Model Year | 2006 | 2012 | |
Model | Subaru Forester | Volkswagen Beetle | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr SUV | 2dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 99.4 in | 99.9 in | -0.5 in |
Length | 176.6 in | 168.4 in | 8.2 in |
Width | 68.3 in | 71.2 in | -2.9 in |
Height | 65.0 in | 58.5 in | 6.5 in |
Curb Weight | 3165 lb. | 2939 lb. | 226 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 15.9 gal. | 14.5 gal. | 1.4 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.8 in | 39.4 in | 0.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 53.5 in | 55.3 in | -1.8 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 51.6 in | 0.0 in | 51.6 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 43.6 in | 41.3 in | 2.3 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 39.7 in | 37.1 in | 2.6 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 53.6 in | 49.0 in | 4.6 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 51.6 in | 0.0 in | 51.6 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 33.7 in | 31.4 in | 2.3 in |
Total Legroom | 77.3 in (over 2 rows) | 72.7 in (over 2 rows) | 4.6 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 32.0 ft3 | 15.4 ft3 | 16.6 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 57.7 ft3 | 29.9 ft3 | 27.8 ft3 |
2006 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
easy to find comfortable position; no problems driving over an hour or more; good upright position see full Subaru Forester review |
2005 | 4dr SUV 165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
There is leg room. The seat is adjustable enough. see full Subaru Forester review |
2006 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2007 | 4dr SUV turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Front driver leg room is a little cramped from side to side. see full Subaru Forester review |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
No thigh or lumbar support, seats hrad, minimal leg room for front passenger see full Subaru Forester review |
2007 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
Not acceptable for an adult in any of the three rear seating positions see full Subaru Forester review |
2006 | 4dr SUV 173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Again, cramped and too small for larger people. see full Subaru Forester review |
2006 | 4dr SUV turbocharged 230hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
This is honesty the only complaint i have about the 2006 XT. The rear seat is a bit tight. We took three other adults on about a 4 hour trip and it was a tight fit - good thing we're good friends! My wife's 2009 Forester is much better in the rear legroom department. see full Subaru Forester review |
2005 | 4dr SUV 165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
Rear seat is just too small, but that has been fixed for the 2009 models. The front seat, actually the cabin of the car is just a bit too narrow. It needs more elbow room. see full Subaru Forester review |
2005 | 4dr SUV 165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
Not enough elbow room. see full Subaru Forester review |
2005 | 4dr SUV 165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD |
Rear seat room is a bit tight for larger people. Car seats are a little tight in both rear and forward facing positions. see full Subaru Forester 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 |