TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Subaru Outback
2016 Subaru Outback Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2015
Through the 2009 model year, the Outback (and the related Legacy sedan) had a tight back seat. Though marketed as a midsize car, it was actually a compact. The 2010 redesign dramatically expanded the Outback's interior, especially in the back seat. The 2015 redesign added another inch of shoulder room, such that the Outback (and Legacy) are now not only truly midsize, but rank among the roomiest midsize cars. Rear air vents are offered--in Outbacks with leather. So the tested car lacked them.
Some compact crossovers, including the Cherokee, are about as roomy, but they achieve their specs through a more upright seating position. People in the back seat are closer to the front seats, so they don't feel like they have as much room even though they have just as much space for their legs. But they get rear air vents even in the lower trim levels.
see full Subaru Outback review
2016 Subaru Outback Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
The front seats have an unusually high bulge just below my shoulder blades. This feels more odd than uncomfortable, at least to me. The driver's lumbar adjusts, but this affects the area below said bulge. Partly depending on your height your experience might vary. These seats also provide very little lateral support, which admittedly isn't much of an issue given the non-sporting character (and non-sporting tires) of the Outback.
I had no such qualms with the armrest on the door. It's wide and cushy.
In the front seats' favor, for 2015 Subaru has added fore-aft adjustability to the headrests, a rarity in recent moderately priced cars.
The Jeep's cloth seats are too squishy, but they're more form-fittting than the Subaru's, and I find them more comfortable.
see full Subaru Outback review
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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2014
Like the Elantra Touring which it replaced, the Elantra GT shares few if any visible parts with the Elantra coupe and sedan. Instead, both cars are essentially the European-market Hyundai i30 rebadged and slightly retuned for North American consumption.
In Europe, the i30 is offered in two lengths, a hatch and an estate (the Queen's English for "wagon"). With the Elantra Touring, we got the estate. Perhaps because not enough people bought an Elantra Touring, Hyundai decided we'd readily trade functionality for styling. So with the Elantra GT we get the hatchback.
While adults no longer have room to stretch, the Elantra GT's rear seat remains roomier than those in the Mazda3 and Ford Focus, but can't quite match the Kia Forte5's interior dimensions. Actually, Mazda claims more rear legroom in its car, but this particular spec seems well out of sync with reality. Even if this wasn't the case, specs aren't everything. Owing to a healthy height off the floor, the Hyundai's rear seat might be the most comfortable in the segment (unless you're tall enough to require more than the modest amount of headroom).
A bonus for rear-seat passengers: the Tech Package includes the segment's only panoramic sunroof.
see full Hyundai Elantra GT review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Coming from a Volvo the seats are firm in comparison. They aren't the hard pans Honda seems to favor though with good side bolsters, quality cloth that should wear well and decent lumbar support(not adjustable in base). Headrests are adjustable for vertical movement but not forward or back.
Driving & Visibility
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