Catering to used-car buyers

["Smeins, Larry" <lsmeins@ball.com>]

I may be basing my comment on parts pricing and reliability on dated
data but I just can't sit by any longer.  I had a 84 4ks, and still have
it, a Mercedes 300D, and a 83 Nissan Stanza at the same time.  I bought
the Nissan for my daughter because I fell for the reliable, low cost,
line for Japanese cars and I couldn't find another Audi in my price
range.  By the time my Audi hit 150k miles the Nissan was at 75k miles
and the Nissan was beginning to show evidence of design for replacement.
At 75k it just seemed to start falling apart.  I put more repair into
the Nissan between 75k and 100k than I have put in the Audi at its
present 280k miles.  I didn't have a chance to compare parts pricing
between the Audi and Nissan since the Audi didn't need parts in those
"younger" years but the parts cost of the Nissan were roughly double the
cost of comparable parts on the Mercedes.  I admit the few parts I've
had to buy for my present 5kcs have been relatively expensive but in
comparison the parts for my luxury performance car are no more expensive
than the parts for that bottom end Japanese economy car.  High parts
pricing is not unique for Audi but seems to be found at nearly all
automobile dealerships and Japanese have been some of the worst I've
experienced.  I may be in the minority but I think the Japanese beat out
the Germans by making cars the US masses wanted not by making better
cars.  The Germans made cars for Germans and sold them in the US while
the Japanese studied the US market and made cars to fill that market.
The Japanese build cars with quality, which is different than
reliability, to provide satisfaction in the early days of ownership
while the Germans designed for long term reliability but ignored the
short term niggling problems that drive people nuts.  Combine the best
of both philosophies and we'd have great cars.

Larry

>Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 13:17:37 -0500
>From: BRUCE <BRUCE@mannlawfirm.com>
>Subject: Catering to used-car buyers

>Interesting point on the Integra.

>This is a subject that has always peeved me about
>Audi.  While I own several Audi cars, and love the TQ
>models, I challenge you to point to a company that
>[short of maybe Alfa--look where they are now] hits
>the "bad trifecta" [1.  High priced new cars with many little bugs; 2.
High priced replacement parts;
>3.  Dealerships with attitude] more squarely than Audi has in the past.

>They say things are changing with the "new Audi".
>Time will tell.  But, while Audi continues to charge
>$30 for a $3.00 hose, the Japanese manufacturers 
>continue to kick serious ass with performance oriented used cars [Supra
turbo; 300zx; RX7's; GSR's, etc] >which are, by and large, reliable.

>AoA really needs to get off its ass regarding the replacement parts
pricing---which drives down the resale value >of cars & keeps many new
buyers from entering the market.  Fire the idiot in charge of
>setting prices, cut almost every part price in half,
>then start advertising a "new Audi".  

>Wow!  Guess I really am bugged about the local dealer, eh?  :)