old/new Audi coparisons

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I think it is important to not forget what Audi was trying to do in the
eighties and nineties.  When the 5000 came out, it was marketed as direct
competition for, and priced to compete with, Mercedes.  BMW was just getting
the wind in its sails for "up market" cars, and Mercedes was THE symbol of
top end European, high priced cars.

Audi missed the mark BIG time.  They did not have the production capacity,
nor the model lineup to compete at that level.  The cars were also not
nearly refined in terms of finish and materials, as were the Mercedes and
up-market BMWs of that day.  What Audi forgot, if they even ever knew, was
that their engineering sophistication would be lost in the American market
place, and it was.

Then along came the 60 Minutes idiots with their ill researched and
incorrect whining, and Audi was almost driven back to Germany.

When they reemerged, they were priced much differently, and no longer were
trying to be a MErcedes wannabe....they left that effort to the Lexus.

Now, Audis are Audis, and Quattro and the other engineering things that Audi
was trying to do before, is working, but not because of Audi.  Rather it
seems that it is because of the market place and its quirks that has made
Audi legitimate.

But a $60,000 S6 Avant????????  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Roger