Model Year | 2009 | 2013 | |
Model | Volkswagen Passat | BMW X5 | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr Wagon | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 106.7 in | 115.5 in | -8.8 in |
Length | 188.0 in | 191.2 in | -3.2 in |
Width | 71.7 in | 76.1 in | -4.4 in |
Height | 59.7 in | 69.9 in | -10.2 in |
Curb Weight | 3512 lb. | 4960 lb. | -1448 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 18.5 gal. | 22.5 gal. | -4 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.3 in | 39.3 in | -1 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.7 in | 60.0 in | -4.3 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.4 in | 40.0 in | 1.4 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 38.6 in | 39.0 in | -0.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 54.6 in | 58.0 in | -3.4 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 37.7 in | 36.6 in | 1.1 in |
Total Legroom | 79.1 in (over 2 rows) | 76.6 in (over 2 rows) | 2.5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 35.8 ft3 | 7.1 ft3 | 28.7 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 35.8 | 21.9 ft3 | 13.9 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 61.7 ft3 | 61.8 ft3 | -0.1 ft3 |
2009 Volkswagen Passat Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2010 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD |
Comfortable power seats with power lumbar adjustment. Good side support, and with the tilting/telescoping steering wheel - easy to find a comfortable driving position. Also has easy to use steering wheel controls for the cars stereo/trip computer. see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Wagon turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Compared to other sporty wagons (BMW, Subaru) the Passat has about 3" more rear leg room - enough to put my full-size parents and/or friends in the back seat without making them do contortions. Easier to get a child in and out of a rear safety seat, too. see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Lots of rear legroom and space for car seats. see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Extremely comfortable front drivers seat w/ 12 way electronic adjustment. Able to find perfect driving position. Very little fatigue even after 12 - 14 hours of driving (taking breaks for food / gas of course). Lumbar adjusts both up/down and in/out. see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Wagon turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
This version of the Passat can easily fit 3 across seating in the rear see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Wagon turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
More than large enough for American size bodies! see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
Passat provided more interior space especially in the rear than the Audi A4 see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2009 Volkswagen Passat Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD |
very restrictive space see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2013 BMW X5 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2014 | BMW's multicontour seats, a $1,300 option on six-cylinder X5s and standard with the V8, deliver a rarely matched combination of support in turns and comfort on long drives. In a reversal of traditional tendencies, the buckets in the Range Rover Sport feel firmer and less comfortable. Though you'll find a commanding view forward in either driver seat, the Range Rover Sport maintains an edge in this area. Unusually large windows are one thing that makes a Land Rover a Land Rover. see full BMW X5 review |
2013 BMW X5 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
Audi and Mercedes both offer much longer SUVs. At least until BMW fields an X7, the X5 is available with an optional third-row seat. Especially considering the size and price of the X5, said third row is absurdly tight, thinly upholstered, and difficult to access. The door openings are small, and the entire second row seat pivots forward and upward off the floor in an only partially successful attempt to compensate. To provide even minimal legroom for those using it, the second row must slide forward a few inches, to the point that its occupants find their own legroom severely compromised. Both rows are too low to the floor for adult comfort. The third-row seat optional in the Range Rover Sport probably isn't much better, and deletes the spare tire (not available on the BMW regardless). This might explain why it wasn't on the tested vehicle. If you want a usable third row, Land Rover offers the less stylish, but also much less expensive and roomier LR4. Shift focus to the second-row seat, and I found that in the smaller X3 at least as comfortable, and easier to get into and out of thanks to the more compact vehicle's lower ride height. That in the Range Rover Sport, though also not the roomiest or the most comfortable, is better than the X5's. see full BMW X5 review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2013 BMW X5.