NJRoadFan

....and start stocking parts for older models. The "Old Luxury" (BMW, MB) do this. Its one way they keep customers coming back to the brand. It gives the image that BMW and MB build a solid long lasting product and back them with world class support.

The same can't be said for Audi and its parent brand VW. There are plenty of dealership horror stories here and on other boards and getting warranty repairs covered can be like pulling teeth. It also shows in resale, an A4 quattro from 1996-98 for the most part costs about the same as a Nissan from that time period in the used market, not the case with the "Old Luxury".

bpp

isn't mucked up along the way for the sake of the bottom line and, ultimately, greed and power.

JoeO

When that happens, the company sits on its laurels and the competition blows by.

In my opinion, one area where Audi is not competitive is in the engine department. If Audi wishes to dethrone BMW in North America then it needs to, at the very least, match BMW horspower for horsepower. That may sound silly, but the average car buyer is not an ethusiast and often buys for silly reasons. Until Audi does this, they will be known more for being luxurious than for being sporty.

chewym

Only recently has Audi done some special leases for the A4 and Q7. The A3 lease was not much less than the one for the A4.

This is one area for extra sales.

DMoore

I've owned Audis continuously since 1986. My current RS4 is my eleventh. I love the cars, but have had an unbroken series of bad experiences with their dealerships over the years.

I think some of this has to be attributed to AoA. They seem to always keep the dealers in the dark regarding future plans. I almost always know more about what's going on with Audi than anyone at their dealerships, thanks (of course) to this forum.

Over the years, Audi dealers have visited a list of slights upon me, including (in no particular order) refusal to provide loaner/rental cars during service visits; rude treatment by sales people; being lied to by sales people and management; and an overall air of ignorance about the product.

Still, the cars are great. I've gone from a 4000CS Quattro in 1986 to my present RS4. I've put lots of friends in Audis - most recently, I talked a friend into an A8.

Audi has the product. But they just don't have an organization to match. THAT's where they should focus their efforts.

DMoore
'07 RS4
'08 Carrera

hugj

the bad dealership experiences have had a ripple effect in our city and not the "ripple effect" Jason talks about in the article. Now, that being said, the dealer is working very hard to correct that image IMHO. They have been extremely good to me even though I didn't buy my car from them. The problem is that things were so bad there at one point I still hear about these experience others had with their vw/audi cars from 5+ years ago. That is really the reason most people in my city will not buy an Audi. It's the reason I went to a different city to purchase a VW 6 years ago.

They love the cars when they ride in ours but the dealership image is killing it for sales even if those opinions may no longer be warranted. People don't want to have to fight with the dealership to get their 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or $80k car to work properly. This particular dealership is the only Audi dealership within 200 miles or so.

I hate to say this but my mom will never own anything but a lexus- not because the cars are "fantastic" in her opinion (don't get me wrong she likes her car- but she would rather ride in my S4!) but because the car has been extremely reliable AND they treat her like a queen when she needs service/maintenance. No derogatory comments, no "we're too busy", always offer a loaner etc.

We bought our first Audi (C5 A6 avant) used 5 years ago and my wife still drives it and loves it. Had we not purchased that car I don't think I would be driving an Audi now. Depreciation is the only issue I currently have with Audis- I know that would change if the popularity of the vehicles rises and people understand that the cars are either generally reliable or the out-of-warranty maintenance costs drop. It is also a benefit in a way since I'm looking at lightly used RS4s now and the savings off new list price are quite substantial.

I have four sisters, 3 of whom own Hondas- Element, CR-V and Pilot. They like their cars because the TCO is so low and are repeat buyers because of generally good experiences with the purchasing process, reliability and price- those vehicles are a different market segment though. Some of us are willing to pay a little extra for everything an Audi offers- which prompts the question of whether the extra entry expense, long term maintenance costs and depreciation of Audi cars will ever allow Audi to grab a large enough market share? I guess it depends on your definition of "large enough".

Don't get me wrong, if anyone ever mentions they are looking at BMW or Mercedes I push them very hard to take the Audi path. I do that because ultimately I do believe in the products Audi produces. The problem is that most people who talk about BMW/Merc have never considered Audi- sometimes it is because they are just not aware of what Audi currently offers, are aware of the poor dealership image or because they truly are more interested in the emblem on the car than the car itself.

It boils down to perception and IMHO dealership image is the biggest obstacle in Audi's way right now.

DMoore

And, to be honest, things are improving with my local dealership. They picked up the Audi franchise a few years ago. Until a year ago, they refused to provide a ride or a loaner. That has now changed. (Of course, when I bought my RS4 I got it from them in writing that I would always get a loaner.) After a recent foul-up, they actually picked up my car from my house, serviced it, and returned it to my home.

The fact that I recently purchased a 911 from the same dealership *might* have played into that decision.

But they do seem to be trying harder.

DMoore
'07 RS4
'08 Carrera

PDXA4

Excellent summary of Audi here in the US market...

PDXA4

It had a wonderful history, the peoples car should have a much cooler and hip image in this style conscious county. This quirky Germanic image should be promoted and improved upon by it's dealerships...

Audi has the racing and engineering innovation history as well as luxury. Now this needs to be backed up with stellar reliability and 2nd to none dealership and warranty experience...
Something which is certainly not currently offered by AoA...

AoA needs to be very careful right now, they may sell a lot more cars to hit their sales target, but keeping these new customers as repeat consumers will be a major challenge, I believe that they(AoA) are currently in no position to grow the brand until they get their own house in order first...

s4love

s4 bi-turbo? and perhaps better MPG for modern times