Opinion: If Audi...

Drastically improved their exterior styling and dumped the all-wheel-drive mantra they would be absolutely be dangerous and probably be the best German car on the road.

Exterior is very subjective. What's wrong with touting all wheel drive? BMW does it as well as MB.

Why would Audi need improvment on their exterior styling and dumped the all-wheel-drive, those two factors are what got Audi where they are today.

Audis of the past have been very nose heavy and plowed in corners in a way that would make a John Deere jelous. However when I last drove the new S4 those tendencies were almost gone. I was throuroughly impressed with the balance and cornering behaviour of that car. For me it's not mainly the AWD or styling that they need to fix, it's the steering. It's pretty awful. I also found the car to be a bit too "clinical" and smooth to the point that it felt slightly artificial. But if they could offer a steering like the better BMWs it would go a very long way.

Isn't this the F10 / F11 forum?

The Audi was my second choice, but a distant second. I find the looks to be very plain looking, and what was once the standard of the world in interior design has fallen to dead last. And it fails one of my pet peeves items - I hate Navigation screens that stick up from the dash as if they forgot to design the car for it.

Even with AWD, it's a bit front heavy, but I could probably live with that for the driving I do. But as it stands right now I would have been most likely to get the S5, not a "6".

If your Aunt was a man she'd be your Uncle...

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

If your Aunt was a man she'd be your Uncle...

Good analogy!

Emotive subject. Audi are fine cars and I could make some attempt to rationalize why I do not own one.

I don't because I like BMW's better and I have owned a lot of BMWs so, like a lot of people, I am used to what they do well. Handle and are driver orientated. I always remember a quote from Car magazine in the UK in their now defunct "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" section. Audi was described something along the lines of "Cunning German mobility machine" - maybe someone can remember it better than I can. Anyway I find Audi to be soulless (I am not religious so you can translate this as characterless) and have kept with BMW in general ( i have had one in my garage for the last 20 years or so - along with other interesting machinery) which seem to have the soul of a driver's machine (although some of the newer ones are testing this premise a little).

Am I biased, you bet I am! Am I rational, not really. Do I like BMW, you bet I do. I am glad Audi exist, just as I am glad that MB, Cadillac and Jag exist. They keep competition active and drive the manufacturers to build better cars.

Nothing wrong with Audi in my opinion. You could also make the argument they are in more demand than BMW these days. They can be a little under powered, but the styling is sweet.

I remember where i was the first time I saw an Audi with the LEDs in the headlights. Dont remember the model or even the year it was that I saw it but I thought they were very unique and intriguing (at the time, before all the aftermarket kits and other brands followed suit). However, I still think Audi does it best.

I'm just glad that more people choose the aftermarket LED look rather than the Angel Eye look. Keeps the BMW signature a lot less tarnished.

When will ALL the car companies drop the RWD/FWD mantra

Originally Posted by solstice

But if they could offer a steering like the better BMWs it would go a very long way.

Even the new BMW doesnt offer that anymore

For all the talk about the excellent front to rear weight ratio of BMW vs Audi's terrible weight distribution, the new Audi sure handles pretty nice for an unbalance car. On most of the new Audi designs, they move the engine behind the front axle and reduce the over hang in the front, this results in a much more responsive and agile car to drive. In the city, the A6 is much more fun to drive than the 535i, but on the highway, BMW is still the king. Steering wise, my 535xi has hydrudic steering and it is a bit better than the A6's, but the A6's steering while in the dynamic mode is better than the electric steering in the 535i. Who ever wrote that Audi is soulless should really take a A6 for a extended test drive, it more fun to drive than the 5 series. In my opinion, the 5 series' biggest advantage is solidness, highway handling and the multi contour seats.

Originally Posted by Itinj6

I remember where i was the first time I saw an Audi with the LEDs in the headlights. Dont remember the model or even the year it was that I saw it but I thought they were very unique and intriguing (at the time, before all the aftermarket kits and other brands followed suit). However, I still think Audi does it best.

I think the first Audi with LED DRL is the 2006 R8 and the 2009 R* was the first production car to have LED headlights. Audi is by far the leader in automotive lighting technologies. I remember when I got my A6, it doesnt come with fog lights and I am pretty much blind at night without it. I was going to put some in. After driving the A6 for a while, I realized that the A6's light is so bright that I dont need the fod lights. I would say the HID on my A6 without fog lights is as bright as my 535i with fog lights. The LED headlight on the A6 is even brighter, but I think the HID still throw the beam a bit further out.

I have a lot of respect for Audi for what they accomplished in the last 10 years. I think with the exception of Hyundai, Audi made the biggest gain in vehicle design, lighting technologies, performance, and electronic technologies.

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW

Nothing wrong with Audi in my opinion. You could also make the argument they are in more demand than BMW these days. They can be a little under powered, but the styling is sweet.

That's funny. I would have said just the opposite. I came very, very close to buying the new A6 but, at the end of the day, the horribly bland styling and the disinterested dealership did it in for me. The car was/is a rocket ship. Easily quicker than the 535 with infinitely better throttle response.

My only gripe with Audi is their interior. MB's interior is too spartan and plain while Audi is trying too hard to make it stylish. Bmw has the best blend of both and everything inside just feels more upscale/solid where as audi's interior look upscale until you start touching things.

If the F10's interior was installed on the A6......boy would it be a tough choice...

Alan

There's nothing wrong with Audis IMHO. Quattro AWD is what they've been all about for decades now and their newest cars drive pretty darned good and look good too. Biggest problem with Audi is their poor corporate lease support and lousy dealerships. This is why you see tons of A4/S4's around, but almost never anything beyond that. I occasionally see an A6 or A7, but usually see about 10-20 E-classes and 5ers for every one of those if not more. I forget the stats but 80-90% of sales at the 50k luxury level and higher are leases, and BMW and MB beat the snot out of Audi here simply because of their much better corporate lease support and then flipping them on CPO sales 3 years later. A very good business model.

Originally Posted by SteVTEC

There's nothing wrong with Audis IMHO. Quattro AWD is what they've been all about for decades now

Agree. They make excellent winter cars. If we ever start to experience snow in Miami, I will be sure to go out and buy an Audi Quattro.

Originally Posted by solstice

Audis of the past have been very nose heavy and plowed in corners in a way that would make a John Deere jelous. However when I last drove the new S4 those tendencies were almost gone. I was throuroughly impressed with the balance and cornering behaviour of that car. For me it's not mainly the AWD or styling that they need to fix, it's the steering. It's pretty awful. I also found the car to be a bit too "clinical" and smooth to the point that it felt slightly artificial. But if they could offer a steering like the better BMWs it would go a very long way.

I agree with you on the new Audi's having fixed the nose-heavy feel.

I think "clinical" is the right word. I test drove the S4 and the S5 (couldn't find a dealer that would let me test-drive the TTRS), and they are fine cars that are very, very competent. It's very easy to drive them fast around twisties, and it's almost fool-proof to a fault. It's almost as if Audi built their cars for average Joes to feel like F1 drivers (not a bad thing). I love their manual shifter (short and precise), but their steering and clutch are way too light (for the "S" variants). Steering is precise but the feedback is somehwat mooted.

I am pretty sure the S6 won't fall too far from the S4/S5 tree, in terms of driving dynamics. I need to go test drive it, but if it handles as well as the S4, it would be a very tempting choice when compared to the F10.

Originally Posted by enigma

I think "clinical" is the right word. I test drove the S4 and the S5 (couldn't find a dealer that would let me test-drive the TTRS),.

lol remember Audi dealers think they are selling nothing but 458 italia equivalents

I'd consider an S4/S6, but the dealers are such a turn off, I almost don't want them to have my business.

Originally Posted by Mikez38

Exterior is very subjective. What's wrong with touting all wheel drive? BMW does it as well as MB.

Because without it, the Audi is front-wheel drive.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

If your Aunt was a man she'd be your Uncle...

Good one.

I am sorry but audi cannot compare to a Bimmer

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

That's funny. I would have said just the opposite. I came very, very close to buying the new A6 but, at the end of the day, the horribly bland styling and the disinterested dealership did it in for me. The car was/is a rocket ship. Easily quicker than the 535 with infinitely better throttle response.

Definitely a matter of opinion Doc, for the record I base my comments on the A8 vs. the 7-series. This is what I was comparing when I last shopped. I would agree the 535 has it over the A6 inside and out. I completely agree with you on the disinterested dealership. My experience exactly. Very unwilling to deal. When I challenged them on it they threw Benz and BMW under the bus saying their cars are in much more demand so they don't have to bend over backwards to put you in a car.

Audi design is quite beautiful and timeless. The Audi A7 is the most beautiful sedan made. BMW sells more 4 wheel drive sedans in the Chicago area than RWD. Audi is doing fine as is BMW.