Well yeah it can depend on where you work. Employees and or bosses/owners may not want to drive an MB or BMW on a received level status and what others might think.

Outside the work place though, nobody really cares....aside from some compliments here and there (which you're less likely to hear with standard fare models).

Been there and done that with three Mcars.

 

Indeed.

I see a stigma attached to the Lexus brand, observing many owners (but not all) and dealers as more elitist than their BMW and MB counterparts. I have never gone to a BMW or MB dealership and been made to feel like I did not belong there OR was not a worthy prospective clientele. But this has happened a few times to me at two different Lexus dealerships. Even at their Touch of Lexus events the reps seem fairly standoffish.

Latest Example: This past weekend, I was at Green Brook Lexus just walking through their small lot and eyeballing the IS350 but, regarding the RX350 as a possible replacement for my 05 Murano. As I began to walk back to my car (a freshly washed 4 month old black/black 07 Honda Accord EX-L V6 4dr w/Navi mind you), I spotted two of the sales guys pointing at my car and laughing at it. My first thought was WTH? I did not know the Accord was a laughing stock of a car. The IS350 is a great car but, NOT $15k better (MSRP). I should have given them my telephone number and then asked them to give me a call when any one Lexus model makes Car and Driver's Top Ten List 21 times……though at best I would be 60 years old if that call were to be made.

Although I like Lexus cars, my dealership experiences incline me towards purchasing an Infiniti or Acura (if I go with an upscale Japanese make) and BMW (for a non-Japanese upscale make). I respect their cars but, that brand is indefinitely off my radar. They can consider that the cost of stigma.

 

BMW:

Audi:

Both need to STFU and keep building the best cars they possibly can and let the consumer decide.

 

Stupid bickering.

 

Wow you have better control then I do. I would have been PISSED, and would have said something to them. Like they might think your accord is funny but what I would like to see is while they might work at Lexus how many of them actually had one?

 

I hear you. But it is not worth it. Not buying a Lexus should be payback enough.

 

I feel that this is nothing but a coy little marketing stunt from BMW. Face it - Audi has been getting ALL the attention in the press lately with its R8, TT and now the A5. Whereas good ole BMW is still stuck in the Bangle-era of styling with a bunch of so-so looking vehicles.

I can't deny that CERTAIN BMWs drive better than CERTAIN audis. But you also can't deny that there are certain Audi's such as the RS4, the S4, the new TT that drive better than their German counterparts. The S4 for example has always been ranked ahead of the M3 in the rags, and in the case of the new M3 BMW had to PLAY CATCHUP TO AUDI's RS4, and was forced to make a 400+hp M3.

And although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in general, most of the Audi's simply lick the BMW's in terms of the looks. Just compare the S5 to the 335i, the TT to the Z4, the A8 to the 750i...you get the picture.

And for those who think FWD=not premium.....bullshit. Its definetely true in the upper echelon of the segment, but I urge those who think that a FWD is not a premium offering to drive cars like the A3 and the TSX, before coming to that decision. And Audi's quattro system, with its rear wheel drive bias, appears to be the perfect solution to great handling and foul weather handling, as proven in the R8.

 

FIXED

 

with you except the "bmw owner" part....well, since i don't own one.

but i'm sure i would love your new 335i too...

 

dude, that just sucks. what a horrible experience. something like that would definitely prevent me from ever buying from that dealer. i bet they don't even drive lexuses (lexi?).

if that happened to me, i would have taken their names and spoken to the manager and tell him that i was seriously considering buying a car today but will never do so from that dealer because of those two schmuks.

 

Indeed, even my normally apathetic wife was a little annoyed when I mentioned that.

Instead of laughing, they should have seen it as a possible opportunity to: A) sucker that Accord's owner (me) into a trade up and B) put a brand new loaded 07 AV6 onto their preowned lot....though with only 3k, they would probably try to sell it for > the orig $29.3k MSRP.

Lord knows the neighboring Acura and Infiniti dealerships DEFINITELY would have gone for that jugular. (Of course knowing what I know about car purchasing, I would NOT have been complicit with that rape.)

On topic, it just lends itself to the brand I believe has a larger stigma than BMW.

 

but kudos to you and your wife for keeping your cool.

 

Audi continues on the warpath and its strategy of matching and exceeding its fellow German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz in sales seems to be working.

For the first time, Audi reported sales figures for January 2009 which topped its premium brand competitors. The automaker, part of the VW Group, sold 45,124 new vehicles in Western Europe, beating both Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

It seems Audi's market share is benefiting from the slump in auto sales currently hitting the market not only in Western Europe but all over the world. For January, its market share in the region was 5.1 percent, compared with a 3.9 percent share in January 2008.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, who heads Sales and Marketing at Audi AG, believes that the age of the brand's product range is what is helping the automaker gain share in the market. Audi has one of the youngest fleets in the premium segment. Last year, it released 12 new models and for the first half of 2009 there will be 6 more.

A lead in monthly sales has been a long time coming for the Ingolstadt-based premium automaker, which has spent the past two decades creating a brand name that can match the more established ones of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Whether the image of an Audi has caught up with the prestige of either of those brands is still an open question and one difficult to quantify. But sales figures, one cannot argue against.

 

 

Nice! That's awesome.

Now if we could only convince Americans that Audis don't auto-lock the doors and self-drive into a lake with you in it.

 

Acura should be envious...

 

6 more new models?

 

audi ftw

 

Audi has the best line-up in my opinion, I like their whole range of vehicles.

 

Well, they do look significantly better than their rivals.

 

 

I wondered when this would happen. I was in the UK about 3-4 years ago and again just a few months ago... on my most recent trip, I noticed there were a TON of Audis on the motorways. They have a nice lineup -- I've tested the A4 and it's a pretty quality car.

 

Italy and UK are among the best buyers...
The 70% of Audis A4, A6 sold in Europe are estate not sedan.
We in Italy have stereotyps about the holy german trinity: Audi/Merc/BMW:
Merc is considered a brand for old, conservative and rich people (aristocracy, politics).
the BMW is for the fast enriched guys, who want to show the money they got (sport-cool-vulgar).
the Audi is considered a more "intellectual" choice.
It's even more expensive that the BMW, BUT you don't want to show it, you don't need it.

 

According to Top Gear that should start changing ... Audis are now driven by cocks in the U.K.

Audi is still a very distant third over here. Audi owners here are like Subaru owners with better incomes.

 

Green and lesbian?

Kidding of course, but I'm guessing you're referring to the AWD.

 

LOL ... To some extent that's true

 

Where is that from?

 

 

I've always admired Audi design, but reliability concerns keep me from considering an A4.

 

Audi has improved a lot in the past couple of years. When I was in Spain over Christmas I got a chance to drive in my friends S5, and I was amazed. Car felt great, interior quality was incredible and so far no problems and he is not the type of person that drives like a grandma.

A few months ago I test drove the A4 with my dad and it felt a lot nicer than the A4 I test drove 3 years ago. So they must be doing something right...

 

It's either from a movie I've seen but can't remember (it seems strangely familiar) or it's from a chapter in Ted Kennedy's life.

 

The unintended-acceleration hysteria of the late 80s Audi went through.

I was using hyperbole to describe how some people thought/think of Audis because of it.

 

My next car (after TSX) = A4 Avant.

 

I wouldn't hesitate after how much I love my S4.

If I could afford to buy another car to haul my dogs around in, I'd go get an A4 Avant S-Line in a heartbeat.

 

 

yes they are.

 

I'd get a new one though, more cargo room for the dogs.

But, your car is part of the reason why I looked at Audis in the first place.

 

I love the LED tails on the new one, it's one of the most wanted appearance mods for the B7. All around the new B8 is a great car. Personally, I love the simplicity of the B7 interior over the B8. I've always been that way about cars. It's one of the reasons I love the GS-R too, simple, no frills.

I haven't had a chance to see a B8 in person yet, next time I'm at the dealership I think i'll take one for a spin.

Awwww, my car inspired you!

 

I built one (2.0TFSI) up a few days ago on audi.ca and it came out at 60k with over 10k in options. Canadian prices ftl...that car would be really sweet with a MT in Ibis White.

 

$60K! When I priced one in USD, it came out to $55K! We paid just under $39K for ours, fully loaded! Talk about a price jump in one model year!