Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

A4 not as big inside as all the others you've mentioned. Honda Accord worth a look

If you’re 100% not bothered by image, looks, or brand snobbery, I was super impressed with the Mondeo Estate. It’s fucking huge inside (and also outside) and the specs available for the price are insane.

Also I kind of like how it looks from the back.

heart says A4. Passat would be compromise.

Have you seen both in the flesh? They're not really comparable cars imo.

The Passat is massive. A builder mate uses one as his work car. I'd bet even the salon has more room than an A4. The A4 is basically like a big Golf. Haven't driven an A4, but the Passat is very comfy and very easy to drive. The last Audis I drove (A3 sportsbacks) were much, much firmer. Audis climate control is insanely powerful, which for de-fogging in damp England I think is an incredibly practical feature.

A4 and octavia are smaller platform car (a3/vw caddy van platform) than a passat (a6/superb platform) hence bigger in many ways.

3 series is generally about same as a4 and lexis 200 series type cars. Smaller than you think and not the practical car many think they are.

For practical Ness and not scary running costs get an accord or a mondeo. IF you can find any for sale, neither have sold anything like the numbers of tge Germans abd French cars recently, accord wagons are almost "rare" and higher spec mondeo (2.2 in graphite or titanium x) are equally hard to come by but drive quite rewardingly and have many gadget standard.

If you want German, get a superb, unless you get into current generation passat 2015 onwards and plummet value way worse than previous generations, which is odd). The older (2010/15) superb wagon I think is prob the best of those.

2008 on volvo v70 are ok so long as it has a volvo engine in it (any 5 cylinder petrol or diesel). I used to saw maybe avoid the 1.6 and 2.0 diesel ford units, but now i saw defo avoid, unless they have got way less than 50k on. Know too many people that have fallen fowl of this engine made of cheese.