Model Year | 2014 | 2013 | |
Model | Honda Odyssey | Volkswagen Beetle | |
Engine | 3.5L V6 w/DoD OHC-4v 248 hp@5700 250 lb-ft@4800 |
2.5L I5 DOHC-4v 170 hp@5700 177 lb-ft@4250 |
|
Transmission | 6-speed automatic | 6-speed shiftable automatic | |
Drivetrain | FWD | FWD | |
Body | 4dr Minivan, ext. | 2dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 118.1 in | 99.9 in | 18.2 in |
Length | 202.9 in | 168.4 in | 34.5 in |
Width | 79.2 in | 71.2 in | 8 in |
Height | 68.4 in | 58.5 in | 9.9 in |
Curb Weight | 4396 lb. | 2983 lb. | 1413 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 21.0 gal. | 14.5 gal. | 6.5 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.7 in | 39.4 in | 0.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 64.4 in | 55.3 in | 9.1 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 58.2 in | 0.0 in | 58.2 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 40.9 in | 41.3 in | -0.4 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 39.5 in | 37.1 in | 2.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 63.5 in | 49.0 in | 14.5 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 66.1 in | 0.0 in | 66.1 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 40.9 in | 31.4 in | 9.5 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 38.0 in | 0.0 in | 38 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 60.9 in | 0.0 in | 60.9 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 48.4 in | 0.0 in | 48.4 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 42.4 in | 0.0 in | 42.4 in |
Total Legroom | 124.2 in (over 3 rows) | 72.7 in (over 2 rows) | 51.5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 38.4 ft3 | 15.4 ft3 | 23 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 93.1 ft3 | 15.4 | 77.7 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 148.5 ft3 | 29.9 ft3 | 118.6 ft3 |
2014 Honda Odyssey Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2014 | I test a large crossover and think, "This third-row seat isn't bad." Then I drive a minivan and marvel at home much roomier it is inside than even the roomiest crossovers. This advantage increases the farther back in the vehicle you sit. Back in the third row, it's simply no contest. Among minivans, the Odyssey is the roomiest of the bunch. It's the only minivan with over 40 inches of legroom in each of its three rows. Total up the differences in the official specs, and the Toyota Sienna comes up nearly ten inches short (though the difference doesn't seem nearly so large in reality, maybe an inch or two). A Chrysler Town & Country? Over fourteen inches. A Toyota Highlander crossover has legroom specs similar to the Chrysler minivan, but its third row feels much more cramped. Moral of the story: don't trust the specs, sit in the cars yourself. In cabin breadth, the official specs have the Odyssey about equal to the Town & Country and a little narrower than the Sienna, but subjectively both the Honda and the Toyota feel broader and more open than the Chrysler. Then there's access to the rear rows. The feature most associated with minivans, their sliding side doors, are easier to open in tight parking spaces and provide a much larger opening. In terms of seat comfort, the Odyssey falls a little short of the Sienna, if only because it doesn't offer lounge chair-like legrests in the second row. Then again, for anyone over five feet tall to use these in the Toyota the second row seat must be slid back so far as to render the third row unusable. Either minivan has more comfortable second-row seats than most crossovers, including the Highlander, and third-row comfort is simply no contest. The Chrysler's second row seats aren't as comfortable, as they are more thinly constructed to enable them to fold beneath the floor. The Odyssey, Sienna, and Highlander can each be equipped to carry eight passengers (though the lounge seats in the Sienna eliminate one spot, and the three in the third row of the Highlander best have short legs). The Chrysler minivans can only seat seven. see full Honda Odyssey review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2014 Honda Odyssey.
2013 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 |
2013 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 |
2013 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 |