Audi - better than Benz and BMW? Why

[2008wrx]

I am not trying to troll. Just want to read constructive reviews and opinions. Now once i open my facebook; first thing Audi advertisement (2018 A4) blah blah blah... Is the new Audi really that impressive? The interior looks very focus to details? I am not the type of person lets find out by going to a Audi dealer and mess around and test drive and say "let me think about it, bye" ... Can Audi really beat BMW's driving characters? Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability? Nowadays, Audi can easily cost more than a BMW and getting close to a BENZ or more.... Why are you buying a Audi?

 

[Alfred_B]

I bought mine because I think they are solid vehicles with excellent ergonomic interiors. I have a BMW as well and prefer the Audi.

 

[jeepman3071]

My opinion: They are all trying to do the same thing now, and one brand doesn't stick out as being better in one particular area. BMW enthusiasts have been complaining for years their cars are becoming more numb. Benzs and Audis are trying to become more sporty and performance oriented. What is leftover are 3 car brands that are all kind of the same. They all have luxurious vehicles that are somewhat sporty, but aren't good at one particular thing.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: 2008wrx

Can Audi really beat BMW's driving characters?

This is too generic of a question. It depends on a specific model and suspension that you choose. In general, BMW has gone after a wider market in recent years, which resulted in many of their new models having softer, less engaging driving characteristics. But you can still get a sporty driving BMW if you stick with particular models and options. Audi has some sporty models/setups, too. So you need to be more specific with your question.

Quote:

Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability?

LOL! Why would they want to? Benz doesn't have particularly good reliability these days.

Quote:

Why are you buying a Audi?

Wife bought her Q5 because she liked the interior. Audi is known for their interior designs. My old A4 with stick shift and sport suspension was very fun to drive. More fun than my current 530i, but again, apples and oranges.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071

My opinion: They are all trying to do the same thing now, and one brand doesn't stick out as being better in one particular area. BMW enthusiasts have been complaining for years their cars are becoming more numb. Benzs and Audis are trying to become more sporty and performance oriented. What is leftover are 3 car brands that are all kind of the same. They all have luxurious vehicles that are somewhat sporty, but aren't good at one particular thing.

Couldn't have said it better. I have family that have two A4s and seem very happy with them. They drove Hondas and Toyotas before, so the Audis can't be that unreliable for them to own two of them. They're not mechanically inclined at all.

 

[gofast182]

I drove a new A4 before I got my 340i. The interior of the Audi was a beautiful place to be although I thought the virtual cockpit was a bit gimmicky. What I didn't like was a very brief driveline hesitation whenever starting from a full stop (it was OK when the car was moving). The 2.0T in the Audi was smoother at lower RPM than the BMW's 2.0T however once you get above 3.5k RPM the BMW became smoother, more powerful, and sounded better. When it came time to compare it to the I6 turbo in my 340i, there wasn't even a comparison to make, different league. What I don't like about the BMW: the interior is so cheaply put together everything clicks and ticks and pops as the interior heats up or cools down. Can't speak to Merc. because the cost of entry was higher than both BMW and Audi so I didn't bother looking.

 

[mrsilv04]

Here would be my first reason for not buying an Audi. I have a BMW dealer that is 1 1/2 miles from my house, and a Mercedes dealer that is 6 miles away. The nearest Audi dealer is 70 miles away. It would have to be a very impressive car to overcome that.

 

[MCompact]

Me, I wanted a small RWD coupe that was could serve as my HPDE car as well as my daily driver- so I never considered an Audi. Not that they are bad cars, just not what I was looking for. Different strokes, and all like that...

 

[oil_film_movies]

It varies by model of BMW, Benz, & Audi. These days, you can't make a blanket statement on brand. And it also depends on how you weight your own personal values (do you want comfort or performance, for example). I made a short list the other day of "prestige" small luxury sport sedans you could consider (the context was as similar cost to a Tesla Model 3): Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Jaguar XE BMW 340i Cadillac ATS Mercedes C-Class ... and also comparable Lexus & Infiniti models Lots of choice. In considering the various makes, I would first read what the automotive expert analysts at Road and Track, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Consumer Reports say about any model you might consider. Those experts are quite good. Then you can read what individual owners say on the internet, knowing they aren't experts on cars, and they may certainly have a different value system as you do. Take it all in and weigh what's important to you, and you'll have your answer.

 

[sasilverbullet]

Personally, I don't think that either of the three is "reliable". German cars tend to be over-engineered in every area. The more widgets, the more they break! All three brands are somewhat of a money toilet.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet

Personally, I don't think that either of the three is "reliable". German cars tend to be over-engineered in every area. The more widgets, the more they break! All three brands are somewhat of a money toilet.

If only I had known...

 

[HoosierJeeper]

If you buy a Jaaaaaggggggg, at least you won't ever have to pay for a meal again if you go out someone, especially since you likely left your wallet locked in the glovebox.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Quote:

Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability?

LOL! Why would they want to? Benz doesn't have particularly good reliability these days.

Depends what you're comparing them to. Audi historically has been the worse of the 3 German makes but they've all been getting better lately. It still seems to be true these days though, avoid a first year model.

 

[FermeLaPorte]

Go with the superior Italian or Japanese sport cars. You won't look back. I drove a Supra for many years.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted By: 2008wrx

I am not trying to troll. Just want to read constructive reviews and opinions. Now once i open my facebook; first thing Audi advertisement (2018 A4) blah blah blah... Is the new Audi really that impressive? The interior looks very focus to details? I am not the type of person lets find out by going to a Audi dealer and mess around and test drive and say "let me think about it, bye" ... Can Audi really beat BMW's driving characters? Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability? Nowadays, Audi can easily cost more than a BMW and getting close to a BENZ or more.... Why are you buying a Audi?

If those are such great cars why don't they have a 10 year 100K warranty like Hyundai?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Quote:

Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability?

LOL! Why would they want to? Benz doesn't have particularly good reliability these days.

Depends what you're comparing them to.

I'm just saying that if I was Audi, I would try to aim higher.

Quote:

Audi historically has been the worse of the 3 German makes but they've all been getting better lately.

Depends on the year. For 2016, it looks like Audi has higher marks than BMW and MB: http://www.jdpower.com/cars/study/2016-Vehicle-Dependability-Study/843ENG/Compact-Premium-Car/1120 For 2017, it seems MB is higher: http://www.jdpower.com/cars/study/2017-Vehicle-Dependability-Study/1882ENG/Compact-Premium-Car/1120 MB is pretty far down this list: https://www.consumerreports.org/car-reli...-they-stack-up/ In my experience, all 3 are about just as bad. If you are buying a German luxury car for its reliability, I think you are buying it for the wrong reasons.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson

If those are such great cars why don't they have a 10 year 100K warranty like Hyundai?

Companies employ all kinds of tactics to entice people to buy their cars. Just because a car has a 10-year warranty does not mean it's reliable. New Hondas and Toyotas don't come with 10yr/100K mile warranties, yet people seem to think they are the most reliable vehicles on the planet. With that said, a CPO Audi will come with a 100K mile warranty.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

In my experience, all 3 are about just as bad. If you are buying a German luxury car for its reliability, I think you are buying it for the wrong reasons.

All of my own experience, admittedly with older products from the 70's and 80's, would agree with this. The anecdotal evidence from here and elsewhere seem to support it. Plus my clients regularly regale me with stories about their high end automobiles. I think my standard retort on this is the overwhelming majority of German car owners probably get fine service and we only hear about the few that are problems. And we all know how the stealership controls customer satisfaction when it comes to service.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

In my experience, all 3 are about just as bad. If you are buying a German luxury car for its reliability, I think you are buying it for the wrong reasons.

Yeah, you don't buy it for reliability, you buy it for luxury. Although I see way too many E class out there with basically no options besides the standard premium package.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: 2008wrx

Can Audi really match with BENZ reliability?

Easily. But why would they want to downgrade? :-p I'm not a particular fan of German cars in general, they all seem to include at least a few aspects that are unnecessarily complicated. The brands that have never, ever, by any stretch of the imagination been associated with "reliable" in my brain are Benz and BMW. That said, the whole WORLD has converged a lot in car design compared to the 60s-80s, and there's just not a great deal of difference anymore.