Model Year | 2008 | 2013 | |
Model | Volkswagen Passat | Honda Odyssey | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr Wagon | 4dr Minivan, ext. | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 106.7 in | 118.1 in | -11.4 in |
Length | 188.0 in | 202.9 in | -14.9 in |
Width | 71.7 in | 79.2 in | -7.5 in |
Height | 59.7 in | 68.4 in | -8.7 in |
Curb Weight | 3473 lb. | 4337 lb. | -864 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 18.5 gal. | 21.0 gal. | -2.5 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.3 in | 39.7 in | -1.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.7 in | 64.4 in | -8.7 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 0.0 in | 58.2 in | -58.2 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.4 in | 40.9 in | 0.5 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 38.6 in | 39.5 in | -0.9 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 54.6 in | 63.5 in | -8.9 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 0.0 in | 66.1 in | -66.1 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 37.7 in | 40.9 in | -3.2 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 38.0 in | -38 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 60.9 in | -60.9 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 48.4 in | -48.4 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 42.4 in | -42.4 in |
Total Legroom | 79.1 in (over 2 rows) | 124.2 in (over 3 rows) | -45.1 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 35.8 ft3 | 38.4 ft3 | -2.6 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 35.8 | 93.1 ft3 | -57.3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 61.7 ft3 | 148.5 ft3 | -86.8 ft3 |
2008 Volkswagen Passat Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
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 |
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 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 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 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 |
2007 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD |
Well bolstered seat, best seat heaters I ever had (have had Land Rovers and own a SAAB). see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2007 | 4dr Wagon 280-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
larger than chief competitors (BMW 3 series, Audi A4) see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2008 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 |
2007 | 4dr Sedan turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
No thigh support, not as comfortable as my 2000 Passat see full Volkswagen Passat review |
2013 Honda Odyssey Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2014 | I test a large crossover and think, "This third-row seat isn't bad." Then I drive a minivan and marvel at home much roomier it is inside than even the roomiest crossovers. This advantage increases the farther back in the vehicle you sit. Back in the third row, it's simply no contest. Among minivans, the Odyssey is the roomiest of the bunch. It's the only minivan with over 40 inches of legroom in each of its three rows. Total up the differences in the official specs, and the Toyota Sienna comes up nearly ten inches short (though the difference doesn't seem nearly so large in reality, maybe an inch or two). A Chrysler Town & Country? Over fourteen inches. A Toyota Highlander crossover has legroom specs similar to the Chrysler minivan, but its third row feels much more cramped. Moral of the story: don't trust the specs, sit in the cars yourself. In cabin breadth, the official specs have the Odyssey about equal to the Town & Country and a little narrower than the Sienna, but subjectively both the Honda and the Toyota feel broader and more open than the Chrysler. Then there's access to the rear rows. The feature most associated with minivans, their sliding side doors, are easier to open in tight parking spaces and provide a much larger opening. In terms of seat comfort, the Odyssey falls a little short of the Sienna, if only because it doesn't offer lounge chair-like legrests in the second row. Then again, for anyone over five feet tall to use these in the Toyota the second row seat must be slid back so far as to render the third row unusable. Either minivan has more comfortable second-row seats than most crossovers, including the Highlander, and third-row comfort is simply no contest. The Chrysler's second row seats aren't as comfortable, as they are more thinly constructed to enable them to fold beneath the floor. The Odyssey, Sienna, and Highlander can each be equipped to carry eight passengers (though the lounge seats in the Sienna eliminate one spot, and the three in the third row of the Highlander best have short legs). The Chrysler minivans can only seat seven. see full Honda Odyssey review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2013 Honda Odyssey.