Are Audi's over rated ?

Marlow

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Think you'll find it very much is the car manufacturers fault when you think about it though.

Not really. It's down to cost and the price you're willing to pay.

If you go lets say 10-15 years back cars were a lot more reliable and better build. Down to over engineering, etc. But the price was actually also bigger.

With the demand for more and more for less and less money, you'll have to expect that the price cut will be showing somewhere.

As for a lot of recurring problems, they're often down to, that they don't get solved properly or just ignored, when they disappear again and hence turn up randomly again. If you fix them though, they are unlikely to come back soon. If you use better components to fix them, then it'll take even longer before they come back. Also cars have been filled with electronic gadgets, got more complicated. So there's a bigger chance of things going wrong.

At the end of the day, you get, what you pay for.

I have 80's and 90's Audis and VWs and electrical issues are minor if at all an issue. The ones that turn up are usually known issues and hence easy to fix.

/M

fonecrusher1

Nah I disagree. These 'electrical gremlins' you speak of. Who is to blame for these issues? Is it more the customer or the manufacturer?

Marlow

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Nah I disagree. These 'electrical gremlins' you speak of. Who is to blame for these issues? Is it more the customer or the manufacturer?

As I stated before: there are very few of them in the likes of cars from VAG. Try compare to the issues in the likes of Volvo, Rover, Alfa, Fiat.

Unless it's a faulty component, the gremlins that you see in cars often are down to wear and tear. The cheaper the manufacturer has to get to sell their cars, the cheaper components they've got to use and the quicker they're going to wear out. The customer is at fault there for pushing the prices down. The manufacturer only reacts to the market demand and competition.

/M

fonecrusher1

Marlow wrote: »

As I stated before: there are very few of them in the likes of cars from VAG. Try compare to the issues in the likes of Volvo, Rover, Alfa, Fiat.

Unless it's a faulty component, the gremlins that you see in cars often are down to wear and tear. The cheaper the manufacturer has to get to sell their cars, the cheaper components they've got to use and the quicker they're going to wear out. The customer is at fault there for pushing the prices down. The manufacturer only reacts to the market demand and competition.

/M

I'm not interested in the possibly questionable reputation of other car-makers as a scape-goat for electrical gremlins that one specific car maker's car suffers from. If a car suffers from issues such as the ones you have mentioned then that is the fault of the car manufacturer and certainly NOT the person who buys it.

R.O.R

bazz26 wrote: »

The 1.6 D2 and 2.0 D3 engines used by Volvo are sourced from Ford who in turn co-developed them with (PSA) Peugeot/Citroen. The D5 is an inhouse Volvo diesel engine.

The D3 / D4 is now a downsized version of the D5 engine. It's a 1984cc 5 Cylinder engine (which is a stonker in 150 / 163ps - haven't had a shot in the new 136ps D3 yet).

D2 is still the 1.6d sourced from Peugeot/Citroen/Ford/Mazda etc.

RedorDead

RedorDead wrote: »

Because they sell like six cars a year currently in Ireland. Its like saying the Surinam community in Ireland havent complained of racism lately.

I wasn't talking about Ireland ? nor was I talking about Ireland when I was referring to Audi ? I'm talking in general.

And Fiat make pretty reliable cars these days and have great engines. I would say at this stage the Grande Punto and the Bravo are more reliable than Audi, VW in the sense they don't have such expensive failures or serious as flywheel or gearbox.

Even on the honest john website the Grande Punto came out extremely well for owner feedback.

Fiat came 2 places above VW in the what car reliability survey 2012.

Fiat came 9 places Above Audi in the same survey.

In the JD power survey audi came at 10th and Fiat at 26th

What car survey V jdpower ?

All I know is Fiat don't have as severe faults like current generation Audi and VW.

Fiat have come a hell of a long way to rebuild ( lol BUILD) their reputation.

Max Power1

Are Audi's what over rated?

Unless you meant, are Audis over rated.

" 's " indicates possession, and does not make a plural.

Tea 1000

KwackerJack wrote: »

For some reason a Skoda is more reliable...same bloody car different badge's and a bit of extra trim but From what ive seen in the fathers garage a lot of people have gone from Audi / vw to Skoda

There are a nice car to drive but like every nice car there great until something goes wrong :mad:

Actually, the Head of Skoda has come out recently in a conversation saying that actually Skoda fare no better than VW/Audi in problems or issues, they have the same issues with the same components, however he said they always fare better in opinion surveys because they are cheaper and better value so people don't have the same level of expectation as those who spend twice the price for a car and don't get twice as good a reliability.

Deleted User wrote: »

The basic models are over rated maybe, but drive a well kitted out A6 and you will love it, or A4.

Drove a 3 litre quatto A6 and wasn't a fan!

Yep OP, Audi's are generally over rated, more so in this country.

Synyster Shadow

I'm lookin into an Audi A4 bout the 09 or so but one thing I hate bout Audi is that the cost of there parts are more than vw or skoda even though there all the same! Rather annoyin

panama

Max Power1 wrote: »

Are Audi's what over rated?

Unless you meant, are Audis over rated.

" 's " indicates possession, and does not make a plural.

:rolleyes:

transam

i have a3 sportback and i have to say i never had any problems with it so far , she is a SE so all the toys indside , good ride and good quality materials inside , better then in golf on which its based , in my opinion its also better looking car ...

Tea 1000

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Drove a 3 litre quatto A6 and wasn't a fan!

Yep OP, Audi's are generally over rated, more so in this country.

Well when I said well kitted out, I'm not just talking engine size !

So you aren't a fan ? so ? that tells us that not everyone like Audi ? so what!

Mr Chuckles

As an owner of an 8 year old A4 (B7) 1.8T, with over 100,000 miles on the clock, I would say no. Only issues were 2 failed coil packs and a windows regulator. The styling and interior finish in Audis are among the best.

Mr Chuckles

Mr Chuckles wrote: »

As an owner of an 8 year old A4 (B7) 1.8T, with over 100,000 miles on the clock, I would say no. Only issues were 2 failed coil packs and a windows regulator. The styling and interior finish in Audis are among the best.

And trust me the B8 is much better!

Only 100,000 miles in 8 years ? 15 k a year . God I'd love to get away with that little usage.

Burning Eclipse

Anyone out there with a B6 1.6 petrol? Giving serious consideration to one (please don't judge me). The 1.9 TDi just isn't worth it for the driving I do.

Tea 1000

Deleted User wrote: »

Well when I said well kitted out, I'm not just talking engine size !

So you aren't a fan ? so ? that tells us that not everyone like Audi ? so what!

Extra kit makes no difference to the way a car drives, besides it was well kitted out. You made a statement in a "matter of fact" manner that generally Audi fans do, which lead me to my reply giving my opinion. And I suspect too many of your matter of fact statements are the reason the OP started this thread, so therefore my response is valid. They are actually over rated if folk talk about them like they're the best car on the road, yet actually aren't.

Tea 1000

Mr Chuckles wrote: »

As an owner of an 8 year old A4 (B7) 1.8T, with over 100,000 miles on the clock, I would say no. Only issues were 2 failed coil packs and a windows regulator. The styling and interior finish in Audis are among the best.

You're lucky the engine didn't eat itself from the oil sludge issue that claimed so many!

H3llR4iser

Someday wrote: »

My third Audi, the first one had three major problems at 5 year old ! It was a A3 !

Current 3.5 year old a4, again three major problems. Paint work, throttle, now flywheel !!

Changing again soon and I don't know what to do!

Passat, aventis , something else or stick with A4 !

Reliability aside, which is apparently becoming more and more of an issue on newer cars, they are - especially in Ireland. In some other EU countries they're considered either pensioners' cars or "poor man's Mercedes".

Are they good cars? Yes; However, when most people will tell you that they're "very nice to drive" it simply means they never tried an actual driver's car. Or maybe they drive a Quattro, but I don't see many around...

Tea 1000

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Extra kit makes no difference to the way a car drives, besides it was well kitted out. You made a statement in a "matter of fact" manner that generally Audi fans do, which lead me to my reply giving my opinion. And I suspect too many of your matter of fact statements are the reason the OP started this thread, so therefore my response is valid. They are actually over rated if folk talk about them like they're the best car on the road, yet actually aren't.

Nobody said they were the "best" car on the road. But they are one of the nicest cars to sit in.

I've driven the new A4, A5, A6 and nobody could fault the handling or ride quality, unless you are on stupidly low profile tyres or driving recklessly.

would I buy a 2nd hand one ? certainly not a diesel, I would however drive a petrol and convert it to LPG. I don't know much about their petrols to be honest but they seem to be far more reliable than the diesels these days. But the petrol would be much cheaper to buy and (IS) cheaper to run than a 50 mpg diesel (LPG cost of 84 cent Kilcullen) with less miles 2 nd hand too making for even better value for money. And VAG TSI's have no timing belts.

goz83

Paddyontherun wrote: »

I had a passat for a few years and 'upgraded' to an Audi A4 TDi. I always felt the Audi was a passat with 5 circles on the front and cost €10k extra. Thankfully they were compnay cars so I wasn't paying.

5?

SniperSight

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Anyone out there with a B6 1.6 petrol? Giving serious consideration to one (please don't judge me). The 1.9 TDi just isn't worth it for the driving I do.

Have one and have never had serious problems with it, window regulator is gone at the moment, but that seems fairly common in A4s, and not an expensive fix.

Personally, I've always liked it.
I think its a classy, German look. My advice though, get one with alloys, as they can be abit boring looking without.
I get about 38-41mpg, never found it sluggish. Its not a sportscar obviously, but I find it a nice place to be.
Interior is high quality look and feel.
And its very comfortable driving.

Oh and in answer to the OP....No.

RedorDead

RedorDead wrote: »

Because they sell like six cars a year currently in Ireland. Its like saying the Surinam community in Ireland havent complained of racism lately.

Just saw this.

I was not talking about Irish sales.

Fiat came 9 places above Audi in the what car survey, that's a huge achievement for Fiat.

RedorDead

Deleted User wrote: »

Just saw this.

I was not talking about Irish sales.

Fiat came 9 places above Audi in the what car survey, that's a huge achievement for Fiat.

Fair enough - Fiat in Ireland are pretty much dead though. Its decent for fiat - lots of small cars with small engines though which generally shouldnt break down much.

The Japanese/Korean dominance is impressive.

Nickindublin

Have had no problems with my first Audi. Diesel engine mainly city driving. Now waiting on the 2nd to be delivered... Hopefully more of the same....

NewApproach

I have a B6 Tractor TDI. Mechanically I really can't fault it.

galwaytt

Tea 1000 wrote: »

You're lucky the engine didn't eat itself from the oil sludge issue that claimed so many!

on my 3rd TT so far, and - touch wood - no sludging yet.

Like everything else, a little TTLC goes a long way.... :D

On a related note, had the dash out of mine - again - last night - to fit an iPod kit etc. The engines I love, the styling is great...their electronics are........so-so...actually, they're often shoite....:) .....but the genius is the guy who designs & builds the interiors. How they even come up with some of the ways they put it together..........there is more thought in that than in the whole of some other cars entirely.

Consider: I was in a lovely Bose-equipped, leather upholstered Alfa today - and I love Alfa's - but the 'feeling' of the interior was nothing like the TT. Not bad especially, but just a different level. Mind you, the Alfa's seats were top-notch. It's the small stuff: the heater vents, the way Audi bolt rather than clip the things together, even the (outrageous) way they detail the sliding mechanism for the oddments tray...........signs by, they age well. My car, and 01, was mistaken for an '11 by a visitor last week. And I don't even try that hard tbh.

Leonard Hofstadter

Marlow wrote: »

No. Volvos have NEVER used Peugeot lumps. Traditionally Volvo has used Renault or their own engines for petrol engines and VW for their diesel engines. (Volvo 260, 760, 940, 960 = VW LT 6-pot diesel 2.4, Volvo 850 diesel = VW 2.5 TDI engine), but usually with bigger injectors and bigger turbo.

/M

You've forgotten about the PRV6 engine there Marlow:)!

Tea 1000

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Are they good cars? Yes; However, when most people will tell you that they're "very nice to drive" it simply means they never tried an actual driver's car.

To be honest, I think most people don't know the difference.

Deleted User wrote: »

Nobody said they were the "best" car on the road. But they are one of the nicest cars to sit in.

I've driven the new A4, A5, A6 and nobody could fault the handling or ride quality, unless you are on stupidly low profile tyres or driving recklessly.

would I buy a 2nd hand one ? certainly not a diesel, I would however drive a petrol and convert it to LPG. I don't know much about their petrols to be honest but they seem to be far more reliable than the diesels these days. But the petrol would be much cheaper to buy and (IS) cheaper to run than a 50 mpg diesel (LPG cost of 84 cent Kilcullen) with less miles 2 nd hand too making for even better value for money. And VAG TSI's have no timing belts.

I never mentioned that anyone said they were the best either. And the handling and ride are the two biggest faults with most Audi's. The handling is not to be confused with road-holding or grip. The low speed ride over rough surfaces is poor, although it has improved, they're not the best at coping with undulating surfaces. But most of the mainstream models offer nothing in the way of handling and are beaten by the competitors, often in classes below too.

galwaytt wrote: »

on my 3rd TT so far, and - touch wood - no sludging yet.

Like everything else, a little TTLC goes a long way.... :D

On a related note, had the dash out of mine - again - last night - to fit an iPod kit etc. The engines I love, the styling is great...their electronics are........so-so...actually, they're often shoite....:) .....but the genius is the guy who designs & builds the interiors. How they even come up with some of the ways they put it together..........there is more thought in that than in the whole of some other cars entirely.

Consider: I was in a lovely Bose-equipped, leather upholstered Alfa today - and I love Alfa's - but the 'feeling' of the interior was nothing like the TT. Not bad especially, but just a different level. Mind you, the Alfa's seats were top-notch. It's the small stuff: the heater vents, the way Audi bolt rather than clip the things together, even the (outrageous) way they detail the sliding mechanism for the oddments tray...........signs by, they age well. My car, and 01, was mistaken for an '11 by a visitor last week. And I don't even try that hard tbh.

The interiors are excellent alright, VW/Audi are excellent at that. In the actual meticulousness of the construction of most of the interior and exterior, they're really hard to beat, maybe Lexus might be better, or some Mercedes' of old or of very recently, but probably matched rather than beaten.