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I have to put my opinion in here. Probably going to get disargeement from a lot of you, but I have to give it to Audi.
First of all, I'm pretty mad at BMW right now... Between Chris Bangle's flame surfacing and the executive decision to make the car a mainstream luxury make, I think the brand's had some serious damage done to it. It's not about the quality of their new cars, handling, or anything else for me that I have a bone to pick with. I'll be the first to admit that BMW's putting out some good stuff and I can't say that they make bad cars. As a classic bimmer enthusiast, I say that BMW makes bad BMW's. The goal used to be a driver's car with little emphasis on the looks or lines, keeping the car's appearance rather spartan. They were pricey because they drove well, not because they were "luxury," persay, even the old 7's can have this said about them to some degree. Now, it's the new money's best friend, with "hey, look at me!" styling that's meant to do nothing other than look expensive. Many of these "hey, look at me" people claim to love BMW, but then shun the older makes since they're "ugly," overlooking the real point they're supposed to be in a driver's car. Kind of reminds me of the guy that gets a Ferrari but complains that it's hard to park, you know? One day I'd love to get my hands on an E24 6-series and restore it... because that's a beautiful BMW to me.
Benz is an offender as well, although they don't grate on me quite as much for some reason. But look at a 1970's SL class... compared to, say, anything American at the time, they looked like something else that was never seen before, and really used to amaze me with the styling, while still looking German, classical, and proper. Now, they look like some rapper's dream minus the wheels.
I guess the reason that I think Audi is the purest is because the lines are the least complicated and they're the most conservative looking to me - since German cars are historically conservative and masculine looking, it has stayed truest in my opinion in terms of styling.
Not surprisingly, I've become a pretty big Volvo enthusiast over the past few years and will probably always buy Volvo from now on. Even the new "wilder" looking Volvos are still unmistakably Volvo. They seem to speak my language.
The Bangle disease has infected Mercedes, Lexus, etc. as well.
The first time that I saw a current S Class-------I thought it was a new Mitsubishi Diamante or similar-------till I saw the nameplate on the back end as well as the 'star'.
The LS 460 too has been uglified--------the 2006 down Lexus LS series cars were conservative yet classy.
In other words; whenever I see any of the vehicles; the word 'rice' comes to mind-------with all due respect to a Subaru WRX STi or Mitsu EVO.
Bmw's and mercs are very nice cars but they lack some things for instance if you look at any bmw today nomater what it is they will all be the same and not only that both cars are very snobby, were as an audi isnt quite as snobbish, not only that if you had a drag race against a merc ml 63 (not //amg)a merc gl 500 a bmw x5 4.8 an an audi q7 4.2 tdi the q7 would win and thats quite amazing because its the heaviest, it has the smallest engine, its a diesel and its detuned, so if it were my money it would be audi all the way
Mercedes C-240 was the worst auto I've ever owned. BMW 3-series was great, but expensive to maintain parts-wise. Have yet to own an Audi. Owned a crappy PTC and traded for a new Honda RL with all the bells and whistles. Good truck, with excellent motor. Very satisfied.
I've only ever driven German-made cars throughout my life.
I've a Mercedes and I have an Audi.
Both cars are a oleasure to drive.
But I prefer my Mercedes for a very long distance drive as it is slightly more comfortable and the economy of fuel consumption is better compared to my Audi.
I am contemplating buying a BMW.
You cannot go wrong buying a German-made car.
Best engineers in the world, in my opinion
Well I've had 3 German cars so far and I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say "you cannot go wrong buying a German-made car." You buy a German-made car for its driving characteristics, not its low maintenance costs. The "charming" (and sometimes expensive) quirks are simply part of the deal.
Anyway, does anyone else think Mercedes Benz made a mistake when they went down into the 30s with the C Class? I mean, I understand how big automobile companies need a broad market that picks people up in the middle and carries them to the high end (much like Toyota, Honda and Nissan can pick you up in the starter car and carry you into their higher-priced US lines Lexus, Acura, Infiniti).
But, Merc now has way too many platforms and their focus seems to be all over the place. I do know I love the E-Class bump and can see myself in an SLK 55 AMG when I'm all old and tired. It just seems like M-B started being questioned by car people as they started reaching down into the 30s in the US market. FWIW, I like the new GLK too, but I'd cringe at the thought of owning one -- at least owning one before the bugs are worked out (it's a platform share, so there shouldn't be too many, knock on wood)
I have a 2006 BMW 530i. It's my second BMW; my previous car was a 2001 530i. In terms of the way the car drives, my current car drives quite well, but I liked the 2001 version slightly better.
The 5-series definitely drives a lot better than the 3-series. I really noticed the difference when I got a 325i as a loan car from the dealer.
I really like the Audi, but I think the AWD takes a little bit away from the car's handling and performance. There are times though when the AWD comes in handy, depending upon your climate. BMW offers AWD as an option, at least in the 5-series, but I didn't get it. I really only need it a couple of times a year, and it didn't seem worth the extra money, lower gas mileage and decline in handling.
I don't care for Mercedes. It's just stylistic. They look like an older person's car. If I looked at an Audi or BMW, and a comparable Mercedes, I'd guess the Mercedes driver was at least 10 years older. Superficial I know, but superficial perceptions are a big part of automotive marketing.
I must admit, the quality of Mercedes has been slipping for some time - their interior materials - the plastics, woods, and leathers - are extremely cheap. I notice the same thing about BMW - interior style has deteriorated and there's definitely an air of cheapness among these makes.
Audi, on the other hand has vastly improved their vehicles since the 1980's. The quality of their interior materials is mind blowing. I always wonderred why Audi isn't as popular as Mercedes or BMW.
As far as I'm concerned, the product is just better, and this is throughout the entire lineup.
What do you think?
I totally agree with "Infinity & beyond".. Audi as a car is awesome.. great interiors, they drive very well.. The biggest problem is audi service stations & customer service.. if they invest in that area, they will be at par with BMW & Mercs.. I recently had a horrible experience at an Audi service station..
I drive a 2001 BMW 325xi and it is a flawless vehicle. The handling is the most important (only?) factor when purchasing a car for me.
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