Why Audi Is Going to Beat Mercedes And BMW

Another agent 009 Audi endorsement post.

Seriously.

you sound like amazingidiot

...a complete pipe dream. next.

I just post em guys. It was an interesting point.

009 - Do you get paid by the article?

I stopped reading a few of the car magazines due to writers like yourself that blather just because they are getting paid. You remind me of Natalie Neff from Autoweek....

Not all of your article are bad, but you are being equated to the MichaelTaylor of agents.

Who was this article written by? It looks even more like a joke after reading it.

Intentions alone dont get you across the goal and Audi is going to need a lot more than intentions. So far even Lexus is ahead of them in Prestige.

A5 A8 R8 and the RS line are all great models, the rest are nothing to lose sleep over.

Lexus is ahead in the eyes of Lexus owners and maybe Toyota owners who do not know any better. The rest of the world has Audi where they belong.

steve27t-Lexus is ahead in the eyes of Lexus owners and maybe Toyota owners who do not know any better. The rest of the world has Audi where they belong.

This of course is becuase Lexus owners for the most part have drank the cool aid

Gas drops to .99 per gallon; Oprah elected president; Gay wedding held at bush's Crawford ranch....

These are just a few things more likely than Audi becoming Tier 1.

LMAO oh man! you made my day! :)

that was hilarious

When you remove your head out of the sand or some other orfice, you'll see Audi is already Tier 1. Please learn something.

The RS4 is a beast of a car, but the cabrio version still looks like a chick car.

LA beating running over the Celtics ... a black man becoming the Democratic candidate for US president ...Audi winning Le Mans (again in 2008) ...Polaroids as the way of the future... USA Today outselling the NYTimes...

These are just a few things uninformed, pessimistic, arrogant and ignorant people believed were impossible before they got punched in the face with reality.

Get your facts straight.

The Celtics were 2-0 against the Lakers in the regular season. They play better defence and team ball. Gasol is overrated.

And when it comes down to the nitty gritty, Kobe is nothing more than a glorified chucker. Just like when it comes down to spending hard earned dollars on a premium car, the majority will always flock to BMW & Mercedes first.

weaponX
I agree with all your comments except for one word ..."always"... which brings me right back to my point. It is, honestly, somewhat arrogant of people to presume that because MB is at the top that it will remain at the top. I listed some clear and popular examples of cases where this has happened. While MB is not really Audi's target (more luxury than sport) it has made major mistakes in recent past (buying Chrysler and quality/reliability letdown to name a few). However BMW, a much smaller company, has also made major mistakes, Bangle design, buying/selling Land Rover AND it does NOT have the capability to match the massive development program that Audi has in place (not to mention Audi us much more successful than BMW in motorsports and is currently on a product tear).

What are you talking about? Audi leads in many markets in Europe over BMW including all of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, Audi's top premium models outsell BMW's premium models. Look at the data before posting opinion. The A6 outsells the 5, the A8 outsells the 7, and BMW has not answer for the R8. The A4 and the 3-Series trade places as best sellers in their sector depending on the year, and the A3 demolishes the A1. Audi is on a tear. The article was not written by Audi, but by someone from Esquire. So how do you equate these comments to something Audi officialy said. Seriously, you anti-Audi types need a lesson in fact finding rather than creating your own opinions and trying to spin them as truths.

the bottom line is Audi has not always been a premium automaker but something along the lines of a German saab......it wasnt until the original A4 that Audi decided it would challenge Mercedes and BMW head to head...when the new A6 was redesighned after the first generation (name change) it than attempted to compete head to head with BMW and Mercedes, same with the A8 before that they werent seen no where in the same light as its supposed German competition...so lets be honest for a second....not to mention seeing as Lexus and Infiniti in 1989 jumped into the luxury car industry.....you could say in America at least that they have more clout here in America as an "established" "premium" car maker especially Lexus since both brands ironically decided back in 1989 it was going to fight BMW and Mercedes where as it wasnt until years later that Audi had a viable competitor......SO tier 1 far from not in America where for years they havent been much more than a slightly more upscale VW and not in the same league as the tier 1 or even tier 2 set..

BMW made JUNK until the mid 90's! Who are you to say Audi has not always been a premium car maker?

BMW sell due to ignorance and lack of taste.

bmwdrvr
I think you lost touch with what matters, which is NOT the past. For starters Audi in Europe PRESENTLY outsells BMW in the sport/luxury segment and fight with MB for #1 in almost every market. In China, much different story, Audi is by far the best selling luxury brand. Similarly for other markets with the grand exception of the US.

So, the past image some people here talk about is completely irrelevant considering Audi competes and wins at the sport/luxury game.

We would not even be having this conversation if the American buyer weren't so gullible and naive (blame Hollywood) to fall for marketing schemes (BMW is waaaay overrated in the US IMO).

@Thesailor

Do you live in the same Europe, because then you must know that BMW recently introduced a new 316i with yes, a 1.6 litre engine. Whereas Audi has dropped the 1.6 engine and now has the 1.8 Turbo as a base engine.

Audi 80's and especially 100 tdi's are still pretty common site, i know someone who till a year ago still drove a 100 2.5 TDI and had 500k km on the meter. it's just that the E36's are more popular with the young crowed that you still see ehm more.

the past may not matter to us here but the average consumer it does....but my comment was in response to the above as to why Audi isnt seen in the same light as BMW, and Mercedes.....blame it on marketing if you want but thats not true.....just as Cadillac struggled to find and build ground, and GM as a whole in the face of making years of uncompetitive awful cars that is the same reason Audi is not seen in the same way the rest of the cars are........Audi never was a premium automaker and it never has until the past 10-15 years decided to fight BMW and Mercedes well perceptions take time to erase, and sometimes never are....Audi in 2008 has just gotten to the point with its 08/09 models being able to say its models are honestly worthy of competing with the best in class...so why would you think that all of sudden they are now in tier 1, BMW and Mercedes can no longer rest on their laurels with Lexus fighting them toe to toe, and the much cheaper Infiniti delivering performance to rival them, Acura a hell of a value to some thats all that matters, or Cadillac with high qaulity now, great styling , and performance...it no longer is just about its a BMW or Mercedes so the past generation cars and current are very competitive and will continue to be so if Audi is just now in 08/09 getting to the point it is as fiercely competitive as everyone else than maybe in the next few years they will come up in perception but right now they just arent there yet

not to mention from a consumer stand point there is no real competitive advantage....many cars are awd now, they arent faster, they arent more efficient, they dont offer more space, they arent really cheaper anymore,there past reliability hasnt been great, and they poor resale values

I saw this a my eyes lit up. You got to love the BMW fanatics. Reminds me of 3rd graders arguing about whose dad is the best. Unless you own the stock/bonds...who cares. As long as the all keep making nice cares.

...As long as they all keep making nice cars...sorry about that

I've owned a whole host of cars, 540i, X5 4.4, 745i and 750i and there is no question that BMW makes a fine car. However, my 08 S8 and 08 RS4 cab are exceptional products and are easily a match for anything BMW produces. Perhaps a little more discrete than an M3/M5 but Audi is now making some very nice cars and the future A7 and S5 cab will be world class.

im curious as to why you would buy an 08 rs4 that is near replacement over an M3 cabrio seeing as you have been "so" happy with your past BMW cars

This article makes no sense. Isn't Lexus the top selling premium car brand in the U.S.? Or are they talking worldwide? If they're talking about the U.S., they have to remember that right now, people are looking for fuel efficiency and Lexus has hybrids. They have six years to beat Lexus and the market is tipped to Lexus' favor.

Here is the Lexus reality, Year over year it has dropped 11% in sales and it keeps declining every month. Compare the monthly sales numbers yourself if you need proof. I believe it is because Lexus has the oldest customer base, their cars drive like Camrys, and people are waking up to other "highly reliable" brands at a value price which is the reason Lexus hit it big in the first place. The problem now is that Hyundai with top reliability and much lower prices than Lexus is becoming a direct Lexus competitor and not an Audi/BMW/MB competitor.

Oh please. Hyundai is taking Lexus' sales away? That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Someone needs to tell the guys at Hyundai that just because their cars are advertised as being better than Lexus, they're really not. They also advertised their cars better than BMW and Land Rover and we all know that Hyundai doesn't even come close to the level that those cars are at. And Lexus' don't drive like Camrys either, except maybe the ES. I've rode in the ES, IS, GS, LS, and SC as well as a Camry and I can tell you that the ES is the only one remotely similar to the Camry.

Huh? Your comment is incoherent. If you think Audi has some lux, sit your bias ass in an A8 and you will see real lux unlike the sad thing they call a 7-Series.

QUATTRO......... more amazinbullshit

No way

not sure about beating Benz, but overtaking BMW shouldn't be a problem (even without the 1% lease rates BMW has). Audi already has better build quality and styling inside and out, they just need a rwd plaform for better weight distribution. The time is right Audi, BMW is going nowhere fast, they're just consumed with creating and filing patents out of thin air for useless vehicles like SAVs, PASs, POSs and OMGs.

I'm sorry the BMW dealer wouldn't hire you, now get over it already. Every single post is the same with you. Every... single... one... Move on.

two things...

1. BMW can't match Audi's pocket to match the development plan Audi has in place. To top it off Audi ha surpassed BMW in profit per vehicle made.

2. Audi has the ICONIC TT, the R8 and matches BMW in every other category. BMW has nothing to match the R8. So, even for 1 car difference for AUDI it is ridiculous to claim BMW has more to offer.

@MeanVulcan

"ICONIC TT"

LOL... that's a good one...

thanks, but I was not talking to the girls

I truely want an a/s5 the car is amazing looking but audi is way behind on performance. a 335 outperforms the s5 and is 6k cheaper and not that i would get one 328 outperfoms the a5. Audi should reprice or make better performing cars. I am talking about cars that are out now not futer rs models etc.

agreed, if you factor the AWD in....the 335xi that would be equivalent to the S5 in an equipment is very close in price to the S5, as is the 328xi to the A5 in price......(the "FWD" A5 is just for Europe, I wonder why??????)

bulldogz i am factoring in awd the 335xi with navigation sports package ect is 52k ths s5 is 58 k and the 335 xi is actually faster the the 335i due to no wheel spin

thats future models not futer sorry

Audi is making good autos in terms of design inside and out. BMW better make improvments in interior. A7 looks great. Pressure is on for new 5/7 series.

It's weird reading some of these comments. Audi are classed as a prestigious brand over here, not on par with BMW and MB yet, but not far off and a very respectable alternative.

Audi may have a chance. However, Audi has soooooo many things to work on.

Like What? Enlightent us...

@VISO

Here is one: drop the platform sharing with VW and such.

I'll never understand the whole prestige crap.

Does a Benz C class have more prestige than an Audi A8?

And for the consumer, who really gives a damn who is number one or what the sales volumes are. As long as the company is doing well enough to continue on, why care what spot on some sales list they might be?

This place sounds more like a disgruntled bunch of shareholders than a automotive news site sometimes.

Prestige:

1. reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes.

2. distinction or reputation attaching to a person or thing and thus possessing a cachet for others or for the public: The new discothèque has great prestige with the jet set.

"Does a Benz C class have more prestige than an Audi A8?"

You come to you own conclusion.

Hmmm.. actually it does.
I has the same heritage as Beemer and BMW.
Mercedes and Audi were racing back in the 1930s...

I'll take the 8 STRAIGHT Audi/Bentley GOLDs at Le Mans thank you very much... and yes, while Audi was fighting for top honors with MB in the Gran Prix events of the 30's BMW was building motorcycles, tricycles or something other than sports cars.

Try an S8 on for size and call me in the morning. Crushes the last two 7's that I've owned.

there is no denying the S8 is a great car but i mean seriously.......lets be fair here are you comparing an Alpina B7 to the mentioned S8 or it too the 750i because even than one can argue why did it take 2 extra cylinders, supercar epa ratings, and handling that despite its attempts still cant come close to giving the feedback of a BMW and than the last question remains is what was the point....Ill admit though the S8 is a beautiful car, a guy the office has a dark blue very nice looking...and like the luxurious/sporty interior it just doesnt make sense on so many levels...that and in America the A8 has horrible resale values like other Audis here

By the way, the first 745 BMW purchased back from me. Still great cars, but even the BMW salesman said the S8 was HOT!

that's saying something for the most successful motorsports brand outside of Ferrari in the last 20 years!

I'll take a dog sled in navy blue with brick colored leather interior please!

Didn't know a run of a mill, highly incentized with huge discounts 750iLs costs more than an S8? Your math intrigues me if you weren't so pathetic.

"., all Audis are screwed together in the Fatherland by real live Germans."

What??? Have all the Turkish and North African guest worker auto assemblers been granted German citizenship??

Let's see . In the stable now. 07 Range Rover Supercharged, 08 RS4 Cab, 08 S8.
Last years cars, 997 C4s and 08 Cayenne Turbo,. RR Sport Supercharged.

Loved the C4S but the RS4 actually drives better with just as much accel. The Cayenne Turbo, current model was a let down. Fast but no real soul. At least the S8 V10 sings when you get on it instead of a simple woosh. I guess I have a pretty good job after all,

It's hard to "outsnob" anyone when your car depreciates as fast as an Audi. All snobs aren't stupid.

You may want to review that comment.... may have been the case a few years back, but not anymore.
$ to $ Audi depreciates less than Mercedes and is very close to Beemer.

To little old ladies here in Irvine, Ca :-/

LOL! How is that possible? Lexus and BMWs numbers are very close in the USA. Worldwide, Audi outsells Lexus by more than 400,000 cars.

I would not say that too loud ... Lexus is on the decline since over a year ago. This year alone they've dropped 11% in sales in the US, despite their hybrid hype.

Believe it or not Audi has a much stronger history than BMW. Auto-Union (the brand that eventually became Audi) were winning F1 races while BMW were still building Prop-plane engines. So from an automotive standpoint Audi has got BMW beat. From an engine standpoint, BMW has Audi beat. Back in the 1930's Prop-Plane engines were the most advanced engines in the world.

I'm considering the New S4 but knowing Audi it will probably perform as well as the 335 while costing $5-$8k more. So even while I don't think that Audi will pass BMW anytime soon. An Audi might be my next car.

But no, Audi will not surpass BMW. Not with 265hp.

funny... the thing is BMW is hurting as far as profits in CPO more than any of the germans and they are in trouble because of it.

(Man, do they still teach "thinking before speaking/writing" in school anymore?)

amazinbimmer, relax, it's just an internet forum. No need to get your blood pressure up.

Worst written article ever. Maybe she works for C&D?

However, Audi WILL really change when Porsche takes control. Audi will finally make a wave in America!

thats a big comment for audi to make. who knows, maybe all this fierce competition will make for even better cars in the years to come.

as for outsnobbing mercedes... that will be quite hard!

VISO: "What are you talking about? Audi leads in many markets in Europe over BMW including all of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, Audi's top premium models outsell BMW's premium models. Look at the data before posting opinion. The A6 outsells the 5, the A8 outsells the 7, and BMW has not answer for the R8. The A4 and the 3-Series trade places as best sellers in their sector depending on the year, and the A3 demolishes the A1"

I want to know where you are getting your facts from? Please tell everyone here where you are getting the figures that you base the comments you made above on or the article... anything. Any shred of evidence that proves you are doing anything more than making-up figures.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is BMW not the largest premium car manufacturer in the world? Is America, where Audi can barely sell half the cars BMW does not the biggest market? Is Europe not their second biggest market? If not, please enlighten us. All these facts can be checked in articles from this site. So please tell us where you come from with so much attitude?

what are you smokin, Audi is the industry benchmark in interior quality, design and ergonomics. Mercedes is not far behind. Can't say the same for BMW (they are cheap and ugly IMO.

@MeanVulcan

In your eyes, BMW might have cheap interiors. I don't think so. Ugly... no, but you can say they have the most conservative design, IMO.

Size wise:
Audi A8 ~ BMW 7 series ~ MB S-class.
Audi A6 ~ BMW 5 Series ~ MB E-class.
Audi A4 ~ BMW 3 Series ~ MB C-class.
Each car is similar but different based on where the car manufacturer wanted to place their emphasis and what options the buyer wants to pay for. Is one truely that much better than the other? Only in the buyers head.

After reviewing comments I've noticed that the words "prestige" and "snob appeal" are frequently repeated when referring to these European standards. It amazes me how much empahsis Americans seem to place on these traits when it really should come down to do you like the car or not. All of these cars are expensive but not anything special. IMHO you don't really hit this category until you buy a car that's been customized to your tastes like a Maybach, for instance.

Eyecarehawaii
I agree with your observation. Prestige, snob appeal or any other subjective criteria used to choose a particular car are ilogical and make no sense.

The weakness of this comment though is that you assume that most people (at least most people in this forum) buy cars based on logic. Completely untrue, otherwise we would all be buying the Honda Civic natural Gas version. So, accepting the truth may help us all go back to discussing our "subjective" points to no end.

Good point, meanvulcan. There is little semblance of logic when posts read: "Audi is a cheap POS, rebadged Volkwagens a A8 is a Pheaton and R8 is a Gallardo Audi TT, a Q7 is a VW SUV, Audi is a economy car Without VW audi is nothing, in fact with VW, Audi is a POS." and "Don't be too hard on Meanvulcan . The only people who drive BMWs are castrated males.;) Porsche is only one step above a Fiat x19." after what you posted. BMW has, and perhaps even tries to promote an "I'm better than you" image but for those of us who've actually driven these cars know better. It does strike me how some people with a sub-par knowledge base seem to believe that Audi A8s are rebadged Phaetons (or vice-versa), and that any car company that VW owns must make exactly the same type and quality of car that VW makes. Of course in the case of VW this would apply to all their brands: their premium brand group including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini, and their high-volume brand group including Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda. Sometime I just stare and wonder..

to add to this point, people get so pumped up because they can't convince the other guy to swtch brands. This is the biggest joke.

In addition, it makes you wonder what brand loyalists are putting down the VW Group based on ignorant or uninformed facts.

VISO/Meanvulcan....I'm starting to think your the same person? Maybe its coincidence you 2 always post on the same thread. I dunno.

Anyway you two headed Audi freak.EVERYTHING YOU POST IS BIAS AND TWISTED TRUTH.

"However BMW, a much smaller company, has also made major mistakes, Bangle design, buying/selling Land Rover AND it does NOT have the capability to match the massive development program that Audi has in place (not to mention Audi us much more successful than BMW in motorsports and is currently on a product tear)."


BMW has won more championships and races than AUDI in its History.You obviously know nothing about BMW, and the products that have yet to be released.

I dont really want to reply to all your posts b/c they are all lies and fan boy ranting"nonsense". No matter how many times you post this crap its doesn't make it true....er oh yeah. BMW IS THE NUMBER ONE PREMIUM CAR MANUFACTURER IN THE WORLD. god, i love saying that.

sure if you count races against nobodies like the WTCC where no big player competes.

other than that BMW gets its ass kicked in all major races... when was the last time it won any of the major racing events: F1,
Le Mans, DTM, Sebring? ... hardly lies ... these are facts. Like them or not, so go cry somewhere where anyone gives a d@mn!

only if that made sense.

Audi is a cheap POS, rebadged Volkwagens a A8 is a Pheaton and R8 is a Gallardo Audi TT, a Q7 is a VW SUV, Audi is a economy car Without VW audi is nothing, in fact with VW, Audi is a POS. Keep dreaming Agent 009 and rest of you audi fans go enjoy your Audi A1 rebadge VW Polo

I find it so fascinating that you are such a douche, yet you don't seem to care at all. How does one reach such staggering levels of douche-ness? Were your parents douchebags or did you decide early on you were going to break the mold and become a douche of biblical proportions? I can almost smell the Summers Eve through my monitor. How wonderful it must be to be so comfortable and secure in your douchebagittude. I suppose every family has a douchebag cousin or uncle that they wish would just go away, but he still shows up drunk at Thanksgiving every year and blatantly stares at your wife's rack at the dinner table. You're "that guy". You know, when your buddy is about to do something stupid, embarassing, or offensive and you suggest he not be "that guy"? You're like "that guy" with no one to tell you not to be "that guy".

Loser.

Just because Audi isn't quite there yet doesn't mean that they can't equal or surpass BMW and/ or MB in the next 7-10 years. The are improving their quality, market share, image and desirability every year. ANyone with real experience with the the big 3 German manufacturers knows that they all have pluses and minuses, but the majority of them are subjective to the potential buyer. The fact that BMWs, in general, handle better than the similar Audi offering doesn't make them better cars unless that's what you're looking for. In reality, the vast majority of premium buyers are not looking for superb handling at the expense of ride quality. If they were, hard(er) riding sporty sedans would be the rule, not the exception. Most luxury manufacturers build cars that lean more towards comfort than sport. BMW has a niche that they fill nicely, but their cars aren't for everyone. Why that's so difficult for some the understand is beyond me...