Comparison of the German station wagons: who has more space, who brings more power to the streets, who is good and cheap? We tested the Audi A4 Avant, the BMW 520 Touring and the VW Passat Variant.
- They all have a large tailgate - but where can more fit in?
- VW and Audi are quite dangerous for the top dog BMW .
- Buying advice: Which station wagon fits which type.
Germany - Kombiland: Nowhere else is the extended limousine with the large (tailgate) so popular. And nowhere else are there so many names for it: Touring, Avant, Variant, Estate, Tournament, Tourer or Sports Tourer. German manufacturers dominate in the middle class . With the new Passat and the new Audi A4, the Volkswagen Group is advancing into the premium class. Which of the two is better?
BMW, Audi, VW: they demonstrate this performance
Or should you make more money loose and look one floor higher? The top dog from Bavaria is waiting there. The 5 Series Touring . We tested the German station wagon trio in a direct comparison. Have started the test - yes, they are still alive: three diesels. Because with the station wagons, the love of the Germans has always been for the diesel. And the new units are cleaner than ever . One manufacturer even claims that the air is cleaner after burning, so many filters are now installed. Cynical but true? The same applies to engines: nothing beats a diesel - this truism applies to the entire trio. Rich power from below, low consumption. BMW has equipped its 2-liter unit with 190 hp . VW and Audi have significantly less horsepower with 150 and 163 respectively .
The Avant can be recognized by the new dashed daytime running lights.
© Audi
The engines at Passat and Volkswagen should be largely identical. The Audi only got a head start of 13 hp in the design. This also affects driving performance . The A4 ranged from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.5 seconds, more than half a second ahead of the Passat, but a full second behind the BMW . In contrast to the VW station wagon, the Audi is perhaps a little smoother and more elegant. Compared to the BMW, the maximum torque comes a little earlier. That might give him a small advantage on the first sprint meters. Ultimately, however, the BMW sits on the longer PS lever. While the A4 runs out of air, the white-blue station wagon can add a little more thanks to the almost 30 hp. Therefore it looks like this on the podium: 1. BMW, 2. Audi, 3. VW .
The Passat Variant should be satisfied with around 5 liters, the engine with 150 HP is good-natured.
© VW
Read here : Popstar Ava Max likes this car - we tested it.
The driving experience: which station wagon is ahead?
Perhaps the new Passat has caught up the most in terms of driving experience , which in addition to the chassis also includes comfort. Here you definitely have the feeling that you are sitting in a premium car rather than in a sales bomber. In principle, good to very good noise insulation like in a thick limousine. Only the nailing of the diesel disturbs the acoustic backdrop considerably, especially when idling. It sits cultured in the new A4 Avant, the new metal applications in the interior are very chic. They look like thin wattle. Cool.
More sedan than sales bomber: the new Passat has increased in elegance.
© VW
Both Variant and Avant are equipped with a front wheel drive . Heavy motor on the drive axle: this is a robust system. For driving pleasure, however, we tend to the good old rear-wheel drive like the 5 Series BMW . It somehow feels more authentic when pushing from behind, and in the age of electronic assistants driving in snow and rain is nowhere near as unsafe as it used to be. Nevertheless, we found the Audi overall to be very balanced, technically mature and would therefore place it in first place. The Touring (2) and the Variant (3) follow.
Stretched elegance: the new design has clearly done the Audi A4 Avant good.
© Audi
Which station wagon offers the most space: A4 Avant, BMW Touring or Passat Variant?
The space available for passengers is similar for A4 and Passat. You can already see the respective data for the wheelbase. With 2.82 meters, the Ingolstadt offers just four centimeters more space than the Wolfsburg. With almost 16 centimeters more, however, the BMW plays in a league over it . This has a significant impact on passenger comfort.
The cockpit, which is fully geared towards the driver, is typical of BMW.
© BMW
And there are also massive differences in the trunk volume . Thanks to its body, which is almost 20 centimeters longer, the Touring beats the A4 by 75 liters with a normal load and is 570 liters. If the rear seats are folded down, the values almost result in a declassification. Here the Audi only offers 1495 liters, the BMW * 1700 liters. The clear winner in this category is the VW. With 650 or 1780 liters, he easily climbs to the top in this ranking. So 1st Passat Variant, 2nd BMW 520 Touring, 3rd Audi A4 Avant.
Big mouth, a lot behind it: with a capacity of up to 1780 liters, the Passat is number 1.
© VW
Also exciting : The new VW e-Up: An electric car can be so good and cheap.
Combined comparison: which price is unbeatable?
Which brings us to prices . Depending on the equipment, they are, of course, patient and, depending on taste or security needs, can be expanded almost at will. That is why we included the prices of the basic models in our evaluation. Clear that the BMW 5 Series does the worst here. As already mentioned at the beginning, it actually ranks one class higher. It therefore costs 53,850 euros - and thus around 10,000 euros more than the A4 , which comes at an entry price of 43,520 euros.
Paint, leather, LED screens: The cockpit of the Audi A4 is tidy.
© Audi
All of this is clearly undercut - and with that he lives up to his name - by the Volkswagen *. The Passat Variant is available from 36,905 and therefore at a relatively popular price . It's no wonder that the Wolfsburg-based company has sold over 30 million vehicles in its 45-year history. If you only look at the price-performance ratio, the podium, i.e. a place at the top of the winner's staircase, cannot be taken. Silver for the A4, bronze for the 5 series.
The Passat Variant offers space for five, but only comfortably for four.
© VW
Also interesting : Alpina B 5 Bi-Turbo - this is how the world's fastest station wagon drives.
Which station wagon suits which type?
Which car should you take now? Because technically and in terms of workmanship , one can assume that the trio from Munich, Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg is at eye level. Our test showed that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, all three vehicles have the same value in the overall ranking. Which station wagon for whom - this is ultimately a question of account balance and the type that decides that.
Potent Bayer: The BMW 5 Series also wins as a station wagon in the premium segment.
© BMW
Brand-conscious people who like the undisputed sophistication of a BMW and like to pay a hefty premium for it take a 5-series touring. Customers who look at the money and need a lot of space for their luggage or for work - they cannot avoid the Megaseller Passat . Especially since the equipment is already very close to the upper class. What remains is the Audi: it is neither cheap nor expensive, it has little more than a lot of charging capacity. But if you don't want or can't afford a BMW, but still like to have a car with elegance and a touch of exclusivity on your doorstep - the four rings from Ingolstadt will serve you well.
Plenty of leg and headroom: in the Audi A4 you can also sit comfortably at the back.
© Audi
When making a purchase decision, one should take into account that the 5-series station wagon is expected to be new in the second half of the year. Due to the great success worldwide, however, the facelift should be rather moderate, the digital features (Live Cockpit professional and the new iDrive generation) have already been added to the current model series.
Datasheet BMW 520d Touring
Displacement: | 1995 cc |
|---|---|
Power: | 190 hp |
Torque: | 400 Nm at 1750 - 2500 rpm |
Transmission: | 8-speed automatic Steptronic |
Drive: | Rear |
Length / W / H: | 4.94 / 1.87 / 1.50 m |
Empty weight (perm): | 1850 kg / 700 kg |
Trunk: | 570 - 1700 l |
0 to 100: | 7.5 seconds |
Top speed: | 225 km / h |
Standard consumption: | 5.2 liters |
Co2: | 137 g / km |
Price from): | 53,850 euros |
Datasheet Audi A4 Avant 35 TDI
Displacement: | 1968 cc |
|---|---|
Power: | 163 hp |
Torque: | 380 Nm at 1500 - 2750 rpm |
Transmission: | 7-speed DSG |
Drive: | front |
Length / W / H: | 4.76 / 1.85 / 1.46 m |
Empty weight (perm): | 1615/550 kg |
Trunk: | 495 - 1495 l |
0 to 100: | 8.5 seconds |
Top speed: | 223 km / h |
Standard consumption: | 5.2 liters |
Co2: | 135 g / km |
Price from): | 43,250 euros |
Datasheet VW Passat Variant 2,0 TDi
Displacement: | 1968 cc |
|---|---|
Power: | 150 hp |
Torque: | 360 Nm at 1600 - 2750 rpm |
Transmission: | 7-speed DSG |
Drive: | front |
Length / W / H: | 4.77 / 1.83 / 1.52 m |
Empty weight (perm): | 1590 kg / 580 kg |
Trunk: | 650 - 1780 l |
0 to 100: | 9.1 seconds |
Top speed: | 210 km / h |
Standard consumption: | 5.1 liters |
Co2: | 133 g / km |
Price from): | 36,905 euros |
Read also : On the most adventurous roads in Europe - the Skoda Karoq in the acid test.
Rudolf Bögel
Warning lights in the car and what they mean
To the photo gallery
* tz.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
