BMW 3-Series (2006) vs. Subaru Forester (2013) Specs

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2006 BMW 3-Series and 2013 Subaru Forester Specifications

Model Year	2006	2013
Model	BMW 3-Series	Subaru Forester
Engine
Transmission
Drivetrain
Body	4dr Wagon	4dr SUV
			Difference
Wheelbase	108.7 in	103.0 in	5.7 in
Length	178.2 in	169.5 in	8.7 in
Width	71.5 in	70.1 in	1.4 in
Height	55.8 in	65.9 in	-10.1 in
Curb Weight	3462 lb.	3250 lb.	212 lb.
Fuel Capacity	15.9 gal.	16.9 gal.	-1 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	38.5 in	41.6 in	-3.1 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	55.4 in	56.1 in	-0.7 in
Legroom, Row 1	41.5 in	43.1 in	-1.6 in
Headroom, Row 2	38.0 in	40.0 in	-2 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	55.1 in	55.6 in	-0.5 in
Legroom, Row 2	34.6 in	38.0 in	-3.4 in
Total Legroom	76.1 in (over 2 rows)	81.1 in (over 2 rows)	-5 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	24.8 ft³	33.5 ft³	-8.7 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	58.0 ft³	68.3 ft³	-10.3 ft³

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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2006 BMW 3-Series

2006 BMW 3-Series Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2007	2dr Coupe turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD	More padding, slightly larger than e46 sport seats, fully adjustable side bolsters and the Dakota leather seems thicker and softer than the e-46 leather. see full BMW 3-Series review
2007	4dr Sedan turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD	back support see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD	Heated, 8-way, with lumbar control: seems to have comfort covered for most drivers (wheel does not telescope). see full BMW 3-Series review
2005	2dr Coupe 333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD	My M3 is the only sports car I found that will comfortably fit a baby seat in the rear. :) see full BMW 3-Series review

2006 BMW 3-Series Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2007	4dr Sedan 230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD	very little leg room. see full BMW 3-Series review
2007	2dr Coupe 230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD	I have the coupe, the back seats are just an afterthought. see full BMW 3-Series review
2007	4dr Sedan 230-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	Too small & cramped. Fit and finish was much less desirable than my past 1998 5 series BMW. see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD	Small. see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD	Entering and exiting and overall seat comfort are not designed for taller or larger drivers see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 255-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD	A little tight for taller adults. see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD	The rear seats are comfortable, but due to the size of/shortness of the car there is not much legroom, a full size adult will have trouble getting their feet into the footwells. Mind you, the trunk space is immense for such a small car. see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 255-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD	There is little foot room and the ride is rough. see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	cramped see full BMW 3-Series review
2006	4dr Sedan 215-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD	what room see full BMW 3-Series review

TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Subaru Forester

2013 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Comment
2014	Beyond visibility, people buy crossovers to get more space for people and cargo. As in previous Subaru Foresters, the 2014's ceiling is cathedral-high. I could have worn a top hat inside. If you're very tall, and have been seeking a compact vehicle in which you'll easily fit, you've found one. If, on the other hand, you've been seeking expansive elbow room, the Honda CR-V has more of it. And legroom? A combined (first and second row) figure of 81 inches tops every other compact SUV, including the otherwise segment-leading Honda (79.6 inches) and Toyota RAV-4 (79.8 inches). The Chevrolet Equinox offers another tenth of an inch, but with a 188-inch length (vs. the Forester's 181) and 4,083-pound curb weight (vs. the Forester 2.5i's 3,366) it's not truly compact. Subaru has worked no such miracles with shoulder room. At 56.5 inches, the Forester's is typical of the compact crossover class. Add in a small driveline hump (absent in the Honda) and three adults won't happily share the rear seat for long. But how many car owners put three adult-sized people in the second row for long, anyway? Measurements don't tell the entire story. The Honda's rear seat cushion is too low to the floor to provide adults with thigh support, and its rear seatback can be reclined to only two nearly identical positions. In constrast, the Forester's passengers enjoy a comfortably high rear seat that reclines through a broader range. One negative for rear seat comfort: unlike the Ford Escape (but like nearly all other compact crossovers, including the CR-V), the Forester has no rear air vents. Thanks to the tall, square rear body, cargo space is also the best in the segment, though not by as large a margin as the rear seat. Up front, there are plenty of bins in which to stash your stuff. see full Subaru Forester review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Subaru Forester

2013 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2014	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	Huge rear seat for the car's size see full Subaru Forester review
2014	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	Excellent rear seat comfort and rear seats are 60/ 40 and easy to fold flat. rear seats also have recline function which is nice ... excellent leg room see full Subaru Forester review

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