Re: Audi Customer Relations-Misleading Customers

[adams@churchill.columbiasc.ncr.com]

> 
> rwcohn@chinet.chinet.com (Robert W. Cohn) replies:
> 
> >Advice?  Sure  Sell what appears to simply be a status >symbol of yours, and
> buy another Caprice.  Heck, splurge,  buy >an Impala SS.
> 
> Audi? A status symbol? Only to Americans! In Europe they are only looked upon
> as a notch up on VW, and nowhere in the league of BMW and Mercedes. I will
> start rambling in German, but that might offend people, so I won't even
> ramble in English!
> :-)

Hmm, status symbol maybe not.  But several years back a lead engineer and
several under him, jumped ship from Mercedes and went to work for Audi.
Since that time the engineering and quality of Audi is considered on par
with Mercedes. This is from the european (mainly German) perspective.  In
fact I remember some measure that was put out in a German car magazine in
the early 90s that said the German brands were ranked:

 Tier 1:  Audi & Mercedes and then BMW
 Tier 2:  Opel & VW
 Tier 3:  Ford (of Germany).

In Germany, the Mercedes is the cruiser, the BMW the sport sedan and 
the only niche left for Audi was the Quattro.  And worldwide the Mercedes
star and BMW kidneys have better symbol recognition than the four circles.

Status symbol in the US is a subjective rating, normally based on cost and
not engineering or quality.  In American auto culture, Mercedes has existed
for a long time offering very expensive quality cars.  BMW came out with
a relatively expensive 2002 that was short on gimmicks but set the sport
sedan stage.  And Audi came in as a more expensive VW.  My first car was
an old 1974 VW Dasher.  Half the parts that I upgraded and fixed my Dasher
with came from wrecked Audi Fox(es).

regards,

Daniel Adams