I am certainly no stranger to leveling criticism at Audi regarding their advertising that makes reading the fine print a necessity just to break down which cars are actually being used in the claims being made. Agent 001 broke out another round of questioning the thought process behind the Audi logic yesterday, and in reading his story along with the discussions that followed, it got me thinking.
What if YOU were asked to write the fine print on the car you presently drive, or one you have driven in the past?
Granted I am not a lawyer, and perhaps you aren't either.
But what if (insert the brand you drive here) came to you and asked you to write the fine print on the (insert the model you drive) as a means to educate others.
I'll give you an example.
In 1999 I got my first BMW. It was a Steel Blue 323i with a 5-speed manual transmission. I drove this car hard, accelerating hard and braking hard. Very quickly the rotors warped on the car prompting a trip to the dealership. Pads and rotors were replaced with a little over 6000 miles on the odometer, and a stern warning from the service manager stating that the next time the brake job would not be covered. Sadly this routine was repeated 3 more times over the 3-years I had this car, and since this was prior to BMW paying for all maintenance for 4-years or 50,000 miles, so the subsequent brake jobs came out of my pocket. A total of 4 sets of front rotors and pads along with 2 sets for the rear over the course of 40,000 miles was an unexpected expense, and something the fine print didn't mention, but certainly an item I would tell others about.
A more recent item I would list involves the 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S I owned. Ordered exactly as I wanted it, the long wait between ordering and taking delivery served to only build the excitement and anticipation for this car I had lusted after since childhood. Of the many options included on my 911, the upgraded BOSE audio system is one that I would strongly urge others from not purchasing. Aside from the additional expense, the entire system was at best sub par, and often times sounded cheap and tinny. Of course this is something not published by Porsche as they are in the business of selling options which carry large profit margins, so to list an option as inferior to the standard issue item would run contrary to their objective.
Of course that is probably why we aren't asked to write the fine print.
Another item that I think should be not only in the fine print, but perhaps listed in large print on every window sticker is whether or not a particular car has true iPod (or other MP3) capabilities. Of course a AUX plug is becoming pretty common, but true USB compatibility is something that I think every car should have. The fine print on the AUX plug doesn't mention the need to control the iPod from the iPod. The USB plug transfers control to the existing audio system eliminating the need to take your eyes from the road to change music.
Hopefully you are getting the idea, actually living with a car is different from a 10 minute test drive at a dealership or a controlled long distance drive by a manufacturer. Let's face it, we are the true automobile test drivers out here, we actually live with a car (or truck or SUV) for months and often years. We are the ones who pick up on the subtle nuances that make a great car great, or the annoying things which make a good car, bad.
So have some Sunday fun, tell us the car you drive and write the fine print for the rest of us.
In the process we all will learn a little something.
Hey, and when you are done be sure to check out the 2008 LA Auto Show Gallery