The_Dark_Side said:
i know what you mean here (i think).
the choice of materials can give the perception of a higher level of workmanship.i think Audi have always gone for the minimalist/functional approach (specials like the TT excluded of course) whereas BMW have a driver orientated, very acute demographic.
Exactly - you get into a BMW, and the materials are excellent. You close the door, and it closes with a smooth, sure, resounding clunk. Everything feels like it is cast out of granite and will last decades. Outside the car, the paint is of good thickness, the panels do not feel thin, it feels like an amazingly well built car.
Then something breaks and it costs £400 to fix it.
Whereas you get into, lets say, a Mitsubishi. You close the door, it goes CLANG. You touch the dashboard, it feels like cheap nasty plastic and looks like cheap, nasty plastic. You touch the switches, and they feel cheap - you get out, and the paint is thin, you close the boot and it goes CLANG and you watch as the boot lid panel flexes.
But the car will go for 10 years without ever, ever breaking down or needing any sort of repair whatsoever.
This is why build quality and reliability are not the same thing - its almost as if the Japanese poured millions into making sure their cars just dont break, whereas everyone else spent the same money on damped grab handles - VW is a classic example of this, the Golf has nice damped grab handles, a lovely blue glow to the dials but it'll break far more often than the reputation would say and cost a pretty penny to fix when it does.
Priorities, I guess - perception sells cars, not reality - a Golf is perceived to be a classy and well built reliable car, so people buy it. A Honda is not perceived to be a classy, well built car, so people don't - even though if anything, the reverse is true.
i think comparing like for like, the 5 (in my opinion anyway) is the only sector in which BMW have a superior model over the comparitive Audi.
i haven't driven a 1 series.
I have. It's not actually THAT bad - but it's certainly not good enough to warrant the price they charge for it - I'd put it about on-par with the new Focus. It was a nice car and I didn't dislike it, but I didn't £20,000 worth like it. If i had to pick a prestige hatchback I would chose the Audi every time.
i'd take an A4 over a 3 series...including the RS4/M3 debate
This depends which generation - I'd have an E46 3 Series over the equivilent Audi any day of the week but I'm not sure the choice between current A4 in S-Line Trim and E90 3 Series in Sport trim would be so clear cut.
and i'd take an A8 over a 7 series.
I'd probably have an E38 over the 95-02 A8 - although both are looking very dated, but the current model A8 is simply awesome.
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