Compare the2025 Audi A4VS 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi A4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The A4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A4 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the A4 and 2 Series Gran Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 2 Series Gran Coupe’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The A4 has a standard Audi Backguard System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Audi Backguard System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A4. But it costs extra on the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Both the A4 and the 2 Series Gran Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi A4’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the A4’s reliability 21 points higher than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

The A4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (261 vs. 241) than the 228 Gran Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A4 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The M235 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The A4 has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (15.3 vs. 12.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the A4’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

For better traction, the A4 has larger tires than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (245/40R18 vs. 225/45R18). The A4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (245/40R18 vs. 235/40R19).

The A4’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s standard 45 series tires. The A4’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the M235’s optional 40 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A4’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (111 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

The A4 has a 3968 lbs. towing capacity. The 2 Series Gran Coupe has no towing capacity.

The engine in the A4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the 2 Series Gran Coupe. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A4 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the A4 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the A4 has standard extendable sun visors. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the A4 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the A4 and the 2 Series Gran Coupe have standard heated front seats. The A4 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the A4 Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Audi A4 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. BMW charges extra for Homelink® on the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi A4, based on reliability, safety and performance.