JET - Thanks for the article on Axel Mees. The whole situation is unbelievable, him saying that
11-18-2004, 05:54 AM
#1
JET - Thanks for the article on Axel Mees. The whole situation is unbelievable, him saying that
stuff about the Phaeton and Peich and getting sacked. Someone better tell Dr. Piech never to log onto AutoExtremist.com or else he'll read some stuff he definitely won't like.
I hope Audi/Vw of America can turn things around, as personally I think the products are great but many problems originate due to a disconnect between the engineering and marketing groups. The sludge issues on the 1.8T engines come to mind and I have seen it on my S4 at my dealer - they don't use the recommended oil (per the owner's manual) because they want to save a few bucks. In the short run it puts a few $ in their pocket, but AoA takes the hit in the long run when they have to replace/rebuild the engine. VWoA is getting it from both sides; the Euro's strenght vs the dollar and higher than expected warranty costs. The outlook for profit figures can't be very bright.
The Phaeton is a great car, but I kind of agree with Mees (and so does my local VW dealer) - who is going to buy these things? Valiant concept, but likely to lose $ in the short term as I'm sure resale values will not be favorable. I'd like to buy one coming off a two yr lease at what I would suspect will be about 40% of sticker. OK, end of editorial.
But my thanks is a sincere one; this is the reason I come to AW - to get intelligent points of view on all things Audi!
I hope Audi/Vw of America can turn things around, as personally I think the products are great but many problems originate due to a disconnect between the engineering and marketing groups. The sludge issues on the 1.8T engines come to mind and I have seen it on my S4 at my dealer - they don't use the recommended oil (per the owner's manual) because they want to save a few bucks. In the short run it puts a few $ in their pocket, but AoA takes the hit in the long run when they have to replace/rebuild the engine. VWoA is getting it from both sides; the Euro's strenght vs the dollar and higher than expected warranty costs. The outlook for profit figures can't be very bright.
The Phaeton is a great car, but I kind of agree with Mees (and so does my local VW dealer) - who is going to buy these things? Valiant concept, but likely to lose $ in the short term as I'm sure resale values will not be favorable. I'd like to buy one coming off a two yr lease at what I would suspect will be about 40% of sticker. OK, end of editorial.
But my thanks is a sincere one; this is the reason I come to AW - to get intelligent points of view on all things Audi!
11-18-2004, 02:27 PM
#4
re: the Phaeton
I guess the public at large has "spoken" and said maybe the same thing as Axel Mees. The sales figures have been dismal. If you had your choice between a Phaeton and and A8 would it really be a choice... therein lies the problem.
I wish Axel Mees no harm, he was very genuine and I'll even give him credit for being downright honest in what can be a very marketing driven world. I just never felt from the get-go that he had the Audi spark.
I wish Axel Mees no harm, he was very genuine and I'll even give him credit for being downright honest in what can be a very marketing driven world. I just never felt from the get-go that he had the Audi spark.
11-18-2004, 05:16 PM
#5
Agreed. These challenging times call for someone who is a zealot about Audi and the brand.
Hopefully they can get a real car guy to take over the helm. It would be nice to see Audi truly achieve top-tier status in the high dollar car buying public's eyes. That is going to take a strong-willed LEADER who inspires the AoA footsoldiers!
Thanks for the reply.
Thanks for the reply.
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