TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2018 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
2018 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
The Scion iM / Toyota Corolla iM was engineered primarily for the European market on a totally different platform than the Toyota Corolla sedan. The 2019 Corolla Hatchback shares a new platform with the 2020 Corolla sedan (and with the new Camry and Avalon as well). But it's still a smaller car than the Corolla sedan, with a wheelbase shorter by 2.4 inches. This somehow translates to a foot less rear legroom on the spec sheets, a tremendous difference. Toyota seems to cheat the sedan's legroom specs by a couple of inches--but ten inches is still a huge difference.
Is the actual difference this large? I doubt it. The official spec for the Corolla Hatchback, 29.9 inches, is TIGHT, about a half-foot short of what the average adult male needs. There's more space back there than this spec suggests--but not a lot more. At 5-9, I could sit behind myself, but with only a couple of inches between my knees and the front seat. Put someone taller in either row and, well...
Aside from the lack of space, the Corolla Hatchback's rear seat cushion is higher offer the floor than the Civic's and provides decent thigh support.
On paper, the new Mazda3 offers about five inches more rear legroom than the Toyota. The actual difference is closer to two inches, maybe three. Not huge, but even two inches often could make the difference between people fitting comfortable and not.
Starting once again with the spec sheets, the Honda Civic offers an inch more rear legroom than the Mazda. The actual difference seems larger. Another clear win for the Honda, especially compared to the Toyota.
Focus on perceived roominess, and this Honda win becomes a rout. Although all of the cars are about equally wide, the Civic has a much wider cabin, especially up front. While the other two cars definitely feel like compacts from the driver seat, the Civic feels nearly as spacious as a midsize car. Here the spec sheet doesn't mislead: Honda claims three more inches of front shoulder room than Toyota does.
see full Toyota Corolla Hatchback review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2018 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2018 Toyota Corolla Hatchback.
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2019 Buick Enclave
2019 Buick Enclave Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2018
Despite its size, the original Buick Enclave had a tighter, less comfortable second-row seat than many smaller crossovers. With the redesign this has been fixed. Second-row legroom has increased by a substantial three inches and--of at least equal significance--the seat cushions have been raised higher off the floor. Adults sitting in the second-row seats now enjoy a modicum of thigh support.
But if you want to fit three people in the Enclave's second row, you can't. All Enclaves are fitted with captain's chairs. For an eight-passenger large crossover, check out the related Chevrolet Traverse.
The Enclave's third-row seat isn't as roomy or as comfortable as its second-row seats, with both knee room and head room in shorter supply (the latter thanks to a bulge in the rearmost section of the headlinder). But if the second row is moved forward a couple of inches (also necessary for folding the third-row seat) then both rows offer plenty of legroom. It helps that there's plenty of space for toes beneath the second-row seats. Plus there's enough shoulder room for three people in the way-back, one more than in most three-row crossovers.
Occupants of both the second and the third rows enjoy an open view forward thanks to stadium-style seating.
Volvo's reputation for comfortable seats is based on the comfort of its cars' front seats. The Volvo's second-row seats are comfortably high off the floor, but they aren't as roomy as the those in the larger Buick. It's third-row seat is considerably tighter than that in the Buick, and can only hold two (optimally prepubescent) people.
see full Buick Enclave review
2019 Buick Enclave Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
Similarly, while the Buick Enclave's front seats are comfortable, they're marginal for those in a nearly $60,000 vehicle. The Volvo XC90's front seats are available with a much larger number of adjustments and even without these look and feel much more posh than the Buick's.
Some people might also find the Enclave's tall center console overly intrusive. I personally like the sporty vibe it brings to an otherwise unsporty vehicle. In general I like what Buick's designers tried to do inside the Enclave, with clean, flowing lines and a low-profile Audi-like instrument panel.
There's just something missing in the execution--it's about 95 percent of the way there--and I can't quite put my finger on what the missing 5 percent is. It's in the details.
see full Buick Enclave review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2019 Buick Enclave
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2019 Buick Enclave.
