2009 A4 or 2012 Passat, any recommendations of what to pick??

[peterfromme]

Hello,

I'm thinking of leaving a deposit on a 2012 passat (TDI with sunroof). But, I've been eyeing a 2009 Audi A4 as well (2.0T, quattro). Any recommendation? Anything i should be considering? Has anyone else looked at pre-owned A4 before choosing a passat?

Thanks,
P

[gstrouse]

Yes, I'm in the same boat. I've owned two previous Passats, a B2 and B5. I also currently drive a B5 A4 1.8tq. So I'm looking at both the A4 and the Passat. In one respect, I like the sportier aspect and quattro of the A4. What I don't like is the cost. On the other hand, I'm older now, having just recently turning 50, and I do like the larger, more roomier ride of the Passat. And of course the much lower price of the Passat. The thing with the A4 that I don't like, is that if you don't option up the car, I just don't like the interior or wheel selections that are available with the premium/premium plus packages. I would want to upgrade to at least the sports package. And from what I've seen, dealers seldom order these cars. The ultimate A4 2.0t would be a Prestige package with sports options. But these are right around $50k. There's just no way I'm paying that for a 2.0t. Maybe an S4. So then it comes down to cost and the Passat is way less. Not as sporty, but nice all the same. It's funny. I wanted a B6 Passat in the last year they were available. But I wanted one with some sports package and auto climate control. And they just didn't make it. So now the new '12 also is out, but without any sports options or all wheel drive. Maybe I need to wait until a year or two and see if VW will offer those options. I'd still like the 2.0 with all wheel drive in the Passat. With DSG. I guy can dream.

[dubman6]

I personally believe the only 2 advantages of getting the passat is leg room and gas mileage. I have had FWD and I hated it which is why i bought a car with the real 4Motion(quattro) over the haldex 4motion. What are you looking for in the car? If its style? A4. Power? A4. Tuning Capability? A4. Gas Mileage? A4. Quality? A4. VW has taken a turn for the worst in America as far as styling and quality.

I say this because I have owned a B5.5 Passat GLX fully loaded and it was solid and quality built. Then that got totaled then I bought a B6, which was a little cheaper on the inside but still had german quality and felt/handled great and was stylish but wasnt quite up to par with the B5.5 and it wasnt as reliable. I just bought another B5.5 2 weeks ago and havent looked back. The car is almost 10 years old and the paint is perfect, chrome is still chrome and not oxidized, engine is still goin and has never had anything go wrong besides a minor oil leak.

Thats why I sound so biased because your comparing a 09 A4 to a 2012 Passat. A4 wins. If you were comparing the 2012 Passat to a Malibu/Impala/Accord/Camry/Altima, the Passat wins hands down. Its a tough decision to make but I say A4 in this comparison test my friend!

[dubman6]

So now the new '12 also is out, but without any sports options or all wheel drive. Maybe I need to wait until a year or two and see if VW will offer those options. I'd still like the 2.0 with all wheel drive in the Passat. With DSG. I guy can dream.

Thats the smartest thing to do. Id never buy the 1st model year of any car again..

[1998redwagon]

realize that the 2012 passat is built for north america only (well na plus korea - go figure). it is different from the b7 passat offered for sale in the rest of the world. what difference does it make? the interior is not quite as nice as traditional vw interiors but not as down graded as the 2011 jetta for north america.

i have driven the 2012 passat and the interior is quite nice, my guess is that it will not be as nice as the 2009 audi.

and as a first year car in a new factory you have to ask yourself is it worth the risk. apparently at chattanooga the quality control results are posted directly to wolfsburg. time will tell.

of course with the new car you get that new car smell plus the warranty. with the 2009 you get the remainder of teh warranty and perhaps more if it is being sold as a certified used from audi.

[TOMPASS]

The aftermarket will more than likely offer suspension upgrades for the Passat, and obviously you can get more performance-oriented tires, so that should take care of any handling issues. Performance-wise, the 2.5 won't compare to the 2.0T, the TDI might be acceptable.
And the Passat isn't planned to get 4-motion, so the Audi takes that one hands down.
How about waiting for the new GLI? No 4-motion, but the "proper" sport suspension, interior and 2.0T and not a significant loss of interior room.

[brian81]

Hello,

I'm thinking of leaving a deposit on a 2012 passat (TDI with sunroof). But, I've been eyeing a 2009 Audi A4 as well (2.0T, quattro). Any recommendation? Anything i should be considering?

You need to consider that an Audi that is out of warranty can be a very costly proposition.

I've had 2 Audis, bought new, one for four years and the other for six. Both needed increasingly frequent trips to the dealer as they got older. I kept the A6 wagon when it went out of warranty because I could fix most of the things that went bad myself, but the S4 went up for sale when the warranty was in month 46. If I had to pay for repairs the last 10 months I had it, it would have cost over $6k. And it wasn't because it was abused or not cared for, just random failures.

B7 TDI with sunroof, and a spare set of winter wheels/tires if you have real winters.

.
How about waiting for the new GLI? No 4-motion, but the "proper" sport suspension, interior and 2.0T and not a significant loss of interior room.

The GLI has the same crappy door panels as other Jettas, and leatherette that feels like rubber compared to the B7.

[dubman6]

A4

[ourlee]

i think the real question is how large are your kids? which engine do you want? my kids are big and my wife is green: SE tdi for me.

[hondadude]

Room and comfort, Passat.

Sportiness, A4.

[blipsman]

Been trying to decide the same thing... I currently have a B5.5, and while I like the styling and handling, it's been a money pit. Probably $8000-$9000 since its warranty expired. Has a few more things wrong, and I don't feel like sinking another $1000+ (multiple airbag sensor faults).

I'd been weighing a new 2012 Passat vs. a 2008 A4 as my primary focus... want to find an A4 that still has factory warranty until my wife is done with grad school next spring, to keep financial surprises at bay. Seems like there are a fair amount of '08's with less than 40k miles for $20-25k. anybody know how reliability is on the A4's, especially post-warranty?

My other thought is to get the new Passat, but lease one given my post-warranty track record. I can see how the car is without having to commit to owning it, and I'm hoping there will be come crazy lease deals since VW's so eager to get tons of these on the road. I drove the 2.5 the other night, and while it seemed find on suburban side streets in terms of ride, noise and power I want to drive it again on the highway because there seem to be concerns about noise and passing acceleration. Might have to limit consideration to the VR6... as for interior, etc. there was definitely places they've cut back since the B5.5 in terms of plastics, hood/trunk struts, etc. Livable, but really do feel cheap for a $30k+ car.

[av_audi]

I've had 2 Audis, bought new, one for four years and the other for six. Both needed increasingly frequent trips to the dealer as they got older

If you take the car to the dealer, VW won't be any better. My B5.5 is essentially an Audi under the skin, and I take it to a good indy for maintenance and repairs. He is not cheap, but he is far cheaper than the dealer, as well as more competent and honest.

[av_audi]

The thing with the A4 that I don't like, is that if you don't option up the car, I just don't like the interior or wheel selections that are available with the premium/premium plus packages. I would want to upgrade to at least the sports package. And from what I've seen, dealers seldom order these cars. The ultimate A4 2.0t would be a Prestige package with sports options. But these are right around $50k. There's just no way I'm paying that for a 2.0t.

Yep, that wouldn't make any sense to me either. But what's wrong with the P/P+ interiors compared to the Prestige??? They are nearly identical. And why give up a car just because the wheels are not exactly what you like? Both P and P+ wheels on the 2012 look nice enough to me.

In all honesty, the Premium has almost all I would ever want, except the trip computer I am used to and the folding rear seats, both minor things. The Xenons are now available on the Premium, but in its infinite wisdom, Audi has dropped the sport pack for that trim. In any case, it costs around $32-33K, and a similarly equipped Passat won't cost significantly less.

[pretzelogik]

realize that the 2012 passat is built for north america only (well na plus korea - go figure). it is different from the b7 passat offered for sale in the rest of the world. what difference does it make? the interior is not quite as nice as traditional vw interiors but not as down graded as the 2011 jetta for north america.

i have driven the 2012 passat and the interior is quite nice, my guess is that it will not be as nice as the 2009 audi.

and as a first year car in a new factory you have to ask yourself is it worth the risk. apparently at chattanooga the quality control results are posted directly to wolfsburg. time will tell.

of course with the new car you get that new car smell plus the warranty. with the 2009 you get the remainder of teh warranty and perhaps more if it is being sold as a certified used from audi.

And.........no bedbug risk.

[Fudhichoth]

Any fresh insight on this comparison now that the new Passat is in the wild? Have found several 09 Audi A4s with minimal mileage (20k-ish), with quattro and auto that price out the same as a new 2012 Passat TDI SE auto. That price point includes Audi Certified Pre-owneds which extends their warranties another 2 yrs and 50k for a total of 100k miles...

In addition to the roominess, the main consideration for me in favour of the VW is the fuel cost. After 12 yrs and 200k miles of putting 91 octane in my Mk4 Golf 1.8t, you'd think I would've learnt my lesson, but the B8 A4 is just so pretty, both inside and out.


Cheers

[Incrementalg]

The drive, fit and finish on the Audi is hands down the winner. You can get a CPO or extended warranty through fidelity/Zurich to cover warranty worries. I've owned several audits and VW and my experience is they both suffer from reliability issues. However, I do have to say my A4 2.0t has been almost flawless since we got it new in 06/07.

[wood2012]

I've got a 2000 Audi A6 Quattro V6 wagon (90K miles). Before I was rear ended, I had a 2005 TDI Passat wagon. I was lucky and had VW cover the majority of the BSM upgrade. With that being said, my older Audi is better feeling, a more solid car, but it costs more to maintain.

[Knawrot]

I leased a 2009 Audi A4 Prestige with sport package that just expired last week. I am now in a 2012 Passt SE with sunroof and Nav.

From personal experience the cars do not really compare. The A4 was sportier and more fun to drive and of course had the quattro. However, the Passat is much bigger and the interior finishes somewhat relate to that of the A4. In the A4 no one could sit comfortably behind me (I'm 6'4") and in the Passat there is plenty of room behind me for a tall adult. Also the trunk is much bigger.

I moved to the Passat because it was much more affordable and I did not want to pay for maintenance on the A4. Never had an issue with the A4 reliability wise. For the 3.5 years that I had it, the only thing i had to replace was one of the light bulbs over the rear license plate.

It all comes down to personal preference in what you are looking for and if the A4 is afforadable to you. However if you do get an A4 with the 19" sport package and have actual winters, I strongly recommend a set of winter wheels and tires.

Good luck. On the plus side, you can't really go wrong with either car.