PhilNotHill

Survey of Most Disliked Car Brands. Eight listed.

The Most Disliked Car Brands

BMW owners are frustrated with too many repairs.
Volkswagen ranks higher than Audi with no resaons given why Audi not popular despite soaring sales.

You may want to consider the quality of your nearby dealership(s) when making your decision. A good dealer is great. A bad dealer is horrible.

Best

slasher016

That article you linked has a horrible headline. That's not really a scale of most disliked car brands, it's a customer satisfaction survey. People hate xxx or hate yyy, but they typically don't own that car. Shame on AOL.

Pedestrian_A

I would stay away from BMW! I used to have a 08 335xi and the problems started in the second year of ownership. The car spent 1/3 of the time at the dealership replacing the same parts over and over again. I was lucky because the car was a lease and I didn't have to worry anything after the lease expired. Tried to get the lease ended early but I have to pay CAD$6000 if returning the car early. I talked to three different dealers to waive the charge and will buy a new BMW from them but none of them even BMW Canada could help me out.

HDCS4

Long time BMW fan faced with the same decision. Drove the 335i M sport, a car I thought I'd love...the handling wasn't very sporty, the steering felt disconnected, and the car just wasn't fun to drive. Tried the S4 and it fit like a glove - preferred the looks, the interior, and most importantly...the way it goes! Just a more fun car if you ask me.

Cheers,
HDC

safetywork

I was a long time BMW loyalist (10+ years, 4 of my BMWs were M cars). My current 2013 S4 is my first Audi and I am really enjoying my ride. BMW to me has changed their business model - which, by the way, is absolutely fine. It's their company and their choice to make. I may be disappointed but It's not my company. Here's my take.....

On maintenance BMW comes with 4 years of maintenance (includes brakes), on Audi only the 1st service is covered. BUT you can extend the maintenance to 50k miles for a fee (none negotiable). As for warranty both companies offer similar coverage (if I remember correctly) and as with any manufacturer, you can extend the warranty. There are lots of options but keep in mind that the extended warranty is not offered by Audi but rather a 3rd party.

As for the S4... both the newer BMWs and Audis, steering input is rather vague (though the S4 is better). Personally I enjoy the S4 over the current BMW offerings. I think Audi has done a terrific job of minimizing the understeer with their sports diff (a must have if you decide to go with the S4). I'm an avid track/autocrosser, to that end my old '99 M3 is more fun. The S4 with the quattro system delivers amazing mechanical grip but it is a heavy car. It's nearly impossible to get sideways in the s4. I really appreciate the square setup on the s4, ability to rotate the tires help me make the tires last longer.

On power, both the 335 and the S4 are rather similar (I think the s4 is under rated). From an engineering point of view, supercharging creates more consistent pressure on the drivertrain's seals and thus it is my opinion that the s4 should be more durable and hopefully more reliable. Thus far I've experienced no issues with my s4 (I've racked up 43,xxx in the 1.5 years I've owned it - I've owned my s4 since new). The acceleration on the s4 is something one should experience. Amazing torque! Terrific handling capabilities!!

The BMW will probably have better mpg. I know many here will say that if mpg's important to you, you shouldn't be looking at a s4. My s4 is my daily driver, I average 25-26mpg (mostly highway). My financial situation doesn't allow me to purchase a car for daily driving and another for other activities. I still have my '99 M3, its' not worth much to sell. The S4 to me, does everything I need it to do. It's pretty decent at the track too. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the S4. It is more expensive to go with the S4 but keep in mind....despite BMW's discounting their cars by a fairly large percentages from their MSRP pricing, Audi's sales are still ever increasing. That, to me speaks volumes about Audi products vs. their BMW competition.

Good luck. Both are great cars....

200mph

We have a '14 Z4 35is and a '14 S4, a pretty even comparison of the power trains you are considering.
Most of the above comments hold true… steering is slightly vague, handling is very good, etc. Our cars have 19's with OE tires. Both have very good initial turn in, but quattro with sport diff better handles the transition back to throttle mid corner and exit. Advantage: AUDI.

Both engines are quite torquey, and have very good throttle response at low and mid-range rpm. Gearing is well-spaced. The Audi builds RPM urgently but smoothly, the BMW really screams once the boost builds up. The Audi gets better gas mileage, perhaps because its more fun to feel the revs climb in the Beemer. EVEN.

The BMW could use a throatier exhaust, its too quiet. The Audi sounds more like a performance car… AWE exhaust next for the S4, very few choices for the Z4. AUDI.

Finally, BMW insists on using heavy run-flat tires with stiff sidewalls. While they've improved handling, the ride and tire noise are still punishing. On my last BMW product, (Mini Cooper S), we greatly improved acceleration, ride, handling and interior noise the minute we dumped the run-flats. AUDI.

I considered Boxster and C7 'Vette but i wanted a folding hardtop and more torque than the P car. Bottom line, I like the Z4 a lot. and, I love the S4. S4 replaced my C63 (a great hooligan car with tons of torque), S4 handles much better with better gas mileage too.

If you buy the S4, I don't think you will ever second-guess your decision.

Sundowner

I looked at the 335ix, the 435ix, and the S4. here are my thoughts

Engines:
My opinions on the motors are that they are neither here nor there in terms of which is better. I'd probably give a very slight edge to the BMW, only becuase the turbos are a bit more efficient, and you don't have to pull the damn supercharger off to change the thermostat like you do on the S4. Both motors have proven reliable, though the *35 motors have been known in the past to eat fuel pumps.

Transmissions:
If stick transmissions are your thing, then the ONLY way to get AWD and stick on a BMW is in the 335ix. That mattered to me, it may not to you. If you plan on getting an automatic, know that the DSG's in the Audi's have not been great. The mechatronic units have been known to crap out, and plan on spending $400-$600 every 35k miles or so to have the DSG-specific maintenance performed at the dealer. I don't even know that Audi will contiune to support this tranmission beyond the B8 generation, as the MQB chassis DSG is supported by the larger VW group, and all other 'S' models use the tiptronic 8 speeds. If you must have an automatic, I'd stray away from Audi, but that's me.

Exterior:
Styling is subjective, but when it comes to exterior detailing, Audi has nothing on the BMW. The level of detail that goes as far as the BMW logo in the reflectors of the taillights is where the money went on this car, and the M-Sport package looks the race car far more than the "S" exterior treatments, which can pass muster for a poverty spec A4. At the end of the day, I went with the inconspicuous nature of the S4, but there's no denying the appeal of the BMW's exterior design. Please note that I am no fan of Audi's current "industrial air handler" style front grille, and honestly prefer the M-Sport's open mesh racer style front scoops.

Interior:
No argument here. the Audi interior is superior in every way that I can measure. There's no fake 'Bauhaus" style design elements made of cheap plastic, there's no flimsy afterthought of a infotainment screen tacked onto the dash, there's no cheapness, where the BMW has all of that in spades. The back seat of the F-3X models is bigger than it was, but still feels smaller than the Audi. the 435is would have been a big seller for me with the hatch, but the lack of a stick was a deal breaker.

Value:
Look, both cars are German, so you're goning to get butt-humped paying for options that come for free on a Corolla. The total of the options that you're going to pay for that come for free in that Corolla is probably more than the cost of the Corolla. If you can control yourself, you can get more bang for the buck out of the Audi, but don't forget to account for the $1000 Audi hits you for in service, which the BMW does not. I couldn't care less about the run-flat tires, either. They've come a long way and the newest ones ride no worse and cost no more than conventional tires, anymore.

Cost:
Leasing the S4 is just stupid. you need to buy to get a deal on these cars. Audi has artifically low residuals (50%-55%)on these cars and they won't budge. The dealers are harder to deal with on these cars becuase they know you want it. you don't go looking at an S4 unless you want an S4. Still, if you can control yoursef, there's no reason you can't get 8%-10% off MSRP with a little strong arming.
As a counterpoint, buying a BMW is just stupid. The residuals on these cars is nonsensically high, (I've seen as high as 63%), and the dealers are willing to haggle on price. 10% off MSRP is pretty easy. You can probably lease a 335is for around the same price as leasing a Premium Plus A4 with the sporty bits, but when it comes time to turn the lease in, you won't want to pay $35k+ for that car, trust me.

At the end of the day, I went with the S4. There are a number of dealers around me that I can play off of each other for best service deals, and I have a good relationship with my dealer, from whom I've bought 5 Audi's in the past.

jyges

interested to know

SamLV

AOL is not credible to me.

jyges

It is now wonder brand does not rate higher.