Model Year | 2016 | 2017 | |
Model | Mini Hardtop | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
Engine | turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 228 hp@5200 236 lb-ft@1250 |
turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 292 hp@5400 280 lb-ft@1800 |
|
Transmission | 6-speed shiftable automatic | 6-speed automated manual | |
Drivetrain | FWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr Hatch | 4dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 101.1 in | 103.8 in | -2.7 in |
Length | 157.4 in | 167.5 in | -10.1 in |
Width | 68.0 in | 70.8 in | -2.8 in |
Height | 56.1 in | 57.2 in | -1.1 in |
Curb Weight | 3010 lb. | 3340 lb. | -330 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 10.6 gal. | 13.2 gal. | -2.6 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.9 in | 38.4 in | 1.5 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 51.2 in | 55.9 in | -4.7 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.4 in | 41.2 in | 0.2 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 37.5 in | 38.1 in | -0.6 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 49.6 in | 53.9 in | -4.3 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 32.3 in | 35.6 in | -3.3 in |
Total Legroom | 73.7 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | -3.1 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 13.1 ft3 | 22.8 ft3 | -9.7 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 40.7 ft3 | 52.7 ft3 | -12 ft3 |
2016 Mini Hardtop Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
The 4 Door has 1.5 inches more rear legroom than the regular Hardtop, but 32.3 inches still isn't much. At 5-9, I can squeeze behind myself with perhaps an inch between my knees and the carved-out front seatbacks. Rear headroom is relatively abundant even though the seat cushion is mounted a comfortable height off the floor. The rear doors, though an improvement over the Clubman's single rear-hinged half-door, are still small and don't open wide. A Ford Fiesta ST might be at least as tight in the back seat, but the GTI, with 35.6 inches of rear legroom, is far roomier and easier to get into and out of. see full Mini Hardtop review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2016 Mini Hardtop.
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 |