Volkswagen Beetle (2014) vs. Chevrolet Malibu (2014) Specs

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2014 Volkswagen Beetle and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu Specifications

Model Year	2014	2014
Model	Volkswagen Beetle	Chevrolet Malibu
Engine	turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 210 hp@5300 207 lb-ft@1700	turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 259 hp@5500 295 lb-ft@3000
Transmission	6-speed automated manual	6-speed shiftable automatic
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD
Body	2dr Hatch	4dr Sedan
			Difference
Wheelbase	100.0 in	107.8 in	-7.8 in
Length	168.4 in	191.5 in	-23.1 in
Width	71.2 in	73.0 in	-1.8 in
Height	58.5 in	57.6 in	0.9 in
Curb Weight	3104 lb.	3635 lb.	-531 lb.
Fuel Capacity	14.5 gal.	18.5 gal.	-4 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	39.4 in	39.0 in	0.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	55.3 in	57.5 in	-2.2 in
Hip Room, Row 1	0.0 in	55.0 in	-55 in
Legroom, Row 1	41.3 in	42.1 in	-0.8 in
Headroom, Row 2	37.1 in	37.5 in	-0.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	49.0 in	57.1 in	-8.1 in
Hip Room, Row 2	0.0 in	54.3 in	-54.3 in
Legroom, Row 2	31.4 in	36.8 in	-5.4 in
Total Legroom	72.7 in (over 2 rows)	78.9 in (over 2 rows)	-6.2 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	15.4 ft³	16.3 ft³	-0.9 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	29.9 ft³	16.3 ft³	13.6 ft³

2014 Volkswagen Beetle Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Comment
	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

2014 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

2014 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Comment
	On paper, the Malibu's rear seat is only a little tighter than those in the 2008-2012 sedan and in competing cars. In person, rear knee room would only be marginally competitive in the compact sedan segment. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, my shins graze the front seatbacks. GM is rushing some revised seats to market. But if past attempts to fix a cramped rear seat are any indication, this won't make a substantial difference. The rear seat in the Ford Fusion is roomier, if also short of the segment's quasi-limos. see full Chevrolet Malibu review

2014 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2014	4dr Sedan 196-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Both front & rear compartments very roomy & comfortable. Again, this is noted improvement over our 2009 Malibu. see full Chevrolet Malibu review

2014 Chevrolet Malibu Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2013	4dr Sedan 182-horsepower 2.4L I4 Hybrid 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	This is tight if front seats are postioned at or close to the back of their range; shorter wheelbase in this model compared to prior version. Rear seat access is excellent (i.e, for infant car seats, small item transport). see full Chevrolet Malibu review

See TrueDelta's information for all Hatchbacks and Convertibles.

See TrueDelta's information for all Volkswagen models.