Mini Hardtop (2006) vs. Volkswagen Golf / GTI (2017) Specs

vs.

◆

2006 Mini Hardtop and 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Specifications

Model Year	2006	2017
Model	Mini Hardtop	Volkswagen Golf / GTI
Engine	supercharged 1.6L I4 DOHC-4v 207 hp@6950 180 lb-ft@4000	turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 292 hp@5400 280 lb-ft@1800
Transmission	6-speed manual	6-speed automated manual
Drivetrain	FWD	AWD
Body	2dr Hatch	2dr Hatch
			Difference
Wheelbase	97.1 in	103.8 in	-6.7 in
Length	143.1 in	167.5 in	-24.4 in
Width	66.5 in	70.5 in	-4 in
Height	55.4 in	57.2 in	-1.8 in
Curb Weight	2679 lb.	3278 lb.	-599 lb.
Fuel Capacity	13.2 gal.	13.2 gal.	0 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	38.8 in	38.4 in	0.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	50.9 in	55.9 in	-5 in
Legroom, Row 1	41.3 in	41.2 in	0.1 in
Headroom, Row 2	37.6 in	38.1 in	-0.5 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	44.7 in	53.9 in	-9.2 in
Legroom, Row 2	31.3 in	35.6 in	-4.3 in
Total Legroom	72.6 in (over 2 rows)	76.8 in (over 2 rows)	-4.2 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	5.6 ft³	22.8 ft³	-17.2 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	25.0 ft³	52.7 ft³	-27.7 ft³

2006 Mini Hardtop Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2005	2dr Hatch 115-horsepower 1.6L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Good support. see full Mini Hardtop review

2006 Mini Hardtop Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2007	2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Its small, but not as small inside as you might think. see full Mini Hardtop review
2006	2dr Hatch supercharged 168hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD	what room? see full Mini Hardtop review
2005	2dr Hatch supercharged 168hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD	The rear seats are okay for choildren or small adults. Since all in my family are smaller than average, we can handle short rides in the back. More normal sized people may feel somewhat cramped, especially if someone with long legs sits in front. gae see full Mini Hardtop review
2005	2dr Hatch 115-horsepower 1.6L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Rear seat not usable for passengers. see full Mini Hardtop review

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

See TrueDelta's information for all Hatchbacks

See TrueDelta's information for all Mini models.