Nissan Altima (2008) vs. Volkswagen Beetle (2012) Specs

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2008 Nissan Altima and 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Specifications

Model Year	2008	2012
Model	Nissan Altima	Volkswagen Beetle
Engine
Transmission
Drivetrain
Body	2dr Coupe	2dr Hatch
			Difference
Wheelbase	105.3 in	99.9 in	5.4 in
Length	182.5 in	168.4 in	14.1 in
Width	70.7 in	71.2 in	-0.5 in
Height	55.3 in	58.5 in	-3.2 in
Curb Weight	3055 lb.	2939 lb.	116 lb.
Fuel Capacity	20.0 gal.	14.5 gal.	5.5 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	39.7 in	39.4 in	0.3 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	53.9 in	55.3 in	-1.4 in
Hip Room, Row 1	54.2 in	0.0 in	54.2 in
Legroom, Row 1	42.5 in	41.3 in	1.2 in
Headroom, Row 2	35.6 in	37.1 in	-1.5 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	52.4 in	49.0 in	3.4 in
Hip Room, Row 2	47.6 in	0.0 in	47.6 in
Legroom, Row 2	34.4 in	31.4 in	3 in
Total Legroom	76.9 in (over 2 rows)	72.7 in (over 2 rows)	4.2 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	7.4 ft³	15.4 ft³	-8 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	7.4 ft³	29.9 ft³	-22.5 ft³

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What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2008 Nissan Altima

2008 Nissan Altima Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
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 175-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable CVT FWD	adjustability 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 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
2007	4dr Sedan 158-horsepower 2.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD	People who get into the back seat rant and rave about how much room they have, even with my seat all the way back. see full Nissan Altima review

2008 Nissan Altima Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
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
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	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 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
2007	4dr Sedan 175-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Cramp for a midsized sedan. see full Nissan Altima review
2007	4dr Sedan 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable CVT FWD	front seat squirm!!!! many people have it and it annoys me. see full Nissan Altima review

TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle

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

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle

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

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