German Cars Disappoint Car Owners

DW World ^ | 11/29/03 | DW World

[dts32041]

I have 2002 TDI version, had to bring it in for a recall item, something about a switch.

Still thing the darn thing is neat and while everybody had yo yoing gas prices diesel stay at 154.9 all summer.

Have a 96 Jeep with 115,000+ on it have had to replace both oxygen senors and a radiator and a radio, other than that no problems.

[whattajoke]

yes, the 2.7T. From the Audi site:

"When you marry each cylinder bank to two high-boost turbochargers, performance becomes more than just an option. It's a visceral thrill you have to experience to fully appreciate. The A6 2.7 T was made to conquer the road. With its 30-valve 250 hp biturbo V6 linked to a six-speed manual transmission, this sporting sedan takes off from 0-60 in six seconds flat."

That about sums it up. I drove up to northern Maine a couple months ago, then across W. Maine to Quebec City... on roads like car commercials use. This was after only owning it for a month or so, so I figured it was time to see what she had... and you are right, she has a LOT! Thank goodness no speeding tickets, or, better yet, thank goodness no night in jail as I think that would have been required. Than again, on the highway from QC south to Montreal, it seemed the regular speed was around 80mph, so I got behind a guy in his Boxster with his radar detector visible, and let's just say we made a 3 hour drive in about 100 minutes. Here in CT, I take it pretty easy tooling around town, though once in a while (esp getting onto the highway), I try to emulate that 0-60 stat above... Fun, Fun car.

[whattajoke]

I'm not too worried with Audi maintanance since most parts marry with VW parts... unlike Porsche to a large extent.

However, from a guy who "learned cars" on a 77 Chevy Malibu (where I could almost literally step under the hood and work on the engine), it is pretty daunting under the hood, to say the least.

There was more steel in that Chevy then in 100 new cars!

[AZLiberty]

In general, the German cars sold in Germany (even by Mercedes and BMW) are not the luxury models we see here in the U.S. Only Americans can afford those. Matching for price, Japanese cars are better than German cars in the U.S., too.

[Ben Hecks]

"The only german car I ever owned was a VW circa 1960"

Guess I wasn't the only one that got a dud. I had a 68 VW convertible that sat in the driveway most of the time awaiting parts. The cardboard/foil pushrod tubes started leaking oil which necessitated pulling the rocker arm assy and pushrods to fit new tubes. At 10 pounds ft. of torque, the head studs pulled out of the pot metal crankcase. That led to a complete teardown to install helicoil inserts. After a complete rebuild, the engine immediately swallowed the copper accelerator pump nozzle which luckily caused no damage as it soon got chopped up and spit out. (it was immediately obvious why they were made of copper) After selling the car, I ended up with the special (and expensive) tools that removed the rear axle nut, the star-shaped socket that removed the CV joint and a lot of other stuff that I never needed again. The top did fit nicely, however.

[January24th]

1994 Camry bought in 1997 with 70,000 miles on it, all the options, leather seats, v-6, power tranny. Has over 140k on it now. It never needed a tune-up until its very first at 100,000 miles. Paid $11,000 for it, and had the normal oil changes and brake pads, etc. Comes to $152/month to drive.

Then, there is the joke about the difference between Porcupines and BMW drivers...

[goldstategop]

The funny thing is I got the brake light switch issue fixed BEFORE the recall. I didn't get around to filing the paperwork cause fixing cost a mere pittance. All the same, the NB's been good to me. If it had more than minor problems that would be one thing, but the quality so far as exceed my expectations about the horror stories I read about it on the Internet when I first considered buying it and since January, I have no reason to regret my purchase. There is still something to be said for German cars, even if its the poor man's VW version.

[bvw]

Only ONE timing chain? You're rolling the dice ... one guy I know does his Honda's every 50k. I'd say 70's okay. But you are twice that. Do you use Mobil 1?

[oilfieldtrash]

I have never bought other than a VW(in 25 years) but the new Citroens C3,+ look great to me.

[pt17]

Thanks for the link but I'm not that much into BMWs. It's just a (very good handling) car that I like to throw around the twisties when the roads are good.

[skraeling]

Only ONE timing chain? You're rolling the dice ...

Wonder if Toyotas are as sensitive to the timing chain issue as the Hondas? I have a '97 Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla) with 92K and thinking maybe I should have it done.

[desertcry]

I had a similar problem with my vw, it swallowed a valve after 20000 miles, while driving on HWY94 at 60mph.

[sinclair]

excellent

[Dasaji]

OK, as one who drives and deals with all of these cars mentioned every day, here's my 2 cents: (putting on my professional car dealer hat)

- if you appreciate handling/power and like to feel the road, go for German (Practical: Audi A6, Fun: BMW 328i 5-speed) Mercedes can be disappointing, although we just got a 2003 CLK 55AMG in, and it was beyond even Mercedes in quality, craftsmanship and thrill meter - a fluke for MB these days. Mercedes people are often very full of themselves and too serious, Bimmer people are fun and don't take themselves too seriously. When things break on a Bimmer or an Audi, it's usually major, you take it in, get it fixed and that's it. When things break on a Mercedes, they are little things. But all the trips back to the dealer gives you the feeling as though you are being pecked to death by chickens.

- if you want something that "drives itself" with an easy feel of the suspension and handling (cloud feel) then Acura and Lexus can't be beat. Resale is EXCELLENT. Style and "eye" are impressive.

- Foreign SUV: Hands Down, the Acura MDX with Touring is tops for handling, comfort, room, style. It replaced my obsession with the X5 (which, by the way is AWESOME, but the MDX has more cargo room and is much easier on gas, plus lots of cupholders that actually work). Power not as good as X5, but there's no choice in engine as with the X5. Lexus RX-300 is nice, but not "exciting." Mercedes ML320/430 is a major disappointment for that kind of class of vehicle (handles like a Blazer), sucks gas like a Mack Truck.

- Yukon Denali: Well, I took mine out on the beach this past summer. The Hummer behind me got stuck, my Yukon did not. Great for excessive room, major disappointment after your husband just took "your" MDX to the auction. Like driving a bus.

-American SUVs - Nyet

- Hondas: AWESOME, all around, but the resale market is very soft...too many out there right now. Don't trade yours in for a while or you'll take a bath. Good, practical, reliable. C+ on excitement. A+ on reliablity.

Toyotas: Awesome, good resale and reliability...a little more exciting than a Honda (and just a tad nicer in comfort/plushness/eye appeal).

Volvo - I'm biased, love 'em, great resale, if I had to pick what kind of car to be in an accident in, it's in the Top 5.

Audi - I am *really* biased. Audi Quattro, Audi Quattro, Audi Quattro. Snow and ice? Walks through it like it's a piece of cake-up hills and down hills. Hydroplaining is next to impossible in one. Very comfortable to drive, but lots of giddy-up (in the 2.6L +, the 1.8 turbos are weak...spend the extra three grand and get the 2.6). VERY safe in an accident (recently saw a new Jeep Grand Cherokee rear end a new Audi 2.7 at about 40 mph - Jeep people were lifeflighted, Audi lady got out of the car with some whiplash. Jeep totalled, Audi $25K in damage, but not enough to total it.)

Porsche - can you spell VW?

If I had to "own" an American car, it would be the Lincoln LS or Oldsmobile Intrigue. Chrysler 300M is a distant 3rd. Everything else is rickety, squeaky, rattly, feel like you are going down the road on a skateboard. I used to be major Pro-American Car person, until I really got to "experience" just about every make, model and year of other cars out there. By far, the German cars feel the most solid.

As far as things breaking, I don't care if it's new or used - there are over 5000 moving parts in a vehicle. Things break. Your dishwasher breaks, your computer breaks, your cell phone breaks. That's what warranties are for. Now, as far as service goes, the service department in every dealership is different. It's the people running it, not the manufacturer. While this should be a reflection on the manufacturer, realistically, it can't be. There can be a fantastic sales dept and crappy service, or vice versa - it's how the dealership is run individually. It's not realistic to be angry with Mr. BMW or Mr. Toyota because the service department kept your car for an extra few hours. Unfortunately, I think this survey does reflect a lot of the non-critical complaints people make about their cars.

[Reactionary]

I bought a Jetta last year. It's been a great car so far, but I'm thinking of trading it in for Nissan 3.3 litre truck.

I'll be moving soon, and I'll probably need a hauler.

[bvw]

Here's one site that gives timing belt advice:
http://www.theautoshop.com/timing.html

[Vesuvian]

amazing stability a Quattro offers

You said it, the first month I had my car I was up in CT and got caught in a blizzard. That car was on rails. My only fear was that others seeing me speed along would think road conditions were safe and rear end me when they were unable to stop.

[devane617]

I have an 8 year old Acura Integra with 105k miles. Still runs great and make a few cross country trips per year. Routine maint, plus water pump and timing chain. I plan to keep this car until it completely dies. I hope to get another 100k+ miles.

[Dasaji]

My only fear was that others seeing me speed along would think road conditions were safe and rear end me when they were unable to stop.

Actually, that is the number 1 reason Audi's get wrecked - because on total ice, you still feel like the car is in control and you get over confident and go faster. I don't care what you are driving, when on total ice, ain't nothing gonna stop you :) At least with the Quattro, you have a greater chance of one of the wheels catching hold to stablize vs. 2-wheel drive or traditional AWD/4WD.