I am looking at an AWD wagon, 2004/2005 range. The Passat has the 2.8L engine, which I heard is really reliable. The A6 has the 3.0, which I heard was less reliable. Then again,the build quality on the Passat does not seem to stand up to that of the Audi.

So how much worse is the 3.0? I am not afast driver, not am I going to mod it in any way. Is the difference in engine reliability (and the act I can get a year newer and about 10K fewer miles) of the Passat worth the trade-off in build quality?

 

my engine has never needed anything replaced to this day in time. i am loving it.

 

as for a choice take the audi. in my oppinion better interior and exterior.

 

more options on the a6 avant..its all a matter of personal opionions on the car.. and what features they have, how much and miles...

 

3.0 and 2.8 are about the same when it comes to their reliability, but 3.0 is a bit more complicated to work on than 2.8. Both are somewhat PITA but 3.0 even more so.

 

one better than the other. it would seem to me you want the audi and thats why you are in the audi forum. most people here are lovers of audis, soo an honest comparism may not be gotten from here, audi would be your better choise in terms of appearance, style and finess. in an audi you will turn heards

 

I would get the Passat. Slightly better gas mileage, cheaper engine to repair and really is just an A4(basically). If you need the extra room, then get the 6, but the 3.0 engine is an expensive bitch for regular maintenance.

 

I would base it on what you can find. 4motion passats arent very easy to find and A6 avants arent exactly a dime a dozen. Find a couple cars that you are really interested in and compare the two. In an ideal scenario, the Audi will likely have more options(unless you find a decked out GLX passat).Just compare the mileage, condition and history of the cars and either way you cant lose, both are great cars. The 3.0 does cost more to repair and the 2.8 is more well known and cheaper to repair. I think itwill comedown to what kind of deal you can get on the car to base your decision.

 

Both are excelent cars, the vw would be cheaper for parts but the audi is bigger and a little nicer as well. While you are looking at passats you should look for a W8 wagon. They are kind of rare but they are great deals, not much more than a regular passat 4 motion used! the W8 might be harder to find parts for but as far as i no they are trouble free and have a nice exhaust note.

 

W8 has more problems than the 2.7T

I have both.. sedans... and faced with your decision i would go with the passat.

the passat has a great interior as well! make sure its GLX.. although the GLS isn't bad either but the cloth chairs are a pain to clean.

From what I hear the previous model 4motion is just quattro rebadged...the new 4motion is only electrical 4wd