Audi Dealers Stockpiling Abandoned Accords And Camrys As Owners Move To New A3

Shrewd move on Audi's part. This is bad news for VW because people are going for the A3 rather than the Passat as well.

Very good observation. VW can't catch a break, in or out of their own house.

VW thinks VW is premium in buyer's eyes when all of their own consumer research shows just the opposite. Co branding VW and Audi in the same dealership makes sense ONLY if the two brands are sharply defined and do not step on each other? Jetta GLI or Audi A3 for the same price? Pick the Audi. It's that simple. The already dismal sales of the CC will get worse because of the A3.

@reviews - You are correct, as Audi moves downstream VW will have a harder time. Audi is on a roll and VW is sputtering.

Audi did a fantastic job reading the market's needs. The A3 Sedan combines Audi's beautiful interiors with advanced technology and safety in an affordable package. It's easy to see why buyers of non-luxury brands are trading up to the Audi A3 Sedan. The A3 Sedan is a very compelling offering from a luxury brand with huge momentum in the U.S. market.

Not to mention that if you are badge hunting, those four rings look a lot better in the driveway, where the Honda or Camry won't get a second glance.

I am calling total BS on this...a fully optioned Camry or Accord V-6 costs the same as a mildly optioned A3 4 Cyl. Most of the A3s at the dealership nearest to me were fully optioned out to the tune of $43k...so NOT worth it. Let's not even not mention the cramped rear seat of the A3 is virtually useless for anyone over 5'6". You can get a larger A4 in this same price point, so why weren't people abandoning the Hondas and Toyotas then? This is why I am calling total BS and media hype over something not even remotely true.

It's not B.S. leej. Here are links to two separate articles saying the same thing that 009 did here:

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2015-audi-a3-sedan-selling-well-in-america-stealing-toyota-and-honda-customers-83501.html

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/07/2015-audi-a3-sedan-sales-outpacing-supply-stealing-from-honda-toyota/

In our market, because of demographics our competition down the street (Mercedes) petitioned to change their allotment of the CLA to mostly base and lightly optioned models and it is flying off the lot. We petitioned to change our allotment to base and lightly optioned and Audi has responded. The well optioned A3s sell but not rapidly. We literally have a waiting list with deposits for base A3s and are basically selling them before they hit the lot.

People are willing to pay low 30s in dollars for the prestige of the Audi versus CamCords etc. and yes we are seeing just that happen. People coming out of Jetta leases are walking across the lot to lease an A3. This is a fierce product. A4s are languishing as are CCs and Passats.

A lot of people lease right now, so those loaded out A3 model probably lease for the same as an Accord or Camry.

If you lease for 3 years, you have no maintenance only a payment, a sweet deal for those who are looking at total cost of ownership.

Plus the A3 is probably quite a bit safer overall.

@Agent009 The traffic on A3 leases is on base and lightly optioned cars NOT top models where the payment is a LOT higher. The bottom end A3s are incentivized by Audi to gain numbers.

I really think that VW should abandon the US and instead bring in Seat. Seat should be priced a little lower than what VW's are being priced at. Their styling is fun and aggressive. Again proper marketing will also help.

I've said elsewhere and in meetings with VW reps that they should throw VW badges on SEATs and dump the VW products. I'd much rather have the Skoda Yeti on the lot than the woefully uncompetitive Tiguan. Yes I have seen the Yeti in person. VW considered bringing it but the morons in Germany realized it would kill the Tiguan. It did not matter that the Yeti would probably double the sales of the Tiguan. "VW marketing" is an oxymoron.

I guess people still believe everything they read on the Internet, lol.

Matt you are absolutely correct "People are willing to pay low 30s in dollars for the prestige of the Audi versus CamCords etc." Lots of people want to move upmarket regardless of what they are driving, all they want is the badge especially nowadays that the economy seems to be doing better.

For the same price, you might as well go for the name. A3 is too small of a sedan though, atleast the hatch is useful when you drop the back seats.

I'd go with the Accord though, has more technology, looks better, larger and real car people won't be impressed with a budget Audi.

Good looking little car! It deserves its success. ( Just can't get over the cheap-looking rounded air vents identical to the Brazilian VW Voyage)

I would take an Accord over the A3 to be honest. It isn't a status symbol like the A3, but it is a much better daily driver.

Luxury? An Accord? LoL! Keep putting lipstick on that pig. I guess a nice watch for you is a Swatch and eating a nice dinner is going out to Burger King. HONDA and luxury don't go together, maybe Acura and by the sales numbers it looks like no one is the country is buying that either.

Me too! Give me an Accord over the A3. Reliability and a excellent daily driver are very important to me. On an annual basis 300000-400000 Accords and Camry's are sold. A few 100 of these owners turning in their accords/Camry's is really no big deal. It's like a small pimple on a mosquito's butt.

Have you driven them both? The Accord is American "land yacht" and the Audi is much more precise and sure in its responses.

Yeah I agree! I would take the latest Accord over the A3. The latter looks small and stingy! Goodness knows how adults will survive in the cramped backseat! The least Audi I would go for is the A4. It is more roomy than the A3 and doesn't have that "half-pint" malnourished look. Has badge-whorism reached the stage where one sacrifices comfort for a name?

Let's all get a hold of ourselves for a very quick second here. The A3 has sold not even 8000 units this year. The Camry and Accord each sold 300k-400k units last year EACH. You do the math then tell me what the Audi executive is trying to achieve by making this statement.

The Audi executive didn't talk about the overall number of sales for the A3 Sedan vs. the Camry or Accord. He stated that many Accord and Camry owners are moving to the A3 Sedan. Audi is getting many Honda and Toyota customers but he never said the A3 Sedan outsold the Camry or the Accord. Learn to analyze the quote, cidflekken.

Learn to read and analyze yourself, Nuttie, because that's NOT what I was saying. Before becoming such a defensive Numbnut, understand the context. And, no, I won't explain it to you. If you still don't understand what I am truly saying in my post, then you're just proving, once again (shocker) how truly narrow-minded you are when it comes to any criticism of Audi.

@cidflekken so the better selling car is therefore the better product. Clearly then the live axle Mustang is an infinitely better sports car than the 911...just look at the sales.