Audi gets serious with US marketing efforts

Marketing isn't going to do it. Little things like: no memory seats in a $35K car; increasing prices; no scheduled maintenance; and, massive depreciation. The VWs are better buys.

Jim

abqhudson -

Don't underestimate the power of marketing. The media has a huge impact on the way people think. And public image is extremely important, especially to premium brands like Audi.

BMW, MB, Lexus advertise relentlessly. Looks like Audi is finally getting serious about the US market and will start advertising as much as the competition.

Increasing prices??
2007 A4s are $1,000 or more less than the 06 model.
Schedule maintenance is still available for a very small fee ($550; but 5K service is still covered).
Massive depreciation??
Not the A4; very strong on the contrary.

Riiiiiiiight....as always the smartest comments with completely dumbass of a reasoning and idotic arguments...
Logical..you make me laugh...thanks for that; I needed it.

Logical, Audi sells more cars world-wide when compared to Infiniti. Perhaps Infiniti should take a look at Audi for some motivation.

Logical, first post THEN smoke crack, not the other way around.

Why the h*ll would you want an RWD car as an all weather car? RWD is the least safe and practical option! RWD cars tend to oversteer, especially in bad wether conditions. FWD cars tend to understeer. The average diver, not interested in racing, would react to under- and oversteer by taking his/her foot off the gas. In a FWD car this corrects the oversteer, in a RWD car, this only makes the understeer worse!

In an AWD car, you know, like many superb Audi's, you can control the amount of oversteer by just playing with the throttle. In a few yeard, when you get your drivers licence, you should take an Audi quattro course. They learn you that stuff there.

FWD cars are not optimal for racing, they are the most practical for every day use in many cars. They are often more fuel economic becouse they are lighter then their AWD and RWD counterparts.

Logical- as usual, you're a $hithead.

In response to your post:

1. Audi surveyed current owners and executives to see if RWD would be a better option. Most of them felt that it would alienate some of their current buyers, as about 20% of their cars are sold with FWD (mostly A3s and A4s).

2. The only car that platform shares exclusively with a Volkswagen is the A3. And I wouldn't say the GTI is a bad car to be based on- both the A3 and the GTI have trashed the 1 Series in every comparison I've seen.

3. Weight-saving technology? Are you serious? You are such an idiot! Both the A8L and new TT are made out of aluminum (A8 100%, TT approx 70% aluminum)! If the A8 wasn't, it would weigh as much as a Phaeton, but it weighs 200lbs less than a 7 Series! And the new TT weighs 200lbs less than the current version!

4. BMW RAN AWAY FROM AUDI IN LEMANS. Every single race Audi enters, they dominate. BMW has ran away every single damn time. They're not going to "bigger and better things"- I've never seen a BMW beat an Audi in a race such as LeMans or DTM.

5. Audi is way more innovative than BMW when it comes to style, tech and engine performance. BMW's been milking its 3.0 straight six for years- it's a great engine, but hardly innovative. Audi introduced FSI to the luxury car industry two years ago with the A6. Audi was first to mass-produce twin-turbocharging with the A6 2.7T (I used to own one, it was fantastic). Audi put the nail in the coffin for the shoddy SMG system when DSG came out- DSG is by far the best sequential manual ever created.

I couldnt find a more accurate answer than "Logical's" He said it all. Now listen to him and become successful

Read my post.

Audi makes good cars but gets undeserved good press about features that are lousy compared to the competition. Compared to Lexus and Mercedes they are ergonomically inferior. Rear seat headrests restrict view out of backlight on A8 to a mere slit. Setting up a destination in the nav system is an exercise in futility. Ride on concrete high speed highways is "brittle." Memory seat, trunk release and gas cap release buttons are difficult to read during daylight. Cup holders don't hold cups and interfere with MMI. Entertainment system controls integrated with MMI is overly complicated and distracting. Some dealers are a disgrace. Cherry Hill Audi took 2-1/2 weeks to repair front right supension, returned car with bad wheel bearing and break disk.