[JonnySi]

After owning my 320Si since June, its getting traded in next week for a Audi A1 S-Line.

I've worked for BMW for the past 5 and a half years, and thought the product was good, but not as good as people may believe. Last month I jumped ship and now work as an Audi Technician. In the month I have worked there I have been blown away by the attention to detail, build quality and longevity of the product.

On top of this, £245 tax and realistic 26mpg isn't fun anymore, so my new Audi is £30 tax and will return 55mpg. Its a 1.2 TFSI, and is very nippy.

I will still be visiting the forum to help with any technical questions.

[willhollin]

Shame you chose a 320si as it's hardly a run of the mill BMW model.

[zltm089]

hope you still hang about for a bit... ;-)

[m1bjr]

Originally Posted by JonnySi

Last month I jumped ship and now work as an Audi Technician.

In the month I have worked there I have been blown away by the attention to detail, build quality and longevity of the product.

I'm always blown away by the arrogance of the wankers in the franchised Audi showrooms.

Which is why I moved out of my last Audi eight years ago.

After trying them again recently, we found them still backing up there own arses without any difficulty.

BMW are a refreshing change these days - they learnt their lesson, as did VW.

[script]

Good and bad everywhere!

Enjoy your new car mate

[E92westy]

Well done on your new job.
I will be probably be going back to Audi for my next car, as my two previous Audis proved considerably more reliable than our four BMW's....

[JonnySi]

Originally Posted by E92westy

Well done on your new job.
I will be probably be going back to Audi for my next car, as my two previous Audis proved considerably more reliable than our four BMW's....

I agree fully with the reliability. A E90 with more than 60k feels sloppy and worn, and has rotten brake pipes, play in ball joints etc. An A4 with 200k has none of these issues, and still drives better than the E90 in terms of wear.

[creepy coupe]

Having owned both brands, IMO they both have their share of problems. One thing sets them apart, Dynamics, Audi's can be as well built as a brick sh@# house, but they never drive as well as a BM, not the one's I've owned anyhow.

I agree with M1bjr. Audi dealers are so far up their own backsides, they can see in the dark. I placed a depo on a used TT 225 many years ago. The dealer thought they could call the shots, as the model was high demand. So much so, when I went to pick the car up. Instead of it being fully prepped and ready to go, it had been left in EXACTLY the same spot and condition as after my test drive a week earlier.

So I demanded my debit card be refunded and walked, the look on the Tossers face was priceless.

[ALF_E90]

The Audis and VW's I have owned felt incredibly solidly made and handled high mileages and hard use without showing any signs of it at all. The Passat V6 4WD I used as a daily driver and tow car for the Caterham sold immediately to the first person that viewed it (which took a while - 150k miles and a tow bar put people off).They couldn't believe how it still looked like new inside and out at 6 years and 150k miles!

It is early days for me and BMW but the BMW does not feel quite as solid - it feels better engineered than the Alfas I have had, but not Audi-like. Then again the VAG cars were quite dull to drive dynamically, they were heavily built but had a heavy feel dynamically, the BMW is much more alive and with vastly better-judged damping rates and so on, so there are pros and cons...

Reliability wise so far there is no comparison - I'm sure my BMW is not representative but the 7 years of VAG car ownership (3 cars used for well above-average miles, with towing, track days, etc) only saw me use one single non-service item - a £50 turbo diverter valve. And everything lasted for ever - the Passat was on the fist clutch despite all the towing! That was always buying the cars bang on 3 years old as I did with the 330.

VAG interiors and dashboards are clearer to use as well. In the BMW I have the odd flap trying to work stuff out, as I did in the two Alfas I have owned, wheras your granny could get in a VAG car and find everything in seconds. The Alfas had more interior design flair which made the hassle of locating the odd switch less of a worry to me.

[doughboy]

If audi made cars that drove well might buy another.

Please don't equate BMW and Alfa FFS!

[Steve vRS]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Shame you chose a 320si as it's hardly a run of the mill BMW model.

The si has always appealed to me. Is it so bad?

Steve

[JonnySi]

Its good because of individuality, but thats where it stops. Its a fortune to run, flat as a fart, and like living with a ticking time bomb. Mine is on 32k, with 3 engines replaced!

[rsmallwo]

Originally Posted by JonnySi

Its good because of individuality, but thats where it stops. Its a fortune to run, flat as a fart, and like living with a ticking time bomb. Mine is on 32k, with 3 engines replaced!

Whats your opinion on the 320d, 325d, 330d and 335d engines?

I got my 335d as it had a reputation for bulletprofness aswell as torque

[xenon]

Originally Posted by rsmallwo

Whats your opinion on the 320d, 325d, 330d and 335d engines?

I got my 335d as it had a reputation for bulletprofness aswell as torque

I'll wager not as high as his opinion on Audis now. What price loyalty, eh?

[doughboy]

I'd agree that Audi's do seem more 'solid' inside, but only by a whisker.

But the dullness (to look at and drive) are the killer no no for me. (OK the RS4 V8 was an exception, but still dull old salesmans A4 inside)

Even the new A4/A6 interior manages to look old as soon as it came out, too fussy, too cluttered all those tacky shiny bits.

The simplicity and driver focus of the E9x interior I find makes it look as clean and fresh inside as it did in 2005.

[JonnySi]

Originally Posted by rsmallwo

Whats your opinion on the 320d, 325d, 330d and 335d engines?

I got my 335d as it had a reputation for bulletprofness aswell as torque

Engine wise very good, but its everything around them that becomes worn and sloppy quickly. This is something I have found does not happen with Audi's.

My new colleagues were staggered that we occassionally replaced brake pipes on cars so new they were done under warranty! Audi's will do 20 years on a set of brake pipes.

[Pwalo]

Hmm - Audi - drivers car - no not really - all the budget gets blown on the tarts handbag interior and some tacky lighting on the outside - they do look nice and thats what the majority of buyers care about so that why they sel wel. From a chassis development perspective they are still sticking to their old principles - a Volkswagen Polo base with very little dynamic abilty or feel. Just like most other Audi's. There are always people numb enough to buy a car purely on looks and (misguided) status - I have yet to drive a well developed Audi that was fun to drive. I cite the A4 S-line owned by a relative that was falling apart after 3 years of motorway mileage and was so punishingly hard sprung but still understeered alarmingly with dead and lifeless steering - had a coal fired powerstation in the engine bay and sounded like a steamhammer at cold tickover. Oh yeah the front wheel drive car had the engine in north south and right over the front axle. Fail to understand what made that a quality luxury car worthy of near £30k. Even the new version is still a chamption understeerer. Only the very very expensive performance variant seem to have anything approaching driver engagement. Most BMWs have it built in. Yep - I agree they ain't the prettiest cars really and the interios can be dull but they are a much more integrated package than 90% of Audis - A3/Golf/Leon/Octavia excluded. Sorry for the rant but most Audi drivers appear to have a self satisfied opinion about there cars

[335iLondon]

Originally Posted by Pwalo

Hmm - Audi - drivers car - no not really - all the budget gets blown on the tarts handbag interior and some tacky lighting on the outside - they do look nice and thats what the majority of buyers care about so that why they sel wel. From a chassis development perspective they are still sticking to their old principles - a Volkswagen Polo base with very little dynamic abilty or feel. Just like most other Audi's. There are always people numb enough to buy a car purely on looks and (misguided) status - I have yet to drive a well developed Audi that was fun to drive. I cite the A4 S-line owned by a relative that was falling apart after 3 years of motorway mileage and was so punishingly hard sprung but still understeered alarmingly with dead and lifeless steering - had a coal fired powerstation in the engine bay and sounded like a steamhammer at cold tickover. Oh yeah the front wheel drive car had the engine in north south and right over the front axle. Fail to understand what made that a quality luxury car worthy of near £30k. Even the new version is still a chamption understeerer. Only the very very expensive performance variant seem to have anything approaching driver engagement. Most BMWs have it built in. Yep - I agree they ain't the prettiest cars really and the interios can be dull but they are a much more integrated package than 90% of Audis - A3/Golf/Leon/Octavia excluded. Sorry for the rant but most Audi drivers appear to have a self satisfied opinion about there cars

+1

I have only enjoyed one audi I have ever been in.
A8 Long-wheelbase - and I was in the back!

[Fox530]

Originally Posted by JonnySi

Engine wise very good, but its everything around them that becomes worn and sloppy quickly. This is something I have found does not happen with Audi's.

You've found this in the space of a month? Or have you owned lots of Audi's as well?

My BMW is now 9 years old and approaching 200,000 miles and there is absolutely nothing sloppy about it. I drove an A5 3.0 TDI Quattro last week, despite only having 30k miles the centre armrest rattled like it had 300k miles and it certainly didnt feel like a box fresh car.

It was also hopelessly dull. I tried to see if I was right to be going for the E92 next. It seems i am.

[magic77]

interesting reading in past I've had few VAG cars and while my E46 previous car and E90 have had few niggles nothing on par with my VAgs and my brother in laws.

Firstly mine a 52 plate Audi A3 110TDI - within 60K it had new flywheel, clutch, turbo, alternator, air con compressor. Engine mounst where worn and doors leaked.

Then you have a VW Passat that by time it hit 70K had to have anew gearbox, turbo and oil pump.

Finally A3 TDI 58 plate just passed 40k and the clutch fell apart on the motorway. Now I drive my cars hard sometimes so can live when they go wrong, but brother in law drives them like ms daisy so to seem the fall apart for him so quickly is scary.

Put that to my E46 and E90 whcih have had nothing as major. Worst has been e46 a new steering rack after I hit a major pothole whiel on a fast round about.

it seems you get them both ways some good and bad cars on both sides, but its true on Audi service their sales people just dont care. Starting to look for new car and have considered the A4 and A5 can I get a test drive can I hell, Got fed up in end of chasing them. Simple case before I decide onmy next car I like to comapre the market to ensure what I'm choosing is best.

I love thelook of the new Audis but no way I will put my money to them. Its going right not to VW, Merc or BMW

[JonnySi]

Originally Posted by Fox530

You've found this in the space of a month? Or have you owned lots of Audi's as well?

My BMW is now 9 years old and approaching 200,000 miles and there is absolutely nothing sloppy about it. I drove an A5 3.0 TDI Quattro last week, despite only having 30k miles the centre armrest rattled like it had 300k miles and it certainly didnt feel like a box fresh car.

It was also hopelessly dull. I tried to see if I was right to be going for the E92 next. It seems i am.

Yeah but you own an E39, enough said "LAST OF THE PROPER BMW's"

[JonnySi]

Originally Posted by Pwalo

Hmm - Audi - drivers car - no not really - all the budget gets blown on the tarts handbag interior and some tacky lighting on the outside - they do look nice and thats what the majority of buyers care about so that why they sel wel. From a chassis development perspective they are still sticking to their old principles - a Volkswagen Polo base with very little dynamic abilty or feel. Just like most other Audi's. There are always people numb enough to buy a car purely on looks and (misguided) status - I have yet to drive a well developed Audi that was fun to drive. I cite the A4 S-line owned by a relative that was falling apart after 3 years of motorway mileage and was so punishingly hard sprung but still understeered alarmingly with dead and lifeless steering - had a coal fired powerstation in the engine bay and sounded like a steamhammer at cold tickover. Oh yeah the front wheel drive car had the engine in north south and right over the front axle. Fail to understand what made that a quality luxury car worthy of near £30k. Even the new version is still a chamption understeerer. Only the very very expensive performance variant seem to have anything approaching driver engagement. Most BMWs have it built in. Yep - I agree they ain't the prettiest cars really and the interios can be dull but they are a much more integrated package than 90% of Audis - A3/Golf/Leon/Octavia excluded. Sorry for the rant but most Audi drivers appear to have a self satisfied opinion about there cars

I'm so sorry i have offended you by MY new choice of car, that i am over the moon with.