Our Audi A5 & BMW 3 Series Coupes

[Mr. Mercedes]

Ahhh Martin, if only journalist were given examples that have done 30000km to test. And your'e absolutely right. The dash feels hollow, the doors feel featherweight.

But I'm sure members here are getting tired of me harping on about Audi's lackluster interior quality when almost every magazine out there is still reporting the contrary.

Anyway I'm in the market now for a nice small second hand car, and top of my list is a 2006 A3. I still remember my original A3 so fondly and it really felt every bit the way you would expect an Audi of its size to. That you can get a nice 2006 A3 sportsback for about $5000 more than a comparable 2006 Honda Civic, it seems like an almost obvious choice to me.

 

[footie]

In recent years I haven't owned a car long enough to get more than 10000miles (16000kms) so couldn't really comment on how any of these brands stand up, but if Audi is anything like how the VW Golf GTI is built then it should stand up really well because the wife usually puts upwards of 26000miles (41600kms) on her cars between changes and never a squeak or rattle to be found.

 

[Giannis]

In recent years I haven't owned a car long enough to get more than 10000miles (16000kms) so couldn't really comment on how any of these brands stand up, but if Audi is anything like how the VW Golf GTI is built then it should stand up really well because the wife usually puts upwards of 26000miles (41600kms) on her cars between changes and never a squeak or rattle to be found.

Sorry Bob, but all this is not right.

You didn't tell us from the beginning that you keep your cars (?) less than 10k miles. You absolutely cannot judge a car, based on its first 10k miles of its life.

It just isn't right.

Let me give you an example. Mr Mercedes complained about rattles from his A5 after how many kms?

I noticed rattles in my Clio after about 250.000km. And my Volvo still doesn't rattle, and it has 115.000km. Its plastics may not be top-notch, the cental armrest plastics are a joke, but I didn't pay BMW money for it. But IT DOESN'T rattle!

***

So, since you only now clarified that you keep your cars only 10k miles, your argument about not having any problems with them is worthless. I hope you do realise it.

 

[footie]

OK if your feel that way but I might add that most reliability problems happen in the first year of ownership and on that front I have lots of experience. But it's OK to have a dig at me that my opinion is worthless just because I change rather often, I'm thick skinned and can take it. (j/k)

P.S.
It's nice to have friendly banter without it over stepping the mark.

 

[Giannis]

OK if your feel that way but I might add that most reliability problems happen in the first year of ownership and on that front I have lots of experience. But it's OK to have a dig at me that my opinion is worthless just because I change rather often, I'm thick skinned and can take it. (j/k)

Dear Bob. We were talking about quality issues. Plastics are plastics, and their quality doesn't change. Poor fit and finish results in rattles and squeaks that appear after a number of miles. If a car does start to rattle and sqeak after a year or two, that's terrible in my opinion. A good quality car, should take a lot of years before rattles start to appear.

Reliability issues, is another thing, which you only now mentioned. Reliability has absolutely nothing to do with the plastics quality, fit and finish. Nor with the design. It only has to do with the mechanics and the electronics of the car.

The A5 plastics being crap, is not a reliability issue. It's a quality issue. The BMW's N54 HPFP failing every second month, yes, that is a reliability issue.

P.S.
It's nice to have friendly banter without it over stepping the mark.

My pleasure

PS. Mr. Mercedes, if you feel we are hijacking your thread, please tell me, and I'll move the latest posts into a new thread.

 

[bmer]

Anyway, my problem with the B8 A4 and the A5 is not on the top of the dashboard or the doors. My problem is with the poor plastics of the central console. They are cheap, shiny, silver plastics, that sqeak when you push them. Also, in many little details (like the lights switch) Audi is left behind from the competition.

And it's not just the center console. Try the A/C buttons or the window switches on the door arm rests (both front and back). I was truly surprised when I first got inside the A4 back in 2008 and tried the buttons/switches. They felt so fragile and seemingly made of cheap plastic. Small things perhaps but they stand out when competitors like the C-Class and the 3-series are better in this regard and as it's far from the interior quality class-leader the B7 A4 was. I haven't sit in an S4 though so I don't know if they have made any improvements there. Cost-cutting is the only reason I can imagine as the cause for this deterioration.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

You can thank VAG, and their sole objective of maximizing economies of scale to the nth-degree!

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Not at all Giannis. This thread is fine. At least I know now I'm not completely mad and alone in my thoughts.

 

[footie]

Not at all Giannis. This thread is fine. At least I know now I'm not completely mad and alone in my thoughts.

Giannis is correct and I did openly say that I couldn't comment on long term quality of the A4/5 as I never keep them long enough and to comment on past Audis is no real issue as we all feel quality isn't what it use to be, just as is the case with Mercedes which in the past were likened to vaults.

As for what is different between A4 and S4, nothing that I am aware of, the only noticeable differences I can speak of is the quality of the leather, Nappa which in my opinion is a standard above what was in my M3 and much more durable and the optional carbon fiber trim panels which included the centre console. The only negative quality point I honestly felt about the interior of both the S4 and S5 was the silver trim around the dials, apart from that it's a solidly built interior with one of the best seats around and the nicest 3 spoke steering wheel.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Had a look at the A1 on the weekend. It was interesting to note the interior quality felt noticeably better than the A4 and A5 in terms of tactile quality and solidity. Overall it's probably in line with the current A3, though obviously more simplistic in its design and assembly. It felt like a nice solid interior for its class befitting the Audi name.

I suspect the development program for the A4/A5 dictated considerable cost cutting in the interior department, or it was conceived at the time their chief interior designer had been poached by Mercedes.

 

[footie]

I have to admit the A1 also impressed the hell out of me too, it's the first time I can honestly said it's the only sub £20K motor that genuinely feels premium quality.

 

[cawimmer430]

Lovely rides!