In about a year or so I'll be seriously looking to buy a nice luxury/sport car. I love the looks and reputation of BMW, and I'm sure performance is there, but no skiing with that rwd. So, I'm leaning toward Audi or VW. I've heard they're very similar except luxury options/quality and 4wd. I love the styling of the Audi. If I had to choose without test driving either, I'd pay an extra 3,000 just for the styling and 4wd. Please offer any comparisons or advice. Thanks

If VWoA ever bring an AWD Passat to N.A., it will<br>cost about $2000 less than a comparably equipped<br>A4. This is a factor if you are BUYING the car, not nearly as important if you plan to lease the car. If you buy, you save $2000, you get 10 years<br>of powertrain coverage, and you have a much larger<br>network of dealers from which to choose sales and<br>service. If you lease, you keep the car for a shorter period, you get ALL of the maintenance<br>coverage, you go for the A4 because, barring any<br>special promotions, an A4 doesn't cost a whole lot more than a Passat to lease. If you carry<br>adults or teenagers in the back seat on a regular<br>basis, GET THE PASSAT. If you aren't married yet,<br>GET THE A4; if you have a girlfriend, she'll want<br>you to drive an AUDI rather than a VOLKSWAGEN.<br>If you don't have a girlfriend, it's easier to<br>snag one if you're driving an AUDI rather than a <br>VOLKSWAGEN.<p>Hope I've been helpful.

They are actually quite different from one another, despite sharing the same platform/engine combo. The A4 handles and rides noticeably better. The interior of the Passat looks positively K-mart compared to the Audi, and by comparison, the VW is noisy.<p>I actually like the looks of the Passat, but again, it lacks the class of the A4. The small difference you pay for a comparably equiped Audi, in my mind, is well worth it. And, if you want Quattro with 1.8T engine (Synchro on the Passat), you have to get the Audi. Synchro is available only with the V6 on the Passat.<p>An easy decision for me.

They share MANY parts so i dont understand the k mart and ride responce. I have coworker that has a A4 and i drive a Passat, we have driven each others cars and feel they are close i like the room he likes the sporty look

:(

Those are some of the reasons I chose the A4 over the Passat! =)<p>JT 99' 1.8Tqms

N ****ing T

Mark,<br>I have '96 A4qm and a 1999 Passat GLS 1.8t wagon. As wagons go the passat is fun to drive but it is no A4. It really isn't a fair comparision because the Passat is fwd and the A4 is awd. The front suspensions on both cars are the same. The Passat feels softer sprung. The Syncro Passat might come closer to the feel of the A4 but it is a larger car. I am 6'4" the Passat is a little larger inside, especially in the back seat. Lets put it this way, I always put a big smile on my face driving my A4. My wife's Passat is about 80% as fun to drive. I believe they are targeted at two different markets.<p>A4 vs 3 series BMW, etc.<br>Passat vs Accord, etc.<p>Also, the production date for the Syncro is still up in the air from what I have been hearing. Sorry for the ramble. Hopes this helps.

Hey, the Passat and A4 are two of the best cars in the world - for that price. I looked VERY seriously at the A4 and Passat. Conclusions: the A4 had crisper handling and the Passat had a back seat. Also, you can not get wood trim or leather in the A4 1.8T. I could have bought an A4 for about the same price as a Passat (actually a bit less), but I chose the Passat because my needs required a back seat. I'm only 5 10' (on the high side) and my knees were up against the back of the front seats in the A4. Given that I could get more asthetic perks (leather and wood) and because of the backseat, I chose the Passat. The A4 is a fantistic car, I'll probably get one since we now have a vehicle with a back seat. We at this list don't drive Camerys, Accords, or SUV's (at least it's not attimited). We drive two of the sweetest cars out there. One car really isn't better than another, they just have diffrent advantages and disadvantages. Get the your Passat or A4 drive like they were meant to be driven. Have fun. <br>

I have extensively test-driven both cars and I stand by my assessment. I'm sure an unbiased side by side comparison review would come to the same conclusions. Your opionion suggests you have NOT driven an A4--if you have, you should retest them--this time pushing them a little! (No sport handling option is available on the Passat!--suggests at least some drivers will do so) <p>Of course, if you actually like the bituminous interior of the Passat, that's not an issue for you--but realize that virtually every review of the Passat's interior has complained about its cheesiness.

Sammy can't find the n,),t,( keys on his board.<br>It's such a shame that he has no trouble finding<br>the c,u,f,k keys. Sammy, do everybody a favor:<br>clean it up!<br>

That's a good politically correct answer! I spent a good 8 months pondering the same things but then reality hit me and the Passat won out that day. And looking back at how the Passat and the A4 are marketed, they were never compared to each other by any of the major rags; even the editors realized that the "target" of each car was well suited to a specific audience; the A4 looked for the enthusiast looking at BMW's, while the Passat seeked to win over the Accord/Camry set. And like you said, both cars are great at their respective prices. When I made that search last year, I didn't even entertain the prospects of a Japanese car nor an American sedan; I've driven in enough of my co-workers cars to know what I wanted and owning 2 VW's before, helped set a reference of what to expect from a Passat. I was more than surprised (damn nice 1.8t) and at the same time, disappointed (handling). But there's nothing that can't be changed with a little bit of money. Well, enough rambling.<p>HermanH<br>98.5 Passat 1.8tm

That's a good politically correct answer! I spent a good 8 months pondering the same things but then reality hit me and the Passat won out that day. And looking back at how the Passat and the A4 are marketed, they were never compared to each other by any of the major rags; even the editors realized that the "target" of each car was well suited to a specific audience; the A4 looked for the enthusiast looking at BMW's, while the Passat seeked to win over the Accord/Camry set. And like you said, both cars are great at their respective prices. When I made that search last year, I didn't even entertain the prospects of a Japanese car nor an American sedan; I've driven in enough of my co-workers cars to know what I wanted and owning 2 VW's before, helped set a reference of what to expect from a Passat. I was more than surprised (damn nice 1.8t) and at the same time, disappointed (handling). But there's nothing that can't be changed with a little bit of money. Well, enough rambling.<p>HermanH<br>98.5 Passat 1.8tm

One example to justifies Passat and A4 are two different classes of automobiles and both of them are great cars. Here are the awards for the A4 and Passat last year in AJAC (Automobile Journalists Associattion Of Canada)'s annual Car of the Year<br>Best New Sports Sedan for 1998: Audi A4 1.8T (GS400/Contour SVT)<br>Best New Family Sedan for 1998: Volkswagen Passat (Altima, Accord)<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQM

All of you make it sound like a Yugo or a Cavalier.<p>Admittedly, it's not quite as nice as the A4 but it's a hell of a lot better than most cars out there(including a 318ti or a >= '98 325). In some respects the Passat's interior is nicer than the A4's. The height adjustments on the seat are nicer. The trunk is finished better(betterlocation for the CD and a 12v outlet). In some cases they're using the EXACT same pieces. <br> <br>I own an A4 BTW.