badge engineering

[Mike Arman]

> From: "David Ullrich" <david.ullrich at gmail.com>

> 
> My wife has been driving a PQ46 (aka B6) Passat . . . has been a
> wonderful car. Not a single unscheduled trip to the dealer other than a
> recall. Ad it's a first year car.

Glad you're having a positive experience on this car.



  Saying "its still a vw" seems
> strange to me, considering an Audi is just a tarted up VW,


That's not quite correct . . . while *some* newer Audi models are moving 
toward being "upscale" veedubs, and there is now quite a bit of parts 
commonality in the Audi-VW group, when you get into the larger Audis 
(V8Q, A8, S8) there's not a lot of VW there (and as you can see, the V8 
crowd sometimes gets a bit sniffy at this ;-)

On the older large Audis, such as the 5000/100/200 (type 44), again, 
there's not a lot of VW stuff in the cars. By the way, some Piper 
aircraft use VW interior door handles (gee, I didn't know VW made 
airplane parts or airplanes!).


Yes, everything has a VW part number because VW owns Audi, and yes, 
there is more and more convergence nowadays, just like with other 
automakers. (I have an NSU engine in a motorcycle, and there are parts 
in that which have VW part numbers - and I know they were designed long, 
long ago, decades before VW bought NSU.)

Hopefully, VW/Audi will never sink to the level of badge engineering 
demonstrated by GM with their Sunbird/Cavalier series of "cars".



  just like an
> Acura is just a tarted up Honda and a Lexus is a tarted up Toyota. The
> Passat 3.2, when properly equipped, is every bit as nice and luxurious as
> the A6, if not more so and for a LOT les money. If brand identity and "badge
> whoring" are serious considerations, might I suggest a BMW? Its not like
> Audi has the greatest rep in the USA anyway.


Here you are 1,000 percent correct. Audi's foul dealer and support 
reputation in the US has been fully, carefully, and it seems even 
lovingly nurtured over the past twenty years. I've owned a 4K, two 5Ks 
and currently a V8Q in the last dozen years, and I have *NEVER* been to 
an Audi dealer in all that time. The few conversations I have had with 
them have convinced me that I never will, either.


Remember, Vorsprunk through confusion . . .

Best Regards,

Mike Arman
(off in Audi V8Q land - not just a car, its an ADVENTURE!)


  lol
> 
> Dave
> 1987 CGT 2.3 (my toy)