Jaguar XF versus Audi S5
04-14-2008, 07:57 AM
#13
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After much thought
I ended up liking the Audi S5 a lot better and it costs about the same as the base Jaguar XF model and has 50+ more HP and a slick shifting manual transmission which the Jaguar lacks.
SO.. my heart is not set on deciding between the new Audi S5, new BMW M3 coupe and new Mercedes AMG C63. No Mercedes AMG C63 vehicles will be available until end of the year so will have to wait. I may get lucky enough to test out the new M3 since I am a BMW owner and car club member. However, the S5 probably will win since it costs a lot less cash than the M3 or the C63 AMG.
Now one silly question- why is it that Audi does not have the status cachet of other German makers in the USA? They have the best design and looks now.
SO.. my heart is not set on deciding between the new Audi S5, new BMW M3 coupe and new Mercedes AMG C63. No Mercedes AMG C63 vehicles will be available until end of the year so will have to wait. I may get lucky enough to test out the new M3 since I am a BMW owner and car club member. However, the S5 probably will win since it costs a lot less cash than the M3 or the C63 AMG.
Now one silly question- why is it that Audi does not have the status cachet of other German makers in the USA? They have the best design and looks now.
04-14-2008, 08:05 AM
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I think so (at least with CR) They damaged Audi badly by lumping them with last place VW
They are incredibly lazy not to evaluate both brands independently. I was reading it at a grocery check out like one night and was shocked. How can a brand that rates around 34/36 get combined with a brand that has hit as high as #12? Well, at least VW wins in this one. (I didn't give my purchase to CR)
04-14-2008, 08:11 AM
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Audi pretty much dismissed the US market for a lot of years and barely
put any marketing effort into it's products here in the states. That has changed the last couple of years and particular this year with product placement in some major movies (Hitman, soon to be released Ironman) and of course the Superbowl and Oscars. People are finally starting to be able to answer the question "What is an Audi?" If Audi would have started this years ago, things would likely be different today. 15 years without a major coupe in the U.S. ???
04-14-2008, 08:33 AM
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Audi S5 for sure...Jaguars still feel like it's cheaply built
Saw one at the Auto show and thought it looked nice, but once I opened and shut the door it just feels like a Ford and really cheap feeling. That's just my opinion, but I think the S5 is still better looking of the two cars.
04-14-2008, 09:23 AM
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Can Audi take thunder from BMW and Mercedes?
Will be interesting to watch how sales compete against BMW and Mercedes. At least Audi is not a dime a dozen like the zillions of low end bimmers and benzes that I see even poor kids driving in so cal these days.
04-14-2008, 11:41 AM
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Hatchet job to Audi reputation from 20 years ago
My guess is that when Audi had problems years ago with the old models driving into reverse it got blown out of proportion by the news media which hammered the Audi brand quite a bit. Anyways based on what I have seen, Audi has ramped up design and quality and hiring best and brightest engineers so they are definitely making better cars. In fact, one thing that I noticed is that Jaguar copied the design for the parking brake and start button from Audi S5! I still like the Audi S5 better but due to gas prices may end up getting the A5 coupe with the S line package and saving about 8k and on the gas bill. Its tough to decide between the 335i BMW and A5 coupe though!!!
04-14-2008, 12:39 PM
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Let me jump in here...a good Audi history lesson for you and others...
from a Bimmer guy...in 1987, Audi came out with the Audi 90, which was better than the Audi 80 series.
Then the BOOM was lowered on Audi--after this flawed 60 minutes report--and I do like 60 minutes most of the time--supposedly showed that Audi automobiles suffered from what they called "unintended acceleration." The 60 Minutes report was based on customer reports of acceleration when the brake pedal was pushed.
Independent investigators concluded that this was most likely due to a close placement of the accelerator and brake pedals (unlike American cars) because Audi was trying to help the REAL DRIVERS OUT THERE do HEEL-TOE downshifting. Needless to say, this is facilitated by putting the pedals relatively close together, and on the same "plane" if you know what I mean, for this. 60 Minutes ignored this fact.
Audi's sales in the US plummeted. The entire Audi brand suffered because it was perceived as some sort of crazy death-car that would accelerate wildly when one tried to press the brakes.
The corporate folks contemplated pulling out of the US altogether. That is also why there are not tons of independent dealers, like BMW and Mercedes. Sales began to recover in the 1990s.
The new A4 in, i think, about 1995 or 1996, has a great deal to do with the revival in the US.
As Sean Connery said in "The Untouchables," "Thus endeth the lesson."
Then the BOOM was lowered on Audi--after this flawed 60 minutes report--and I do like 60 minutes most of the time--supposedly showed that Audi automobiles suffered from what they called "unintended acceleration." The 60 Minutes report was based on customer reports of acceleration when the brake pedal was pushed.
Independent investigators concluded that this was most likely due to a close placement of the accelerator and brake pedals (unlike American cars) because Audi was trying to help the REAL DRIVERS OUT THERE do HEEL-TOE downshifting. Needless to say, this is facilitated by putting the pedals relatively close together, and on the same "plane" if you know what I mean, for this. 60 Minutes ignored this fact.
Audi's sales in the US plummeted. The entire Audi brand suffered because it was perceived as some sort of crazy death-car that would accelerate wildly when one tried to press the brakes.
The corporate folks contemplated pulling out of the US altogether. That is also why there are not tons of independent dealers, like BMW and Mercedes. Sales began to recover in the 1990s.
The new A4 in, i think, about 1995 or 1996, has a great deal to do with the revival in the US.
As Sean Connery said in "The Untouchables," "Thus endeth the lesson."