TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Subaru Forester
2013 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2014
Beyond visibility, people buy crossovers to get more space for people and cargo. As in previous Subaru Foresters, the 2014's ceiling is cathedral-high. I could have worn a top hat inside. If you're very tall, and have been seeking a compact vehicle in which you'll easily fit, you've found one. If, on the other hand, you've been seeking expansive elbow room, the Honda CR-V has more of it.
And legroom? A combined (first and second row) figure of 81 inches tops every other compact SUV, including the otherwise segment-leading Honda (79.6 inches) and Toyota RAV-4 (79.8 inches). The Chevrolet Equinox offers another tenth of an inch, but with a 188-inch length (vs. the Forester's 181) and 4,083-pound curb weight (vs. the Forester 2.5i's 3,366) it's not truly compact.
Subaru has worked no such miracles with shoulder room. At 56.5 inches, the Forester's is typical of the compact crossover class. Add in a small driveline hump (absent in the Honda) and three adults won't happily share the rear seat for long. But how many car owners put three adult-sized people in the second row for long, anyway?
Measurements don't tell the entire story. The Honda's rear seat cushion is too low to the floor to provide adults with thigh support, and its rear seatback can be reclined to only two nearly identical positions. In constrast, the Forester's passengers enjoy a comfortably high rear seat that reclines through a broader range.
One negative for rear seat comfort: unlike the Ford Escape (but like nearly all other compact crossovers, including the CR-V), the Forester has no rear air vents.
Thanks to the tall, square rear body, cargo space is also the best in the segment, though not by as large a margin as the rear seat. Up front, there are plenty of bins in which to stash your stuff.
see full Subaru Forester review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Subaru Forester
Excellent rear seat comfort and rear seats are 60/ 40 and easy to fold flat. rear seats also have recline function which is nice ... excellent leg room
see full Subaru Forester review
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Mazda CX-5
2016 Mazda CX-5 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
There's enough room for four adults inside the Mazda CX-5. But the Honda CR-V and some others are considerably roomier.
Want an occasional third-row seat? While Nissan and Volkswagen offer one in their compact crossovers, Mazda does not.
see full Mazda CX-5 review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Mazda CX-5
2016 Mazda CX-5 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2015
4dr SUV 184-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
Soon after I bought the Mazda, I did an 8 hour trip in it. I found the seat comfort to be most satisfactory. I had no trouble finding a comfortable driving position using the power seat, and, the lumbar support.
see full Mazda CX-5 review
