Compare two cars

Compare any two cars and get our Virtual Adviser™ opinion

Car #1
Make
Model
Variant
Engine
Car #2
Make
Model
Variant
Engine

compare selected cars
1998. - 2005.
A - Micro car
hatchback, 3 door
front
Badges
Production
Vehicle class
Body style
Wheel drive
Safety
1997. - 2001.
A - Micro car
hatchback, 3 door
front

Marketing

Dimensons & Outlines

3527 mm
1639 mm
1460 mm
130 liters
830 liters
34 liters
Length
Width
Height
Boot (min)
Boot (max)
Fuel tank
3537 mm
1639 mm
1460 mm
131 liters
790 liters
35 liters
1998 Volkswagen Lupo
1997 Seat Arosa

Engine

Volkswagen
1.6 16V
Petrol
4 - Inline, 4 valves per cylinder
Nat. Asp.
1598 cc
125 hp
152 Nm
Engine
Fuel
Configuration
Aspiration
Displacement
Power
Torque
Volkswagen
1.4 AZE
Petrol
4 - Inline, 2 valves per cylinder
Nat. Asp.
1397 cc
60 hp
116 Nm

Performance (manual gearbox)

manual gearbox - 6 gears
975 kg
8.5 s
205 km/h
10.4 l/100km
5.5 l/100km
7.3 l/100km
175 g/km
Gearbox type
Vehicle weight
Acc. 0-100
Top speed
Cons. (urban)
Cons. (highway)
Cons. (average)
CO2 emissions
manual gearbox - 5 gears
870 kg
14.1 s
160 km/h
8.5 l/100km
4.9 l/100km
6.2 l/100km
148 g/km

Performance (automatic gearbox)

 
kg
s
km/h
l/100km
l/100km
l/100km
g/km
Gearbox type
Vehicle weight
Acc. 0-100
Top speed
Cons. (urban)
Cons. (highway)
Cons. (average)
CO2 emissions
automatic - 4 gears
900 kg
16.2 s
155 km/h
10.4 l/100km
6.2 l/100km
7.6 l/100km
181 g/km

Expenses

1000 EUR
Price from
950 EUR

Virtual Adviser's™ opinion

Overview

Well, these are two pretty similar cars we have here! It's only details that could potentially make the difference. Considering they both belong to the micro car segment and utilize the same 3-door hatchback body style and the front wheel drive system, it all comes up to the specific petrol engine choice they offer. Both the engines are Volkswagen-engineered . The first one has a 4-cylinder, 16-valves 125hp unit, while the other one gets its power and torque from a 4-cylinder, 8-valves 60hp one.

Safety

The fact that the Volkswagen got tested by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), while the other contender didn't, offers a slight advantage, as the 4-star rating is better than none. Still, apart from the official crash test results there are other things we need to be aware of. Both vehicles belong to the micro car segment, which is generally a misfortune safety-wise, but that fact doesn't break the tie between the two cars. Furthermore, when it comes to weight, a factor that most people underestimate, the German car offers a considerable difference of 12% more metal.

Reliability

Manufacturers have been building their reliability reputation for decades now and, generally speaking, it appears that both brands display similar results in faults and breakdowns, all the models observed together. These are the results of an independent reasearch, while our visitors describe reliability of Volkswagen with an average rating of 4.2, and models under the Seat badge with 4.4 out of 5. The same official information place Lupo as average reliability-wise, and Arosa is more or less at the same level.We should definitely mention that owners of cars with the same powertrain as the German car rank it on average as 3.5, while the one under the competitor's bonnet gets 4.5 out of 5.

Performance & Fuel economy

Volkswagen is way more agile, reaching 100km/h in 5.6 seconds less than its competitor. In addition to that it accelerates all the way to 205 kilometers per hour, 45km/h more than the other car. When it comes to fuel economy the winner has to be the Spanish car, averaging around 6.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (46 mpg), in combined cycle. We can't ignore that 18% difference compared to the German car.


Verdict

Seat appears just a bit more reliable, although the difference is truly marginal. The most important thing when deciding between any two vehicles should always be safety, both passive and active. In my opinion, everything taken into account, the German car beats the other contender by far, making it the best choice without even considering other things. It all continues in the same direction, with Volkswagen outracing its opponent in any situation possible, making it better choice for boy racers. It does come at a cost though, and that's the fuel consumption... All together, there's not much more to say, in this case I wouldn't even consider anything but Volkswagen. Nevertheless, let's not forget that people have different preferences and needs, so what really counts is your personal feel. I'm only here to help. I suggest you spend two more minutes in order to find out which car, based on your needs and budget, would be picked by the virtual adviser, out of 12.000+ vehicles we currently have in our database.

Check a car by its VIN number

Follow us

AutoManiac Instagram

AutoManiac Facebook

AutoManiac database currently covers:

47worldwide automotive brands
1.531different vehicle models
2.233engines
13.778specific cars