TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Jaguar XJ
2012 Jaguar XJ Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2013
This sporty, tailored theme continues with the shape of the 20-way-adjustable front seats. The A8's seats have even more adjustments, yet no matter how much you fiddle with them aren't nearly as form-fitting or as cosseting. The XJ's more precisely shaped, cushy (yet not at all mushy) buckets seem much more tailored to the human form. The space between their modestly sized but firm bolsters can be adjusted to provide more lateral support when this is called for.
The only noteworthy shortcoming of the XJ's front seats: though the headrests can be manually adjusted fore-and-aft, even in their most rearward position these press a bit much against the back of my head. Your physique and experience may vary.
The rear seats are similarly form-fitting, but without a center console to rob space.
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2012 Jaguar XJ Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
As mentioned when discussing the driving position, the XJ's front seat doesn't feel nearly as roomy as those in the Audi and BMW. But it also feels sportier. What's your priority?
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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2015
The original Golf revolutionized the automotive world by demonstrating how practical a small car could be. Though the latest, seventh-generation Golf is much larger than the original, and every major auto maker now offers a Golf-like compact, the Volkswagen continues to impress with its practicality.
Let's start with the front seat. The seat itself is shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The performance buckets in the GTI and R have firmer bolsters that provide more lateral support, but the regular Golf's buckets are cushier and more comfortably contoured. The e-Golf uses the same exemplary seats. In comparison, the seats in the Soul EV are merely okay.
The view forward from the e-Golf's driver seat is also about as good as it gets in a current compact, with a reasonably-sized instrument panel and an expansive, comfortably raked windshield flanked by relatively thin pillars. This said, some people might prefer the higher driving position in the quasi-crossover Soul EV. For me, a conventional car's lower position continues to feel more natural, especially in turns.
Battery packs take up space. Even with the (roughly) 1.5-kWh battery packs used by hybrids cargo capacity usually takes a hit. In the Soul EV, rear seat legroom suffers a three-inch reduction due to the underfloor location of the car's 27-kWh battery pack. But VW engineers managed to design and package a 24-kWh battery pack so cleverly that the e-Golf's passenger and cargo room are identical to those of a regular Golf. Adults will comfortably fit in the car's back seat. The same can't be said about most other EVs--the Soul being a second exception. Even with the three-inch cut, the Kia's back seat is about as roomy as the Golf's. The i3's back seat is far tighter.
Which EV treats its passengers best depends on the season. The e-Golf includes rear air vents, while the Soul EV+ includes rear seat bun warmers.
Moving to the cargo area, the Soul EV's battery pack eats up a dozen cubic feet, leaving just under 50. The uncompromised e-Golf can contain a couple more. But these figures don't convey the differing proportions of the cars' cargo holds. The e-Golf's is a few inches longer, while the Soul EV's is a few inches taller. Which is the better cargo hauler depends on the shape of your cargo.
The much larger Tesla Model S can hold a few more cubic feet, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class about the same as the e-Golf. No other EV comes close, especially not the 12-cube BMW i3.
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2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
