[lesha]

Can anyone provide a comparison of bmw to audi as far as reliability and driving experience goes.

For instance, if 335 is plagued with hpfp issues, what are some similar problem when it comes to an audi? Or a lot of people hate bmw run flats or people's sunroofs explode. What is it like owning an audi in this regard?

What about driving experience?

I love my car, but i think that bmw look compared to audi is a bit outdated. But, I know nothing else about audi, any input is appreciated.

[KGB7]

Try this.


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...lity/index.htm

But in my experience, Audi have tons of random issues.

[mosx]

Audi, VW = electrical nightmare IMO. Get a warranty.

[Mr. Nice]

My Audi has something go wrong with it everyday, wish I never bought it. Control arms were shot at 50k, pcv system needed to be replaced, had a major evap system leak, turbo motors have horrible sludge problems, goes on and on, at least in my experience.

[-c-]

having owned the new A6 and S5 they have been flawless, some here may be talking about the old Audi 2004 and later, the new Audi is a totally different animal. everything is built better, I’ve owned a 2002 A6 and it was a nightmare, the 2006 and newer have been very good cars. so far I’ve logged 116000 miles on my 2006 Audi A6 as I use it for business and drive all over the country and it has never left me stranded, everything works as it should and all I have had to do is take it in for normal fluid changes.

my bmw Z4 on the other hand has had to require almost 15 thousand in warranty work alone. a new head, convertible roof motor and inner liner, cup holder, transmission pan, wheel bearing and gas cap lock actuator.

I still love my BMW and the drive is great, but it’s had its issues, I will be honest and tell you both are great car companies and make great cars, car built today are very different than where they were just 5 years ago. and the problems are very rare in either, I had a special case with my BMW but since I own both I feel I can give you an honest answer.

I love my Audi's as I love my BMW's you will however notice a difference in handling as Audi is 4 wheel drive and BMW are mostly rear wheel so there is a difference in feel but both will do fine depends on what you like, the Audi will handle Excellent in the winter.

as an auto designer myself I do feel Audi is the leading entity in Design overall, but design is subjective so people will argue the point. as far as interiors go, Audi hands down for the win, just better materials and craftsmanship.

[immiketoo]

I drove an Audi S4 for 7 years and I had one problem at 100K miles. That car was unstoppable. My S5 was great as well but I only had 14K on it. My first M3 was also flawless, so it's really hard to choose which is better.

[Kiemyster]

Originally Posted by mosx

Audi, VW = electrical nightmare IMO. Get a warranty.

This. I know 3 Audi techs and none of them would ever buy an Audi. This was my facebook status the other day to shut up all the haters out there lol. ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARE is an understatement. Stay far away from audi's. If you think your bmw's interior makes creaks and other cabin noises, just jump in an audi after 20k miles and turn off the radio and you will find your self listening to a symphony of leather and plastics rubbing up on eachother.

My sister had 2 audi's, I loved the looks of them (the 2007 A4's), but damn a problem every week and the noises were driving me insane. Her boyfriend had a silver one and the same shit but less electrical problems cause his was newer. His problems were with his headlights mainly as well as some turn signal issues.

Avoid audi's at all costs, i cant stress it enough. plus their graveyard styling for the interior is so depressing.

[footie]

Originally Posted by lesha

Can anyone provide a comparison of bmw to audi as far as reliability and driving experience goes.

For instance, if 335 is plagued with hpfp issues, what are some similar problem when it comes to an audi? Or a lot of people hate bmw run flats or people's sunroofs explode. What is it like owning an audi in this regard?

What about driving experience?

I love my car, but i think that bmw look compared to audi is a bit outdated. But, I know nothing else about audi, any input is appreciated.

A can of worms you have opened here, so lets hope that this thread doesn't go off the rails as so many of these BMW vs Audi ones do.

I see you are driving a 335i at present, very good car but you feel like it's time for a change and are basically looking round to see what's out there, which is a good idea as it's stupid to stick faithfully to one brand without seeing if anything else meets your fancy. Is it your intent to stick with a coupe or are convert/saloons also on the cards?

In every aspect, be that performance or reliability I don't think there is much if any to chose between them, both see each other as competitors so base their models closely to one another and being German they are built to the same very high standards. Where they differ is the way each behave and achieve their performance, you will either like or hate quattro, if you don't need it because of your warm climate then it's an expensive luxury as it will use more fuel and a bit more tyre wear but it does make it easier to drive quickly but by doing so has made it less exciting.

One thing no one can deny is that in the US and Canada it is far more exclusive, whether you see this as a bonus or not is up to you. Go have a drive and see if they suit you and your driving style.

P.S.
Remember to get a test drive in one with the sportdiff option, it makes all the difference.

[AngelinIsRich08]

Audi's are weird. On tons of Q5's I've seen on the road there's always something wrong with their headlights. Either on is halfway working or it's completely off while the other headlight is working. Haha.

[footie]

Originally Posted by AngelinIsRich08

Audi's are weird. On tons of Q5's I've seen on the road there's always something wrong with their headlights. Either on is halfway working or it's completely off while the other headlight is working. Haha.

If the car is indicating to turn then the LED on the side where the indicator is flashing will be dimmer than the other side, giving the impression one side isn't working.

[Kiemyster]

Originally Posted by footie

If the car is indicating to turn then the LED on the side where the indicator is flashing will be dimmer than the other side, giving the impression one side isn't working.

It could be this, or the fact that as oncoming traffic, the xenon towards opposite traffic auto corrects so it doesnt glare oncoming drivers? or it has something to do with the angle of the lights so that as an oncoming observer, your not getting that glare in night.

[shiggy]

I see a huge percentage of Audi's LED lights burnt out on one side or the other...I thought LED's last longer than conventional lights...WEIRD!
I guess it holds true that Audi continues to have electrical issues!

[CAPSGOD]

I had a B5 S4, it was pretty bad.. but my friend has a B6 S4 with the V8 and no issues. I have heard about carbon buildup on the S5 although that may apply to all direct injected engines. Benz is probably the most reliable out of all 3 now. (After the Chrysler fiasco)

[JuuS]

Collectively, those LEDs output much more lumens than the turn signal, so they shut off as to not 'drown-out' the blinker. May not be an issue up close, but at longer distances they wanted the turn signal to be a stand-alone light. Makes sense to me.

[bmwarchitect]

This is only one guage, but provides some information that may be of interest.


http://www.arfc.org/autos/

[bhoch]

A couple folks I know have Audi's and love 'em. I looked real hard at them before I purchased my BMW. I liked the styling of the BMW (for me) more. Wife really liked the Audi look and feel more then I did. If you are looking for a change from the BMW brand, Audi is a respectable way to go.

Next time I go to purchase a car, unless it is one that REALLY spikes my "must have no matter what" I can see going by the Audi dealership for a good compare before I make a purchase.

good luck in your search.

[Endless619]

BMW vs Volkswagon? That one is easy, BMW. I will never ever buy a Volkswagon/Audi. They had one shot and blew it years ago. I test drove a new Volkswagon/Audi with 3 miles on it and it died while I was test driving it. Come to find out the wiring harness started to melt while I was test driving it. How the hell does that happen? From that day, I won't even blink an eye at a Volkswagon/Audi.

The question should be more of BMW or Mercedes Benz?

I have owned BMW's, Honda's, Nissan's, Mazadas, etc... more specificaly the Acura NSX, Honda S2000, Nissan 350z, Mazda RX7, BMW M3, BMW Z4M, and of these cars the Z4M seems ages ahead of the other cars but have to say my M3 has last the longest without problems. In 6 years of ownership of the M3 I had to swap out my Zenon bulbs once and that was about it. Knock on wood. My S2000 also never had any issues. Second gear grind but I found away around that so no issues really with that car.

Although I see a lot of nice looking Audis/Volkswagons on the road I just still have that foul taste of failure years later that I cannot get past. Too each his own I guess.

[AJN54135i]

Just destroyed an S5 with my 135i on a curvy road today lol.
BMW>AUDI

[swaite]

I've owned a 2004 A4 with a hair over 100k, for almost six months now and it seems like the electrical issues seem to keep piling up. First, "airbag" light won't turn off, driver's side power seat it beginning to not have full range of motion (not good when people share the car), and sometimes I get random error messages that pop up so breifly that by the time I look at the dash to see what warning has popped up now, it's already disappeared. Not to mention a pretty wicked power steering leak that I have to top up weekly. VW/Audi's interior "film" they seem to have been putting on anything that requires you to touch since the 1990s always flakes off and makes the interior look cheaper.
The car actually rides pretty nicely and handles pretty well for how big it is. I'm just glad it's not the car I drive every day.
The way I see it, unless you need the AWD, stick with the BMW, else get a Subaru.

[M340i Pride]

I never drove an audi, but I know that the recurring theme is always bmw's driving dymanics are superior, so I lean on BMW for performance. also, Audi's steering feel has always (in NUMUROUS articles that i read from diff. sources) been described as vague.

09 335i and 2010 s4 did go head to head on one of the major mags and audi came on top because it was actually faster. so i guess recent audi models are an improvement of old, where bmw was better outright. but still that s4 that beat 335i was WAY more expensive (10k more) than 335i, so it was more of 335IS's price range. in another words, I dont think audi can beat 335i with car of same price range.

so my conclusion? audi is a bitchin' car but bmw is still better.

[Kiemyster]

Originally Posted by swaite

I've owned a 2004 A4 with a hair over 100k, for almost six months now and it seems like the electrical issues seem to keep piling up.

See? I wasn't lying. Avoid Audi at all costs.... this the troof...

[achien]

Nothing like a back-to-back test drive. All the words in this forum will not convince you more without that "driving" experience.