Prestige: Audi vs. Infiniti

Audi hands down........Why because it's an Audi.

That article is a bit deceptive. Audi is tied for third in number of wins at Le Mans.

Anything German (excluding VW) will carry more prestige then a Japanese offering (prestige jury is still out on the LS460).

Audi has made huge strides in brand recognition over the last five years. Although Infiniti has done some big things (G35,G37, M45) it is still associated to closely to parent company Nissan and its made for the masses image (350Z, Altima, Sentra).

Put it this way. Which will get front row in the valet. An '07 M45 or A6 S-line?

My guess would be the German Audi

What's the point?

Both are not pretigious since you see so many of them on the way to work. Hell, your neighbor got one of these German cars, right?

And to break AUDI away from VW is the biggest joke.

Stop fooling yourself.

Yeah, like breaking Infiniti from Nissan, or Lexus from Toyota.

Get a life! Audi was a separate company, not a North-America-only piece of badge engineering.

I like infiniti/Nissan/Datsun, but nothing drives like a big Audi Quattro ...

I agree with the guy. VW are excelent cars, nice handling & feeling, not very far away from Audi. Too bad I have to agree about Lexus being a Toyoyoyoyta too, cause Toyoyota has nothing (you might screem reliability). And if we go on, I am proud of my Audi being an VW, since it's also a Lamborghini. How many japanese owners can say that? Huh ?

The hell with prestige,both brands are good!!

Anyone who has to pay for "prestige" obviously has none himself.

In America, Audi>Infiniti. Infiniti has almost no brand or prestige here. Audi is a bit better, they have been around longer and offer the A8 and S/RS cars. Clearly it has more prestige. R8 is no joke.

Infiniti, well its a value company. They need more help.

they'r not in the same level. Audi is up there with BMW MB and Lexus.

is this post a pathetic attempt for audi fans to prove to themselves that their still as good/or better than bmw because infiniti just did in the motortrend comparo.

This certainly explains your reason for posting on an automotive ENTHUSIAST site.

Audi is an overpriced V - Dub. Thats my perception. I would take a G35 over an A4, a close call between the A5 and G37, a M45 over a A6 but, the A8 is the best looking full size luxury vehicle out there.

Audi, since it is recognized prestigeous internationaly!And some people should stop being blind and telling everyone that audi is a rebadged VW since it uses only some VW parts but so does it use porsche and lambo parts. But I think that you people know how good audi is! The only problem you have with audi is that you recognized in Audi a very dangerous and perhaps deadly competitor to your favourite brand(increase in sales, profits and overall superb build quality)

You can't call an Audi an overpriced V-dub. They share few parts. The A6 is no longer Passat based. The A8 trumps any Q45.
Remember, Inifnit are just rebadged Nissans in Japan, Skyline, Fuga....

The A6 was never Passat based, the B5 Passat was based on the B5 A4 which came out before the Passat. Right now the only similarities are the A3 Chassis & 2.0 motor, which is an Audi motor, VW bought Audi for their water cooled engine technology.

Audi. Without a doubt.

If I dumped my A8 for a Infiniti M45, the people at work would be like this: "What.. an M5? Oowh it says M45. And what the hell is Infiniti?"

I love when people bash about how Toyota and Lexus r the same but when it comes to Audi....every1 tends to forget that it is a FACT that AUDI, Porsche, and VW are all "related!"

they're related but not the same cars.

ES IS a camry
LX IS a land cruiser.
RX is a highlander
etc.

Vendetta, the highest resale value doesn't always mean most prestigious. The S-class and CL have horrific resale values (when viewed as a percentage of original MSRP) but are generally considered the top vehicles in their classes and are typically the best selling. Vehicles that compete with cars that are more expensive than they are (i.e. the previous versions of the Lexus LS, the Infiniti G35 and M45) will typically hold value "better" than the more expensive cars because they have less to lose in the first place. That doesn't make them more prestigious, if anything their value-based sales approach makes them less so.

AUDI hands down....

I have owned both and Audi makes a better car on so many levels.

Audi's interiors have now equaled or surpassed the interiors of "prestigious" marques like Mercedes and BMW. I know because I drive an A6. Therefore Audi has at least the same prestige value as the other two German cars if prestige is what turns you on. My advice is to buy a car on its technical merits and not on some image that advertising expenditures by marketing weasels have created.

I currently drive an '07, M35x. My prior 2 cars were A6, 2.7T. On my last A6, Audi tried to screw me on an expensive warranty issue. In fact, they are getting the reputation of "trying to build the bottom line by denying legitimate warranty claims".

Audi's drive beautifully, but SUCK to own! BTW, the Infinity M is very nice.

You own one and yet you spell it with a 'y'?

well audi has lots of vehicles to offer, and Infiniti has tht nice M. theyre both fine at different ways

It always amazes me that some participants on a forum on autos can degenerate into sexist and racist comments that have nothing to do with the subject.

Bimmermike, demeaning comments like you made only lower yourself below the level of a human being.

you got to have the vorschprung inorder to be infront - as said by a man ( i dont remember his name) in the vorschprung video clip

Infiniti is making some good strides with there offerings (G37, M45), but they still have to come up with a true full-size luxury car like a Merc S600 or Lexus LS600l. The VW/Audi is recognized internationally much more than Infiniti.

World wide the Audi gets the respect as a class car. In the US people in sunbelt states have just about brought Infiniti full circle and in those warm climates they view Infiniti as a class act. The rest of the US and most the world doesn't even know much about the machines, i had a realtive in from Chicago and when we pulled out our FX they thought it was a custom job?
I think like many until Ifiniti comes up with a 7 series or a S class killer of a car they will still be the Rodney Dangerfield for a while.
BTW as far as which is the better car i'll take a Infiniti cross country before i dare risk taking a Audi?

Who cares if Infiniti is not as recognized as Audi world wide,the plain and simple fact is that Infiniti is building some awesome vehicles these days,and if there not recognized world wide they will be soon!!

To me Infiniti is the BMW of japan,as is Lexus the Mercedes of Japan.

Of course that is the problem. If you put a Ford dealer in a one horse town you will be seeing a lot of Fords like them or not.Infiniti is going gobal and the internet gives then a great advantage since many in the world can see them on line and when a dealer arrives they have a good idea of the product.

close, I like infinti cars rear wheel drive more, than Audi , but Audi has been around a long time

The question was which marque between the two (VW/Audi, Infiniti) carried more prestige. I agree partly with you, that VW/Audi nor Infiniti have prestige when compared to Ferrarri or RR.

Does a TGV have prestige?

Panoz?

Stryker?

Ariel?

Noble?

All of these marques offer brilliant cars, and yet no one here bothers to compare them to their favorite brand. This whole site is one big fanboy melee.

Until you start discussing the relative merits of specific models, you can't decide which is "better".

You want prestige? It can't be bought. You want brand recognition and respect? Audi offers that, and it has since Ferdinand Porsche started putting V-12 engines behind the driver in the Auto Union racers.

Infiniti offers fine cars, and if you like them, you should drive one. But if you need a crowd to applaud your vehicle of choice, I guess it doesn't matter which you buy. Neither cars are intended to grab attention. If it is attention you seek, buy any old car and hire an artist to paint something truly unique on it.

gay looking white dudes?? LoL I wonder how S4 cabrio feels about that one.

Aren't you some illegal Mexican immigrant who drives an old E30 BMW and looks like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite?

you're a bigot, a sexist...and generally just a schmuck.

In a lot of ways, the original definition of "prestige" still applies:

Origin: 1650–60 for an earlier sense; < F (orig. pl.): deceits, delusions, juggler's tricks

I guess you must define what "prestige" means to you.

I hate to sound like "Bill Clinton" here but if prestige is defined buy which car makes you look richer to your friends and neighbors, then it might be a tough call. Most Americans have deep rooted beliefs as to what a car brand is and/or represents. To most people Audi is not a presitigious brand but then again, neither is Infinity. I would think that most non car people consider them pretty equal.

If you define "prestige" as recognition for a company's accomplishments, then Audi should be the clear choice.

With over 100 years of car building heritage, Audi has survived 2 World Wars and the Cold War. It is one of the very few surviving pioneers of the Auto industry today. With over 5000 patents to it's name, Audi engineering has more inovations to it's credit than NASA. When it comes to racing, the winning began in 1911 with the company founder August Horch at the wheel in what was then the most grueling endurance race of the day; The Austrian Alpine Run. He came back in 1912,1913,and 1914 and won those years as well. In the 1930's, at the encouragement of a certain dictator, Audi decided to go Grand Prix racing. A man by the name of Porsche was commissioned to design the cars which for the first time, placed the engine behind the driver, a concept still in use today. After WWII, the Audi factories and offices found themselves in what turned out to be East Germany. Most of the company's assets were seized as spoils of war by invading Russian forces. In 1949, August Horch and most of the board escaped into West Germany and reestablished the company in the small town of Ingolstadt. They found a bank to loan them money and by 1959 the new plant opened. In 1969, Audi became part of the Volkswagen group. In the 1980's, they introduced Quattro to the world in the WRC. The rest as they say is history. In 1994, Audi gained autonomy from the Volkswagen group and is now free to design it's own cars and build them in their own factories. The day of shared platforms and badge engineering are finally over. Audi has gone on to build true competitors to rivals BMW and Mercedes Benz on just about every level. Though widely unnoticed in the US, Audi is working to change their image with the "Truth in Engineering" campaign currently under way.

To this day, the company is run by it's engineers. It has stood by it's designs and proved it's technology over and over on both the race tracks of the world and the streets.

Never Follow-Nicely written! I just think that the Europeans have a much longer history then the Japanese in America with luxury and near luxury sedans that they must rule the prestige stakes. You cannot deny the fact though that Lexus and Infinity are very fast learners and are catching up quickly. For many Americans that just want a nice luxury car Lexus and Infinity fit the bill. I personally just like the styling of Euro cars inside and out over the Jap cars. I even like the styling of Volvo's in spite of the fact they don't have the best suspensions.

I will have to go with Audi. Prestige is somethig earned over time and Infiniti has not been around. Only recently in the last 6 years ahs the brand even been taken seriously. Who owned a Infiniti before the G35? Infiniti just recently made an impact.

Perhaps in 20 years it can change if Infiniti keeps up the good progress. Audi on the other hand has been around for somtime and has made a name for itself.

I have an 06 M35 and i think its better than an A6 you get more power and more features, thats why the motto is built to outperform. But infiniti cant compare with audi when it comes down to sport models because audi has all the S and RS models.

Infinity is a good value, no doubt. If you take an M35 and an Audi A6 and build them with the same equipment, the Audi will come out about $5000 more expensive and will accelerate a little slower in a straight line. The question is: Is a more or less custom made Audi, with all it's heritage and overbuilt refinement levels, worth more than a mass produced Asian or domestic product built specifically for US driving habits? In most consumer's eyes, I'd say no. But to a car enthusiast, I'd say maybe.

You can make the same comparisons with just about any product out there, houses, watches, furniture, clothing. Luxury items bring big money and big profits. That's why everyone wants to make them and sell them. Not everyone can afford them or see the value in them however so a new catagory has recently been invented called "near luxury".

Based on economies of scale, "near luxury" items offer a lot of value because they offer many of the same features and performance levels as luxury products but at a much more attractive price.

Example:

You can buy a $1M house in a planned community development or you can custom build one on a view lot. Which is better? Depends on what the buyer wants. If a buyer truely wants to express him or herself, they may feel that a house built specifically to their tastes will be worth the extra money and effort it takes. Others may want to let the builder make most of the big decisions and just add the finishing touches. A tract home will be cheaper and more convenient that's a certainty. It may offer the same sq ft of space and be every bit as nice but a difference in price may come later on when it comes time to sell. A tract home is valued using "comparables". In other words, there are probably several homes with the same floor plan built in the same general area. Pretty easy to determine value based on recent sales and price/sq ft. A custom home takes comparibles into conderation also but may take into consideration other items which may increase or decrease the value dramatically such as ocean/golf course views and location.

It's pretty easy to track a car's value these days when they come across the auction block in the thousands, but when you only see a few of something, value is a little harder assess. Automatically a resaler is going to think "specialty car" which could increase or decrease it's value based on demand in the market place. It will certainly cost more to keep in inventory simply because it will take longer to sell it. Most will err on the safe side and offer dramtically less money, thus most luxury items depreciate more than near luxury items.

The goal of every luxury product maker is to become so prestigious and popular that everyone wants your stuff. You can make huge profits without having to inventory much of anything. No one does that better or for a longer period than Ferrari.

Vendetta

Look at the options list on an A6 with all the different ways you can build it. There are 3 different engines to chose from, soon to be four. You can get a V6 in front wheel drive or Quattro AWD, a V8, a V10 whatever they decide to put in the RS6. You can custom order the thing in just about any color you wish for $2500. You can also get it as a wagon or a sedan. There are rarely two alike given the possible combos.

Audi, because of tradition, name (globally), and pure association of events and sponsorship. Also, quality is miles ahead...

I think Audi has more prestige and Infiniti has more performance abilities. Audi has a good interior and a nice ride and a bigger name. Infiniti has a sporty ride and a fun-to-drive feel to them.

I agree that the Infiniti is a more performance oriented car and the Audi is more about the idea of owning a German car with a bit of cache and over engineering. That being said, I personally feel that each car, fully equipped of course, are tremendous and are reasonably priced. Hell, Nissan makes great cars and so does Audi but Audi just offers more of the European Sports Saloon feel where Infiniti offers more features for a lower price. When it comes to prestige I feel that neither of these cars really leave the impression that BMW or MB does in the eyes of the consumer. That being said, no one will ever tell the owner of an Audi or an Infiniti that their cars a bad cars because in the eyes of most people those cars are just unobtainable. I bought an Audi because I fell in love with the car and loved the Quattro all wheel drive, especially in the winter in Bergen County New Jersey. Hands down, both great cars but I really don't see prestige as a major factor in owning either, I just see a better value than owning a BMW or MB.

this is a stupid and pointless article - it's just basically bringing out the fanboys btw EU & Asian cars. there is no point in this

Exactly. Where are the spy scoops and industry news?

And yet we have 70+ comments...

I may as well post an article saying 'Oogie Boogie monster jones drives a Toyota' and get at least 40 comments.

If only Autospies would let me post that, it's a sure-fire winner.

http://www.autospies.com/news/Oogie-Boogie-monster-jones-drives-a-Toyota-16912/

Quick, comment on my pointless thread before it is deemed unsuitable!

Matthew:
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

audi no question.

decades of innovative, beautiful design starting with the 5000.

much more refined than infiniti in terms of both design and performance.

flagship cars--like the R8 and A8 W12 that are among the world's finest cars.

Neverfollow - your history lesson sums it up. One thing that was missing. Like several other German makes during WWII - Audi's predecessor was almost completely bombed out - in addition to become spoils of war. I believe there was a brief period where Diamler Benz actually owned them and they actually sold them to VW.

If by prestige you mean spending time in the shop, then yes Audi has allot of prestige. I have heard of many people that have cross shopped the A4 vs the G35 and the A6 vs the M35/45 and have walked out of the dealership with the Infiniti emblem on their key chain. Audi is only prestigious in name only. They are still riding some of the perception they had before in the past. Infiniti's are better me, better build cars that last much longer. Also, the A3 is built on the same exact platform as the Golf and Jetta. I think Audi is even coming out with a version of the Tourege (SP?).

All the same simple cars: Audi from VW,Infiniti from Nissan,Lexus from Toyota, Acura from Honda ...

According to the 2007 JD Power APEAL Survey. Audi is more Prestige.

"Prestige" was orginally referred to "pomposity", which was taken as a sign of poor taste. In this regard, the word had strictly negative connotations - that suits Audi quite well...

The root of the word "Prestige" comes from the Latin word meaning delusion or trick - Audi has fooled us indeed...

Therefore Audi is more "prestigious" and Infiniti is just "better"...

Audi just sounds "snooty" when it rolls of your tongue. So I'd say Audi has more prestige. But I believe Loki123 has hit the nail on the head. Audi doesn't do anything for me unless it's S or RS.