Model Year | 2007 | 2012 | |
Model | Audi A3 | Volkswagen Beetle | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr Hatch | 2dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 101.5 in | 99.9 in | 1.6 in |
Length | 168.7 in | 168.4 in | 0.3 in |
Width | 69.5 in | 71.2 in | -1.7 in |
Height | 56.0 in | 58.5 in | -2.5 in |
Curb Weight | 3263 lb. | 2939 lb. | 324 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 15.0 gal. | 14.5 gal. | 0.5 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.1 in | 39.4 in | -1.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 54.3 in | 55.3 in | -1 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.2 in | 41.3 in | -0.1 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 36.9 in | 37.1 in | -0.2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 52.8 in | 49.0 in | 3.8 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 34.8 in | 31.4 in | 3.4 in |
Total Legroom | 76 in (over 2 rows) | 72.7 in (over 2 rows) | 3.3 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 13.1 ft3 | 15.4 ft3 | -2.3 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 54.6 ft3 | 29.9 ft3 | 24.7 ft3 |
2007 Audi A3 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2008 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
Really just a 4 place vehicle...3 across in the rear is not comfortably possible. see full Audi A3 review |
2008 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
Slightly too close to each other in arm room. see full Audi A3 review |
2007 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
Due to the position of the doors it is hard to get in and out of the car. see full Audi A3 review |
2007 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
The back seat is too small for most adults. I hadn't thought about it much when I bought the car, but it became apparent. I'd take friends to lunch and they are uncomfortable.Even ifa personplans on sitting small children in the back, they grow and the useful life of the car is affected. I wish the Europeans would figure that out. see full Audi A3 review |
2006 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
The Subaru has a more comfortable and roomy back seat, with easier ingress/egress. see full Audi A3 review |
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
2012 | Back in the 1960s VW entreated Americans to "think small." Lately, though, the German manufacturers cars have been getting bigger and bigger. The latest redesign added over two inches to the car's length (now 168 inches) and over two inches to its width (now a midsize-like 71.2 inches. Compared to the 146-by-66-inch, 2,822-pound Mini and the 140-by-64-inch, 2,434-pound Fiat, the 3,340-pound Beetle TDI convertible is a big, heavy car. As noted earlier, solidity and ride quality benefit from this additional bulk. But rear seat room does not. Sure, the Beetle Convertible's rear seat is more viable than the MINI's, but bars to clear rarely come lower. The Fiat is in the same (adults-in-a-pinch) ballpark. In addition to the space shortage, the VW's rear seat back is uncomfortably upright. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 0 | The rear seat is also surprisingly roomy. My 6'2" father was able to sit comfortably in the back for ~30 min hops around town. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2013 | 2dr Convertible 170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The back seat, if you could really call it that, leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe another 3 in. That being said it fits a car seat with my 6' frame in the front seat ahead of it, so it gets the job done. Once the top goes down the interior space seems adequate. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |
2012 | 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
I love my Beetle, but the rear seat legspace is not so good. For me its no problem at all, since normally only my wife and i drive the car, but when you normally have to drive with 4 adults, it can become crampy at the back. If the driver and front passenger are not that tall, the rear legspace is quite good. Even the headspace is ok. see full Volkswagen Beetle review |