Audi owners, what would you do?

Picus said:
For $40-$42k they're a bargain, but I can't help but think the re-sale will suffer in a big way because of the discounts.
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Well, resale vs. going price should be ok...I mean, the value shouldn't drop much from what people are paying. However, Edmunds tells me (their "TMV") that here in NJ people are paying list price.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
You're kidding! You can get an Acura for 10 grand under list??
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Funny, I saw a used one with 6k + miles that was selling for 48k and the dealers aren't exactly saddled with them at all. As a matter of fact the only one they had was a demo at the dealer I went to. The old RL could be had for 10k off however.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Well, resale vs. going price should be ok...I mean, the value shouldn't drop much from what people are paying. However, Edmunds tells me (their "TMV") that here in NJ people are paying list price.
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Yeah Mike, it must be a regional thing. If my wife even thought that we could get one for 42k there'd be one in my driveway right now.
 
In terms of realiablity yourjust cannot compare a Audi to a Lexus or Infiniti. Audi's like VW's are just not reliable cars. Every once in a while you will hear a good story from some one how great the car is. However, that is not the rule.

I priced both the new GS300 and the M35. both AWD and found the Infiniti was less. So there seems to be somthing wrong with the dealers you are talking to.

The auto magizines gave the M35 better marks than they gave the GS300. I have not seen these cars in Consumers reports yet . I like the sporty drive of the M35.

But terms of long term reliability I think that the GS300 will do you better. however, it has a really tiny trunk.

Keep away from the Audi and good luck with your choice.
 
Yeah, if you're choosing the "drivers" car out of the M and the GS then the M is the choice. The comparison I read said that all the drivers "aid's" got in the way of finding out what the GS might really and truly be capable of. IIRC the M only yielded to the GS in a couple of places and none of them had to do with the driving experience.
 
I had my A4 for 4 years without any trouble at all. People here love the cars, but the service isn't that great :nono seems to be the case over there also. I drive a Volvo V50 now and no problemos so far. :dance



Happy New Year BTW :woohoo:
 
SpoiledMan said:
Yeah Mike, it must be a regional thing. If my wife even thought that we could get one for 42k there'd be one in my driveway right now.
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A guy at Acurazine just posted an invoice from a dealership in SoCal (Keyes?) of $41,090 before ttl. I'm talking '05's of course. As the '05's dry up the deals will get more sparse and people will be paying closer to msrp for '06's until later in the year.



If you guys think I'm making this up (not sure why I would?) just hit acurazine.com, the RL forums - lots of posts in the last 6 months about people getting big discounts, RL sales being way below Honda's estimates etc... (I think there are a couple invoice scans in this thread http://www.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325840&)



http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=4673



I think the RL is a great car - it's just not selling well, which attributes to discounts.
 
Picus, then you are really talking about leftovers? Or are the '05's different than the '06's ("last year's model")? And I hardly think you are making it up, just thought that Acura dealers could command that list price, except for circumstances like leftovers, which doesn't really help much with the high resale value.
 
Picus said:
A guy at Acurazine just posted an invoice from a dealership in SoCal (Keyes?) of $41,090 before ttl. I'm talking '05's of course. As the '05's dry up the deals will get more sparse and people will be paying closer to msrp for '06's until later in the year.



If you guys think I'm making this up (not sure why I would?) just hit acurazine.com, the RL forums - lots of posts in the last 6 months about people getting big discounts, RL sales being way below Honda's estimates etc... (I think there are a couple invoice scans in this thread http://www.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325840&)



http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=4673



I think the RL is a great car - it's just not selling well, which attributes to discounts.
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Not calling you a liar at all. If that pricing carries over to '06 cars then that speaks more. The dealer we went to only had the demo as the last one for sale was being driven away when we drove up.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
You're kidding! You can get an Acura for 10 grand under list??
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maybe where he is, but I've never heard of it. they go for 52-53 here with the tech package.

There is the occasional loss leader however. In 99, we got an RL for 35k out the door with a sticker of 44. Just depends, but loss leaders obviously don't reflect the market. I've heard of a few 05's go as dealer specials in cali for 42, but they literally sold in less than an hour.
 
Yes, I'm talking about 05's, so from around August through now as the '06's came in '05's were going for under list. How far under list depends on a lot of things, but like I said folks in CA, and NV were getting them for ~41-$42k without the tech package.



Anyway I suppose it's a moot point now. Looks like the OP will go with the GS, just thought I'd mention the good pricing on the RL. I'd personally still take an M35 over an RL, but that's just me.
 
SamIam said:
Picus,



THought real hard about the Infiniti M35. With the deal on the GS, that will probably make the difference. Looked at the RL, liked the Infiniti and Lexus better, at least from a looks standpoint.



I will probably drive 20K miles or better this year, mostly highway. With that in mind, the GS looks like a pretty good fit. If I want a sportscar, my wife usually borrows a Corvette from her father to drive during the summer. He collects them so there is always one sitting around.



I like the look of the Audi A6 probably best of the cars mentioned, but right now, I am of the opinion, I want no issues, and I am convinced with Audi, there will always be issues. Trust me, I thought long and hard about another A8.



I drove the LS and thought it was a nice car, my neighbor has the Jag version, but I really want all-wheel drive. Driving around Cleveland, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, MI in the middle of winter really makes AWD great for peace of mind. I may only need AWD once or twice in the winter, but when I need it, I REALLY need it.



Thanks,



Sam
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Sam, I have owned 4 Lexus's all different models but all with V8 engines. They have been amazingly reliable cars, with my oldest , a 1992 SC400 that I bought new in 92 now having 348,000 miles. It has never suffered even a single drive train related mechanical problem. I do remember the CD player had trouble skipping when I went over bumps when the car had about 50,000 miles. When I complained about it, the dealer installed a new one for free. Other than that, just do the routine maintainance, replace the brake pads, tires, and a new battery every 5 or 6 years. As far as driving experience is concerned: my 1998 GS400 was too soft and floaty feeling when I bought it. I mounted 18" rims with Michelin PSII tires, lowered the car about 1" with L-tuned shocks and springs, stiffened the frame with TRD strut tower bar and lower chassis brace, and replaced the sway bars with Daizen. Coupled with a 4 Liter V8 with 300 HP and 0-60 times of 5.7 sec there are few cars that I can't run with either on the straight or in the curves. 4 Door sedan with comfort for 5 and it goes around corners like a go-cart at 45 miles an hour. For '06 Lexus abandoned the prior I6 in the 300 for a V6 but after 15 years of owning Lexus' I have been repeatedly impressed with their quality, reliability, and the customer service given to me by the dealers, even ones that I didn't buy the car from. I have been totally satisfied with the entire ownership experience with these cars.

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Just get the Lexus, you won't regret it. The service department will make you feel like a king and go out of their way to help you.

I bought an 02 GS300 and have not regretted it for one second. Top notch service and reliability. I compared an A4,A6,5-series BMW,C-class Mercedes,and the Lexus. Iended up with the Lexus and love it.

The sad part about owning the Lexus is that the drive to work is not nearly long enough!! :D I'm thinking of moving farther away so I can be in the car longer! LOL
 
DetMich1:

I've spoken to 2 sales guys similar to me, both buy Japanese Lux cars at about 70K to 100K and drive them up to 175K miles or so, before trading. They pay cash and have never had issues with maintenance, except the one with the motor that was replace for free by Lexus at 120K or so. That particular guy told me that he has no problems with his GS430. In fact, just to show off, he laid a patch of rubber just to show that he still had good power! He'd owned a Saab 9000, a Mercedes 300E, Volvo, and BMW. He has now had 2 Nissan Maximas before he started buying Lexuses, a LS400, an ES 300, and now his GS 430.



Thanks for the insight on aftermarket, if I need to sport it up, I figured there had to be something in the Toyota Racing Development bin that would help. I think the Japanese luxury cars of today are far from the early LS400s. And as I said, Honda rules every series it enters. They must know something about performance.



With that said, I still love driving the Audi, but am looking forward to a new car.
 
SamIam said:
And as I said, Honda rules every series it enters. They must know something about performance.
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It may take them a couple years but yes, they do tend to get it right.:) But then what do I know, I'm brainwashed.:lol
 
I have owned several Audi's in a row and currently have an '05 S4. I have never had anything significant go wrong with any of these cars. (Coupe GT, 90S, A4, '00 S4, and now my '05 S4) I can't say enough good things about these cars. But a few bad situations, especially from older models, still hold the resale of Audi's in the basement.



My old S4 (had it 4 yrs.) and my new S4 (1+yr) have never seen the shop except for required warranty items.



You're right, though, if you can't get dealer support (or appreciation) it really spoils the experience. We have two dealers in town. One sucks. The other bends over backwards for me. Courtesy cars when mine is in, or free rides to and from work, they will even pick up my car for me, constant communication, emails about Audi events in the area, were VERY easy to deal with once I decided to buy a new S4. All negotiations done via phone, no stupid haggling or sales ploys. These guys are doing things right.
 
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