Model Year | 2013 | 2016 | |
Model | Subaru Impreza / WRX | 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 | 104.1 in | 103.8 in | 0.3 in |
Length | 173.8 in | 167.5 in | 6.3 in |
Width | 68.5 in | 70.8 in | -2.3 in |
Height | 57.6 in | 57.2 in | 0.4 in |
Curb Weight | 3208 lb. | 3340 lb. | -132 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 14.6 gal. | 13.2 gal. | 1.4 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.7 in | 38.4 in | 1.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.6 in | 55.9 in | -0.3 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 53.2 in | 0.0 in | 53.2 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 43.5 in | 41.2 in | 2.3 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 37.2 in | 38.1 in | -0.9 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 54.2 in | 53.9 in | 0.3 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 52.2 in | 0.0 in | 52.2 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 35.4 in | 35.6 in | -0.2 in |
Total Legroom | 78.9 in (over 2 rows) | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | 2.1 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 22.4 ft3 | 22.8 ft3 | -0.4 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 49.7 ft3 | 52.7 ft3 | -3 ft3 |
2013 Subaru Impreza / WRX Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
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 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 review |
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 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 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 review |
2013 Subaru Impreza / WRX Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2013 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
The lumbar support is slightly lacking for me, but I have dancer-like posture so it could just be my preference. The seats are very plush and well-designed otherwise... go sit in one. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX 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 review |
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 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 review |
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2015 | The original Golf revolutionized the automotive world by demonstrating how practical a small car could be. Though the latest, seventh-generation Golf is much larger than the original, and every major auto maker now offers a Golf-like compact, the Volkswagen continues to impress with its practicality. Let's start with the front seat. The seat itself is shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The performance buckets in the GTI and R have firmer bolsters that provide more lateral support, but the regular Golf's buckets are cushier and more comfortably contoured. The e-Golf uses the same exemplary seats. In comparison, the seats in the Soul EV are merely okay. The view forward from the e-Golf's driver seat is also about as good as it gets in a current compact, with a reasonably-sized instrument panel and an expansive, comfortably raked windshield flanked by relatively thin pillars. This said, some people might prefer the higher driving position in the quasi-crossover Soul EV. For me, a conventional car's lower position continues to feel more natural, especially in turns. Battery packs take up space. Even with the (roughly) 1.5-kWh battery packs used by hybrids cargo capacity usually takes a hit. In the Soul EV, rear seat legroom suffers a three-inch reduction due to the underfloor location of the car's 27-kWh battery pack. But VW engineers managed to design and package a 24-kWh battery pack so cleverly that the e-Golf's passenger and cargo room are identical to those of a regular Golf. Adults will comfortably fit in the car's back seat. The same can't be said about most other EVs--the Soul being a second exception. Even with the three-inch cut, the Kia's back seat is about as roomy as the Golf's. The i3's back seat is far tighter. Which EV treats its passengers best depends on the season. The e-Golf includes rear air vents, while the Soul EV+ includes rear seat bun warmers. Moving to the cargo area, the Soul EV's battery pack eats up a dozen cubic feet, leaving just under 50. The uncompromised e-Golf can contain a couple more. But these figures don't convey the differing proportions of the cars' cargo holds. The e-Golf's is a few inches longer, while the Soul EV's is a few inches taller. Which is the better cargo hauler depends on the shape of your cargo. The much larger Tesla Model S can hold a few more cubic feet, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class about the same as the e-Golf. No other EV comes close, especially not the 12-cube BMW i3. see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review |
2016 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 |