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Any opinions on the new Audi's

5K views 62 replies 31 participants last post by  RodnJen 
#1 ·
My wife and I are considering a new/used car for her. Safety and style. Done with the domestics. My neighbor is a fireman/emt, he says the BMW and Mercedes seem to be the safest cars. He told me that it's amazing the impacts he's seen people survive in them.
My wife really likes the Audi s5 and a5. Anyone here currently/have owned one? Any personal experience, reliability, safety, performance...?

Any and all comments are appreciated.
 
#4 ·
The build quality of BMW and Audi are great. The fit and finish are by far better than the domestics.

We just got rid of our 330i and loved it. The only advise that I would offer is that if your buying used get an extended warranty.

A German car without a warranty will be nothing more than a money pit.
 
#5 ·
I think one of the best places to get information on the safety would be the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety @ http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx . I did not see a test of the Audi A5/S5 by the Insurance Institute, but the A5 shares the same platform and structure as the A4 and would think the results to be the same. As for reliability, I would say all cars built today are very close. I don’t buy into Consumer Reports or Consumer Guides recommendations. Both seem to be a little bias at times and make their choice based on function; more like choosing an appliance. I also don’t rate JD Powers very high. They treat all complaints the same. A transmission or engine failure rates the same as a power window or door lock problem. They also count an annoyance as a problem. Some in the past some have been poor fuel economy (Hummer H2), cup holders that would not hold a big gulp (Mini Cooper), brake dust (almost all BMW’s). Best place for checking reliability would be the NHTSA at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallprocess.cfm . Here you can check safety recalls, complaints and defect investigations. You can also access service bulletins that will give insight into possible problem areas.

I have never owned an Audi but I have owned a ’02 BMW X5 3.0, ’05 Mercedes E-500 and ’06 ML-500 (the ML was a replacement for the X5). We just replaced the E-500 with a new Mercedes E-550 Coupe. When shopping for the new car we did look at the new Audi’s and BMW’s. The Audi A5/S5 fits into the same category and size as the BMW 3-series coupe and Mercedes E-class coupe. The new E-class coupe, like the older CLK-class coupe, uses the smaller 4-door C-class platform. I can give you my impressions of the cars and how we rated each and why. The Audi A5/S5 are nice looking and match the build quality of the others. My biggest complaints with the Audi were the engine and drive layout. The 2011 A5 only comes with a 211 hp 2.0 liter turbo 4 while the S5 comes with a 4.2 liter 345 hp V-8. Audi no longer offers a V-6 option in its smaller cars but does in the A6 models. The Turbo 4 was adequate but did not seem to match the performance of the competitions base models. The V-8 was a different story with enough power to run with the Mercedes E-550 and a little faster than the BMW 335i. The drawback to the S5 was the drive train layout. Audi cars are primarily front wheel drive with almost all of the motor hanging past the front wheels placing a very large percentage of the total weight on the front wheels. Not too bad with the smaller 4-cyclinder but can be felt with the heavier V-8. If you go Audi, get it with Quattro all wheel drive (the S5 comes only with Quattro). The BMW is the oldest design of the group and is nearing the end of its current body style and is showing its age. BMW’s new N55 twin-scroll turbo makes a nice package for performance and fuel mileage. The performance is close to the V-8 powered competition with fuel economy of a smaller engine. Between the Audi and BMW, we would have chosen the 335i over the A5. The car is just better balanced and still fast. The Mercedes was the newest design of the group, offered the most rear seat room, and an equipment lever that matched the mid size cars. It did not have the handling of the BMW, but it was close and much faster with the V8. We also thought the interior was much nicer than the Audi A5/S5 or the BMW 3-series and liked the exterior styling over the other two coupes. We shopped Penske Mercedes Benz and Audi in West Covina. The stores are next to each other so it was easy to compare both cars. For the BMW we shopped Savage in Ontario. Surprisingly the second place car on our list was not the 3-series or the S5; it was the BMW 535 sedan, third was the Mercedes E-550 sedan, Fourth was the 335i and the Audi was off the list.

I don’t know if you are looking to lease or buy, but the E-coupe and the S5 both have a residual of 55% for 36 months with 15k miles per year. The base money factor for the Audi is lower, at .00166, compared to the Benz at .00240. The BMW 335i has a higher residual of 58% and a base money factor of .00170. Other lease rates can be found at http://www.ridewithg.com .

We chose the Mercedes, but it may not be the car for you and your wife. You need to spend a day and test drive all the cars. Do not settle for the short, around the block test drive; spend some time behind the wheel and get a good feel for the car. We dealt with Philip Fong at Penske Mercedes and Diego Gonzalez at Savage BMW. This was our third Mercedes from Philip and got the same first class treatment. He spent as much time as we needed showing us all the cars and allowing plenty of time behind the wheel on test drives. Diego is a much younger sales person, but knows the BMW cars and their competition; he is very well informed. Again we had a good, lengthy test drive and got the feel of the car.

Good luck with your purchase,
Mike
 
#6 ·
Driven both the S4 and S6. The S6 is pure luxury and has a nice detuned Lambo engine with low end torque , but falls short in performance of the S4's with its supercharged 333HP and handling . The S4 even with four passengers performs extremely well . Friend's had Audis and liked them other than its fast depriciation in value. But that goes with Bimmers as well .I'd be happy with the S4 for DD .
 
#8 ·
I work in the transmission biz.Not saying there a bad car,however I wouldn"t want to pay the repair bill for the AWD ,fully electronic,automatic trans:)st .
I also question the repair bill of a minor accident with an aluminum body. As mention above regarding resale value, all the high end car drop once the warrenty run out because the repair bills will often be more than the value. Aftermarket warrrenties can be very tricky.I often see owners jaws hit the ground after they contact the warrenty company:)st
Again I'm not saying there not a quality car,they are! They just require the upkeep money as does anything high end.
 
#10 ·
Audi's are cool cars, I had one, but it was in the shop alot and resale sucked. My 5 Series BMW just hit 30K miles and have never had a warranty claim. the 5 series is the only car meeting the 5 star new crash test in its class from what I read, LOW insurance rates and compared to BMW excellent gas mileage. NO gas Merceds gets 30 MPG, my BMW is at 30MPG highway all the time and feee maintance from my dealer is first class.

Merceds is heaver and perhaps a better riding sedan, but the BMW has performance and is realiable too. My connection gets you a new 325 with premium for about 35K and .9 financing, not a bad deal in this climate.
 
#11 ·
I recently researchered three cars A5s, BMW650, MB E550 C. Although more expensive then the A5S I went with the MB, the HP felt more substantial and handling was as good as the A5S.

The tech package of the MB is incredible as well, check out the automated cruse control system, all though is a hefty adder it does some pretty amazing things. The back set can handle some medium sized folks for a short period.
 
#12 ·
My opinion is not positive. Think expensive VW..... Add to that outsourcing jobs, and the nightmare of maintenance over the years. If you don't keep your cars very long, it might be OK. Our MINI was a mess as soon as the warranty ran out.
 
#13 ·
Wait, so you're "done with domestics" I can only assume because of some quality/reliability concern, but have no problem buying a finicky German car?:)sphss

Audi, and Mercedes make a nice car, but for the money you're looking at you can get a CTS-V likely....
 
#16 ·
I like the CTS-v, but to me it's still a Government Motors product. I've been a GM supporter my entire life, not so much anymore. I have yet to have owned one that does'nt squeek or rattle. My Grand Prix GTP started falling apart at 65,000 miles. My Civic has 121,000 and nothing but brakes and tires. Z06 rattled from day 1 and had a oil leak from day 2. took almost a year for them to fix it. Trailblazer 5.3 lack power under 4,000rpm. 2 Duramax diesels, both had multiple injector failures...
Not sure what the next car will be, probably wont be GM. Next truck will probably be the Tundra.
 
#20 ·
My GF has an A4 Convertible, thing spends more time in the shop then on the road. Lots of stupid little things that repeat over and over. Latest is that she will drive it, go into a store or wherever and when she comes back out it wont start, if she waits about 10 minutes it will finally fire up, twice she has called the wrecker to tow it, both times she canceled when it finally started, dealer of course can't find the problem. Car is a POS if you ask me...
 
#21 ·
If reliability is the one and only concern, then go buy a damn Honda Civic or similar. True, those cars are much more reliable and cheaper to fix than the german stuff. But those cars are complete piles of horse sh*t in the other areas such as fit and finish, performance and handling, comfort and ammenities. Was a Honda or Toyota built to go down the autobahn at 130 all day and feel as solid as if it was sitting at a stop light, nope didnt think so. Do they have a quality interior that doesnt squeek and rattle, nope. When you shut the door on a honda does it rattle like an empty coke can, yes! Does the paint on a honda or Toyota have the quality of a Beemer, Benz or Audi, Nope! in a few years it will look like someone took a phockin brillo pad to the paint! Whats important to you? IMO you have to give up some items to gain others. I've been in BMW's for the past 10 years, came close to buying an Audi, and I also own GM stuff. I have had a few issue with the Beemers and it is annoying, little things can be expensive- but its not worth dumping it and getting into something that has only has reliability to offer. The german stuff is just flat out nice- Give and take IMO.
 
#23 ·
As of my last "new" car purchase (2006 Z06), I will NEVER buy a new car again. Lost my ass on that deal. 55% in 3.5 years...:)st
So, my plan is to do what my brother did, buy from Carmax. He got a 2 year old S class MB for $35k. Purchased an extended warranty through Carmax that MB honors and 2 years later, he's still a happy camper.
I was on the Carmax lot in Ontario Ca last weekend, saw a bunch of CTS Caddies, no CTS-V's yet, more MB's and BMW's than you can talk about and 2 Audi's. An a4 and an older a6. My wife is just not into the MB, she and I really like the BMW 650, but hardly any rear seat leg room. So, as of right now, we have yet to sit in or even get an up close look at an Audi model we're interested in.
I appreciate the input, thank you
 
#25 ·
I have a newer Chevrolet truck that is quiet and not rattles. I love this truck and it is easy to drive.

I have 40K miles now with zero concerns!!!! It has never been in the shop with the exception for oil changes. It makes me think the American cars are much better today.
 
#26 ·
My wife and I are considering a new/used car for her. Safety and style. Done with the domestics. My neighbor is a fireman/emt, he says the BMW and Mercedes seem to be the safest cars. He told me that it's amazing the impacts he's seen people survive in them.
My wife really likes the Audi s5 and a5. Anyone here currently/have owned one? Any personal experience, reliability, safety, performance...?

Any and all comments are appreciated.
Bottom line: They are amazing cars WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. If you buy a new one, extend the warranty for as long as you plan to own it.

If you want my recommendation, Lexus IS-F.

I have yet to have owned one that does'nt squeek or rattle. My Grand Prix GTP started falling apart at 65,000 miles. My Civic has 121,000 and nothing but brakes and tires. Z06 rattled from day 1 and had a oil leak from day 2. took almost a year for them to fix it. Trailblazer 5.3 lack power under 4,000rpm. 2 Duramax diesels, both had multiple injector failures...
Not sure what the next car will be, probably wont be GM. Next truck will probably be the Tundra.
The above examples are why I got rid of my (all bought new) '00 Chevy truck, '99 Z28, '02 Ford diesel, and '04 Buick within the last five years. They have been replaced with (all bought new) '07 Toyota Tundra, '08 Lexus RX350, and '08 Toyota Yaris. I've never been happier and will never go back to "domestics" again.
 
#40 ·
I ordered my Z06 in July 05'. The first ones weren't delivered to dealerships till November 05'. I took delivery Jan 13th, 06', bought and paid for while it was coming off the transport. It was the first c6 Z06 I had ever seen in person. I knew what to expect, raw unadulterated horsepower, rough noisy ride, but wasn't expecting the creeks and moans it made at low speeds. Like the chassis was flexing against body panels. Did great at higher speeds. All the recalls kinda sucked too. Every time it went in for a recall a mechanic would F something up. One time they backed a Suburban into it while I was still in the car!
Loved the car overall, just think chevy could have done a little better with a $75k price tag. And that's why I'm a little skeptical of the CTS-v. If I drive one, it will be a drive, not a putt around the block. Same goes for the Germans...oh, and it will be a used one:D
 
#45 ·
Opinions

Everyone is gonna have opinions about brands. No different that the ever-popular diesel PU dealio of Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge.

People at work ask me all the time which is the "best" car or truck when they are shopping. They know I have driven most of them and have built cars from the ground-up since I was a kid. I ask them what their purpose for the vehicle is. Then, I may have a few models to narrow it down for them.

HOWEVER - the bottom line is - ALL of them are doing an EXCELLENT job. You can drive ANY of the cars mentioned and you will like something about each. When looking at used, you don't get to pick everything on the vehicle - unless you just wait long enough and the right car will come along. There aren't really any DOMESTICs for what you are looking for. MAYBE the CTS-V, but are you looking for LOTS of performance? or is performance second to LUXURY?

I chimed in because we are leisurely looking for the same thing for the wife right now. Her DD is a 2004 Yukon, dropped 3" x 4", 22s, stuff. It's loaded with autoride and all other bells and whistles. At 86,000 I just did it's first brake job and the leveling compressor went out, but it's been solid. So, we'll keep that one, but she needs an "L.A." car for when she goes to visit clients.

Looking at used is extremely wise. Just like boats, you can get literally TWICE the car for the same money. I say it's common-sense. Go drive what appeals to you. If you don't like something about it - go to the next most appealing ride.

I wouldn't suggest all-wheel-drive unless it ONLY comes that way - or - you NEED it. And by need it, I mean you LIVE where it snows every year. Just going to a ski resort does not make AWD necessary. The roads will ALWAYS be plowed and sanded so that people can get there to spend money. Other than that - it is just extra maintenance AND robs power.

So in my case, the MINIMUM for her would be a 5-series or E-class type unit. 3-series / C-class is WAY too small for clients to be comfortable. I have been looking at two to three year old CLS55 AMG's and S55's. Similarly, 745/750/760iL / Li. Additionally, the Lexus LS--- are all wonderful and some of the smoothest cars you would ever ride/drive in. The BMW 760iL is completely bad-ass. Reclining back seats, etc. The Lexus LS600h (hybrid) is just as nice as the 760. Similar rear passenger package. A few years old, these are the same $ as you would pay for a loaded brand new 5 series or A4 Audi. The Audi A8 has been ranked one of the best lux sedans of the day. She doesn't like the looks, otherwise I would be looking seriously for one of those.

Again, pick what you LIKE and just go drive some to narrow it down. They are all doing a wonderful job building cars.

I look here to keep tabs on prices and such. Most of what these guys carry already have nice wheels/tires and other upgrades. Again, for what you would pay for a stock car HALF the size.

Link_to_OC_Autohaus
 
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