Model Year | 2011 | 2017 | |
Model | Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
Engine | turbocharged 2.5L H4 DOHC-4v 265 hp@6000 244 lb-ft@4000 |
turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 292 hp@5400 280 lb-ft@1800 |
|
Transmission | 5-speed manual | 6-speed automated manual | |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr Hatch | 4dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 103.1 in | 103.8 in | -0.7 in |
Length | 173.8 in | 167.5 in | 6.3 in |
Width | 68.5 in | 70.8 in | -2.3 in |
Height | 58.5 in | 57.2 in | 1.3 in |
Curb Weight | 3208 lb. | 3340 lb. | -132 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 16.9 gal. | 13.2 gal. | 3.7 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 40.3 in | 38.4 in | 1.9 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 54.8 in | 55.9 in | -1.1 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 43.5 in | 41.2 in | 2.3 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 37.6 in | 38.1 in | -0.5 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 53.2 in | 53.9 in | -0.7 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 33.5 in | 35.6 in | -2.1 in |
Total Legroom | 77 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | 0.2 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 19.0 ft3 | 22.8 ft3 | -3.8 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 44.4 ft3 | 52.7 ft3 | -8.3 ft3 |
2011 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 CVT AWD |
I've driven between the SF Bay Area and San Diego several times with no comfort issues. As a point of comparison, I am comfortable with long drives in a 2002 Honda Civic and I would like to burn the seats in a 2010 Hyundai Tucson. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
I am 6'4" tall and this is one of the few compact cars I fit into easily with room to spare. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
The rear seats actually have enough space to comfortably fit full size adults or child car seats. The doors open wide making ingress and egress easy. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Amongst small cars, this had quite comfortable rear seat room, which accommodated our car seat better than our previous Volkswagen Jetta. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Sedan 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Roomy inside, as well as pretty large greenhouse see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2011 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 265hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Coming from both an MX-5 and Buick Century the cabin of the WRX is very spacious. There is good room for driver and passenger. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 265hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
I drove he car for a better part of 2 hours today. The seats were very comfortable all around in rush hour traffic on city and highway roads. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Seats only adjust two ways, and manual adjustments at that. They're adequate for short trips but uncomfortable if you have to sit for hours. I wish there was an option for multiple power adjustments with memory. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2011 | 4dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
There is no lumbar support which makes it tough for drives over 2 hours. The seats could be better for its class. I think Subaru remedied this issue in the new body style, however. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport 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 |