Nice take on Audi by Mike Rutherford from AutoExpress.
09-25-2002, 09:36 AM
#1
Nice take on Audi by Mike Rutherford from AutoExpress.
Wednesday 25th September 2002
At Full Chat
Life was wonderfully straight-forward for me as a car-obsessed child. Full of naive optimism I pleaded with my dad to ditch the sensible family saloon and buy a proper, expensive, large-engined luxury car that purred. And I warned that if he wasn't prepared to meet my demands (which he wasn't) I'd save my pennies and buy one myself (which I did).
But it couldn't only be any old large car. It had to be German. And it had to be a Mercedes or BMW. Audi didn't even come into it. Years later I kept my promise and bought a used Beemer (3-Series) and a Merc (S-Class). Both more than lived up to my high expectations. Every young person-about-town deserves the keys to a BMW during his or her twenties or thirties. And regardless of age, there really is something hugely satisfying about driving a powerful Benz with that iconic three-pointed star perched at the tip of a long bonnet.
My lack of enthusiasm for Audis meant I never thought for a moment about buying one. But I did run an 80 company car for a while in the Eighties, and it was a dog. I can only go by personal experiences and tell you that my pre-owned BMW and Merc were more reliable, better built, looked superior and had tons more cachet than the brand new, horribly problematical Audi. But that's all history. The rules and standards have now changed enormously.
For starters, many so-called German cars are now made anywhere but - Mercs in South America, BMWs in America and Audis in Hungary, for example. And although that legendary Mercedes badge still oozes class, the firm has undoubtedly moved downmarket - as the quite offensive A-Class proves. Equally damaging, if not more so, is the fact that many Mercs simply aren't as well built, durable or long-lasting as they used to be. BMW, on the other hand, is a victim of its own success, with the 3-Series now as common as muck. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the 7-Series has such an awful rear end and complicated interior that I genuinely fear for the sanity of the men and women responsible for its design.
I nearly feel disloyal in saying this, but I honestly believe Audi has transformed from being the worst of the big three German luxury makers to the best. Yes, even a committed Audi sceptic and lifelong Merc/BMW fan such as me is forced to admit that in 2002, the roles have been dramatically reversed. Audi has been cleverly nibbling away at potential clients in recent years. Its exterior designs are the freshest and most appealing. The interiors are on a par with those from BMW and way ahead of Mercedes' cheap and cheesy approach. And Audi turbodiesels are a joy (the petrol versions aren't bad either). In short, too many Merc and BMW variants are a bit loud, a bit Eighties and a bit naff.
Meanwhile, most Audis are a bit subtle, a bit now and a bit cool. And the icing on the cake? In the same way Ferrari dominates Formula One, Audi has claimed Le Mans as its own. Meanwhile, back in F1, an embarrassed BMW struggles, while a humiliated Mercedes merely makes up the numbers these days. Mike Rutherford
At Full Chat
Life was wonderfully straight-forward for me as a car-obsessed child. Full of naive optimism I pleaded with my dad to ditch the sensible family saloon and buy a proper, expensive, large-engined luxury car that purred. And I warned that if he wasn't prepared to meet my demands (which he wasn't) I'd save my pennies and buy one myself (which I did).
But it couldn't only be any old large car. It had to be German. And it had to be a Mercedes or BMW. Audi didn't even come into it. Years later I kept my promise and bought a used Beemer (3-Series) and a Merc (S-Class). Both more than lived up to my high expectations. Every young person-about-town deserves the keys to a BMW during his or her twenties or thirties. And regardless of age, there really is something hugely satisfying about driving a powerful Benz with that iconic three-pointed star perched at the tip of a long bonnet.
My lack of enthusiasm for Audis meant I never thought for a moment about buying one. But I did run an 80 company car for a while in the Eighties, and it was a dog. I can only go by personal experiences and tell you that my pre-owned BMW and Merc were more reliable, better built, looked superior and had tons more cachet than the brand new, horribly problematical Audi. But that's all history. The rules and standards have now changed enormously.
For starters, many so-called German cars are now made anywhere but - Mercs in South America, BMWs in America and Audis in Hungary, for example. And although that legendary Mercedes badge still oozes class, the firm has undoubtedly moved downmarket - as the quite offensive A-Class proves. Equally damaging, if not more so, is the fact that many Mercs simply aren't as well built, durable or long-lasting as they used to be. BMW, on the other hand, is a victim of its own success, with the 3-Series now as common as muck. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the 7-Series has such an awful rear end and complicated interior that I genuinely fear for the sanity of the men and women responsible for its design.
I nearly feel disloyal in saying this, but I honestly believe Audi has transformed from being the worst of the big three German luxury makers to the best. Yes, even a committed Audi sceptic and lifelong Merc/BMW fan such as me is forced to admit that in 2002, the roles have been dramatically reversed. Audi has been cleverly nibbling away at potential clients in recent years. Its exterior designs are the freshest and most appealing. The interiors are on a par with those from BMW and way ahead of Mercedes' cheap and cheesy approach. And Audi turbodiesels are a joy (the petrol versions aren't bad either). In short, too many Merc and BMW variants are a bit loud, a bit Eighties and a bit naff.
Meanwhile, most Audis are a bit subtle, a bit now and a bit cool. And the icing on the cake? In the same way Ferrari dominates Formula One, Audi has claimed Le Mans as its own. Meanwhile, back in F1, an embarrassed BMW struggles, while a humiliated Mercedes merely makes up the numbers these days. Mike Rutherford
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09-25-2002, 10:21 AM
#8
Denny, interesting article that almost parallels a conversation I had last evening
Last evening I spoke briefly with the Mercedes-Benz General Manager of the new Flecher (sp?) Jones dealership located in the near north side of Chicago. This dealership is the former Loeber dealership. I have met this individual several times at social events over the past several months. I struck up a conversation about car sales in Chicago. Car sales, as expected, are very strong. But, interestingly he pointed out that Audi is now outselling Mercedes-Benz. The dealership sells both brands along with Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan and Infiniti. And it should be noted that the BMW dealer is located across the street!
The key strenght of Audi is quattro and solid design.
Cordially,
John J. Szobocsan
NM TT #11
The key strenght of Audi is quattro and solid design.
Cordially,
John J. Szobocsan
NM TT #11
