2019 Volkswagen Arteon

The Arteon SE starts at $35,845 before its $995 destination charge and other fees. Adding four-wheel-drive will push the price up to $37,645. The SEL trim comes standard with 4Motion and starts at $41,795. Moving up to the SEL Premium nets you the regular SEL's optional R-Line package as standard, and starts at a base price of $46,210. Fully loaded, this model would feature 20-inch wheels, a trunk spoiler, and a price tag of $47,045 before taxes and fees.

Thanks to a smartly designed chassis and swift steering, the Arteon handles exceptionally well for a car of this size. The SE model, the only front-wheel-drive variant, is surprisingly agile, although burying the throttle mid-corner can cause understeer which the stability management systems quickly rein in. In all other variants, 4Motion all-wheel-drive can send power to the rear wheels, aiding in stability and grip. It's never going to blow your hair back, but the Arteon's capabilities in the corners will still impress. Mid-corner undulations and bumps do little to upset the car, even in its most aggressive Sport setting, which still manages to maintain considerable comfort. Steering is direct, if a little devoid of feel, but it is better than that in many rivals. When it comes time to stop, the Arteon's brake pedal feels predictable and free of shudder, bringing the car to a comfortable, but quick, stop. Overall, true driving aficionados will be more tempted by a 4 Series and its rear-drive layout, but this Arteon makes a good case for sticking with a comfort-focused car that can still take a bend at speed. Opting for the available paddle-shifters on the steering column will go a way to increasing engagement, but the high gearing of the 'box and its slightly lackadaisical approach to upshifting and downshifting remains.

When VW launched the Phaeton, it was a similar challenger to the luxury car hierarchy and a highly-advanced offering from the maker of "people's cars". It didn't perform well simply because of the badge. They retried the effort on a lower scale with the CC, with moderate success at best. However, these days, Volkswagen is evolving and offering more and more high-quality products, distancing themselves from the budget-car image. The Arteon is a great step in the right direction, offering breathtaking looks with a great chassis and impressive practicality. Unfortunately, the price difference between it and its more premium rivals is not as big as we'd like, considering the fact that a number of switches, buttons, plastics, and upholstery items are clearly borrowed from lesser models. If you don't care about badges and want to squeeze into the luxury car segment, this could be the car for you. But in the competitive luxury segment it is entering, the Arteon leaves too much to be desired: gas mileage is not as good as in rivals, interior quality is great but doesn't feel lavish enough, and the price is still too close to what the established order asks for genuinely upmarket offerings. We love the Arteon, but it needs to get better to be worthy of unseating Audi and BMW.

The Arteon is still cheaper than its established rivals when fully-specced, coming in below $48,000. It's pretty well-equipped as standard, but for the price, the added amenities included on the SEL Premium are worth the 10-grand jump in cost over the standard SE model. If we were to spend our own money on an Arteon to cherish for the next few years, we'd go the whole hog on an SEL Premium R-Line. It's the best looking of the bunch, particularly with the optional 20s, and thanks to standard nav, a hands-free liftgate, auto parking, a 360-degree camera display, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, lane-keep assist, and a 12-speaker audio upgrade, it's also the safest, most comfortable, and easiest to live with. For the money, only smaller BMWs and Audis are likely to have similar specs.

Compared mainly because of their similarly sloping rooflines and shared bloodlines, the Audi A7 and Volkswagen Arteon are both hatchback sedans, if such a thing exists. However, the VW does not share any underpinnings or architecture with the more expensive Audi, despite VW owning the Ingolstadt-based luxury carmaker. Instead, the Arteon shares its roots with the Golf and uses the same MQB platform. The benefits to this are a much lower cost of production and a modular system beneath the skin that helps make the Arteon relatively easy to work on. The downside to building a car that shares components with the Golf rather than an Audi is that, despite this being VW's flagship car, the difference in quality between this and the A7 is massive. So, the two are very different. The Audi is supremely luxurious and slightly ostentatious, while the Arteon offers the same stunning looks for a much lower price. Newly redesigned, the A7 starts at almost $70,000, double what a base Arteon goes for. We'll happily stick with the people's car here.

Comparing prices more similarly will see the Arteon better matched with the Audi A5. Now, the Audi is a bit smaller, and it doesn't have the same striking design of the Arteon. That's not to say it's ugly, but the overall appearance is certainly far more subdued and "safe". Inside, the quality difference puts the Audi back in contention, with premium materials and a more upmarket feel, and on the road, the Audi handles a bit better and is nicer to drive, even in base form. Unfortunately for the A5, the Arteon offers more standard equipment and, despite the badge, its larger presence and head-turning design make it look more premium from the outside. It also carries more cargo and offers more legroom for rear passengers. For the money, the Arteon is certainly more car, and overall, a better car to live with, while still looking spectacular enough to convince people you earn more than you do. Besides total badge snobs, the VW will be the better choice for just about everyone.