TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Toyota Prius
2015 Toyota Prius Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2016
For a compact hatchback, the new Toyota Prius feels very roomy inside. It helps that the tall, sloping console of the third-generation Prius has been replaced by one with a much less intrusive (if also less sporty) design. The deep instrument panel is scooped out on top, while the windshield is large and distant. The view forward from the driver seat is very open, but anyone who isn't a goldfish will find it unusual. It's like driving a spaceship, in two senses. Or a small minivan.
The Ford C-MAX has a crossover-like driving position and the most comfortable seats. The front seats in the Prius are nicely shaped, but less firm. Those in the Volt could use more contour. I found the Civic's front seats somewhat uncomfortable.
The Volt feels far tighter inside. Up front the windshield seems far smaller than that in the Prius. The back seat, while its cushion is comfortably positioned, threatens to induce claustrophobia.
Both the Prius and the Volt have restricted visbility to the sides and especially to the rear. The view is much better from the driver seat in the C-MAX.
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2015 Toyota Prius Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
Rear seat passengers in the Prius have far more knee room than those in the Volt, and feel far less closed in. Despite a low-mounted seat cushion, though, headroom is limited.
Rear seat passengers in the C-MAX enjoy a much more comfortably positioned seat cushion, significantly more headroom, and better outward visibility.
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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Chevrolet Volt
2017 Chevrolet Volt Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year
Comment
The original Chevrolet Volt's cramped rear seat could only hold two people. In the second-generation Volt the hump for the battery pack has been lowered to permit a third person to straddle it. But they'd better be small, and even then they won't be comfortable. This fifth spot could be the least comfortable seating position in any four-door car. It's best considered for short-term emergency use.
Even the Volt's outboard rear seat passengers better not be tall. The Volt's roof line sweeps dramatically downward, while the hatch extends unusually far forward. To squeeze rear seat passengers within this oddly configured space, Chevrolet has positioned the seat cushion very low and has located the rear passengers' heads beneath the hatch glass. The roof's rear cross-member produces an odd bulge in the headliner ahead of said heads. As is, both rear head room and rear knee room are in short supply and it is easy to bump one's noggin while getting into the rear seat.
Adding insult to injury, the Volt's rear seat feels even tighter than it is because the rear side windows are small and the front seats largely block the view foward. Claustrophobes better sit up front. One somewhat bright spot: the Volt's rear seat cushion angles sharply upward to provide more thigh support than you'll find in the typical compact car (or the Prius) despite the seat's ultra-low butt pocket.
The Prius's official interior dimensions might not differ much from the Volt's, but its rear seat passengers enjoy much more rear knee room (if slightly less rear headroom) and feel like they have far more room.
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