TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2016 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 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra GT
2012 Hyundai Elantra GT Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2013
In Europe, the Hyundai i30 is offered in two lengths, a hatch and an estate (the Queen's English for "wagon"). With the Elantra Touring, we got the estate. Perhaps because not enough people bought an Elantra Touring, Hyundai decided we'd readily trade functionality for styling. So with the Elantra GT we get the hatchback. Compared to the Elantra Touring, the Elantra GT's combined legroom shrinks by over three inches and its cargo volume drops from 65 to 51 cubic feet. The rear seat remains roomier than those in the Ford and Mazda and, owing to a healthy height off the floor, more comfortable than most, but adults no longer have room to stretch. Cargo volume is competitive with the other hatches but no longer rivals that of compact crossovers.
see full Hyundai Elantra GT review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra GT
2012 Hyundai Elantra GT Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Coming from a Volvo the seats are firm in comparison. They aren't the hard pans Honda seems to favor though with good side bolsters, quality cloth that should wear well and decent lumbar support(not adjustable in base). Headrests are adjustable for vertical movement but not forward or back.
Driving & Visibility
see full Hyundai Elantra GT review
