TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2016
As I've noted before (when reviewing the e-Golf), the seventh-generation Golf's front seats are shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The CX-5's driver seat also fit me well, but not quite as well as the Volkswagen's.
Compared to other compact hatchbacks and its ancestors, the current Golf has a roomy rear seat. I can sit behind my 5-9 self with about five inches of air ahead of my knees. Unless unusually tall people populate both rows, the amount of space should be beyond adequate.
Compare the Golf SportWagen's rear seat to that in the CX-5, and a funny thing happens. On paper, the Mazda provides about 3.5 more inches of legroom. When sitting behind myself in both vehicles, though, I had about half as much space ahead of my knees in the CX-5. I've noticed in the past that VW measures rear legroom very conservatively, and apparently they continue to do so. The Golf's interior is roomier than the official specs suggest. Plus its rear seat passengers get air vents. The Mazda's do not.
This said, I'm not entirely comfortable in the Golf SportWagen's rear seat. To me it feels overly reclined. In neither the GSW nor the CX-5 is the degree of recline adjustable. It is in some compact crossovers.
see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Kia Forte
2015 Kia Forte Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Comment
2014
People who need a roomy rear seat don't often buy coupes. So with the Civic Si the coupe is an inch and a half shorter (in both height and length) than the sedan, which translates to nearly three inches less headroom and nearly five inches less legroom in back, making it a very tight fit for even modestly sized adults.
Those who do want a roomy rear seat in their coupe will be much happier with the Forte. Compared to the sedan, Kia shaved the Koup's roofline an inch but kept the wheelbase the same. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, I had about an inch of clearance over my head and a hand's-width ahead of my knees.
Switch to the four-door body styles, and both cars are about equally roomy in back. But only Forte rear seat passengers enjoy rear air vents--in every body style.
see full Kia Forte review
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2015 Kia Forte
2015 Kia Forte Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year
Body/Powertrain
Comment
2014
4dr Sedan 148-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
