Volkswagen Golf / GTI (2015) vs. Fiat 500 (2012) Specs

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2015 Volkswagen Golf / GTI and 2012 Fiat 500 Specifications

Model Year	2015	2012
Model	Volkswagen Golf / GTI	Fiat 500
Engine
Transmission
Drivetrain
Body	2dr Hatch	2dr Hatch
			Difference
Wheelbase	103.8 in	90.6 in	13.2 in
Length	167.5 in	139.6 in	27.9 in
Width	70.5 in	64.1 in	6.4 in
Height	57.2 in	59.8 in	-2.6 in
Curb Weight	2901 lb.	2363 lb.	538 lb.
Fuel Capacity	13.2 gal.	10.5 gal.	2.7 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	38.4 in	38.9 in	-0.5 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	55.9 in	49.4 in	6.5 in
Hip Room, Row 1	0.0 in	47.9 in	-47.9 in
Legroom, Row 1	41.2 in	40.7 in	0.5 in
Headroom, Row 2	38.1 in	35.6 in	2.5 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	53.9 in	46.4 in	7.5 in
Hip Room, Row 2	0.0 in	42.6 in	-42.6 in
Legroom, Row 2	35.6 in	31.7 in	3.9 in
Total Legroom	76.8 in (over 2 rows)	72.4 in (over 2 rows)	4.4 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	22.8 ft³	9.5 ft³	13.3 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	52.7 ft³	30.1 ft³	22.6 ft³

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

2015 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Comment
2015	The original Golf revolutionized the automotive world by demonstrating how practical a small car could be. Though the latest, seventh-generation Golf is much larger than the original, and every major auto maker now offers a Golf-like compact, the Volkswagen continues to impress with its practicality. Let's start with the front seat. The seat itself is shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The performance buckets in the GTI and R have firmer bolsters that provide more lateral support, but the regular Golf's buckets are cushier and more comfortably contoured. The e-Golf uses the same exemplary seats. In comparison, the seats in the Soul EV are merely okay. The view forward from the e-Golf's driver seat is also about as good as it gets in a current compact, with a reasonably-sized instrument panel and an expansive, comfortably raked windshield flanked by relatively thin pillars. This said, some people might prefer the higher driving position in the quasi-crossover Soul EV. For me, a conventional car's lower position continues to feel more natural, especially in turns. Battery packs take up space. Even with the (roughly) 1.5-kWh battery packs used by hybrids cargo capacity usually takes a hit. In the Soul EV, rear seat legroom suffers a three-inch reduction due to the underfloor location of the car's 27-kWh battery pack. But VW engineers managed to design and package a 24-kWh battery pack so cleverly that the e-Golf's passenger and cargo room are identical to those of a regular Golf. Adults will comfortably fit in the car's back seat. The same can't be said about most other EVs--the Soul being a second exception. Even with the three-inch cut, the Kia's back seat is about as roomy as the Golf's. The i3's back seat is far tighter. Which EV treats its passengers best depends on the season. The e-Golf includes rear air vents, while the Soul EV+ includes rear seat bun warmers. Moving to the cargo area, the Soul EV's battery pack eats up a dozen cubic feet, leaving just under 50. The uncompromised e-Golf can contain a couple more. But these figures don't convey the differing proportions of the cars' cargo holds. The e-Golf's is a few inches longer, while the Soul EV's is a few inches taller. Which is the better cargo hauler depends on the shape of your cargo. The much larger Tesla Model S can hold a few more cubic feet, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class about the same as the e-Golf. No other EV comes close, especially not the 12-cube BMW i3. see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

2015 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2016	2dr Hatch turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Difficult ingress and egress see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review

TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Comment
2012	Few seats fit everyone well. For me, the "sport seats" in the Abarth were short on both lateral and lower back support. The seatback reclines in steps, and none of the detents was quite right. Try to relax, and you'll find that the headrests are hard and uncomfortably shaped. see full Fiat 500 review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Fiat 500

2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2013	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	I like to drive small cars, but I am a large man. (6'3" and about 290lbs.) I love the seating position of the Fiat, as it sits higher, so I don't have to bend down as far to get in, as on the Mini Cooper or the Miatas I used to drive. The driving position is more upright, which I find more comfortable as well. The base model (Pop) seats are comfortable, though I would like to have the leather seats of the "Lounge" model. Ride quality is very good. There is no harshness and I easily rate it better than the Honda Civic I traded for it (2006) and many other, larger cars I drove. It is also one of the quieter cars I've owned. see full Fiat 500 review
2013	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Front seat very nice for money.. see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Great room in front seat, and I'm tall at 6 feet. There are still enough inches above my head to wear a hat. I think the comfortable adjustable seats could accomodate anyone. I bought the cloth seats and I prefer them to the leather seats in my other see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Really comfortable driver's seat, but the armrest is annoying. see full Fiat 500 review

2012 Fiat 500 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2013	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	As previously mentioned, I would not want to use my rear seat on a regular basis. It is tight in back, and I think of it as emergency seating. see full Fiat 500 review
2013	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Yeah, don't try to ride in the back if you are as big as me. But my kids 8 & 11 fit just fine. My family of 4 has taken the Fiat on several small family trips. I wouldn't drive with them more than a couple of hours each way, as they start to get antsy, but the kids love the car for short trips. see full Fiat 500 review
2013	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Rear seat is what it is..Small but bigger then you think.. I'm 5'9 and there is still leg room behind me..But for any real distance I would think it's better for kids.. This isn't really a "Con" as your buyig a small car for fun and mileage not leg room... You think this is small try a mini-Cooper back seat see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Rear seat is pretty small, but no smaller than most little cars. The seats do fold down for cargo. see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	One more thing. Rear seat comfort was obviously not a big selling point, nor a necessary feature. But one piece of it was worse than it had to be: the rear seat headrests. The artful circular shape and limited adjustment made the rear seats even harder to use; the headrest would tend to jab passengers in their spine. A better solution which was more even with the seat back would really have helped here. see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Forget about the rear seat unless you are carrying around people who really like you, or people with really short legs. There's plenty of room up front, but not so much in the back. I usually leave the seats folded to expand the cargo room. see full Fiat 500 review
2012	2dr Hatch 101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD	if you need to regularly have adults sitting in the rear seat this may not be the car for you. the rear seat is fine for kids or even small adults occasionally. see full Fiat 500 review

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