...long story short, my GF's sister bought my winter beater from last year (93 Geo Prizm), which I parked when I got my Audi on November 2 of last year. The Prizm sat in the driveway collecting bird bombs until today, when I went out and put on the registration, temp inspection, plates, and installed the battery in it, and took it for a run to shake out the cobwebs prior to dropping it off to her. I haven't driven the car since November last year, and it was funny because it is actually a good little car, runs great, yada yada, but after a year in an A4 it felt like it was carved from lasagna noodles and had tofu for steering bushings. I got used to it (ran it about 30 miles to blow the crap out of it, got some good gas in it, reinflated teh tires properly, Techron, etc), and then took it over to her, with my GF following in my Audi.

When we left, and I got back in the Audi, holy sh*t, what a difference! Even half an hour in the Geo, riding around in its comparatively cheapo build quality (which really isn't so crappy on its own merits, since it's a mechanical twin of the Corolla, another not-a-bad-little-car type of car), when I got back in the A4, was a night and day difference. I felt like I was driving a chunk of granite. Everything felt so much tighter and better put-together. Smoother, quieter, etc, all the "-er" adjectives you can think of.

I'm kinda glad I chose to drive the Prizm today and have the Audi follow me - when I got back in my car, it gave me back the sense that I'm driving a really nice car, which was a feeling that had kind of faded away with the familiarity that comes of daily driving over the last year. I recommend that all of you go out, borrow a piece of crap econobox for an afternoon, and then go back to driving your Audis - it'll renew your appreciation for your car, I guarantee it

 

Yeah, I feel the same way man. Those dipshit Honda-fanboys who tell you that Audi's aren't that great obviously haven't spent five minutes in one. There's such a euphoric difference between an Audi and any other car. Seriously, you just have to appreciate the fact that you're in an Audi and every perfection and detail will bleed out from the surroundings and make itself apparent to you. You can mechanically compare two cars, but as far as which one has a greater impact on your senses -- there's nothing quite like climbing into your very own Audi and being drenched in passionate engineering.

 

i drove around in a new malibu for a couple of days and it was sloppy compared to my a4

so i feel ya

 

im still trying to sell the civic... so on weekdays i drive the the honda.. and oh god.. everytime i switch to the audi i get a heavenly sensation...

but the civic wins when i pump gas ... premium 3.67 wTF?

vs 3.34ish regular at 35mpg ... ftw

 

Just guessing, so open to being quickly corrected if I'm wrong not being in The Statesbut comparing a car that probably cost 1/2 that of an Audi does what exactly? At the very least compare oranges and oranges!

I drove a newish Honda last week and yes they still do all the reliabilty stuff 10 times better than Audi (just look at this forum and JD power etc) and all the build quality and drive stuff 10 times worse. But, in the end it's down to what matters on an individual basis I guess. I've had my A4 only 6 months or so, and I had limited options admittedly (very few brands available in non-1st world Asia) but I wouldn't have another.

They're built well and look classy (and I suppose if your used to Ford and Chevrolet type stuff it stands out) but they cost a fortune to fix and about the same to buy so they should be all of that shouldn't they?

Continual hassle wears you down eventually and when looking at your options come trade in time you can soon see things in a different light with the little more expensive Jap stuff or a BM etc which have a far better rep in regard reliability.

Just my few cents worth,


Mak

 

Not if you DIY or know someone who doesnt charge $70-$100/ hour. Parts generally cost no more than any other car if you shop wise. A lot of people think "Ooooooooo, I have an Audi, no one else can fix it other than the dealer" which is wrong, and where a lot of bitterness stems from as far as service and reliability. Dealer service advisors/managers work off commision if that tells you anything. Parts from the dealer are incredibly marked up too. Its amazing what the differencesare in general oppinion about a car maker when you seperate the people who DIY and the people who dont even know what DIY stands for. Especially when it comes to Audi/VW.

 

I know what you mean about the Japanese reliability (this A4 is my first German car - I've been in Japanese cars for the last 10 years). I am definitely NOT the Ford/Chevy type, and it still stands out. My only point in it all was, be glad you own a nice car and don't have to drive a POS, "normal" car every day.

As for the continuous hassle, mine's been practically problem-free, and when problems do develop I fix them on my own. onepoint8tee is right in the fact that these cars are by no means inaccessible for the shadetree mechanic - yeah they're complex compared to (for example) my Prizm, but then again, the owner of a Prizm doesn't have the advantage of something like VAG either.

Anyhow, it was just a post that was describing the thoughts that occurred to me after driving the other car yesterday, and then getting back in my Audi. I'm not trying to convince anyone why they should buy an Audi over a Geo. That's already self-evident.

 

i like it when i tell people my 99 is still nicer then their 2005, and they think i'm full of it, till they get in my car
its also amazing at how many people will go out and buy a 7-8-9 grand used car, and still call me rich or something of that nature, just because i spent my money on a nicer car.
and +1 on driving a different car then switching back, the olds cutlass i drive when my car is down feels like a block of wood, and all of the suspension and steering parts are made of rubber bands.

 

Heh, try driving some of the rubbish I get to take in on trade. At least people are upgrading.

 

I've pretty much driven German all the years I've been driving (25) and have had many Audi's over that time. Compared to my BMW's (nice but too expensive for what you get and not practical in winter unless you pop for expensive "x" option) the Audi's I've had come out ahead in my book. The VW's I've had are excellent cars, built great and very fun to drive, but lacking the soul the Audi has inherently. My Mercedes were very solid well engineered cars, but over-priced in retrospect and not as reliable as one would be led to believe.

I really don't see myself driving anything else at this point. I love my cars. They are soul stirring precise machines that renew me every time I get in one of them and turn the key. Even my little Avant with it's 1.8T stock motor is a dream to drive. I cannot layer enough superlatives on these cars.