I had no such qualms with the armrest on the door. It's wide and cushy.
In the front seats' favor, for 2015 Subaru has added fore-aft adjustability to the headrests, a rarity in recent moderately priced cars.
The Jeep's cloth seats are too squishy, but they're more form-fittting than the Subaru's, and I find them more comfortable.
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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Subaru Outback
