Long Comparison for the Undecided Buyer
09-06-2011, 10:30 AM
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Long Comparison for the Undecided Buyer
Thanks to everyone who posted their own reviews or otherwise helped me with my decision. I agonized for over a month with my choice, and I read every expert or consumer review out there multiple times. In the end, I went with the A6, but it was a close call. This comprehensive review is for all the people like me who are having trouble pulling the trigger.
Since all reviews are inherently subjective, I thought a little background would help. My previous cars were a 2005 BMW 745i and a 2007 Audi A6. At this stage in life, comfort is far more important than sport, especially with a family on the way. But I still like to cut loose on the weekends and on long drives.
I test drove every car in the segment more than once, but it came down to the three Germans. PM me if you want my thoughts on the M37 or XF.
EXTERIOR
No one can tell you how you’ll react to the look of a car, but I thought the E350 had the best exterior. The angular lines had a beefy, muscular look that contrasts with the curves of the 535i and A6. The metal accents are also tastefully done and break up the paint lines. The 535i looks better than the Bangled one, but otherwise bland. I thought the A6 was the least impressive to look at. It felt “Japanese” – trendy, but not classic. The LEDs look great at night but “squinty” and awkward in the day, and the deep, plunging grill looks awful if you have to put a license plate in the front. Put in another way, IMO, the A6 looks the best to people looking to move up-market, but the E350 looks the best to people who can already afford luxury.
INTERIOR QUALITY
The A6 dashboard really shines here. The curved beltline is beautiful, all the ***** and switches are metal, and the resolution of all the displays (including the temp) is very clear. No cheap materials to be found, though I wish the wood panels were metal-trimmed like the old A6. I thought I wouldn’t like the motorized display but it is tastefully done, and high enough that at least your peripheral vision stays on the road at all times. The instrument panel display is also extremely useful and can actually show you lists instead of single lines. However, the doors on the A6 were the worst. I wish the triangular panels extended all the way back since, at least in black, there’s nothing to break up the lines between the upper and lower door sections. Also, the leather quality seemed a little poor. Felt more like leatherette than that soft, smooth leather found in the others.
The E350 was also nice and elegant, and the material quality I think was better than the others (aluminum switches, very nice wood panels, soft leather). Again, this is a classic look and feel, but not trendy or "cool." But the nav display was too small, and the instrument panel stupidly laid out, with a useless big clock and a pixilated info display.
The 535i was the worst feeling. Material quality was not up to par – plastic switchgear and overly shiny wood. I really didn’t care for the nav display, poor resolution and its position makes the entire dash bigger than it needs to be. Overall, very boring and needs some metal accents to spice it up.
INTERIOR COMFORT
The 535i seats cannot be beat. The articulated upper backrest and thigh extensions are things that are hard to live without. I had them in my 745i, and it really does make an enormous difference; you might not notice on a short test drive, but drive it for more than 30 minutes and you'll know. The ventilation is also much stronger than in the others and can actually cool your back rather than just make you sweat less. The massage seats, just like in my old 745i, are too distracting to use, even if you know they’ll help with long road trips. But these seats are so terrific that I still think about cancelling my A6 order. Very quiet too – hushed road and wind noise. On the down side, the cockpit felt cramped, the beltline was too high, and my right knee was pressed right against the center tunnel. There is also no legroom in the backseat – I am 5’8” and my knees were pressed against the front seat, even adjusted for my height.
The E350 seats are hard, and the dealer says this is a common complaint among owners. The massage function uses rollers rather than air pockets, so it felt very relaxing and useful. The steering wheel was off-center to the right for me, which made driving it strange. But the E350 is quiet like a bank vault and very smooth and comfortable.
The A6 seats should be a lot better. No matter how I adjusted them, my upper back and head felt unsupported (like my old A6), and I could tell that my neck and shoulder muscles would be strained on long road trips. Also, the center armrest was too high, but I am short so it could be me. Roomy cabin though, with plenty of room front and back. Also, the back seats were angled better and not too low to the floor. But noticeably more road noise than the others – at highway speed, I had to speak a little bit louder than my normal conversation voice. Not loud, just not silent. You would only notice it if you drove with the radio turned off, which I do often.
DRIVING FEEL
By a huge margin, the A6 takes this one. I know others have commented how light it feels, but it really does feel like a smaller car. I felt extremely confident taking sharp corners at speed, and I'm usually pretty careful with a new car. Very little body roll, and I drove one without a sport suspension. Because the car felt light, the light steering didn’t bother me at all and made for quick inputs and adjustments. Biggest difference between the A6 and others is immediate power – no hesitation, just power the moment you step on the pedal. Also, it’s very easy to drive the car smoothly – no jerky movements or sudden stops. Light pedals, but linear and predictable.
The E350 lacks power big time. No hesitation, but simply not enough grunt to compared to other. Not too much body roll, but just not a fun car to drive. Definitely made for luxo-cruising – smooth and isolated ride.
The 535i was awful, period. I took curves at the speed limit just because I didn’t trust the car. A lot a body roll (no sport suspension) and zero feeling from the steering. I couldn’t tell if I was actually turning with the curves or understeering badly. Also, the pedals are very hard to modulate. Brake pedal travel is not linear so it grabs suddenly. Acceleration is worse – you press it a little, literally nothing happens… press it just a little more, your head snaps back. I test drove the 535i three times at different dealers because I thought there was no way it could be that bad, but it was awful all three times. Maybe another driver could do better, but it was beyond me.
FEATURES
This is where the BMW shined, especially if you have a family. Rear side seat shades and soft-close doors are fantastic if you have a baby (slamming doors shut easily wakes a baby up). Also, the no-touch trunk opening on the 2012s seem great if you go to Home Depot or Target a lot. I carried my sister’s kids in both my old 745i and A6 and these features really do make a huge difference. Other thing that stood out in the BMW was the ease of voice command, which recognizes natural speaking and lets you enter entire commands or addresses in one statement. However, I’d skip the top-down cameras which just confused me. There is also no spare tire, but the other two have big donuts so it’s kind of a wash. And iDrive is still confusing, with the hard buttons so small and right together than I had to keep looking to see which one to press.
As noted, the E350 nav screen is small, but the response was very snappy. No waiting between entries and it reads an iPod or USB stick without delay. No on-the-go destination entry, which is too big brother. Also, the Bluetooth connection doesn’t automatically access your phonebook, so either you store your numbers in the car or use the phone display to find contacts. Not impressed with the panoramic roof either, since it does actually extend over the rear passengers heads.
For me, the A6 didn’t have all the features I wanted. The HUD was nice, but not entirely useful without audio information. Google maps was slow to render, and I think the hard drive POI and Google search should somehow be integrated – i.e. no arrow to show whether a Google result will be along my route. Also, the MMI interface was a bit slower to response and the voice command was completely frustrating to use. Why no power trunk or sunshades I can’t understand, especially in this segment. The trajectory lines in the back-up camera were great and made parallel parking far easy than in the others.
AUDIO
I’m not paying $5,900 for the B&O, and I didn’t think it was all that great anyhow. Definitely a fuller soundstage and clearer sound, i.e. you can hear every instrument, even a light cymbal or each individual violin, like you are in a concert hall. But, IMO, this only matters for classical music, and you’ll probably need uncompressed files to hear the difference. The Bose system was also clear and full, but had weak bass. Even with the sound focus set to the front (where the woofers are located), I never got punchy bass. Also, mp3 sounded pretty awful on the Bose system (I encode at 320 kbps). I think this system is worse than the Bose in the C6 A6.
The E350 HK system was pretty bad. There was a strange background fuzzy noise with the bass, and the highs sounded very harsh. You can't turn the volume up too high since the fuzz and sharp highs hurts the ears. No album art - I know, not that important, but its nice to have.
The 535i had the best bass – punchy and shakes the car without even rattling or sounding loose. But it was also the most “muddy” sounding, with no differentiation between instruments. Also, very narrow soundstage – you can tell exactly from which speaker a sound is coming from. But for bass-heavy R&B, hip-hop and pop that most listen to, this was probably the best system.
CONCLUSION
I ordered an ice silver/black A6 with prestige, driver’s assistance and cold weather. I really hoped there would be one somewhere in the US, but I ended up having to order it for a December delivery. Got about 3% under MSRP. Didn't think the innovation package was worth it, especially after the advice I got from this forum.
It was a really close tie with the BMW. I honestly think the 535i is a more practical car, with greater comfort and family-friendly options. And I could get it for almost 6% below MSRP, which makes the price very close to the A6. But I couldn’t get past the terrible driving feel. However, if my Audi delivery date gets delay anymore than it already has (I was first told late October), I probably will cancel the A6 and go with a 535i (8 week guarantee).
Anyways, thanks again to all who helped.
Since all reviews are inherently subjective, I thought a little background would help. My previous cars were a 2005 BMW 745i and a 2007 Audi A6. At this stage in life, comfort is far more important than sport, especially with a family on the way. But I still like to cut loose on the weekends and on long drives.
I test drove every car in the segment more than once, but it came down to the three Germans. PM me if you want my thoughts on the M37 or XF.
EXTERIOR
No one can tell you how you’ll react to the look of a car, but I thought the E350 had the best exterior. The angular lines had a beefy, muscular look that contrasts with the curves of the 535i and A6. The metal accents are also tastefully done and break up the paint lines. The 535i looks better than the Bangled one, but otherwise bland. I thought the A6 was the least impressive to look at. It felt “Japanese” – trendy, but not classic. The LEDs look great at night but “squinty” and awkward in the day, and the deep, plunging grill looks awful if you have to put a license plate in the front. Put in another way, IMO, the A6 looks the best to people looking to move up-market, but the E350 looks the best to people who can already afford luxury.
INTERIOR QUALITY
The A6 dashboard really shines here. The curved beltline is beautiful, all the ***** and switches are metal, and the resolution of all the displays (including the temp) is very clear. No cheap materials to be found, though I wish the wood panels were metal-trimmed like the old A6. I thought I wouldn’t like the motorized display but it is tastefully done, and high enough that at least your peripheral vision stays on the road at all times. The instrument panel display is also extremely useful and can actually show you lists instead of single lines. However, the doors on the A6 were the worst. I wish the triangular panels extended all the way back since, at least in black, there’s nothing to break up the lines between the upper and lower door sections. Also, the leather quality seemed a little poor. Felt more like leatherette than that soft, smooth leather found in the others.
The E350 was also nice and elegant, and the material quality I think was better than the others (aluminum switches, very nice wood panels, soft leather). Again, this is a classic look and feel, but not trendy or "cool." But the nav display was too small, and the instrument panel stupidly laid out, with a useless big clock and a pixilated info display.
The 535i was the worst feeling. Material quality was not up to par – plastic switchgear and overly shiny wood. I really didn’t care for the nav display, poor resolution and its position makes the entire dash bigger than it needs to be. Overall, very boring and needs some metal accents to spice it up.
INTERIOR COMFORT
The 535i seats cannot be beat. The articulated upper backrest and thigh extensions are things that are hard to live without. I had them in my 745i, and it really does make an enormous difference; you might not notice on a short test drive, but drive it for more than 30 minutes and you'll know. The ventilation is also much stronger than in the others and can actually cool your back rather than just make you sweat less. The massage seats, just like in my old 745i, are too distracting to use, even if you know they’ll help with long road trips. But these seats are so terrific that I still think about cancelling my A6 order. Very quiet too – hushed road and wind noise. On the down side, the cockpit felt cramped, the beltline was too high, and my right knee was pressed right against the center tunnel. There is also no legroom in the backseat – I am 5’8” and my knees were pressed against the front seat, even adjusted for my height.
The E350 seats are hard, and the dealer says this is a common complaint among owners. The massage function uses rollers rather than air pockets, so it felt very relaxing and useful. The steering wheel was off-center to the right for me, which made driving it strange. But the E350 is quiet like a bank vault and very smooth and comfortable.
The A6 seats should be a lot better. No matter how I adjusted them, my upper back and head felt unsupported (like my old A6), and I could tell that my neck and shoulder muscles would be strained on long road trips. Also, the center armrest was too high, but I am short so it could be me. Roomy cabin though, with plenty of room front and back. Also, the back seats were angled better and not too low to the floor. But noticeably more road noise than the others – at highway speed, I had to speak a little bit louder than my normal conversation voice. Not loud, just not silent. You would only notice it if you drove with the radio turned off, which I do often.
DRIVING FEEL
By a huge margin, the A6 takes this one. I know others have commented how light it feels, but it really does feel like a smaller car. I felt extremely confident taking sharp corners at speed, and I'm usually pretty careful with a new car. Very little body roll, and I drove one without a sport suspension. Because the car felt light, the light steering didn’t bother me at all and made for quick inputs and adjustments. Biggest difference between the A6 and others is immediate power – no hesitation, just power the moment you step on the pedal. Also, it’s very easy to drive the car smoothly – no jerky movements or sudden stops. Light pedals, but linear and predictable.
The E350 lacks power big time. No hesitation, but simply not enough grunt to compared to other. Not too much body roll, but just not a fun car to drive. Definitely made for luxo-cruising – smooth and isolated ride.
The 535i was awful, period. I took curves at the speed limit just because I didn’t trust the car. A lot a body roll (no sport suspension) and zero feeling from the steering. I couldn’t tell if I was actually turning with the curves or understeering badly. Also, the pedals are very hard to modulate. Brake pedal travel is not linear so it grabs suddenly. Acceleration is worse – you press it a little, literally nothing happens… press it just a little more, your head snaps back. I test drove the 535i three times at different dealers because I thought there was no way it could be that bad, but it was awful all three times. Maybe another driver could do better, but it was beyond me.
FEATURES
This is where the BMW shined, especially if you have a family. Rear side seat shades and soft-close doors are fantastic if you have a baby (slamming doors shut easily wakes a baby up). Also, the no-touch trunk opening on the 2012s seem great if you go to Home Depot or Target a lot. I carried my sister’s kids in both my old 745i and A6 and these features really do make a huge difference. Other thing that stood out in the BMW was the ease of voice command, which recognizes natural speaking and lets you enter entire commands or addresses in one statement. However, I’d skip the top-down cameras which just confused me. There is also no spare tire, but the other two have big donuts so it’s kind of a wash. And iDrive is still confusing, with the hard buttons so small and right together than I had to keep looking to see which one to press.
As noted, the E350 nav screen is small, but the response was very snappy. No waiting between entries and it reads an iPod or USB stick without delay. No on-the-go destination entry, which is too big brother. Also, the Bluetooth connection doesn’t automatically access your phonebook, so either you store your numbers in the car or use the phone display to find contacts. Not impressed with the panoramic roof either, since it does actually extend over the rear passengers heads.
For me, the A6 didn’t have all the features I wanted. The HUD was nice, but not entirely useful without audio information. Google maps was slow to render, and I think the hard drive POI and Google search should somehow be integrated – i.e. no arrow to show whether a Google result will be along my route. Also, the MMI interface was a bit slower to response and the voice command was completely frustrating to use. Why no power trunk or sunshades I can’t understand, especially in this segment. The trajectory lines in the back-up camera were great and made parallel parking far easy than in the others.
AUDIO
I’m not paying $5,900 for the B&O, and I didn’t think it was all that great anyhow. Definitely a fuller soundstage and clearer sound, i.e. you can hear every instrument, even a light cymbal or each individual violin, like you are in a concert hall. But, IMO, this only matters for classical music, and you’ll probably need uncompressed files to hear the difference. The Bose system was also clear and full, but had weak bass. Even with the sound focus set to the front (where the woofers are located), I never got punchy bass. Also, mp3 sounded pretty awful on the Bose system (I encode at 320 kbps). I think this system is worse than the Bose in the C6 A6.
The E350 HK system was pretty bad. There was a strange background fuzzy noise with the bass, and the highs sounded very harsh. You can't turn the volume up too high since the fuzz and sharp highs hurts the ears. No album art - I know, not that important, but its nice to have.
The 535i had the best bass – punchy and shakes the car without even rattling or sounding loose. But it was also the most “muddy” sounding, with no differentiation between instruments. Also, very narrow soundstage – you can tell exactly from which speaker a sound is coming from. But for bass-heavy R&B, hip-hop and pop that most listen to, this was probably the best system.
CONCLUSION
I ordered an ice silver/black A6 with prestige, driver’s assistance and cold weather. I really hoped there would be one somewhere in the US, but I ended up having to order it for a December delivery. Got about 3% under MSRP. Didn't think the innovation package was worth it, especially after the advice I got from this forum.
It was a really close tie with the BMW. I honestly think the 535i is a more practical car, with greater comfort and family-friendly options. And I could get it for almost 6% below MSRP, which makes the price very close to the A6. But I couldn’t get past the terrible driving feel. However, if my Audi delivery date gets delay anymore than it already has (I was first told late October), I probably will cancel the A6 and go with a 535i (8 week guarantee).
Anyways, thanks again to all who helped.
09-06-2011, 10:39 AM
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You made the right choice. Re: exterior - it will grow and grow on you... I loved the exterior of mine before I pulled the trigger and I still like it more and more every time I see it 
09-06-2011, 02:06 PM
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your was delayed from late oct?
my prestige a6 ibis white was slated for oct.
the problem is, my sales person does not like to give me any info and i keep calling him for updates.
he says its still on track.
my prestige a6 ibis white was slated for oct.
the problem is, my sales person does not like to give me any info and i keep calling him for updates.
he says its still on track.
09-06-2011, 06:30 PM
#4
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Great review! Everything right on the money!
Too bad my mom not with us anymore - I should ask her if I have tween brother...
I test drive all of them and if I had to choose today - 3.0T A6 P+ will be my choice.
Thank You for your time to write great review - one of the best that I read here.
Too bad my mom not with us anymore - I should ask her if I have tween brother...
I test drive all of them and if I had to choose today - 3.0T A6 P+ will be my choice.
Thank You for your time to write great review - one of the best that I read here.
09-06-2011, 06:33 PM
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About the October delivery - I put my order in two weeks ago. My dealer told me they had a car about to go into production, but that I could still change the configuration. The expected delivery was October 23, so I jumped on it. But I could never get an update or any information the entire two weeks. Last Friday, my dealer called to say that the car was no longer available and that I would have to place a new order. The expected delivery date is December, and from what I've been reading on this forum, this might be too optimistic.
This experience really upset me. I could have placed an order for a 2012 535i and got it in mid-October. They just started the 2012 production line last week, so anyone who pre-ordered would have had a first week build. However, putting in an order now would be a late November-early December delivery. I almost jumped because I felt shafted by Audi, but I had already negotiated a deal and gave my deposit, and the expected delivery is now only a couple weeks difference. I'm sticking with the A6, but I wish the 535i drove better so I could switch just out of spite.
This leads to another important comparison - customer service. As I mentioned, I have owed both a 745i and an A6. Also, I have moved several times because of work, so I have been to BMW service in two states and Audi service in three states.
As most have noted here, BMW customer service is far and away better than Audi. It is not difficult at all to get a weekend appointment time at BMW, and they have always given me a BMW loaner. Not just stripped down 3-series loaners - I was given X5s and 5-series (sometimes a 3-series also, but they at least try to give you something comparable). Also, the two BMW waiting areas were really nice - not just drip coffee and dunkin donuts, but actual cafes and sofas.
True BMW story - one time my passenger side door would not unlock at all. I took it in for service in Friday afternoon, and the technician thought he could have it done by the end of the day. However, the problem was bigger than he thought, but two technicians and a service advisor stayed until 11:30pm to get it fixed. The service department closed at 7pm, so they stayed long after hours because they knew I needed my car for a weekend trip with my nieces. Most places would have closed and fixed it the next morning.
Compare to Audi. Only one of the three service departments I went to had Audi loaners, and it was a stripped down A4. The other two gave me enterprise rentals, and more than once I was stuck with an Aveo. An $10,000 Chevy Aveo! It also seems that Audi service only keeps the most common parts in stock, so any unusual repair will take far too long. On top of that, the waiting areas of all three were really cheap - drip coffee and granola bars. One place even had hard plastic benches like those in grade school.
Even the Audi salespeople don't seem to know their cars. One saleperson tried to tell me that the A6 had adjustable air suspension. I knew that wasn't true but he was insistent. So I asked him to confirm it with his manager. He came back and told me he confused the A6 with the A7 (same platform), and that the A7 had adjustable air suspension. I again told him that the A7 didn't have it either, and from the look on his face I knew he was lying. He could have just told me he made a mistake, but he decided to lie instead. I did not deal with that person after that.
I never took a car to Mercedes service, but the one near me had a real cafe instead with a chef and barrista. They make omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and espresso for waiting customers free of charge. And they only have Mercedes loaners.
This experience really upset me. I could have placed an order for a 2012 535i and got it in mid-October. They just started the 2012 production line last week, so anyone who pre-ordered would have had a first week build. However, putting in an order now would be a late November-early December delivery. I almost jumped because I felt shafted by Audi, but I had already negotiated a deal and gave my deposit, and the expected delivery is now only a couple weeks difference. I'm sticking with the A6, but I wish the 535i drove better so I could switch just out of spite.
This leads to another important comparison - customer service. As I mentioned, I have owed both a 745i and an A6. Also, I have moved several times because of work, so I have been to BMW service in two states and Audi service in three states.
As most have noted here, BMW customer service is far and away better than Audi. It is not difficult at all to get a weekend appointment time at BMW, and they have always given me a BMW loaner. Not just stripped down 3-series loaners - I was given X5s and 5-series (sometimes a 3-series also, but they at least try to give you something comparable). Also, the two BMW waiting areas were really nice - not just drip coffee and dunkin donuts, but actual cafes and sofas.
True BMW story - one time my passenger side door would not unlock at all. I took it in for service in Friday afternoon, and the technician thought he could have it done by the end of the day. However, the problem was bigger than he thought, but two technicians and a service advisor stayed until 11:30pm to get it fixed. The service department closed at 7pm, so they stayed long after hours because they knew I needed my car for a weekend trip with my nieces. Most places would have closed and fixed it the next morning.
Compare to Audi. Only one of the three service departments I went to had Audi loaners, and it was a stripped down A4. The other two gave me enterprise rentals, and more than once I was stuck with an Aveo. An $10,000 Chevy Aveo! It also seems that Audi service only keeps the most common parts in stock, so any unusual repair will take far too long. On top of that, the waiting areas of all three were really cheap - drip coffee and granola bars. One place even had hard plastic benches like those in grade school.
Even the Audi salespeople don't seem to know their cars. One saleperson tried to tell me that the A6 had adjustable air suspension. I knew that wasn't true but he was insistent. So I asked him to confirm it with his manager. He came back and told me he confused the A6 with the A7 (same platform), and that the A7 had adjustable air suspension. I again told him that the A7 didn't have it either, and from the look on his face I knew he was lying. He could have just told me he made a mistake, but he decided to lie instead. I did not deal with that person after that.
I never took a car to Mercedes service, but the one near me had a real cafe instead with a chef and barrista. They make omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and espresso for waiting customers free of charge. And they only have Mercedes loaners.
09-06-2011, 07:20 PM
#7
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Even the Audi salespeople don't seem to know their cars. One saleperson tried to tell me that the A6 had adjustable air suspension. I knew that wasn't true but he was insistent. So I asked him to confirm it with his manager. He came back and told me he confused the A6 with the A7 (same platform), and that the A7 had adjustable air suspension. I again told him that the A7 didn't have it either, and from the look on his face I knew he was lying. He could have just told me he made a mistake, but he decided to lie instead. I did not deal with that person after that.
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09-06-2011, 07:51 PM
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I ordered a prestige trim with cold weather and driver assistance.
I think the prestige trim is a necessity if you can afford it. The ventilated seats, though its hard to notice, does keep your back and bum cooler and drying. Even on mild days, I can get a sweaty lower back on leather seats because no air is circulating back there. Also, the advanced key just makes senses to me. Why have keyless start if you have to take the key out to unlock the doors? In my own experience, keyless entry was much more convenient than I thought it would be.
Cold weather is not too expensive and nice if you live in a cold climate. Where I live, the steering wheel can get so cold that its uncomfortable to touch. If you wear winter gloves, its a moot point, but I don't wear gloves. Rear seat heaters is also a must if you have kids in the back.
I struggled between innovation and driver assistance packages. I really wanted to have adaptive cruise - my good friend has it in his A7 and says a godsend in rush hour traffic. The hardest thing will be learning to trust the system. I barely noticed the side assist - during the day, its not bright enough to notice at a glance. If you have to stare at the warning light and then at the mirror, might as well just turn your head. Some kind of audible warning would really have helped.
I couldn't justify playing an extra $3,300 for innovation. As I commented, the HUD was nice but without audio information (probably the most common setting I change) it seems less than useful. I couldn't test the night vision here because it was too warm, but I can't imagine using it because I would have to refocus my field of vision every time I looked down. However, I could see how it could be useful in conjuction with the HUD, by simply relying on the pedestrian warning indicator without ever actually looking down at the display. But, as I said, I couldn't actually use it so I might be missing something. Lastly, I did not like the look of the LED lights. Subjective opinion, but too squinty and techno for me.
I know almost everyone goes with a sport package, but I felt that there was already too much road noise compared to others in the segment (again, not loud, just noticeable). Also, the ride with sports suspension was a bit firm. Not rough like a M37 - I mean firm like it feels exact the way it was intended to be. Still a smooth and "expensive" feeling ride, and perfect for most. I would have got it if it was just me riding in the car, but my fiance vetoed it. She wanted the 535i, so skipping on a sport package was kind of a compromise.
I think the prestige trim is a necessity if you can afford it. The ventilated seats, though its hard to notice, does keep your back and bum cooler and drying. Even on mild days, I can get a sweaty lower back on leather seats because no air is circulating back there. Also, the advanced key just makes senses to me. Why have keyless start if you have to take the key out to unlock the doors? In my own experience, keyless entry was much more convenient than I thought it would be.
Cold weather is not too expensive and nice if you live in a cold climate. Where I live, the steering wheel can get so cold that its uncomfortable to touch. If you wear winter gloves, its a moot point, but I don't wear gloves. Rear seat heaters is also a must if you have kids in the back.
I struggled between innovation and driver assistance packages. I really wanted to have adaptive cruise - my good friend has it in his A7 and says a godsend in rush hour traffic. The hardest thing will be learning to trust the system. I barely noticed the side assist - during the day, its not bright enough to notice at a glance. If you have to stare at the warning light and then at the mirror, might as well just turn your head. Some kind of audible warning would really have helped.
I couldn't justify playing an extra $3,300 for innovation. As I commented, the HUD was nice but without audio information (probably the most common setting I change) it seems less than useful. I couldn't test the night vision here because it was too warm, but I can't imagine using it because I would have to refocus my field of vision every time I looked down. However, I could see how it could be useful in conjuction with the HUD, by simply relying on the pedestrian warning indicator without ever actually looking down at the display. But, as I said, I couldn't actually use it so I might be missing something. Lastly, I did not like the look of the LED lights. Subjective opinion, but too squinty and techno for me.
I know almost everyone goes with a sport package, but I felt that there was already too much road noise compared to others in the segment (again, not loud, just noticeable). Also, the ride with sports suspension was a bit firm. Not rough like a M37 - I mean firm like it feels exact the way it was intended to be. Still a smooth and "expensive" feeling ride, and perfect for most. I would have got it if it was just me riding in the car, but my fiance vetoed it. She wanted the 535i, so skipping on a sport package was kind of a compromise.
09-06-2011, 08:33 PM
#9
AudiWorld Senior Member
About the October delivery - I put my order in two weeks ago. My dealer told me they had a car about to go into production, but that I could still change the configuration. The expected delivery was October 23, so I jumped on it. But I could never get an update or any information the entire two weeks. Last Friday, my dealer called to say that the car was no longer available and that I would have to place a new order. The expected delivery date is December, and from what I've been reading on this forum, this might be too optimistic.
This experience really upset me. I could have placed an order for a 2012 535i and got it in mid-October. They just started the 2012 production line last week, so anyone who pre-ordered would have had a first week build. However, putting in an order now would be a late November-early December delivery. I almost jumped because I felt shafted by Audi, but I had already negotiated a deal and gave my deposit, and the expected delivery is now only a couple weeks difference. I'm sticking with the A6, but I wish the 535i drove better so I could switch just out of spite.
This leads to another important comparison - customer service. As I mentioned, I have owed both a 745i and an A6. Also, I have moved several times because of work, so I have been to BMW service in two states and Audi service in three states.
As most have noted here, BMW customer service is far and away better than Audi. It is not difficult at all to get a weekend appointment time at BMW, and they have always given me a BMW loaner. Not just stripped down 3-series loaners - I was given X5s and 5-series (sometimes a 3-series also, but they at least try to give you something comparable). Also, the two BMW waiting areas were really nice - not just drip coffee and dunkin donuts, but actual cafes and sofas.
True BMW story - one time my passenger side door would not unlock at all. I took it in for service in Friday afternoon, and the technician thought he could have it done by the end of the day. However, the problem was bigger than he thought, but two technicians and a service advisor stayed until 11:30pm to get it fixed. The service department closed at 7pm, so they stayed long after hours because they knew I needed my car for a weekend trip with my nieces. Most places would have closed and fixed it the next morning.
Compare to Audi. Only one of the three service departments I went to had Audi loaners, and it was a stripped down A4. The other two gave me enterprise rentals, and more than once I was stuck with an Aveo. An $10,000 Chevy Aveo! It also seems that Audi service only keeps the most common parts in stock, so any unusual repair will take far too long. On top of that, the waiting areas of all three were really cheap - drip coffee and granola bars. One place even had hard plastic benches like those in grade school.
Even the Audi salespeople don't seem to know their cars. One saleperson tried to tell me that the A6 had adjustable air suspension. I knew that wasn't true but he was insistent. So I asked him to confirm it with his manager. He came back and told me he confused the A6 with the A7 (same platform), and that the A7 had adjustable air suspension. I again told him that the A7 didn't have it either, and from the look on his face I knew he was lying. He could have just told me he made a mistake, but he decided to lie instead. I did not deal with that person after that.
I never took a car to Mercedes service, but the one near me had a real cafe instead with a chef and barrista. They make omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and espresso for waiting customers free of charge. And they only have Mercedes loaners.
This experience really upset me. I could have placed an order for a 2012 535i and got it in mid-October. They just started the 2012 production line last week, so anyone who pre-ordered would have had a first week build. However, putting in an order now would be a late November-early December delivery. I almost jumped because I felt shafted by Audi, but I had already negotiated a deal and gave my deposit, and the expected delivery is now only a couple weeks difference. I'm sticking with the A6, but I wish the 535i drove better so I could switch just out of spite.
This leads to another important comparison - customer service. As I mentioned, I have owed both a 745i and an A6. Also, I have moved several times because of work, so I have been to BMW service in two states and Audi service in three states.
As most have noted here, BMW customer service is far and away better than Audi. It is not difficult at all to get a weekend appointment time at BMW, and they have always given me a BMW loaner. Not just stripped down 3-series loaners - I was given X5s and 5-series (sometimes a 3-series also, but they at least try to give you something comparable). Also, the two BMW waiting areas were really nice - not just drip coffee and dunkin donuts, but actual cafes and sofas.
True BMW story - one time my passenger side door would not unlock at all. I took it in for service in Friday afternoon, and the technician thought he could have it done by the end of the day. However, the problem was bigger than he thought, but two technicians and a service advisor stayed until 11:30pm to get it fixed. The service department closed at 7pm, so they stayed long after hours because they knew I needed my car for a weekend trip with my nieces. Most places would have closed and fixed it the next morning.
Compare to Audi. Only one of the three service departments I went to had Audi loaners, and it was a stripped down A4. The other two gave me enterprise rentals, and more than once I was stuck with an Aveo. An $10,000 Chevy Aveo! It also seems that Audi service only keeps the most common parts in stock, so any unusual repair will take far too long. On top of that, the waiting areas of all three were really cheap - drip coffee and granola bars. One place even had hard plastic benches like those in grade school.
Even the Audi salespeople don't seem to know their cars. One saleperson tried to tell me that the A6 had adjustable air suspension. I knew that wasn't true but he was insistent. So I asked him to confirm it with his manager. He came back and told me he confused the A6 with the A7 (same platform), and that the A7 had adjustable air suspension. I again told him that the A7 didn't have it either, and from the look on his face I knew he was lying. He could have just told me he made a mistake, but he decided to lie instead. I did not deal with that person after that.
I never took a car to Mercedes service, but the one near me had a real cafe instead with a chef and barrista. They make omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and espresso for waiting customers free of charge. And they only have Mercedes loaners.
regarding BMW vs Audi customer service (at least here)audi was/is much better. The salesmen at BMW seemed annoyed that was asking questions and price haggling was a joke. The attitude was "It's a BMW we can sell it all day long at this price" - I was treated better by every other dealership I visited- Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes and even Hyundai. I've not heard complaints regarding servicing at either dealership.
Now that's just here, I've no doubt it's different elsewhere.
hope this all works out for you.
J
09-06-2011, 08:34 PM
#10
Yup, the dealership that I bought my Mercedes had a real cafe (MB of Tampa Bay). Good experience.