Nobody has commented on this yet. Does the BMW experience translate and
01-30-2004, 04:54 AM
#15
Good points. But I think they have to move up.
Having spent a week in South Fla., I have to believe that Mercedes is gaining ground. Their premium cabriolet (SL?) is everywhere, and it looks GOOD. Audi has nothing to offer in that segment.
I think the RWD and engine issue are connected. Even though Audi engines match up pretty well with German competitors of equal displacement, when you hook them to the added weight and drag of AWD, you end up with a marginally slower car that is less balanced with less steering feel.
If I thought Audi was capitalizing on AWD, I would say that it is worth the downside; but right now, Subaru and Infiniti are stealing the thunder.
If you owned VW, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini, and laid them out left-to-right on a price continuum, you would have to conclude that Audi has lots of room to move to the right -- up to and perhaps a bit past Mercedes/BMW. I never thought it would stick, but some people are getting fairly accustomed to paying $60-80,000 for cars.
PS: S4 and RS6 have sports car performance statistics, but their lineage is not in the same league as the BMW M series cars. They're better than a Taurus SHO, but they still have fairly ordinary roots.
I think the RWD and engine issue are connected. Even though Audi engines match up pretty well with German competitors of equal displacement, when you hook them to the added weight and drag of AWD, you end up with a marginally slower car that is less balanced with less steering feel.
If I thought Audi was capitalizing on AWD, I would say that it is worth the downside; but right now, Subaru and Infiniti are stealing the thunder.
If you owned VW, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini, and laid them out left-to-right on a price continuum, you would have to conclude that Audi has lots of room to move to the right -- up to and perhaps a bit past Mercedes/BMW. I never thought it would stick, but some people are getting fairly accustomed to paying $60-80,000 for cars.
PS: S4 and RS6 have sports car performance statistics, but their lineage is not in the same league as the BMW M series cars. They're better than a Taurus SHO, but they still have fairly ordinary roots.
01-30-2004, 09:35 AM
#18
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It's going to be tough because they're going to lose customers like me who love Audi...
but don't want to pay ever higher prices for one.
I started w/ my A4 2.8 Avant, loved it but it was totalled. Ordered another, after waiting & waiting could wait no longer (3 mos. overdue) and lucked into an A6 Avant that was a dealer demo w/ 300 miles on it.
I'm keeping this one til the wheels fall off, I hope, but I do not want to spend more than $30k (If that) on my next car, so if they are hell bent on moving up and not having something like the A4 1.8t available, then they will lose me (and I won't be going to BMW or Mercedes-Benz, I've given up on M-B and never got in synch w/ the BMW snobbery).
Best,
Jon
'01 A6 Avant
'73 Porsche 911T
I started w/ my A4 2.8 Avant, loved it but it was totalled. Ordered another, after waiting & waiting could wait no longer (3 mos. overdue) and lucked into an A6 Avant that was a dealer demo w/ 300 miles on it.
I'm keeping this one til the wheels fall off, I hope, but I do not want to spend more than $30k (If that) on my next car, so if they are hell bent on moving up and not having something like the A4 1.8t available, then they will lose me (and I won't be going to BMW or Mercedes-Benz, I've given up on M-B and never got in synch w/ the BMW snobbery).
Best,
Jon
'01 A6 Avant
'73 Porsche 911T
01-30-2004, 09:49 AM
#19
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
Well in any case the other German competitors won't be any less than Audi when apples to apples.
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3127/a3.jpg"></center><p>This is the A3 Sportback. My next car. W/DSG and VR6, I'll probably be looking in the low to mid $30K range. That's fine since I tend to keep my cars for a very long time, so choosing the right car to live with is critical to me, and less expensive than jumping from one car to another every 3 to 5 years.
If you plan to stay $30K and under, then it looks like perhaps VW may have something for you. Even Camrys are going for over $30K these days :-(
I think Audi will keep at least one foot in the sub-$30K price bracket, as way to snag new customers and young people. Probably the more basic A3 (FWD and 4cyl) and A4.
If you plan to stay $30K and under, then it looks like perhaps VW may have something for you. Even Camrys are going for over $30K these days :-(
I think Audi will keep at least one foot in the sub-$30K price bracket, as way to snag new customers and young people. Probably the more basic A3 (FWD and 4cyl) and A4.
