Compare the2022 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Arteon doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Arteon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the Arteon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Arteon’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4 Series Gran Coupe for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Arteon (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 55 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 12 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The 430i Gran Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (294 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 114 more horsepower (382 vs. 268) and 110 lbs.-ft. more torque (368 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the 430i Gran Coupe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder RWD gets better fuel mileage than the Arteon FWD (25 city/34 hwy vs. 22 city/32 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Arteon doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Arteon doesn’t offer launch control.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Arteon are solid, not vented.

For better traction and acceleration, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has larger standard rear tires than the Arteon (255/35R19 vs. 245/45R18).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Arteon doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the 4 Series Gran Coupe is 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Arteon.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe is 3.1 inches shorter than the Arteon, making the 4 Series Gran Coupe easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has .7 inches more front headroom and .7 inches more front legroom than the Arteon.

The engine in the 4 Series Gran Coupe is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Arteon. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks BMW 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 43% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Arteon doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s available Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Arteon SEL Premium R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The BMW 4 Series comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Volkswagen Arteon isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.