Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!?

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Tue 5 Oct 2021 16:07
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - Neil Pat
Total newbie to posting here, but I love reading the threads so I figured I'd give it a go.
I have a bit of a conundrum. We are in the market for a car. It will mainly be used for the school run and the odd longer journey at the weekend (max 20 miles). We probably do 5000 miles a year. I have a large dog so an estate is a must for me.
I have spotted a PHEV 2018 Passat with 70k on the clock in budget. As it has a list price of over 40k it qualifies for the extra tax, however I think I could offset that by saving on fuel during most of its use.
I have also spotted a 2016 2L petrol A4 Avant with 25k miles which I love - but for some reason I feel it is not the sensible choice.

If we keep the car for 3 or 4 years, I feel it will be easier to sell the Audi and it will hold its value better but then again, PHEVs seem to be getting more popular so I have just been going round in circles.

Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks!
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Tue 5 Oct 2021 16:39
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - Big John

I'd normally say the younger car and the car tax premium is only for another couple of years - However the PHEV has not been basking in glory re reliability having had quite a few teething troubles - not sure I'd want to own out of warranty as fixes can be extremely expensive.

A 2016 2.0 petrol Audi A4 is fitted with a great engine in my opinion with both port and direct fuel injection - avoiding the potential carbon issues of direct injection only. It's also a much nicer car.

Edited by Big John on 05/10/2021 at 16:50

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Tue 5 Oct 2021 17:18
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - sammy1

Must be crazy to contemplate paying the extra road tax. However if I was looking for an estate I would look at getting a Skoda Octavia.. It is roomy and has all the same mechanicals as the two you are looking at. The 1.5 is both economical and torquey and a better bet than the 2litre. Phevs are not worth the bother of their limited battery range Try before you buy.

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Tue 5 Oct 2021 18:00
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - badbusdriver

TBH, I wouldn't be that keen on the Passat, nor, unless it has a manual gearbox, the A4.

You have not said what budget, but a browse on Autotrader at the two choices suggests circa £22.5k.

That is enough to get into a brand new Toyota Corolla hybrid estate in 1.8 guise and enough to get into the same car with the more muscular 2.0 engine from 2019/2020.

I'd be put off the Passat for three reasons. The teething troubles Big John speaks of, the DSG gearbox, and the high miles for its age. The DSG box can and often is reliable, but I'd still be wary given the cars 70k miles over 3 years. Yes, the vast majority of that will have been on the motorway with minimum stress on the box, but still.........

I'd be put off the A4 if it is an auto, in which case it will have the same gearbox as the Passat with the same potential for trouble. Also, just the thought of paying that much money for a car of that age because of the badge when I could get something like the Corolla for the same money?, nah! (but that's just personal opinion).

As for the 1.5TSI being a better bet than the 2.0TSI?. The 1.5 has had plenty of bad press over the 'kangarooing' problem. Is it fixed?, maybe, but maybe not. The 2.0 is well proven by comparison so (IMO) a much better bet.

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Fri 8 Oct 2021 12:13
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - BPL
Go for a 2.0 TSI Superb petrol. 190 or 280 hp. Compare the prices with what you are looking at..
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Fri 8 Oct 2021 18:54
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - SLO76
The Audi is the better driving car and will almost certainly be more reliable assuming it has a full main dealer or VAG specialist service history. It’ll be much easier to sell when you’re done with it to than the unpopular and high mileage hybrid Passat. I’d go Audi here but I’d also look at the Mazda 6 2.0 Petrol Estate too.
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Sat 9 Oct 2021 10:57
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - barney100

Large dog? Volvo V70 is well worth considering. Not a racer by any means but will cruise all day and is very versatile.

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Sat 9 Oct 2021 11:54
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - craig-pd130

To echo comments above, I would not buy an PHEV that was out of warranty. I say that as a former driver of a BMW PHEV. Nothing went wrong during my 3 years with the car - and it was a great car to have and drive - BUT if it did (and there were enough owners on the EV forums to suggest that problems with charging, battery packs etc were not uncommon), it seems that even main dealers didn't know what to do to fix those problems. There were many owners whose cars were in at the dealers for weeks at a time while the dealer "consulted with the factory" about various issues.

It could be a very expensive exercise owning an PHEV outside the original manufacturer warranty, and I don't believe that an aftermarket warranty would offer adequate cover.

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Sat 9 Oct 2021 12:20
Torn between a Passat and an A4 Avant- HELP!? - Falkirk Bairn

If I were to be buying a hybrid /PHEV that was 2/3 years old I would err on the side of caution.

The makes with a batting history and made a success of the new technologies are Toyota & Lexus, then possibly Honda. Too many manufacturers have bought in battery technology and bolted it on to what were existing engines, gearboxes etc etc

Toyota warrant their cars for 3 years and then, as long as you use Toyota for a service another 7 years cover on major components (10 years/100K) and up to 15 years on the batteries.

Suzuki rebadge Rav4 as Across and the Corolla as Swace - 3 years warranty and 5 years on battery pack.

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