TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Honda Odyssey
2013 Honda Odyssey Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2014
I test a large crossover and think, "This third-row seat isn't bad." Then I drive a minivan and marvel at home much roomier it is inside than even the roomiest crossovers. This advantage increases the farther back in the vehicle you sit. Back in the third row, it's simply no contest.
Among minivans, the Odyssey is the roomiest of the bunch. It's the only minivan with over 40 inches of legroom in each of its three rows. Total up the differences in the official specs, and the Toyota Sienna comes up nearly ten inches short (though the difference doesn't seem nearly so large in reality, maybe an inch or two). A Chrysler Town & Country? Over fourteen inches. A Toyota Highlander crossover has legroom specs similar to the Chrysler minivan, but its third row feels much more cramped. Moral of the story: don't trust the specs, sit in the cars yourself.
In cabin breadth, the official specs have the Odyssey about equal to the Town & Country and a little narrower than the Sienna, but subjectively both the Honda and the Toyota feel broader and more open than the Chrysler.
Then there's access to the rear rows. The feature most associated with minivans, their sliding side doors, are easier to open in tight parking spaces and provide a much larger opening.
In terms of seat comfort, the Odyssey falls a little short of the Sienna, if only because it doesn't offer lounge chair-like legrests in the second row. Then again, for anyone over five feet tall to use these in the Toyota the second row seat must be slid back so far as to render the third row unusable. Either minivan has more comfortable second-row seats than most crossovers, including the Highlander, and third-row comfort is simply no contest. The Chrysler's second row seats aren't as comfortable, as they are more thinly constructed to enable them to fold beneath the floor.
The Odyssey, Sienna, and Highlander can each be equipped to carry eight passengers (though the lounge seats in the Sienna eliminate one spot, and the three in the third row of the Highlander best have short legs). The Chrysler minivans can only seat seven.
see full Honda Odyssey review
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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Mazda Mazda6
2013 Mazda Mazda6 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
This one, again borrowed from the earlier review, won't be an issue with most potential buyers:
The Mazda6's svelte, athletically proportioned body comes at a typical price: rear seat room, as in the Ford Fusion, is merely adequate. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, my knees and head have only an inch or two of clearance, my shins none. Among major competitors, only the Chevrolet Malibu has a tighter rear seat. To carve out even this much room beneath the plunging rear roofline the new Mazda6's rear seat cushion is slightly undersized and positioned too low. That in the Fusion is more supportive. A deal killer? Unless space for large adults is a priority, no.
If, on the other hand, space for large adults is a priority, then the Honda Accord and VW Passat are better bets.
Even for small passengers, the Mazda6 Sport's rear seat has a key shortcoming. Unlike in the Touring and Grand Touring, there's no rear air vent to help cool the aft cabin in the summer.
see full Mazda Mazda6 review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Mazda Mazda6
2013 Mazda Mazda6 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2013
4dr Sedan 170-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD
I am six feet tall with a long torso and legs, so I usually have the seat pretty far back. With the front seat in a comfortable position, the rear seats have plenty of leg and head room for adults, even more so for my kids.
see full Mazda Mazda6 review
