Nissan Altima Nissan Altima 2009 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI 2008

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

Nissan Altima (2009) vs. Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI (2008) Specs

How powerful is the engine? How much room is in the back seat? Get the 2009 Nissan Altima and 2008 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI specs.

2009 Nissan Altima and 2008 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI Specifications

Model Year 2009 2008  
Model Nissan Altima Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI  
Engine 3.5L V6
DOHC-4v
270 hp@6000
258 lb-ft@4400
3.2L V6
DOHC-4v
250 hp@6300
236 lb-ft@2500
 
Transmission 6-speed shiftable CVT 6-speed automated manual  
Drivetrain FWD AWD  
Body 4dr Sedan 4dr Sedan  
      Difference
Wheelbase 109.3 in 101.5 in 7.8 in
Length 189.8 in 179.3 in 10.5 in
Width 70.7 in 70.1 in 0.6 in
Height 57.9 in 57.4 in 0.5 in
Curb Weight 3424 lb. 3802 lb. -378 lb.
Fuel Capacity 20.0 gal. 14.5 gal. 5.5 gal.
Headroom, Row 1 40.6 in 38.5 in 2.1 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1 55.7 in 54.8 in 0.9 in
Hip Room, Row 1 56.8 in 0.0 in 56.8 in
Legroom, Row 1 44.1 in 41.2 in 2.9 in
Headroom, Row 2 36.8 in 37.2 in -0.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2 55.5 in 53.1 in 2.4 in
Hip Room, Row 2 52.5 in 0.0 in 52.5 in
Legroom, Row 2 35.8 in 35.4 in 0.4 in
Total Legroom 79.9 in (over 2 rows) 76.6 in (over 2 rows) 3.3 in
Cargo Volume 15.3 ft3 16.0 ft3 -0.7 ft3

Return to top

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2009 Nissan Altima

2009 Nissan Altima Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2010 2dr Coupe 270-horsepower 3.5L V6
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
Nissan has reputation for reliability see full Nissan Altima review
2010 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
I am a big guy who at first did not consider Altima because I did not think I would fit in it. I was surprised to find I fit just fine. I am 6'3" and 252lbs. The front seats provide ample room. I also have a lot of head room. see full Nissan Altima review
2010 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
I am 6'3", weigh 235. Being a big guy, I find this car VERY comfortable. I use it in my work daily. I drive it multiple trips/day (there have been as many as 8-10 trips/day-from 2 miles up to 50 miles/each trip). So I am in/out of the car multiple times/day. It's very easy to enter and exit and is very roomy for a mid-sized car and also has a lot of rear leg room. The trunk is large as well and the back seat folds down making the useful trunk space all the more. I also like the console and having the iPod connection in the second storage area of the console-out of the way. Hip room of the front seat is very generous as well. Just yesterday I had a rear seat passenger who commented how much leg room they had in the back. see full Nissan Altima review
2009 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
Comfortable for 6 ft adult. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 4dr Sedan 270-horsepower 3.5L V6
6-speed manual FWD
Very comfortable and i found all the controls very intuitive. the driving position is right and everything falls where you would expect it. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
Very good for tall people, even with sunroof. Seat is adjustable in 3 directions plus lumbar support. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
I guess these first three are of a piece. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
adjustability see full Nissan Altima review
2009 Nissan Altima Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2010 2dr Coupe 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Very difficult to get in and even more difficult to get out. Only teens in good shape can do it easily see full Nissan Altima review
2008 2dr Coupe 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Not much room back there but that is to be expected in a coupe You can get small adults back there for short trips see full Nissan Altima review
2008 2dr Coupe 270-horsepower 3.5L V6
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
My shoulder room is cramped and i feel like the whole front seating area is a too small. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 2dr Coupe 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
Difficult entry; Lever in akward position to move front passenger seat forward for rear seat ingress/egress. Headroom, legroom. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 2dr Coupe 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed manual FWD
test drove it for 15 minutes and never could found the right driving position see full Nissan Altima review
2008 4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4
6-speed shiftable CVT FWD
tight quarters. see full Nissan Altima review
2008 2dr Coupe 270-horsepower 3.5L V6
6-speed manual FWD
Good luck fitting more than one person of or above average size in the back. For one person, I find that having them sit in one seat and putting their legs across behind the other seat creates the illusion of them having more room. see full Nissan Altima review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI

2008 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2009 2dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
5-speed manual FWD
Plenty of shoulder/elbow/head room. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2009 2dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
5-speed manual FWD
Adequate for 2 adults to sit comfortably. High roof, adequate legroom. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2009 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Quite possibly the most comfortable front seats I have ever sat in. It is as if they were pulled straight from an Audi and placed in the GTI. An added bonus is the heated cloth, which is unusual because usually you need to option cold leather for heat. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2009 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed automated manual FWD
Front seats are extremely supportive and even heated with the Interlagos cloth option see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Plenty of space, good lumbar support, nice side bolstering. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 4dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
well bolstered, firm, both driver and passenger seats have height and lumbar adjust see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 2dr Hatch 250-horsepower 3.2L V6
6-speed automated manual AWD
Fits me perfectly, all controls ideal for me. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed automated manual FWD
With the 4 door GTI I can drive 4 full size adults around in comfort. Easy ingress-egress. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 2dr Hatch 250-horsepower 3.2L V6
6-speed automated manual AWD
With only one car, I needed a sporty car with legitimate rear seat room and an automatic for the other users. I have had 2 6ft passengers in the back seat without complaint. The cushion could use a little more height/angle to aid in leg support. Nitpickin see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2007 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed automated manual FWD
The front seats offer great lateral support. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2008 Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2008 2dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
It works fine for me, but if you have adults that use the rear seat often they may find it a little uncomfortable for long trips. The legroom is decent, but the seats are a bit hard and not all that ergonomic. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
2007 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed automated manual FWD
Great for my kids (4 and 7) but small for adults. see full Volkswagen Jetta / Rabbit / GTI review
 
See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans and Coupes.
See TrueDelta's information for all Nissan models.