Volkswagen Beetle (2013) vs. Volkswagen Golf / GTI (2017) Specs
How powerful is the engine? How much room is in the back seat? Get the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle and 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI specs.
2013 Volkswagen Beetle and 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI Specifications
Model Year |
2013 |
2017 |
|
Model |
Volkswagen Beetle |
Volkswagen Golf / GTI |
|
Engine |
|
|
|
Transmission |
|
|
|
Drivetrain |
|
|
|
Body |
2dr Hatch |
2dr Hatch |
|
|
|
|
Difference |
Wheelbase |
99.9 in |
103.8 in |
-3.9 in |
Length |
168.4 in |
167.5 in |
0.9 in |
Width |
71.2 in |
70.5 in |
0.7 in |
Height |
58.5 in |
57.2 in |
1.3 in |
Curb Weight |
2939 lb. |
2901 lb. |
38 lb. |
Fuel Capacity |
14.5 gal. |
13.2 gal. |
1.3 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 |
39.4 in |
38.4 in |
1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 |
55.3 in |
55.9 in |
-0.6 in |
Legroom, Row 1 |
41.3 in |
41.2 in |
0.1 in |
Headroom, Row 2 |
37.1 in |
38.1 in |
-1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 |
49.0 in |
53.9 in |
-4.9 in |
Legroom, Row 2 |
31.4 in |
35.6 in |
-4.2 in |
Total Legroom |
72.7 in (over 2 rows) |
76.8 in (over 2 rows) |
-4.1 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum |
15.4 ft3 |
22.8 ft3 |
-7.4 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum |
29.9 ft3 |
52.7 ft3 |
-22.8 ft3 |
Return to top
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle
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 |
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle
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 |
TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
2016 |
As I've noted before (when reviewing the e-Golf), the seventh-generation Golf's front seats are shaped and padded to provide nearly ideal comfort and support in daily driving. The CX-5's driver seat also fit me well, but not quite as well as the Volkswagen's.
Compared to other compact hatchbacks and its ancestors, the current Golf has a roomy rear seat. I can sit behind my 5-9 self with about five inches of air ahead of my knees. Unless unusually tall people populate both rows, the amount of space should be beyond adequate.
Compare the Golf SportWagen's rear seat to that in the CX-5, and a funny thing happens. On paper, the Mazda provides about 3.5 more inches of legroom. When sitting behind myself in both vehicles, though, I had about half as much space ahead of my knees in the CX-5. I've noticed in the past that VW measures rear legroom very conservatively, and apparently they continue to do so. The Golf's interior is roomier than the official specs suggest. Plus its rear seat passengers get air vents. The Mazda's do not.
This said, I'm not entirely comfortable in the Golf SportWagen's rear seat. To me it feels overly reclined. In neither the GSW nor the CX-5 is the degree of recline adjustable. It is in some compact crossovers.
see full Volkswagen Golf / GTI review |
What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI