TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Toyota Prius
2017 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 It helps that the tall, sloping console of the third-generation Prius has been replaced by one with a much less intrusive (if also less sporty) design.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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2017 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 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
2019 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.
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