TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2021 Toyota Highlander
2021 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
With each redesign (for 2008, 2014, and 2020) Toyota has enlarged the Highlander, yet the crossover's third-row seat remains uncomforably low and tight. For adults to be even passably comfortable in the way-back the second row must be slid forward, rendering legroom there also marginal. Some three-row crossovers have much roomier and more comfortable third-row seats.
But if you want to be able to squeeze in eight people, Highlanders with a second-row bench can do this. Because they have significantly narrower third-row seats, the Ford Explorer and Kia Sorento cannot fit three people back there even in a pinch, so in hybrid form the former has a maximum capacity of seven people and the latter only six. (The Sorento PHEV will be able to seat seven.) This noted, if you want your adult passengers to have plenty of room, the practical capacity of each is four people.
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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2021 Toyota Highlander
2021 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2020
4dr SUV 295-horsepower 3.5L V6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD
The 3rd row seating is just not for adults at all, and I'm not certain that children would be easy to fit back there as well. I'm not sure what Toyota was thinking, even making the 2020 longer didn't make any difference at all. My one complaint is it is just TOO SMALL!
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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Mazda CX-3
2017 Mazda CX-3 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2016
The CX-3's driving position is very good, more car-like even than the HR-V's. The view forward is open. The view rearward, not so much, as the racy styling yields rear windows that are quite a bit smaller than the front ones. To help compensate, the outside mirrors are large plus blind sport warning is standard on the Touring and Grand Touring.
The CX-3's driver seat is very comfortable and provides good lateral support in turns. The cloth center pocket is cushy without being mushy. Unlike in the HR-V and some others, the headrest does not jut uncomfortably far forward. But the lumbar bulge is not adjustable. As is, it fit my back well, but many people will wish for more of a bulge. The HR-V's also non-adjustable lumbar bulge was too pronounced for my taste. The JUKE's seats are comfortable, but for effective side bolsters (and then some) you must step up to the NISMO.
Worth noting for those of you who get your coffee to go: the cup holders are located beneath the armrest (optional on the Sport, standard on the others). If you want to use them, then you can't use the armrest.
see full Mazda CX-3 review
2017 Mazda CX-3 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
For people who have no interest in a manual transmission (the great majority), the Mazda CX-3's largest shortcoming is a rear seat that is tight even by small car standards. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, my knees pressed lightly against the front seat backs. I wasn't uncomfortable, but felt a little closed-in. A shame, as rear headroom is relatively plentiful and the rear seat is otherwise very comfortable.
The HR-V provides about four inches more rear legroom, a big difference.
According to their specs, the JUKE has three inches less rear legroom than the Mazda. In reality, though, I had perhaps an inch more rear knee room, but less rear headroom. The Nissan's rear seat might be slightly more adult-friendly than the Mazda's, but neither is a good choice if people taller than me will be sitting in both rows.
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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Mazda CX-3
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2017 Mazda CX-3.
