Model Year | 2009 | 2017 | |
Model | Volkswagen Passat | Kia Sorento | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr Wagon | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 106.7 in | 109.4 in | -2.7 in |
Length | 188.0 in | 187.4 in | 0.6 in |
Width | 71.7 in | 74.4 in | -2.7 in |
Height | 59.7 in | 66.3 in | -6.6 in |
Curb Weight | 3512 lb. | 3704 lb. | -192 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 18.5 gal. | 18.8 gal. | -0.3 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 38.3 in | 39.5 in | -1.2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.7 in | 59.1 in | -3.4 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 0.0 in | 56.7 in | -56.7 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 41.4 in | 41.2 in | 0.2 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 38.6 in | 39.3 in | -0.7 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 54.6 in | 58.0 in | -3.4 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 0.0 in | 56.4 in | -56.4 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 37.7 in | 39.4 in | -1.7 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 36.3 in | -36.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 52.8 in | -52.8 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 41.4 in | -41.4 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 0.0 in | 31.7 in | -31.7 in |
Total Legroom | 79.1 in (over 2 rows) | 112.3 in (over 3 rows) | -33.2 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 35.8 ft3 | 11.3 ft3 | 24.5 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 35.8 | 38.0 ft3 | -2.2 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 61.7 ft3 | 73.0 ft3 | -11.3 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 |
2017 Kia Sorento Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
Hyundai offers the Santa Fe in two lengths, a two-row 184.6-inch "Sport" and a three-row 193.1-inch regular version. Though the 2011-2015 Sorento had an optional third-row seat, it was about the same length as the Santa Fe Sport. Perhaps to better fit that third-row seat and differentiate itself from the two Hyundai variants, the 2016 Sorento is three inches longer than the 2015, for a total of 187.4. Kia has done a good job packaging the new SUV. Though the Toyota Highlander and (2009-2015) Honda Pilot are considerably longer, their rear seats have no more rear legroom than the new Sorento's. At 5-9, I can just barely fit in any of them. Passengers will have more room to stretch their legs in the Santa Fe, though third-row headroom is similarly limited to people of at most my height. If you need an adult-friendly third-row, you really need a minivan. Kia offers an especially stylish one. Like the Santa Fe, the Sorento falls between others' compact and midsize SUVs in width. There might not be more rear legroom in a Highlander or Pilot, but there's enough additional shoulder room to include a third seating position in the third row. If you need an eight-passenger vehicle, both the Sorento and the Santa Fe are out of contention. At least all trim levels of the Sorento can seat seven people. The Santa Fe Limited can only fit six. In both the Kia and the Hyundai the second-row seat is mounted comfortably high off the floor, not a given among midsize crossovers. The third-row seat is mounted low to the floor, forcing a knees-high seating position, but this is pretty much a given in the class. see full Kia Sorento review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2017 Kia Sorento.