Model Year | 2017 | 2016 | |
Model | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Subaru BRZ | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 2dr Hatch | 2dr Coupe | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 103.8 in | 101.2 in | 2.6 in |
Length | 167.5 in | 166.7 in | 0.8 in |
Width | 70.5 in | 69.9 in | 0.6 in |
Height | 57.2 in | 50.6 in | 6.6 in |
Curb Weight | 2901 lb. | 2762 lb. | 139 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 13.2 gal. | 13.2 gal. | 0 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.4 in | 37.1 in | 1.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.9 in | 54.5 in | 1.4 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 0.0 in | 53.1 in | -53.1 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.2 in | 41.9 in | -0.7 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 38.1 in | 35.0 in | 3.1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 53.9 in | 51.7 in | 2.2 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 0.0 in | 45.3 in | -45.3 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 35.6 in | 29.9 in | 5.7 in |
Total Legroom | 76.8 in (over 2 rows) | 71.8 in (over 2 rows) | 5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 22.8 ft3 | 6.9 ft3 | 15.9 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 52.7 ft3 | 6.9 ft3 | 45.8 ft3 |
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 |
2017 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 |
2016 Subaru BRZ Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2017 | 2dr Coupe 205-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed manual RWD |
The seat heaters are an absolute joke. We thought they were broken. No, they're just terrible. If you live in regular -10c weather you will want a a plug-in seat warmer.
The seats themselves are fantastic for driving.
Driver's seat does not slide forward when you move the seatback to access the back seat. Seems fine, who wants to reset their seat position every time.
The passenger seat does get loose when you pop the seat back up, but the chair slides around loose and left to gravity, will sit at the rearmost spot. Might be nice if it could sit in a divot at the full frontmost position.
see full Subaru BRZ review |