Model Year | 2007 | 2017 | |
Model | Subaru Forester | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr SUV | 4dr Wagon | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 99.4 in | 103.5 in | -4.1 in |
Length | 176.6 in | 179.6 in | -3 in |
Width | 68.3 in | 70.8 in | -2.5 in |
Height | 65.0 in | 58.3 in | 6.7 in |
Curb Weight | 3165 lb. | 3063 lb. | 102 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 15.9 gal. | 13.2 gal. | 2.7 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.8 in | 38.6 in | 1.2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 53.5 in | 55.9 in | -2.4 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 51.6 in | 0.0 in | 51.6 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 43.6 in | 41.2 in | 2.4 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 39.7 in | 38.6 in | 1.1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 53.6 in | 53.9 in | -0.3 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 51.6 in | 0.0 in | 51.6 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 33.7 in | 35.6 in | -1.9 in |
Total Legroom | 77.3 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | 0.5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 32.0 ft3 | 30.4 ft3 | 1.6 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 57.7 ft3 | 66.5 ft3 | -8.8 ft3 |
2007 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
easy to find comfortable position; no problems driving over an hour or more; good upright position see full Subaru Forester review |
2007 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2007 | 4dr SUV turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Front driver leg room is a little cramped from side to side. see full Subaru Forester review |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
No thigh or lumbar support, seats hrad, minimal leg room for front passenger see full Subaru Forester review |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
Not acceptable for an adult in any of the three rear seating positions see full Subaru Forester review |
2006 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Again, cramped and too small for larger people. see full Subaru Forester review |
2006 | 4dr SUV turbocharged 230hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
This is honesty the only complaint i have about the 2006 XT. The rear seat is a bit tight. We took three other adults on about a 4 hour trip and it was a tight fit - good thing we're good friends! My wife's 2009 Forester is much better in the rear legroom department. see full Subaru Forester 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 |