New Volkswagen T-Roc vs used Audi Q2: which is best?
If you’re after a smart and stylish small SUV, the new Volkswagen T-Roc is a fine choice, but does a used example of the upmarket Audi Q2 – for the same price – make more sense?...
New Volkswagen T-Roc vs used Audi Q2 – driving
The T-Roc is one of the most comfortable small SUVs on the market, soaking up bumps slightly better than the Q2. The flip side is more body lean through corners and handling that's a fraction less secure. The tiny three-cylinder engine in our chosen T-Roc is a lively performer, though, and more than capable of pushing the car around at a fair rate.
In our chosen Sport trim, you might find a Q2 that’s been specified with the optional adaptive suspension. This allows you to switch between a softer ride for comfort or a firmer setting for sportier driving. That said, even without it, the Q2 rides well. The car corners more flatly and with a touch more verve than most of its small SUV rivals, with quick steering that makes cornering easier and more fun. The little 1.0-litre engine is just about punchy enough for the Q2’s weight and size, and is fine for both town and motorway use.
New Volkswagen T-Roc vs used Audi Q2 – costs
New, our T-Roc has a list price of £21,320, but by shopping through the New Car Buyer service on our website you could put one on your driveway for just £20,551. If you’d bought our Q2 new, its list price would be £23,065. Now, we think a good 2018 example with a minimal mileage and a full history would set you back around £19,490 – a substantial saving on the new price and undercutting even the deal price on the T-Roc.
Both cars share engines and the majority of their underpinnings, and reliability for similar cars in the Audi and VW ranges is strong. The T-Roc is too new to feature in our most recent reliability survey, but the Q2 scored an excellent 91% rating, with few reported problems. Both cars come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty; the T-Roc, as new, would get its full period, while you'd have to cut nearly a year from that for a used Q2. Not surprisingly, considering they use the same engine and are of a similar size and weight, both claim the same fuel consumption and CO2 figures, and both will cost the same fixed annual fee in road tax.
