I know how you like Consumer Reports but..
10-14-2003, 04:41 PM
#1
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I know how you like Consumer Reports but..
when they pay us a back handed compliment it is worth noting.
In the November 2003 issue they are reviewing the 5 big luxury cars; A8L, 745Li, XJ8, LS430 and the S430. They said "Among luxury sedans, the previous-generation BMW 5-series and the Audi A6 are about $30,000 less expensive, yet outscored most of the vehicles here and provide a better balance of performance and comfort".
Did Audi miss the boat with the A8 again? Also why is an all aluminium car heavier than some of the same sized steel cars?
There was a reason Audi that I did not buy a new A8 when I traded in my '99 A8. Consumer Reports agree and you should pay some attention to this. Top that off with all the problems which are posted on the A8 forum, I am just a bit worried about the long term prospects for the brand.
In the November 2003 issue they are reviewing the 5 big luxury cars; A8L, 745Li, XJ8, LS430 and the S430. They said "Among luxury sedans, the previous-generation BMW 5-series and the Audi A6 are about $30,000 less expensive, yet outscored most of the vehicles here and provide a better balance of performance and comfort".
Did Audi miss the boat with the A8 again? Also why is an all aluminium car heavier than some of the same sized steel cars?
There was a reason Audi that I did not buy a new A8 when I traded in my '99 A8. Consumer Reports agree and you should pay some attention to this. Top that off with all the problems which are posted on the A8 forum, I am just a bit worried about the long term prospects for the brand.
10-14-2003, 06:03 PM
#2
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Most of the problems reported by new A8 owners on the A8 forum have been minor
Of course, there are a couple reports of major problems from new A8 owners here and there, but it is nowhere near as common as you make it out to be. Hey, if Jaguar can turn around as much as people say it has, then any manufacturer (including Audi) can. So don't get so damn pessimistic or negative just yet about the long term prospects for the Audi brand. Oh, and all problems I have seen repoted by new A8 owners on the A8 forum have been North American residents. I have yet to see an A8 owner from outside of North America on the A8 forum report any problems.
10-15-2003, 01:36 AM
#5
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This is called putting your head in the sand.
Just poseted by Wasabi on the A8 forum; "The '04 L is in for its
User account number (aid): 51422
Posted by WasabiAudi2 on 2003-10-14 20:30:27
service now. Heres a basic list
-Squirly steering
-Suspension never changes
-Key fob not working
-Trunk opens/closes intermittently
-MMI screen comes up blank, re-open it, and is in a different language.
-Lights work intermittently also
-Automatic lights NEVER have worked (works flawlessly on my Cayenne Turbo)
-Navigation slows up sometimes
-Trip displays the gas tank door is always open
These are some things that I can remember off the top of my head. This car only has about 500 miles on it and has had these "ghost" problems. Hopefully this will not warrent a buy back but I have a feeling that it might become a lemon. I should hear back from the dealership as to what the problems are (I'm confident of the technicians at North Scottsdale Audi) and if they can be fixed or will need to be bought back."
I'm sure these frequent posts are only American and none of the European A8s have these problems. Yeh, sure!
Also, how do you explain how a light all Al car weighs as much as an all stell car? Where is the weights saving and the fuel economy? Why pay more for Al when it does nothing to lighten the car?
User account number (aid): 51422
Posted by WasabiAudi2 on 2003-10-14 20:30:27
service now. Heres a basic list
-Squirly steering
-Suspension never changes
-Key fob not working
-Trunk opens/closes intermittently
-MMI screen comes up blank, re-open it, and is in a different language.
-Lights work intermittently also
-Automatic lights NEVER have worked (works flawlessly on my Cayenne Turbo)
-Navigation slows up sometimes
-Trip displays the gas tank door is always open
These are some things that I can remember off the top of my head. This car only has about 500 miles on it and has had these "ghost" problems. Hopefully this will not warrent a buy back but I have a feeling that it might become a lemon. I should hear back from the dealership as to what the problems are (I'm confident of the technicians at North Scottsdale Audi) and if they can be fixed or will need to be bought back."
I'm sure these frequent posts are only American and none of the European A8s have these problems. Yeh, sure!
Also, how do you explain how a light all Al car weighs as much as an all stell car? Where is the weights saving and the fuel economy? Why pay more for Al when it does nothing to lighten the car?
10-15-2003, 04:44 AM
#6
It's an L, and it's stiffer than just about anything on the road.
The non-L A8s are substantially lighter.
With AL, you can use the weight savings to lighten the car, or you can use them to make a stiffer car at the same weight. This isn't a sports car where light weight is the goal.
With AL, you can use the weight savings to lighten the car, or you can use them to make a stiffer car at the same weight. This isn't a sports car where light weight is the goal.
10-15-2003, 06:36 AM
#7
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The only new A8 owners that I have seen report any major problems on their new A8s are...
Wasabi, Dinan5 and buybeach. All other problems I have seen reported by new A8 owners have been minor. ChronicTeutonic also acknowloged that most of the problems repoted by new A8 owners have been minor, niggling problems. And all I said is that I have only seen new A8 owners in North America report problems and have yet to see any new A8 owners outside of North America report any problems. I never said that the new A8 problems are limited to North America. I also never said that new A8 owners in Europe don't have problems with their cars.
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10-15-2003, 09:04 AM
#8
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Ok, so when the 745Li weighs 4,505lb, the S430 4,195lb and the A8 4,505lb the only benefit is
a stiffer body? The car is not more fuel efficient, does not go faster, does not handle any better. I'm sorry, the benefit is where?
10-15-2003, 09:24 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
Dear Tim,
I was not trying to aggrivate you or to twist your words. As a very long term owner of several Audies it concerns me that Audi is still not up to scratch even when compared to older models from the competition. I was looking forward to buying a new A8 next year. With the current review of the car, even against the A6, I'm not so sure. It is more than just these 'small' problems as you mentioned. To me, paying for a car of this class I would not be happy with having many of the features not operational and also with the lack of some features which are in other cars. I'm hoping the new A6 will be, to me, more successful than the A8. Please don't quote sales numbers to prove I'm wrong. You will also see that the 745's sales are up over the previous model. Go figure. Maybe the 'more intuitive' MMI is fine (compared to BMW)? But, is it really a step forward? I'm not so sure. Then there is the Never Follow slogan of Audi. Who had MMI first? If we are to follow, why not pick something I want. Like rain sensing wipers, a phone that works (in NA), decent cup holders (laugh if you want), just to mention a few things. I'm a tech geek but only if it makes my life easier. Audi can shove the MMI and give me a simpler interface. I'm sure it has its place for some of the less used items. But not for things which you want to do while driving. Give me a key pad to punch numbers into the radio, phone, etc, any day.
Sorry for the rant.
Sorry for the rant.