Audi Adjusts To The American Way

I want to see more aggressive styling and reliability in Audi's.

Rapido!

nnno problems with reliablity

CEL once per 2 months on both cars , small vacum leak , MAF gone bad , Faulty TT cluster , just tip of the ice berg

Audi is the John Kerry of car makers these days. When they open their mouths, it just makes it worse.

"We are going to start charging more for our cars."
"We are going to be more American to get American buyers."

They're already a weak brand. Keep talking!

i personally like audi cars... but i think their general strategy is all wrong in North America -

1) "closing the price gap w/ MBs and BMWs within the next few years" - this should be the least of their worries in NA considering that they're getting pounded in the sales dept. by BMW, Mercedes and Lexus

2) be "more" american - what the heck does this mean? designing crappy gas-guzzlers that no one wants?? why not study what audi's competitors have done - BMW? Mercedes? Lexus?

And does audi really think that the Big 3 Americans are doing so well that they want to go down the same road?

3) lastly, i can perfectly understand that "some" people prefer the "understated elegance" of an audi and do not want to draw attention to their car. Some people prefer a car that is a "sleeper" [AMG / M line vs. the less noticeable S/RS line]. But in a nation where we sell flashy escalades and all these 22" rims - does it really seem that the general audience prefer "understated elegance"... it just might be my personal opinion but I don't think that this strategy or design works over here... i'm willing to go out on a limb and say that north americans clearly prefer the "if you have it, flaunt it" styling

Well said. And on the elegance topic, is there at least a chance to go half-way to more aggressive stlying? The die-hard Audi drivers gravitate to the S cars and S-line styling at least partly for the flared look. I'm sure Audi people will say, we like to be understated, but there has to be a happy medium, 'cause I agree that it's too subtle for an already subtle brand.

whatever
with record sales each year I think they are doing ok

they have moved the brand in the last 2 years alone about 100 miles. They are fighing a srinking lux market with BMW and MB giving away their cars on lease right now

Audi made their brand shines from the original A4 and TT
( which I owned both )
They were giving me Zero discount back then bcoz they were just nice cars.

Record numbers sales , maybe , shorter facelift cycle,
lease deals , like
2007 A4 2.0T quattro with Tiptronic transmission
$379 per month
24-month lease*
---------------------------------------------------
Down payment $0
Refundable security deposit $0
First Monthly Payment $379
Acquisition fee $575
---------------------------------------------------
Amount due at lease inception $954

I am not sure , about tht , 15kmiles a yr , I call it a give away

thecar

yes the A4 if you do a base car is a "give away"

Try the A6 A8 S6 S8 A4Cab etc

the Q7 is a nice lease also

The A6 is a good 700 to 800 a month for a 3.2 and the A4 lease get's up there if you want options on that 2 year lease

Audi needs to loosen up on their design and image. It is bordering on "too solid". Just don't go to the extreme BMW has.

s4 as a salesperson I wish they cut corners a little more on the things american's didn't car about
fit and finish, solid materials, etc

but as a driver

KEEP IT UP AUDI

"More American"....? Yikes!

No maybe they will increase the engine displacement, with less hp? like a 3.7l V6 230hp :p, or maybe a 5.7l V8 327hp? or maybe a 8.3l V10 500hp? Perfect!!

haha silly american cars.
weak engines, when you say the 3.7 do you mean the jeep cherokee (liberty in america?)? that has a pathetic engine.

Fancy words like Quattro, don't hit home with NASCAR Americans like the word. HEMI!

hemi is overrated.
5.7 litres and only 340 hp?
the 6.1 srt-8 is better with 425 but still....
nascar americans seem to like crap, mainly.

That "cheats" the faulty EPA test.

BTW I saw the new S6 today. The LED Daytime Running Lights are amazing. SUPER bright. It was cloudy and you could see the S6 from FAR away, much better visibility than normal headlight Daytime Running Lights. Actually you could see the S6's LED Daytime Running Ligths better than some headlights on full power of some older cars. The S6 is very noticable from the LEDS on the front. Great safety feature and doesn't use any power.

I don't think Audi should cut corners at all. On the contrary, I think they are doing an excellent job with their craftsmanship. What I mean by "loosen up" is to add more curves and style to their overall design, kinda like BMW. But keep the quality, please!

Rupert, im talking about the M.E chevy lumina S 2004-2006. Great fuel effeciency from a small displacement :p. lets take a 330i/A4 3.2 for an example. 258/250hp from a 3.0/3.2l engine. wow americans r innovators :p. The funny thing is, the SRT8 is a 6.1l V8 producing 425hp, while the audi produces 420 form a 4.2l V8. If i was an american car, i ll betta b killing myself now!!!

i don't know what a lumina is, and honestly, i don't want to.
srt-8 is pretty bad, but doesn't the 63 amg have 480 or something too in the clk? in the e class its more (510 or something?).
lazy engines, but then again, laxy is sometimes good. high-revving units wouldn't suit M-Bs luxury muscle car character. and people don't want to have to rev the nuts off the engine to go fast, they want easy performance. hence 6.1 litres with 425 hp.
and you forgot the toyota land cruiser! 4.7 litres, 235 hp, 17 UK mpg! rubbish!

Audi is fine. They just need more brand awareness.

YES LET's BUILD THE BRAND

LOL I heard that in 94 when I started selling Audi
:)
It is getting better and worse each year

I actually kind of like it as the low-key alternative. I don't want to have the car that everyone else has- case in point, my car vs. the M3. The M3 is fabulous, it really is, but everyone has one (well, actually I see more S4 sedans than M3s), and it would give me a yuppy/poser image. The S4 is more laid-back, and has a massive torque reserve.

The two brands are very different approaches to the same idea, and they execute them magnificently. I just feel like I need AWD, and the gorgeous interiors are an added bonus.