Audi A4 vs Volkswagen CC...or good old Passat?

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Aside from my dad's 2004 A4 3.0 V6 eating a cam lob on the exhaust side (I think?) and needing a new engine, it's been a great quality built car. We put new Bilstein shocks on it last year and it actually rides better than his 2016 SHO that only has 6k on it. Oil consumption is a bit high at 1 quart every 2500 miles or so, but that's about it. He's had the car about 80k and 3.5 years and it's been trouble free aside from an oil pressure and coolant temp sensor needing replaced. I've done the brakes and diff fluids as well.

I blame PO neglect on the cam failure as I doubt the right oil was used. OCI's were probably a bit longer than they should have been too.
 
I saw where the Passat three year loss was over 50% only outdone by the 300 E.
I looked at the 2018 Passats and I don't see that as a valid point. The warranty now is
far longer than most and the discounts right now are crazy. All things compared this is one of
the cheapest rides in that segment.
 
The CC is beautiful but the low roof line makes it a No-Go for me...I bang my head every time I try to climb in or out of the CC and the Mercedes CLS. I'd rather have the larger size and simplicity of the Passat vs the A4. Brand spanking new Passats are going for $6500 off MSRP around here (advertised) and you can likely do even better than that.
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
A Lexus GS 350 2007+ RWD is another contender. Just use www.autotrader.com and fill in the appropriate search parameters. I like all the other cars mentioned but this would be my favorite.
This is a thread about VWs.


You must have missed this post by the OP:

Originally Posted by KCJeep
We have had real good experiences with KIA/Hyundai also. My wife is currently in one and I will replace her van with another KIA. One of the cars I didn't mention was the Cadenza. Finally drove one, liked it, but a totally different kind of car in a luxo-cruiser type. Very nice and IMO the equal of the Lexus I also drove.

Digital cockpit? Was not even aware of it. Is it part of a package? How can you tell when you have it?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by slug_bug
I'd expand the search a couple of years older and go for the S4.

Solid advice there.

I like that suggestion. The supercharged V6 in these is a really nice engine.
 
Originally Posted by slug_bug
I'd expand the search a couple of years older and go for the S4.

As long as it is supercharged. However, take into consideration that SC V6 had piston ring issues and oil consumption related to it until mid 2012 in conjunction with bad PCV. Both issues were solved in mid-2012.
Also, S4 comes with DSG or manual not ZF8 or manual.
 
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Originally Posted by HardbodyLoyalist
I have a 2012 CC 2.0T. I've owned it less than 1 year.

It was a mistake, and I'll be selling it soon.

I've only driven the car about 2000 miles. It has a total of 82,000 miles. In just the past nine months, I've had a failure of the clockspring in the steering wheel and the rear wheel sensor. The car has had a total of 7 recalls. The clockspring was replaced under recall in 2015 and failed AGAIN. This time, VW wouldn't pay for it. I bought the $300 part and replaced it myself. However, my scan tool could not recalibrate the steering wheel position sensor. It must be done with a factory scan tool. I therefore had to take it to a dealer, who charged $115 for what was *literally* a 5-minute job.

Throw in the issue with the timing chain tensioner (VW can't tell me whether my car has the old style that is prone to fail or the improved version -- they changed over production some time in 2012 but cannot tell me which one is installed in my car based on its VIN).

So, I'm done. The car is a blast to drive, but I won't have a car that I can't work on. I absolutely HATE dealerships.

Not sure how they cannot tell you as I got recall notice for my CC that I traded in in 2015 and for my wife's Tiguan (although I already changed it myself). There is clear indication until which month tensioner is an issue and which VIN codes affects.
Also, so what is it had 7 recalls? Do you want VW to do it Toyota style: Issues on 8 speed transmission? Who, what, when? We do not know anything about it.
 
Appreciate all the feedback some good points for sure.

I am aware VW's are not without issues, no car is. In this information age you can find the gremlins on virtually every model. VW certainly does not have the corner on "what were they thinking" design either. I have had 3 Jeeps ha ha, and this Lincoln (which has been excellent) has a number of head scratchers as well.

I guess it was a stupid question about the digital display, once I saw a pic of one it was pretty obvious.

I was looking at 15's just to make sure I had plenty enough distance between the chain tensioner issue but from reading here it looks like a 14 should be in the clear as well. I was not sure from Google searches exactly where the cut off was, and figured even if fixed in 12 that meant there could be some 13's with the issue.

Any words of experience on "cost of ownership" between the VW badge and the Audi rings??? Does it make much difference?
 
Originally Posted by KCJeep
Appreciate all the feedback some good points for sure.

I am aware VW's are not without issues, no car is. In this information age you can find the gremlins on virtually every model. VW certainly does not have the corner on "what were they thinking" design either. I have had 3 Jeeps ha ha, and this Lincoln (which has been excellent) has a number of head scratchers as well.

I guess it was a stupid question about the digital display, once I saw a pic of one it was pretty obvious.

I was looking at 15's just to make sure I had plenty enough distance between the chain tensioner issue but from reading here it looks like a 14 should be in the clear as well. I was not sure from Google searches exactly where the cut off was, and figured even if fixed in 12 that meant there could be some 13's with the issue.

Any words of experience on "cost of ownership" between the VW badge and the Audi rings??? Does it make much difference?

Cost ownership does not make difference. Audi has bit bigger pads and rotors, but overall it is in the same ballpark unless you service in dealership. Then you will get charged for being Audi owner, just because.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
, but overall it is in the same ballpark unless you service in dealership. Then you will get charged for being Audi owner, just because.


I wondered about that, as I has heard the term "BMW tax" thrown around by 3 series guys.
 
Originally Posted by KCJeep
Originally Posted by edyvw
, but overall it is in the same ballpark unless you service in dealership. Then you will get charged for being Audi owner, just because.


I wondered about that, as I has heard the term "BMW tax" thrown around by 3 series guys.

From experience I can tell you BMW is not bad at all, but, depends on dealership mostly.
Now, I know some people who paid labor and parts for BMW X5 some $1,500 in dealership while i bought parts online for some $400. Actually changing brakes on BMW is easier then on Toyota Sienna I currently own.
So, if you are set on VW/Audi, dismiss a lot of these claims about astronomical ownership costs from people who never drove one. In the end of the day, you might pay bit more for brakes in Audi compare to let say Toyota, but again, I would gladly pay for BMW brakes to have them on Toyota.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Now, I know some people who paid labor and parts for BMW X5 some $1,500 in dealership while i bought parts online for some $400. Actually changing brakes on BMW is easier then on Toyota Sienna I currently own.


Do you miss your old X5 diesel at all?
 
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Originally Posted by edyvw
Now, I know some people who paid labor and parts for BMW X5 some $1,500 in dealership while i bought parts online for some $400. Actually changing brakes on BMW is easier then on Toyota Sienna I currently own.


Do you miss your old X5 diesel at all?

Will NEVER get over it! I am having nightmares.
 
Went to drive a CC and a Passat yesterday. Did not drive the CC I went to see. Noticed immediately it had a water leak issue from the rear driver's side window (water stains were on the dealer's sticker) and this was a CPO vehicle with very low miles. The other CC I went to look at also had previous engine issues (serious) at only 11k per the CarFax. Done with CC's.

The Passat SEL Premium I did drive and it was very nice, definitely still a contender. More road noise than my Lincoln (or the Audi) and not fast either, but a very nice well rounded car and pricing on Passats is very good right now.
 
I have a 2016 Audi A4, sport package, the top radio system, MT. I don't test-drive a lot of cars, but this car does everything perfectly. The better seats come with the sport package. Ride is firm and comfortable at the same time (I don't know how engineers do that). The shift quality feels nice; clutch is nice has a nice weight. My wife has a 2016 Passat in one of the lower trims, her preference. Good performance out of the 4 cyl turbo engine. I hear some tire noise but not bothersome and a bit of wind noise on the passenger window where I usually sit. Oil changes are easy to do on both if you are DIYer. One negative for the Passat is intermittent brake squealing over the past few months. Took to dealer to check it out; they cleaned something, but still happening. Service advisor says this is just VW brakes. I was even given a pamphlet about it. I told him my 24 and 25 year old other cars don't have brake squealing. I owned a 2016 Audi A4 nearly identical package but with AT x one year. It was really fairly boring because it does everything so well. The MT put the fun into the car.
 
Nice, thanks.

I had forgotten about the VW brakes, ours used to be noisy too and that was decades ago. We have a relatively new Tiguan in the family now, but they don't make any noise on it. A 2017 with 20 some k miles now.
 
volkswagens are to audi as honda is to acura, less costly + generally less to upkeep. 200,000 miles on my traded 2001 jetta for 2001 TT 225Q. IMO few people actually need AWD, as with 4 SNOW tyres i passed 4WD SUV's while working on construction, they ran all season BUT winter tyres!!! yes i like the VAG cars, research + decide just keep away from early DI engines, later ones seem fine for 100,000 but after that its a crap shoot IMO + that pertains to any manufacturer today!!
 
Originally Posted by benjy
volkswagens are to audi as honda is to acura, less costly + generally less to upkeep. 200,000 miles on my traded 2001 jetta for 2001 TT 225Q. IMO few people actually need AWD, as with 4 SNOW tyres i passed 4WD SUV's while working on construction, they ran all season BUT winter tyres!!! yes i like the VAG cars, research + decide just keep away from early DI engines, later ones seem fine for 100,000 but after that its a crap shoot IMO + that pertains to any manufacturer today!!

Not really. Honda and Acura share much more together including platforms. VW did that in 1990's and 2000's, except exponentially better then Honda as VW had longitudinal engine and torsen AWD. However, a lot of Audi customers went to cheaper version, VW, especially Passat B5.
Acura in the US is basically European Honda. It is still transverse engine and that IMO disqualify's it true luxury/sports car.
 
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