Audi's buyers are the wealthiest of any lux company. Let's end all the arguements

GermanNuts: if your headline of Audi buyers being the wealthiest in the world is indeed true, who really cares (besides you)? BTW, this is a website for auto enthusiasts.

I agree that we should stop these flame wars between fans of competing brands. I am a BMW man to the core, I know I will never choose anything else - but sometimes I am embaressed and annoyed by some of the BMW fans on autospies who make up as much stuff as the people who hate the brand!

However, I think that you cannot pigeon-hole people too easily, as everything is subjective and a matter of personal opinion. Although I do put a priority on driving experience - this is not the sole reason for my devotion to BMW... I personally have always loved the styling of their cars, and (with the excpetion of the tail-lights on the 3 sedan/saloon, and the 1 - and the face-lifted 7's front end) I still do. I like them more than Audi and Benz (which are not bad looking cars), and Lexus (which I dislike the styling of).

I am also more than happy with the interiors - maybe I would expect more if I owned a 7 series, but I can't fault the quality of the interior of my 320.

The one thing I am left wondering is who actually goes and buys a car based on how wealthy the brands customer base is? I would be interested to see the source of this statistic too.

Bill Gates doesn't drive an Audi - nor does Warren Buffet and neither does the Walton family - hehe.

But I have to agree that the interior of an A8 is beautiful.

Well think about it people. Audi does not cater to a 20-something or Teen-something crowd with personal incomes of close to none.

Audi doesn't appeal to people who know nothing about cars and only get a BMW for the blue and white propeller badge or a Mercedes for a 3-pointed star.

Audi has long been known as being the understated brand. It is to conceal wealth. Audi and BMW are to show that you have the wealth.

Based on that notion BMW and Mercedes customers should be higher in their incomes. There are very wealthy that like to hide their wealth as opposed to young 20 something professionals trying to show the world they have a decent salary.

Here is proof:

Buyers of the A6's big brother, the A8, have a higher education and income than American buyers of the Mercedes S Class and BMW 7-Series, according to Audi. That is understandable, as an Audi would only be a status symbol among a very bookish crowd.

There isn't enough snob appeal in Audi for the mink and Rolex crowd in Beverly Hills. Also not surprising is that Audi buyers, says the company's market research, tend to be more entrepreneurial than the buyers of their German rivals. That means that the chairman of Oracle probably drives a Mercedes. The CEO of the start-up Oracle wants to buy is more likely to drive an Audi.

loki- Gates, Buffet, and the Waltons (Jim Bob, Joe Bob?) prob don't need licenses.

These are the Audi Demographics from 2001, Other than income I don't see them changing too much.

Audi Owner Demographic Data
Male 67%
Married 69%
Median Age 43
Median Household Income $120,000
College Grad 83%

Average age of a BMW driver in America is 44, compared with 51 for that of a Mercedes or a Lexus. In Europe, the gap is also seven years. Since a driver of a luxury car buys a new one every 3 1/2 years on average, BMW can squeeze two more car purchases from its customers than Mercedes and Lexus can.

BMW also ranks higher than other cars in marketing performance. According to Forbes "top luxury brands" BMW is 5th, Mercedes 9th, Jag 25, Audi 26, Lexus 32.

Good for them. Audi buyers can afford to buy these luxury cars for a long time due to the fact that they have the highest average incomes out of any luxury manufacturere including BMW, Mercedes and Lexus.

Note to myself:

Ignore topics with "Audi" created by "GermanNut"...

I enjoy bringing peace to this website. Now all Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus supporters can live in harmony amongst one another on this glorious website.

Will find me the car review I have long been asking for but have never received.

Its guidelines should be as follows:

Find me an article that states any Audi from model year 2000 or later has a poorly designed, cheap and/or ergonomically dysfunctional interior.

I can flood this thread with Audi's countless awards of best interior quality in the auto industry.

Audi just won 3 Ward's Interior Awards and Lexus won 0. There are plenty of other awards that justify my claim.

Loki- again you are incorrect, the latest 2006 demographics for Cadillac, MB, BMW, Lexus are:

Cadillac Owner Demographic Data
Male 63.18%
Married 80.13%
Average Age 59
Average Household Income $145,171
College Grad 52.27%

Mercedes Owner Demographic Data
Male 57.30%
Married 74.82%
Average Age 52
Average Household Income $175,197
College Grad 67.10%

Lexus Owner Demographic Data
Male 51.36%
Married 79.47%
Average Age 54
Average Household Income $163,634
College Grad 70.27%

BMW Owner Demographic Data
Male 58.38%
Married 73.82%
Average Age 47
Average Household Income $173,901
College Grad 72.11%

These are from a Cadillac commisioned report issued in 2006

I wonder how/if they include fleet sales?

with the 3 & 5, C & E, and A4 (& A6?) selling so many units to businesses that must have an affect on the numbers.

For the record...

I am a BMW owner (two infact)
Male
Un-married
Age 27, got my first BMW at 22.
Average household income.... £average
And I did 'graduate' college (I'm not american though)

I'm a current Audi owner and soon to be BMW owner and my age is MUCH lower than the averages.

Will, I'm going to be getting a BMW soon. If you base your decision on which is a better car company based on luxury of interior and best overall interiors then yes...Audi would come out on top against BMW, Mercedes, Lexus or any other luxury manufacturer (mainstream) that you can think of.

I enjoyed having the best interiors in the business - hands down. Now I'm looking forward to having the best driving dynamics with BMW.

Will find me the numerous Lexus awards for interiors from Ward's if they exist and find me my article.

Paris Hilton doesnt drive an Audi. She dirves a MERCEDES-BENZ SLR, A BMW based R-R PHANTOM, a FERRARI 360 MODENA, and a LAND-ROVER RANGE ROVER!

NO AUDI!

SHE IS ONE OF THE RICHEST, HOTTEST WOMEN ON EARTH AND SHE DOES NOT DRIVE AN AUDI!

JCF110- She doesn't own alot of things

Matt635 and GermanNut-

BMW Owner Age Breaks:


Under 25 3.23%
25-34 15.71%
35-39 11.65%
40-44 12.65%
45-49 13.45%
50-54 13.32%
55-59 11.89%
60-64 7.90%
65+ 10.20%

JCF110:
She is also one of the most stupid women on the planet.(
(i heard somewhere she got an award for being very stupid)

PlanoA4

In that case I feel very priviledged to have belonged to the most exclusive BMW owner segment... the under 25's

Will- Audi Love? hmmm. Maybe the pro BMWer's need to post from their sources. I guess, do you want to be leader or a follower? The Audi guys here are far more active than the BMW guys. That can change if you simply post a few posts a day will stem the flow.

Will, of course its the PREVIOUS-GENERATION LS430 that won an interior award.

The current Audi A8 is the winner and across the entire product line Audi has won more awards than Lexus or BMW.

Therefore in interior design Audi > BMW & Lexus

Will, find me my article that I've been waiting a few months for now....

matt535- You can look at the stats of the ages and see once a BMW owner goes above 50 they start to lose him. This is where Lexus and Cadillac pick up steam in the AARP segment.

Actually almost 65% of Lexus sales are to those over 50. Of BMW ownership 43.31% are over 50.

Hey Billy it's okay if you can't find the article, I completely understand that Audi is the best mainstream luxury manufacturer in terms of interior design and BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are inferior.

Every carmaker in this class has a good interior, some are just better than others.

When it's A4 vs IS, I think the IS interior is kind of cheap-looking next to the A4, especially some of the buttons and plastics (I've sat in both of them in showrooms, and not just for 5 minutes...). A4 wins here IMO.

The A6 vs the GS, it is tied.

A8 vs LS? Tied.

Q7 vs RX? Tied.

The new Mercedes (and Acura) interiors are pretty good IMO, they're coming back.

Next, after those two, I'd place Infiniti.

BMW, Cadillac and Lincoln take the bottom, with BMW just ahead of both American brands in terms of interior quality from a visual POV.

Billyboy I appreciate your acknowledgement

It's nice to see even BMW530i accepting the fact that Audi is indeed king when it comes to interior design. Going neck and neck with Lexus most of the way but of course Audi has the trick up its sleeve with the A4 against the IS.

PlanoA4,

Not sure where you got your information but I got mine from Forbes.

Link
--> http://www.forbes.com/global/2002/0722/024_4.html

PlanoA4

I would guess the drop off in BMW buyers at old age is probably something to do with people of that age not wanting a car they can chuck about with confidence, but a smooth, soft, safe, cosseting drive

Loki- Mine was a 2006 demographic study for Cadillac. it is very detailed.

matt635- I have to agree the demographics show a MUCH younger clientele for BMW initially. At about age 50 BMW holds even but Lexus and Cadillac keep increasing. This may be in part that the owners are also in retirement and have lees disposable income.

Cadillac shows 50% are 60 or older and 85.5% are white
Lexus shows 37.5% are 60 or older and 84.50% are white
Mercedes shows 31.5% are 60 or older and 74.41% are white
BMW shows 18.1% are 60 or older and 81.59% are white

I wish I had Audi scores but the report did not list overall demographics for Audi.

This dialogue is nuts. So BMW drivers on average are younger - big deal. I bought my first new BMW at the age of 24, and never bought another. Since then I've had 3 Lexus vehicles (LS, SC and LX) and 3 Mercedes (SL, S and SL). My first Lexus was in my 30s and my first Mercedes was in my 40s. So what - who cares what the average age is.

I still have all my hair, if I was going bald I'd probably have a Porsche 911 convertible by now. Would that mean that Porsche is for old, fat people?

Get real folks. Generally the more important issue is which brand has the highest customer loyalty. I'm not sure of the source - I think Consumer Reports - but I do recall that Lexus owners are now more likely to buy another Lexus than Mercedes are to buy another Mercedes.

Merc basher...

It's interesting to see what brands appeal/are available to different age groups... this is afterall a place to discuss auto-industry stuff.

If you don't find it interesting, don't read it.

German nut-

Are you sure the BMW fans want you? I can promise you the Audi fans don't.
What ever happened to BMWRocks? It was fun making fun of him

JCF110 cuz Audi is not for air head girls!

who cares...

My Suggestion, Just buy all three. That's what my family did, My dad has an S4 and a 5-series, my mom has an X3, and I have a c-class, when my brother drives we'll get him an IS. The result, perfect harmony. :)

Some numbers to consider for this discussion:

Average Transaction Prices 2006 year to date:

Mercedes-Benz: $55,901
BMW: $48,298
Cadillac: $44,748
Audi: $42,267
Lexus: $41,922
Acura: $32,853

Source: JD Power Information Network

Year to date sales volumes:

Mercedes-Benz: 137K
BMW: 157K
Cadillac: 130K
Audi: 47K
Lexus: 178K
Acura: 115K

What do the numbers tell you?

DPA687 - The numbers tell me nothing, what is your conclusion?

There are loads of conlcusions that could be deduced from these figures.

Is the Audi one a typo? 47K? should that be 147K, or do they really only sell that many cars!