Audi=Volkswagen
06-04-2011, 11:19 AM
#31
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To the OP, next time someone says something stupid about your A4 being a glorified Passat, smile and remind him that Ferrari is actually a glorified Fiat. I can post that here... on the Ferrari forums.... they'd probably band together and plant a flaming Fiat in my yard some night....
It's all relative.
Last edited by QUA77R0; 06-04-2011 at 11:22 AM.
06-04-2011, 12:42 PM
#32
This is just like the people who argue if David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar doing vocals is the REAL Van Halen.
Audi, Seat, Skoda, & VW market to different car buyers. When people compare Audi to VW I simply remind them that Porsche came from VW too.
Audi, Seat, Skoda, & VW market to different car buyers. When people compare Audi to VW I simply remind them that Porsche came from VW too.
06-04-2011, 02:11 PM
#33
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Wonder why some people even care to make the comment...I dare bet that each time an A4 passes by, the Passat owner looks long and hard after it and have a tiny feeling of desire and not quite beeing 100% satisfied with his car, hence the reason to start to rationalize the choice with comments of this kind..Each to his own..
..Our Passat Wagon is the perfect 2nd car, functional and all, but it lacks the solid and satisfying feeling of the A4.
..Our Passat Wagon is the perfect 2nd car, functional and all, but it lacks the solid and satisfying feeling of the A4.
06-05-2011, 12:54 PM
#34
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And before the B6 Passat got shriveled to a single trim, you could go the other way with the Passat, loading it up to well over $35K, and even higher with the short-lived W8 engine.
06-05-2011, 12:56 PM
#35
That's true about Nissan/Infinity and Honda/Accura. Lexus is Lexus around the world nowadays.
There is nothing wrong with brands having low-end and high-end offerings. It's the word "glorified" that is the problem for me.
There will always be parts sharing. The key is what the overall package delivers.
I was shopping for a sedan 4 years ago and at that time the last gen Passat looked very appealing to me from a price and looks standpoint until I drove one. I was extremely disappointed. The interior looked very low quality - those gray dotted plasticy inlays and that key fob with with visible seams from the plastic molding - ugh. Too much body roll in the corners... Totally disappointed. The Jetta's interior was better at that time (the new Jetta is a total disappointment though).
I bought an IS250 for my wife back then. There was no comparison between the two and yeah, there was a $10k difference. Now I have a 2011 A4 and the price of it is 3k higher than that of the IS250, but it's so much better that I'd never ever buy a Lexus again. The mpg is 10% better, there is less noise in the cabin, it's more spacious, it's 2s faster 0-60, the fit and finish is perfect (2mm gaps in the Lexus at places), the stability system actually works in the snow, the potholes are less noticeable...
The point is that in the offerings of every manufacturer, different price points mean different quality and performance. It's also true that there is an inflection point, beyond which the price hardly justifies what you get. That inflection point depends on the shopper to a large extent and if they can't tell leather from leatherette, don't notice gaps between the panels, noise, handling issues, etc., that inflection point is very low to them.
There is nothing wrong with brands having low-end and high-end offerings. It's the word "glorified" that is the problem for me.
There will always be parts sharing. The key is what the overall package delivers.
I was shopping for a sedan 4 years ago and at that time the last gen Passat looked very appealing to me from a price and looks standpoint until I drove one. I was extremely disappointed. The interior looked very low quality - those gray dotted plasticy inlays and that key fob with with visible seams from the plastic molding - ugh. Too much body roll in the corners... Totally disappointed. The Jetta's interior was better at that time (the new Jetta is a total disappointment though).
I bought an IS250 for my wife back then. There was no comparison between the two and yeah, there was a $10k difference. Now I have a 2011 A4 and the price of it is 3k higher than that of the IS250, but it's so much better that I'd never ever buy a Lexus again. The mpg is 10% better, there is less noise in the cabin, it's more spacious, it's 2s faster 0-60, the fit and finish is perfect (2mm gaps in the Lexus at places), the stability system actually works in the snow, the potholes are less noticeable...
The point is that in the offerings of every manufacturer, different price points mean different quality and performance. It's also true that there is an inflection point, beyond which the price hardly justifies what you get. That inflection point depends on the shopper to a large extent and if they can't tell leather from leatherette, don't notice gaps between the panels, noise, handling issues, etc., that inflection point is very low to them.
I'm with you on the quality of Lexus products. If I wasn't going to buy German I'd most likely look at Korean cars. Hyundai and Kia are building VASTLY superior cars to what they had in the past and I'd even take them over anything else from Japan or America other than Ford (I NEVER thought I'd say that).
06-05-2011, 02:51 PM
#36
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More than that, VW wants to substantially increase sales in the US by introducing new models that match, or even undercut, the price point of competition from companies like Hyundai, Toyota and Honda. Given the impressive sales of the new Jetta, many consumers don't seem to mind the solid rear axle, hard interior plastics, and drum brakes.
06-05-2011, 03:58 PM
#37
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More than that, VW wants to substantially increase sales in the US by introducing new models that match, or even undercut, the price point of competition from companies like Hyundai, Toyota and Honda. Given the impressive sales of the new Jetta, many consumers don't seem to mind the solid rear axle, hard interior plastics, and drum brakes.
Last edited by av_audi; 06-06-2011 at 11:12 AM. Reason: typo
06-06-2011, 03:17 AM
#38
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Some of the examples you guys use are a bit off. Lexus is only Lexus in America and I think Germany. Everywhere else ALL Toyotas and Lexuses are Toyotas. Same for Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura. It's badge engineering, nothing more.
Up until this year, the Passat/CC/A4 DID share a common platform and calling an A4 a glorified Passat/CC was not far off the mark. .
Up until this year, the Passat/CC/A4 DID share a common platform and calling an A4 a glorified Passat/CC was not far off the mark. .
06-06-2011, 03:22 AM
#39
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More than that, VW wants to substantially increase sales in the US by introducing new models that match, or even undercut, the price point of competition from companies like Hyundai, Toyota and Honda. Given the impressive sales of the new Jetta, many consumers don't seem to mind the solid rear axle, hard interior plastics, and drum brakes.
06-06-2011, 03:50 PM
#40
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Gee funny, four days have passed, four pages and 40 posts later and not a peep from the OP on "Are Audis glorified VW's" 
. It has led to some interesting discussions that he may be missing out on.
. It has led to some interesting discussions that he may be missing out on.