Just a little observation I made today.
Yesterday i was cleaning a top-spec A4 estate which is about 6 months old and I have to say, Audi seems to be cheapening their interior trim somewhat these days.
The leather looked no better than that which I found in a Kia and the bit of psuedo-metal plastic surrounding the gearlever looked especially cheap and nasty. I also noticed that the boot carpet marks exceptionally easily as its so thin, so my customer, who plays golf and uses the boot often, already has a very worn boot area. I have another customer with one that is 2 years old and also plays golf and his boot looks like it was used as a pick up such is the wear and tear.
What makes me comment is that I was cleaning a 4 year old A6 today, also with leather. Now this car has 150,000 miles on it yet the boot area, which gets used extensively, is still as tidy as it was when new, because the carpet is far more suitable for a boot area.
The leather is also far better quality and the whole interior seems to have much more expensive looking trim, yet both cars cost roughly the same ( the A6 isnt that much more expensive ).
Is Audi cutting some corners now the same way Mercedes did?
To be honest, maybe not everyone would notice these things, but in my job, you get a lot of time to poke around a lot of different cars!
|
|
They've been like that for years now. IMHO.
|
|
I used to really like Audis, but looking on a dealer's forecourt recently they all seem to have gone down the bling route. Ridiculous alloys/low profiles, tacky chrome trim, etc. Quite ugly, impractical designs too - eg poor load space in rear. And the prices were just absurd, from something the size of an Almera and no better, up to a used one costing more than a house did up here 5 years ago... Definitely cars for the badge conscious rich with too much money burning a hole in their pocket. IMO.
|
Richardm
Bling? What on earth are you talking about? They?ve had Chrome trimming since the turn of the last century when they first started making them. and low profile tyres/alloys might have been bling in the 70s but I hardly think they warrant a second look these days as it?s a fashion that pretty much every manufacturer is slavishly following. Audi are more mean than most with their standard trim and thus an off the shelf vehicle tends to be the antithesis of bling. AFAIK they don?t offer UV lighting, spinners, lunch table spoilers or leopard skin trim though if someone wants to spec larger alloys, and many increasingly do, then that?s a function of their choice and not the manufacturers. If you are unable or unwilling to buy an Audi then that?s fine, but for you to reduce the myriad of buying decisions and the profile of a customer down to one facile and ludicrous soundbite shows that you know precious little about cars or people.
|
>>but for you to reduce the myriad of buying decisionsand the profile of a customer down to one facile and ludicrous soundbite shows that you know precious little about cars or people.
Sticks and stones... Martin, you and anyone else are quite free to buy what you want and I was stating my opinion only - that's the bit you clearly misunderstand - but that opinion was formed on the impression I got of their current range, and personally I would never consider spending those prices (and yes, I could afford it) on such overrated cars. Sorry if not sharing your view upsets you so much.
|
|
My view is that people shouldn't pigeonhole and demean others because of the car they buy and you not sharing that view saddens but doesn't upset me. As I remarked if you'd simply said that they weren't your cuppa then fair enough, but with"Definitely cars for the badge conscious rich with too much money burning a hole in their pocket" you're stereotyping and denigrating those who have bought a brand of car that you don't care for, thereby exposing your ignorance of the cars and the people who buy them.
|
|
|
|
|
I can?t comment on the KIA but the basic Audi leather I?ve had in various A6s struck me as being pretty similar to that offered in competitors. IME the basic leather trim for most current mass market cars is so-so and doesn?t do much for me, which is why many manufacturers now offer you an extra-cost choice of leathers. I think that you have a point in that the current A6 and A4 have some cheaper surfaces and close scrutiny reveals cost-cutting in the cabin compared to the previous model, but even with this, the resulting cabin is still as comfortable and solid as ever and IMO still has a considerable edge over the competition in this regard. The obvious upside is that the cars are safer and hugely better on the road than their predecessors. I think that it?s probably a bit of a leap to conclude that Audi is headed down the same road as Mercedes in the 90s, simply on the basis that the leather or gearstick trim isn?t as nice as previous models. You might of course be right and time will tell, but thus far there is no evidence to give cause for concern.
|
Im not suggesting that Audi have gone down Mercedes route just yet, but it worries me that while they still build the cars very well ( unlike Mercedes ) they are starting to use materials that do not befit a car which is priced as a premium brand.
I cant see much of a quality leap between a Mondeo and the A4, both of which I have cleaned extensively over the last few years.
Infact, I think the top spec Mondeos are quite impressive in the quality department, much to my suprise.
I now look to Jaguar for best use of materials as their cabins tend to look expensive, even if they arent screwed together with quite the same finesse as an Audi.
The difference between the leather used in a small Jaguar and that used in an Audi is quite significant when you get down and start cleaning it - cheap leather has a certain texture to it.
Id also suggest BMW is not bad for quality of materials either, just a shame about the styling from my perspective!
Incidentally, my customer I mentioned with the A6 was also not impressed with the newer Audis, so has gone for a 5-series...
|
|
Again I think that your extrapolations from Audi base leather and gearbox trim are quite a stretch. Oddly, if it wasn't for the quality and comfort of the interior of the latest 5 series I might well have ordered one last week instead of the A6 which was significantly better in this respect. As I remarked the base leather in both Audi , BMW and pretty much most mass market brands is much of a muchness, cheap as you say. Ford has improved their interiors no end, and the top end Mondeos are very close to the standard A4 which is fair enough as I would have thought theat the list prices are similar. Apart from more hard plastic than I'd want, the new Ford smax raises the game again in this respect and with this model I think that Ford have really arrived. I really admire the interior of the XJ but IMO the x-type interior is unforgiveably naff and given the choice I'd take any of the top spec Mondeos or an A4 in a heartbeat.
|
If I was buying a car which you pay a premium for, id expect something extra and since a Mondeo drives very well, I would atleast expect a higher level of quality, which you do not get with the latest Audis that I have so far sampled. I must admit, Ive only cleaned one very new BMW which was a 6-series and I thought it was impressive interior qualitywise so cannot comment on the 3-series.
You must understand, I judge cars quality by their durability and how easy they are to clean up to new condition where possible as this is my job, along with how many bits of loose trim I find.
I hate Vauzhall interiors because they use trim which wear quickly and carpet that has no pile to it so that dirt ingrains into the base of the carpet, not the fibres, so is far harder to clean.
Audis are not that bad in this respect, but just the durability is lacking and some cheap looking bits and bobs.
I like BMWs because both the trim and the carpets especially, are of excellent quality that proves quick and simple to clean up.
I have to say, ive never cleaned a Lexus that I wasnt pleased to be working on. Same goes for Volvos but only from a cleaning perspective as im sure they dont have quite the finish of some brands. Im waiting to clean one of those S40s I think it is with the see through dashboard? Would be interesting.
|
I've done big mileage in Audis and some, though admittedly a lot less in primarily rental Mondeos. To me the difference in the cabin quality of a mid-level Mondeo and the Audi is clear though as I stated earlier the gap between a top spec Mondeo and a standard A4 is close and I've no doubt that the new Mondeo will raise the game. As I also said the prices of these models are not dissimilar, so no premium, so I'm not sure where the argument is.
I recently handed back my A6 with 60k on the clock and despite getting thrashed by me and the family the interior was as fresh as the day it was delivered. My wife's A4 is the same after a valet session, as was her previous A4 when she handed it back. Whilst I personally think that you're highlighting problems that don't exist probably best that we agree to differ and be content that we like our respective cars.
|
Maybe its something to do with the very latest cars then and using them to carry golf clubs.
Ive cleaned Audi TTs that are fine so it may be specific models and uses.
|
|
|
|
& they are awfully expensive.
MTC
|
VAG group plated plastic looks worse than Vauxhall/Opel plated plastic.
|
|
Are we seriously going to discuss the merits of Vauxhall interiors?
|
|
Is there a possible discussion about merits of a Vauxhall interior when there arent any? Ford have blown Vauxhall out of the water of later in terms of quality and a brand new Astra I cleaned teh other day have 10k on the clock but torn carpets and loose door trim and console. It belongs to a teenager whos mum part owns a Vauxhall dealership too, but she drives a Jaguar XKR :) - good taste.
|
|
Audi"s used to rot like anything in the 70"s where the bling was nailed on ,at least they dont rot now..........................
|
|
I notice that today's Grauniad has Audi in the bottom third of manufacturer's for reliability - but on the brighter side, also has the A6 as the most reliable exec available - I wonder to what extent there are different standards of engineering and effort made by manufacturers across the ranges they build.
|
|
|
|
