Is Audi an overrated automotive manufactuer?

Is this true? Please I want to hear from people who can actually back this up with facts - mechanics and people who actually know about the engineering of these cars. My friend has an Audi TT and at first she was like...'oh this is the best car ever!' and now she wishes she never bought it,as it has proved to be very unreliable and cash draining.





I truly believe that VW, Audi and BMW build strong powerful cars, but it would appear they are high also maintainence and have a fair share or problems. I have also never heard of Audi winning awards for 'car of the year', simple because they do not have a fantastic track record for reliablilty and customer service.





Now listen guys I would like to hear unbiased opinions, not just from audi owners who are trying to defend the car they perhaps now wished they hadn't forked out so much money on.|||Audi has much worse engineering than BMW, but is cheaper than BMW so I guess you do get what you pay for. I worked on several Audi and BMW 5 series. Both are excellent car for driving. But when working, Audi is more difficult compare to BMW. All Audi is driven with timing belt and you have to rip out entire front end (Bumper, radiator, all the way up to the cam pulley) to replace the belt. The cost of labor is additional 3 - 4 hours compare to other cars. Dealer charges $1300 for this service (water pump replacement included) and most independent shop price isn't far off from this price.





Audi brake pads have the wear sensor embedded in them so if the something goes wrong with the sensor, you would have to replace the entire brake pads. The sensor is wrapped around a metal brake line so you would have to pry and move the brake line to pull it out. Any automotive book will tell you that you should not bend a metal brake line. Working with Audi, this is a required procedure.





Audi uses Vengine block. Problem with V block engine is that it does not give you much space to work on. To take right side of spark plugs out, the air filter and intake assembly must be completely removed. To take left side of spark plugs, coolant reservoir assembly must be removed. All that adds to additional 1 hour of work just to replace spark plugs. BMW V8 M60 engine has much more room to work on and replacing spark plugs would only take 30 minutes. Most of BMW 6 cylinder engine is in inline format so you rarely have to worry about space problem when working on them.|||As far as I'm concerned most Audis these days are VWs badged as an Audi. For example, Jettas are similar to Audi A4's


Many parts are interchangeable and you can have an Audi serviced at any VW dealership.


I presently own a 2006 VW Jetta and many parts have an Audi logo on it. Let's face it , regardless of who makes a car these days, if they make different marques they interchange parts to save money.


I have had 2 problems both covered under the warranty. I needed a new heater blower motor replaced because a bolt was not seated right when manufactured. I also had to have a new instrument cluster replaced due to a faulty VW info indicater going crazy when it displayed info.


BMW is in a class by themselves as they don't make any other vehicles with similar body styles. They may provide Land Rover an engine, but that's it.


BMW's still come with a 3 year warranty on all parts including many things, but you pay for it in the long run since the cost is built into the price of the car.


BMW's can be cheaper to maintain if you belong to the BMW car club of America. Parts can be bought from dealers and aftermarket sellers at just about wholesale. If you can find a good qualified independent mechanic , he'll work a lot cheaper than the dealers will.