Model Year | 2008 | 2017 | |
Model | Mini Hardtop | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 2dr Hatch | 2dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 97.1 in | 103.8 in | -6.7 in |
Length | 145.6 in | 167.5 in | -21.9 in |
Width | 66.3 in | 70.5 in | -4.2 in |
Height | 55.4 in | 57.2 in | -1.8 in |
Curb Weight | 2546 lb. | 2901 lb. | -355 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 11.0 gal. | 13.2 gal. | -2.2 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.8 in | 38.4 in | 0.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 50.3 in | 55.9 in | -5.6 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.4 in | 41.2 in | 0.2 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 | 29.9 in | 35.6 in | -5.7 in |
Total Legroom | 71.3 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | -5.5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 5.7 ft3 | 22.8 ft3 | -17.1 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 24.0 ft3 | 52.7 ft3 | -28.7 ft3 |
2008 Mini Hardtop Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 2dr Hatch 118-horsepower 1.6L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
nevr a backache, I am a six footer that arrives refreshed and never feel cramped. see full Mini Hardtop review |
2009 | 2dr Hatch 118-horsepower 1.6L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
heated seats, great driving position, great visability see full Mini Hardtop review |
2008 Mini Hardtop Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
I drove a John Cooperworks MINI and I found the front seat to be incredibly flat and unsupportive. It was the complete opposite of the GTI seats, and a big part of why I purchased the GTI instead see full Mini Hardtop review |
2009 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
There is no room for anyone other than a child see full Mini Hardtop review |
2009 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
Smallish seats made the front feel kinda cheap. The middle armrest was also a very hard plastic, but the door was slightly softer plastic. see full Mini Hardtop review |
2009 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
Despite being a hatchback, not a lot of headroom in the back, almost as same as the Mustang. Seats were more upright and headrest should have been integrated into seatbacks; rather, it was mostly a nuisance. see full Mini Hardtop review |
2008 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 172hp 1.6L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
too small for adults see full Mini Hardtop review |
2008 | 2dr Hatch 118-horsepower 1.6L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The roof line is so low that tall people do not fit. When I tested the car my head was touching the roofliner. see full Mini Hardtop review |
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 |
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 |