Model Year | 2013 | 2014 | |
Model | Volkswagen Beetle | Subaru Forester | |
Engine | turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 200 hp@5100 207 lb-ft@1700 |
turbocharged 2.0L H4 DOHC-4v 250 hp@5600 258 lb-ft@2000 |
|
Transmission | 6-speed automated manual | 8-speed shiftable CVT | |
Drivetrain | FWD | AWD | |
Body | 2dr Hatch | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 99.9 in | 103.9 in | -4 in |
Length | 168.4 in | 180.9 in | -12.5 in |
Width | 71.2 in | 70.7 in | 0.5 in |
Height | 58.5 in | 66.4 in | -7.9 in |
Curb Weight | 3089 lb. | 3624 lb. | -535 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 14.5 gal. | 15.9 gal. | -1.4 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 39.4 in | 41.4 in | -2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.3 in | 57.0 in | -1.7 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.3 in | 43.0 in | -1.7 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 37.1 in | 39.8 in | -2.7 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 49.0 in | 56.5 in | -7.5 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 31.4 in | 38.0 in | -6.6 in |
Total Legroom | 72.7 in (over 2 rows) | 81 in (over 2 rows) | -8.3 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 15.4 ft3 | 34.4 ft3 | -19 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 29.9 ft3 | 74.7 ft3 | -44.8 ft3 |
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 |
2014 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 |
2014 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2015 | 4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD |
I'm 6'3" and often don't fit comfortable in vehicles. I found this had a very nice amount of front seat room. The center console tends to stay out of the way as well, some newer designs have the center stack moving into where my right knee would be. It's a very noticeable improvement over my previous 2009 Escape. I actually found the Forester more comfortable for me than the Outback. I was expecting the opposite. see full Subaru Forester review |
2015 | 4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD |
After looking at Explorer's, I was surprised how much more room the Forester had in the back seat. Granted it doesn't have a third row, but if you don't need a 3rd row, the Forester is hard to beat in this segment for rear seat room. We can put a forward facing child seat in the back, move the front seat up a about 2 inches from all the way back and there's still plenty of front passenger room and my 1.5 year old son can't kick the back of the seat. 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 |
2014 | 4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD |
Huge rear seat for the car's size see full Subaru Forester review |