Audi A4 vs Volkswagen Passat

Audi A4

Audi’s compact executive saloon.

Volkswagen Passat

Volkswagen’s large family car.

First car

Second car

Pick this one if…

Audi A4

Pick the A4 for quattro, the frugal 2.0 TDI and the 480-litre boot.

Best engine: The mid-range 2.0 TDI diesel for the best balance of economy and torque — or the 2.0 TFSI petrol.

Read the full guide

Pick this one if…

Volkswagen Passat

Pick the Passat for a roomy, refined family car with a huge boot and strong diesels for long distances.

Best engine: The 2.0 TDI (150 hp) or 1.5 TSI (150 hp).

Read the full guide

Performance

EA888 40 TFSI · Petrol vs 2.0 TDI 150 · Diesel

	Audi A4	Volkswagen Passat
Power	190 hp Winner	150 hp
Torque	320 Nm	340 Nm Winner
0–100 km/h	7,3 s Winner	8,7 s
Top speed	240 km/h Winner	220 km/h
Power-to-weight	129,3 hp/t Winner	98,0 hp/t
CO₂ emissions (WLTP)	137 g/km	109 g/km Winner
Consumption (WLTP)	6,0 L/100km	4,2 L/100km Winner

Dimensions & space

	Audi A4	Volkswagen Passat
Boot	480 L	586 L Winner
Boot (seats folded)	—	1.152 L
Wheelbase	2,82 m Winner	2,79 m
Length	4,73 m	4,77 m
Width	1,84 m	1,83 m
Height	1,43 m	1,46 m
Seats	5	5

Powertrain & tech

	Audi A4	Volkswagen Passat
Platform	MLB Evo (longitudinal)	MQB (transverse, shared with the Superb/A4)
Drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive
Engine family	EA888 petrol · EA288 diesel · plug-in hybrid	EA211/EA211 Evo petrol · EA888 Gen 3 petrol · EA288 diesel · GTE PHEV
Fuel	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid
Transmission	7-speed S tronic (DSG)	6-speed manual · 7-speed DSG
Euro standard	Euro 6 (early) · Euro 6d-TEMP (later)	Euro 6
LEZ access	Euro 6 diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)	Euro 6 petrol/diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)

Reliability & watch-outs

Known issues

Audi A4

S tronic (DSG) mechatronics are the best-known weak point, especially on diesels
EA288 diesels: AdBlue/SCR needs attention with mainly short trips
Direct-injection TFSI petrols: carbon buildup with lots of short trips

Volkswagen Passat

DQ200 DSG (dry clutch) on smaller engines
Water pump/thermostat module
AdBlue/DPF on 2.0 TDI (short trips)

Pros

Audi A4

quattro optional on the 2.0-litre engines
2.0 TDI (40) returns ~4.3 l/100 km
480-litre boot

Volkswagen Passat

Huge cabin and boot (Variant: 650–1,780 l)
Refined comfort and high-speed stability
Strong towing (up to 2,000+ kg braked)

Cons

Audi A4

Automatic only on later models — early pre-facelift versions have rare manual options
S line suspension rides firmly on large wheels

Volkswagen Passat

Pre-facelift infotainment dated
1.4/1.5 TSI less torquey than the 2.0 TDI

Driving experience

Audi A4

As a model line, the A4 steers accurately with light, consistent weighting and stays quiet at motorway speeds. Front-drive versions feel light and easy; quattro adds strong traction out of corners on the 2.0-litre engines. The 2.0 TDI is strong and frugal, the 2.0 TFSI is smooth, and the 40 TFSI e plug-in hybrid runs on electric for short trips. The S tronic shifts quickly. It leans toward comfort over sharp handling.