Bart Lane

That's what scares me the most. To myself I had to justify the purchase of a new sedan. I had two other vehicles, both RWD, and neither suitable to crappy weather. So, I just had to have AWD to make it OK in my mind. I honestly did not know that Audi had this market cornered. The only other choice is an E-class but that system is just lame. I consider Audi's dominance in this arena to be almost a monopoly. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my Audi and I am very pleased it is such an excellent product but my question is this; What is so bad about AWD that only Audi is offering it in this class? Why doesn't BMW, Jag, Lexus, etc. offer something? I was saddened to find out that my choices only consisted of one. We need more cars of this capability, lots of us live with bad weather a lot of the time. I would like to see sales comparisons in areas that get some weather. Do you think BMW sells more cars than Audi in Montana or N. Dakota? I just don't see it. Where are my choices?

Kendall-

Yes BMW, and Mercedes have traditionally been poor drivers in foul weather, but these companies are currently catching up to Audi. The introduction of Traction control and Dynamic stability control has significantly helped compromise rear wheel drive cars to compete better with AWD cars. Dynamic stability control is interesting in the sense that, it regulates wheel slippage on all four wheels with a computer that's sensitive enough to regulate the movements of each wheel..

My 740iL driving friend says their family car handles quite well going up their steep driveway in snow.. He says it is amost comparable to their Subaru AWD outback wagon. Considering most luxury cars do not encounter heavy snow, most manufacturers do not feel the need to offer an AWD system or in BMW and Mercedes' case, offer them in only a few models. AWD has it's drawbacks too.. It is very heavy, and sophisticated, difficult to repair, compromises performance more, and puts more wear and tear on the transmission. These are things to consider when designing and marketing a new car...

JMW

Rumour is that the new baby Jag will have AWD

Pete D

Go back to the ur-quattro and look at how it "came to be" with its front-wheel drive layout. It became very easy to add a center differential and a drive-shaft to the rear diff and the Quattro was born!
BMW has to make several changes to get the drive to the front as the engine is in the way. Volvos system is (as I understand) functional, heavy, and not really set up for performance (rallying) as Audis is. Mercedes original was very $$ and complex and I think is simplified now. Porsche's layout (rear engine) make AWD rather easy to add. The basic layouts are why other manufacturers use electronics to get traction and control in adverse conditions. They would really pay a weight penalty to change, or need to change the layout (Volvo).

macktruck

I think what it all comes down to is how much money can car companies make. Those of us in the snow belt and Canada need all wheel drive but for the other 80% of the country, 4wd is unnecessary. For example, even for SUVs where 4wd is a major selling point, only 60% sold have 4wd on them. Also, car companies are constantly trying to up their acceleration numbers and performance figures and adding 300 lbs of weight wouldn't help.

Martin VW

American culture during the 80's and most of the 90's was dominated by conspicuous consumption. Audi has had the "AWD advantage" for YEARS, but nobody cared, so they remained a niche player. Even today, friends tell me that the Audi doesn't have the same "presige" as BMW or Mercedes, and I can't deny that was so. So if they were going to buy a car in the segment Audi operates in, and it wasn't going to "impress their friends and neighbors," it wasn't worth the money to them.

An Audi buyer, especially a long-time Audi buyer, probably fits a different profile. They valued substance over form, safety over prestige, traction over performance. That profile is changing because Audi's current offerings closed those gaps. That expands the potential market. So what happens? Mercedes BMW Volvo and Saab all of a sudden are in a hurry to enter the AWD market.

Because Audi is no longer a niche player.

Steve R.

offerings such as the 328 are becoming less of "the ultimate driving machines" they once promoted. I drove one last summer and it just didn't seem as "tight" as the previous edition.

Also, good comment about AWD. BMW's "ix" iteration is beyond prototype for 3 and 5 series.
While Audi is adding performance to their line S4, 2.7T, 4.2, etc. the others are scrambling to add the practicality. Seems to me a harder task than shoehorning engines and adding fairly basic suspension mods??

Kendall-

I used to think Audi, BMW, Mercedes, what's the difference??? besides style and the fact Mercedes costs a lot more... After owning these cars and driving them, I have found that the Audi feels more fragile in build quality than a Mercedes... Much less sporty then a BMW,,, and Audis have a tendency to be more problematic than both makes.. A test drive at a dealer only tells half the story.. Gotta own each one for several years to really make an educated opinion..

7an

...blends with what's best from BMW (sportiness, handling). Then they add some of their own items such as Quattro and it all comes out a very nice and impressive package. Best deal on the market IMHO.

Jim M

Until the broad North American market gains more understanding of what AWD is and can do (as opposed to 4WD), then it's a niche product. Subaru and Audi have developed the niche, and it's now large enough that we see Volvo and Benz sticking a toe in the water. There will be more. Who knows where it ends up.

There’s also more than one niche. The Audi Avant offers a great SUV alternative for those that don't need the off-road capability (most), and aren't satisfied with the Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) level of refinement. In sedans, it's an even smaller niche, but with the same players.

Electronic traction control has already been mentioned, and is the current strategy most of the manufactures in the luxury sector have followed. It’s an attractive alternative, as it’s inexpensive to implement, and there is some 3rd party development, so the pieces don’t need to be proprietary (and expensive). However, at the end of the day, only so much can be done with electronics that slow the wheel. Driving the wheel is a totally different dynamic, and much more effective.

Most folks that have had AWD on vehicles generally are sold, and don't want to return to look back. It's not just a snow and ice issue. With the exception of the arid regions of the Southwest, most folks spend a good deal of their time on wet roads. When I jump out into busy traffic on a wet day, I want the car to launch, not spin the tires. The traction control on the newer luxury sedans helps, but IMO, it's really not the same thing at all. When it comes to cornering, try to spin an Audi and you find that you really have to pitch it, and maybe even hit the brakes, to get it into a spin on a slippery surface. The traction control cars can’t say the same. I know, I’ve got one. So do you.

Renault was going in the same direction as Audi with AMC prior to it's sale to Chrysler. Their strategy was to make inroads in the NA market with a line of sporty AWD cars, since it was clear to them that the weather in much of North America in the winter warranted it. After sinking approx. $4 billion into product development here, which included mucho AWD R&D, they bailed. The Eagle was the only car that ever made it to market, and it was a first effort. Chrysler inherited some great AWD technology, and has used it here and there to good advantage, i.e. their AWD minivans and high end Jeeps. It's a good system (and simple), and Daimler Chrysler still has it to use when and if they wish. It’s the only system so far that is the equal of Audi’s.

This is where I suspect the pressure to come from. Chrysler has done well in the truck and SUV markets, and not as well in sedans. They need a lever. Benz was already implementing AWD on a limited basis prior to the merger. It’s such a natural that it would be nuts if they didn’t go for it. All they need to do is implement it.

BMW has entered a middle ground with the X5 vehicle with is neither fish nor fowl. If they decide to put the drive train in their 528 estate wagon, then there is yet another player. BMW doesn’t posses the resources to develop many models quickly, so we won’t hold our breath.

Audi’s best strategy is to evolve the product faster, and solve their management issues that prevent problems from being sorted out efficiently. It’s been said on this thread that the Audi does not have the same solid platform feel that the BMW and Benz have, and this is indeed true IMO. With the Audi, I've owned them all now. VW/Audi need to resolve this. Their strategy to go after the broader sport sedan market is good, and it should help bring on more solid platforms, for obvious reasons.

The S8 in the film Ronin brought much attention to Audi as a performance car builder, and it also brought expectations that Audi isn't really ready to deliver on quite yet. They deserve credit for what they've done, but they also deserve a boot in the *** for what they haven't. At this point it's only a partially fulfilled promise.

jm