badge engineering

[Taka Mizutani]

As Mike said, except for the A3 and the TT, the Audis don't have a whole lot
in common with the VWs.

The 2.0T engine in the Golf/GTI/Jetta and the 4.2L V-8 in the Touraeg.

Audi's so-called "quality control" department is separate from VW,
supposedly has much higher standards- there is a difference in initial
quality ratings now by J.D. Power.

Most Audis have longitudinally oriented engines and use the "traditional"
quattro IV drivetrain as opposed to the Haldex AWD systems in the VWs
(except the Touraeg).

Lexus has a lot of differentiation- the trucks and the ES have a lot in
common with the Toyota equivalents. The IS, GS and LS are totally different.

Taka


On 9/14/06, Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > 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)
>
> _______________________________________________
> quattro mailing list
> quattro at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/quattro
> ---
> Watch this space for ads :)
>