Mazda Mazda3 (2011) vs. Fiat 500 (2012) Specs

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2011 Mazda Mazda3 and 2012 Fiat 500 Specifications

Model Year	2011	2012
Model	Mazda Mazda3	Fiat 500
Engine
Transmission
Drivetrain
Body	4dr Hatch	2dr Hatch
			Difference
Wheelbase	103.9 in	90.6 in	13.3 in
Length	177.4 in	139.6 in	37.8 in
Width	69.1 in	64.1 in	5 in
Height	57.9 in	59.8 in	-1.9 in
Curb Weight	3005 lb.	2363 lb.	642 lb.
Fuel Capacity	15.9 gal.	10.5 gal.	5.4 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	38.9 in	38.9 in	0 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	54.9 in	49.4 in	5.5 in
Hip Room, Row 1	0.0 in	47.9 in	-47.9 in
Legroom, Row 1	42.0 in	40.7 in	1.3 in
Headroom, Row 2	38.0 in	35.6 in	2.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	54.0 in	46.4 in	7.6 in
Hip Room, Row 2	0.0 in	42.6 in	-42.6 in
Legroom, Row 2	36.2 in	31.7 in	4.5 in
Total Legroom	78.2 in (over 2 rows)	72.4 in (over 2 rows)	5.8 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	17.0 ft³	9.5 ft³	7.5 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	43.8 ft³	30.1 ft³	13.7 ft³

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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2011 Mazda Mazda3

2011 Mazda Mazda3 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2010	4dr Hatch 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Tilt and telescopic wheel plus the adjustments with the drivers seat had me in a very good/comfortable driving position. Being comfortable allows me to concentrate on the drive ahead instead of being distracted by squirming around in the seat. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2010	4dr Hatch 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Being a 5 door hatch, there is plenty of room back for 2 full size adults or 3 kids/teenagers. The versatility of the hatch makes it feel like a Mini SUV. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2010	4dr Hatch 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Very comfortable and form fitting. My butt and back feel supported. Leg room is great. see full Mazda Mazda3 review

2011 Mazda Mazda3 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2012	4dr Hatch 155-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	It's a joke. You can't fit anything in the back seat aside from children and/or groceries/shopping. Putting an adult back there will require a sincere apology, and possibly a written note and gift bottle of wine. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2012	4dr Hatch 155-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Rear seat is rather tight, worse than my old Protege5 see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2012	4dr Sedan 155-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	I bought this car to replace a 2004 Mazda 6i Hatchback that I truly loved (got rear-ended and totaled). I did not like the 2012 Mazda 6 at all (or the milage it got), so I went the 3 with Skyactiv. The rear seat and rear legroom is just a bit too small. If it were a tad larger, this would be a awesome car, but the great mileage I get offsets this to a certain degree. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2012	4dr Sedan 155-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Non of either if the front seats are all the way back, but rear seat room is NOT a factor for me. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2011	4dr Sedan 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD	The Mazda3 is not a vehicle for transporting more than 2 people. The backseat is cramped for a full-size adult. However, when required, they will fit. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2011	4dr Sedan 104-horsepower 1.6L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Seating room is borderline for 2 adults, particularly leg room. 3 adults virtually impossible. see full Mazda Mazda3 review
2010	4dr Sedan 167-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Rear seat space can be tight see full Mazda Mazda3 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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