SLEXC400

The maintenance issues on these cars are a real shame because they really are nice cars. Sure hope they can turn it around soon!!!

mvallido

Have her test drive all of them and have her decide. Women have different perspective when it comes to their rides.

socalJD

Why - what makes you think that german car makers *want* to build bullet proof cars ? IMHO Bmw, MB & Audi want their loyal customer base to flip cars every 4 yrs or 50k miles - if reliability was the goal, they'd extend their warranty to 6yr/70k like Lexus & Acura did on their powertrains. Look at GM, they went to 7yr/100k on all their new '07s - that's a bold move to dispel the reliability perceptions . . .

Threxx

GM went to 5 year, 100k miles... powertrain only. B2B is still stuck at a pathetic 3yr 36k miles. They went for maximum marketing impact with minimal cost increase because most people will hit 5 years long before they hit 100k miles, and those that do hit 100k miles will be doing a lot of highway driving anyway which is less likely to produce issues as it's much easier on the powertrain for the most part.

All car makers should want to shoot for great reliability because cars with poor reliability develop bad reps as used vehicles and thus their depreciation sucks - guess what that means? Anyone with half a brain is going to realize that even if they sell their unreliable lux car before the warranty goes out, it's going to depreciate much more than a reliable car would, and in the end, the real cost of ownership is depreciation, not purchase price.

This also affects lease rates in the same negative way.

iStyle

Anyone claiming that the IS250 doesn't perform likely hasn't driven it. The IS350 is more fun in a straight line. Period.

In terms of handling, the 250's more-balanced weight distribution and lighter curb weight give it an edge over the 350.

In terms of acceleration, the IS250 reaches 60 quicker than the fastest IS300 Car & Driver ever tested.

In terms of braking (70–0 mph), the IS250 takes just 3 more feet to reach a full stop.

The IS250 hate is getting old fast. Speed isn't the only factor in regards to performance.

txstud86

Well, If Lexus vehicles are so reliable across the board, as you all claim, why has my father's 2006 GS430 had transmission issues? I've read similar complaints on the ES350 forum, and also a few issues with the structural integrity of the ES350.

The point is that Toyota/Lexus isn't immune from these so-called reliability issues either, and we're talking new cars.

And in reading these responses, I think some of the problems these posters are claiming with A4's are either entirely fabricated or exaggerated. Furthermore, I'm sure the OP was considering new or almost new cars, so none of these issues would arise until according to you "after 100,000 miles".

What's really interesting is that in Europe, and specifically Germany Audi is perceived as being of higher quality than BMW or MB. Toyota isn't perceived by consumers as reliable as VW. Very interesting to observe the drastic perceptual differences.

Most Lexus drivers here, and all of the A4 owners who responded to this thread, lease their cars so all of these so-called reliability issues that show up after 100,000k miles are moot. Certainly won't stop me from buying another Audi.

SugarRush

^ I agree with you. No one car brand is perfect.
My earlier post sharing the story of my problematic Audi A4 was from my personal experience owning the vehicle.

^I neither fabricated nor exagerated. I described the problem just as they were. I am still an Audi anthusiast, I think their Quatro and interior quality is very good. I was also very active in Audiworld.com and Audi comunity in general when i owned the A4. However, I will not own another Audi until their quality gets better. How do i know when? When consumer reports says so.

^ True. A colleague of mine owns the Audi A3. Beautiful hatchback!
It's almost 2 yrs old now and she has no major problem with it.
As long as it is under warranty, it is ok .

^ You are partially right.
I have relatives who lived in Germany (near Munich). They are all born and raise in Germany.
This is what they told me of what German public perceive on cars quality:
- Toyota and Honda are famous for reliability in germany, but they are boring cars.
- Audi/VW in germany are reliable cars. Their resale value are OK.
- Porsche and Benz are a bit less reliable cars but have good resale value.
- BMW are reliable, sporty and have good resale. But most would rather get a benz or porsche.
In general, it seems that Audi/VW vehicles in Germany are reliable indeed, relative to the Audi/VWs in US.

^Everyone is entitled to what they want to do with his/her money .

Bichon

Unfortunately, they aren't fabricated or exaggerated a bit. I have the receipts to prove it.

You did a survey? All of the actual surveys I've seen e.g., the one that Consumer Reports does every year, shows Toyota/Lexus light years ahead of Audi in terms of reliability. And while the CR survey is American not European, it measures actual problems, not perceptions (which may be heavily biased).

My sister and I bought our cars, we didn't lease them. The reliability issues started creeping up at around 60,000 miles. Both of us sold at around 90,000 due to excessive maintenance and repair costs.

I invite you to go to Audiworld and ask in the B5 A4, B5 S4, C5 A6, or any other forums where owners of older Audis hang out and ask them how the reliability and maintenance costs of their Audi compares with similar aged Japanese vehicles they've owned. I'd bet you a beer that even among those Audi lovers, they'd hand that crown to the Japanese marques.

Look, if you are leasing a car, and plan to return it before the warranty expires, the issue is moot. But many buy a car to drive for a longer duration, especially if they enjoy driving it as much as I enjoyed my S4. Which leads me to the statement I made in my first post in this thread: I may own another Audi, but I won't own another Audi that isn't under warranty.

ayu910

same here, used to have Allroad and all the problems pop up around 50~60K. I got all the receipts to prove it too (susp, power seat, oil leak, etc) and I finally sold it around 65K miles. Regardless, I still think Audi is a fun to dirve car with great interior and I don't mind lease a new one in the future. Of course, will dump the car back to Audi right after my lease end...no way I will keep any Audi for 50K+.