1996 B4 Sedan vs Wagon

vixentd · Dec 6, 2011

Is there more legroom in the wagon than the sedan. It sure looks like it to me but I haven't gone out to try and take some measurements. Thought there would be come experts on here! I know the fuel tank is a different size. I would assume the wheel base is the same.

BamaB4S · Dec 6, 2011

vixentd said:
I know the fuel tank is a different size.

My 1996 Sedan has an 18.5 gallon fuel tank.

Digital Corpus · Dec 6, 2011

~24.5 in the wagon iirc. I'd do some wicked long journeys if I had one...
Wheel base is the same

quartersaw · Dec 7, 2011

I accidentally ran my B4V tank dry. A complete refill up to the the top of the filler pipe was slightly over 26 U.S. gallons.
I've owned a B4 sedan. The legroom is the same

Digital Corpus said:
~24.5 in the wagon iirc. I'd do some wicked long journeys if I had one...
Wheel base is the same

apaustin · Dec 7, 2011

The b4 legroom is great, sedan or wagon. My bride's '05 Passat wagon doesn't have near the space of my '96.

Hard to believe but in addition, there's less than 100 lbs difference between the sedan and wagon, empty. Of course, once you load up all the auxiliary gear....

If I had a choice between 2 sedans and one wagon, I'd take the wagon. The usefulness of the wagon is too hard to ignore, all fun aside.

50harleyrider · Dec 7, 2011

The big advantage of the sedan is the security of a trunk. I haven't driven a wagon, but I bet it has more road noise too. Big tank is cool on the wagon. I'd say 6 of one 1/2 dozen the other. Both have really short backs on the front seats, so if you're a 6'+ dude, change to some Taurus seats.

slapshotjh · Dec 7, 2011

50harleyrider said:
Both have really short backs on the front seats, so if you're a 6'+ dude, change to some Taurus seats.

Have you done this? How much modification did you have to do?

Mike Hammer · Dec 7, 2011

50harleyrider said:
The big advantage of the sedan is the security of a trunk.

Yeh because the quality of the latching mecanism is such that by this time in it's life you can't even get into the thing.

fletcher0780 · Dec 7, 2011

slapshotjh said:
Have you done this? How much modification did you have to do?

+1, what generation taurus seat did you use? I'd love some comfy heated power memory seats.

ajrn · Dec 7, 2011

*ears perked up*

Taurus seats.. Do tell!?

BigAndy · Dec 7, 2011

slapshotjh said:
Have you done this? How much modification did you have to do?

Ok - you got my attention on this too - for A3's too?? Or just b4's?

surfbus · Dec 7, 2011

Mike Hammer said:
Yeh because the quality of the latching mecanism is such that by this time in it's life you can't even get into the thing.

Isn’t that the truth… haha. I bought the metal rode puller piece that broke, next day the button on my trunk breaks! I still love my car and just fold my back seats for trunk acess. You can't go wrong with the sedan too, the back seats fold in hatch back style. Fits 185 length skis lying flat, try that with any modern sedan, bet you can't.

50harleyrider · Dec 8, 2011

I have got to get a thread started on my Taurus seat swap. It should work for the A3 too because I had a set of Wolfsberg Jetta seats in my B4 until I figured out they were just about as bad as the B4 seats. This is a front seat only swap.You'll have to live with the rears. With a little imagination, it's not a hard swap. I use 2000 cloth seats (power driver). The grayish tan ones seem to match the rears that have the tan cloth the best. I'm sure you can find black or tan leather ones. I have a photobucket account now. If someone can tell me how to show my photos in my thread without having to use links, I'll get the thread started. It's an awesome upgrade and I'm certain you'll love it. Heated and memory seats might be a little tough because of circuitry. The power driver is a simple two wire connection to the battery under the carpet.

fletcher0780 · Dec 8, 2011

go to your photobucket album

hover over the photo you want

click on the link next to "IMG code" this should copy the link

paste link in the body of your thread

Yawiney · Mar 15, 2017

How bout actual cargo space difference? I know the wagon's bigger but how much more room in the back of it than the boot of the sedan?

MarsBar · Mar 15, 2017

A wagon is just a truck with a roof, and all the windows can't be beat for being able to see everything when driving. IMHO, the wagon.

Technician! · Mar 15, 2017

I always have a lot of crap in my trunk (tools, boots, hitches, etc) so I like the fact that all that stuff is hidden by my sedan trunk lid. Also, wagons are louder because of the "boom" factor. Shop around and you will see that there are roughly 10 sedans for sale for every one wagon on the market. I do dig wagons (got an 03 Mk4) but I think the biggest draw is the increased on board fuel capacity.

RIP TDI · Mar 16, 2017

Yawiney said:
How bout actual cargo space difference? I know the wagon's bigger but how much more room in the back of it than the boot of the sedan?

EPA volume:
Sedan - 14 cu. ft.
Wagon - 34 cu. ft.

Windex · Mar 16, 2017

Folks, it's a diesel - any nuisance or road noise will pale compared to the noise of the engine. Last I checked, the sedan and the wagon have the same 1Z or AHU.

Yes the sedan has a lockable trunk. The wagon came with a cargo cover.

Either way, you're going to need to smash some glass to see if there's something worth stealing inside.

I don't understand how a trunk is any more secure than a wagon with a cover.

So yeah, twice the storage room, and a 26 gallon tank.

There's a reason why there are that many more sedans for sale vs wagons.

Also, there is about 1" more legroom in a B4 vs a B5, plus the B4 gets better fuel economy.

Owned both side by side for a year.

Steve Addy · Mar 16, 2017

For me the wagon is hands down a better option vs the sedan. I'm not trying to denigrate sedan owners, clearly they prefer them for some reason, but for me and my biking I like the wagon.

Also, since you can get to the trunk 1) via the rear seat backs (unless you lock them all the time) and 2) via the trunk popper button in console (unless you lock that all the time too) so I see little advantage between the trunk or the wagon with the cover in that regard.

For what I need a wagon is far more versatile. If I couldn't have found a B3V to convert to tdi my next alternative was a B5/B5.5 1.8T 5 speed.

Steve

turbodieseldyke · Mar 16, 2017

Steve Addy said:
not trying to denigrate sedan owners, clearly they prefer them for some reason

Not speaking for everyone, but (1) Availability and (2) Price. Some guy in LA has listed a B4V for seems like forever, and every 2 months he lowers the price $50. It's currently $6300. By the time his price hits "reasonable", archaeologists will discover it's the last remaining wagon, and he'll want $630,000.

thechoochlyman · Mar 17, 2017

There's a rusty one near me I can pick up for $600 with an extra engine and transmission to go along with it (both without turbos). Has some parts already stripped.

kooyajerms · Mar 17, 2017

I can fit a tandem bicycle inside the wagon with the seats down. No well made 2" receiver hitches for the wagon means I can't use my tandem rack. I'm not a big boy who can lift that monster on top of the roof.

I can put the rear seats down and sleep two laying down from hatch to the rear of the front seats (6" or above need not apply). That saved us some coin one night on a drive up to Seattle.

When I catered regularly, the wagon allowed me to fill it to the brim, 2 ft tall warming boxes, trays, milk crates stacked on top of each other, all without having to reach into a trunk and lift over the rear lip. It was a definite benefit being able to sliding things in and out.

All those windows make for a fun safari vehicle.

If you don't haul things, or have children and all the things that come with them, save the coin and get a sedan.

Was it worth the premium over sedan for me? Yes, yes, yes. Undoubtedly yes.

Steve Addy · Mar 17, 2017

turbodieseldyke said:
Not speaking for everyone, but (1) Availability and (2) Price. Some guy in LA has listed a B4V for seems like forever, and every 2 months he lowers the price $50. It's currently $6300. By the time his price hits "reasonable", archaeologists will discover it's the last remaining wagon, and he'll want $630,000.

Definitely the two big things that favor sedan over wagon.

Speaking of FS cars there's a very rusty B4V tdi here in Des Moines that I've tried to buy since maybe 2011. The owner can't be reasoned with so I just let it go.

That crusty red wagon, that hasn't run in maybe three years and probably hasn't had a timing belt in 200k miles (has 350k miles on odometer now) was the reason I ended up doing a conversion on a B3V, there just aren't that many wagons around to pick from.

I knew that wagon before the owner managed to purchase it. I saw it occasionally and really wanted to buy it but the current owner somehow got it bought before I could do anything about it. From there it was just downhill.

Steve

1996 B4 Sedan vs Wagon

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