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#audi

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If anyone who personally knew me back around 2009-2017 would know that was really into the Audi community in one way or another. After getting the A4 allroad in 2017, I started to distance myself (part burn out, part losing interest, part losing connections within the community, etc.).

Over the past 3-5 years, I've grown to dislike Audi's direction and the experience of driving and using their newer cars has made me strike them off of the consideration list. They've went hard into "more tech equal more luxury" bullshit and that is absolute bollocks. Mercedes seems to have gone down that route with the EQ vehicles.

Anyway... sorry for the rant, but I had to put some words down on my frustrations with them lately.

5/5?

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Speaking of CarPlay (and Android Auto), it takes forever for the car to detect my phone wirelessly, sees that CarPlay is available, then allows me to switch to it. Other than the usual unlock phone thing to allow CarPlay that happens every so often, plugging in my phone and having the allroad detect it is within 5-10 seconds, not 20-30 seconds.

Also, the new system doesn't always automatically switch to CarPlay when it finally gets sorted out.

The sluggish touch interface is all around horrible and finding simple settings was even more difficult. I welcome the new MMI knob overlords to come back!

4/x

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In my allroad, I can display the realtime fuel economy widget while being able have other information in the center between the two gauges. With the two gauges size set to small, I have a wide open map that I can use if/when I don't want to fuss with plugging my phone in and waiting for CarPlay to do its thing.

Audi took what was a really good digital cockpit display and seems to have it even less configurable and useful.

3/x

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My absolutely gripe about that (other than not being able to quickly see fuel level when I open the door and press the start button) is that the amount of absolutely wasted space that is now the fuel gauge takes up something a chuck of space *above* the tachometer that cannot be used for anything else when I have the tech and speedo shrunken down.

It blocks space for map display, it cannot be configured to show anything else, and there are empty spaces where a more minimal (but still useful) widget could be used for it.

2/x

My 2017 A4 allroad is in for service and got a 2024 A5 Sportback as a service loaner vehicle, which has a newer version of the infotainment system with a touchscreen and a fully digital cockpit display.

My A4 allroad has a digital cockpit display, but has separate LED segments for engine temperature and for fuel gauge.

The newer A4/A5 vehicles ditched those separate LED segment and merged them into the cockpit display.

1/x

Well, Audi finally walked back a silly decision that they made. The problem with the even-numbered models being EVs is that the Q4 e-tron makes it seem like it's more like an A4 in terms of features and quality, but it's really more like a Q3.

The Q6 e-tron more like a Q5 than an A6.

Green Car Report: Audi shifts strategy: EVs and gas-powered cars to share nameplates

greencarreports.com/news/11456

Green Car ReportsAudi shifts strategy: EVs and gas-powered cars to share nameplatesThe E-Tron designation for electric vehicles sticks around.

"Volkswagen is open to allowing Chinese carmakers to take over its excess production lines in Europe, as it grapples with falling demand and rising competition from the very same companies eyeing its factories.

Executives at Audi and VW’s eponymous flagship brand told the Financial Times that partnering with Chinese makers of EVs, which are looking to expand their footprint in Europe, was one option to address declining sales in the region.

“For sure, that is thinkable,” said Gernot Döllner, chief executive of Audi. Such a move would “lower the entrance barrier of these competitors”, adding: “I believe in free trade.”

Gernot Döllner, chief executive of Audi, beside an Audi Q6 e-tron prototype during a media day for the Munich Motor Show in Munich, Germany in 2023

Audi has partnered with MG-maker SAIC to build EVs in China that appeal to local consumers — a type of collaboration that Döllner said Chinese brands might also seek to recreate in Europe.

In a separate interview, David Powels, chief financial officer at the VW brand, would also not rule out the idea of Chinese carmakers taking over idle production lines at the company’s German plants."

ft.com/content/87ac3c34-905d-4

#EU#VW#Volkswagen

I've been a bit of an Audi head for a couple of vehicles now (2004 A4, 2011 S5 and now a 2017 A4 allroad) and have been very underwhelmed with most of the Audi/VW/Porsche offerings, at least here in the US. I did a short test drive of the quattro 55 e-tron Q4 (Audi has also failed on their naming schemes from where it was before introducing the e-tron EVs) and was not happy with its efficiency nor its interior packaging and materials. It's basically a Q3 with EV underpinnings.

Since I've already made the commitment to go with an EV to replace my allroad, none of the VW Group's offerings are on the consider list. The Q6 is too expensive and focuses too much on widgets and tech doodads and same with the A6 e-tron (which we wouldn't be getting the Avant anyway).

Transport Evolved: Is The Audi Q4 e-tron 55 Quattro a Better Volkswagen ID.4?

youtube.com/watch?v=CjVSWvtfCNk

The Audi Q8 e-tron (formerly just the e-tron) is too long in the tooth, not very efficient owing to being based on a variation of an existing ICE platform (MLB/MLB evo), and just not that competitive. Audi and Porsche took too long to bring vehicles out on the PPE platform (Macan EV, A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron), which isn't helping their competitive footing at all.

Green Car Report: Audi Q8 E-Tron production ends in February

greencarreports.com/news/11452

Green Car ReportsAudi Q8 E-Tron production ends in FebruaryThe plug is about to be pulled on the Audi Q8 E-Tron just as the Q6 E-Tron arrives in the U.S.
Replied to Linh Pham

@qlp I had an A4 2016 and after that, when I got my first EV, I did not even consider Audi after the bad A4 experience, so I ended up with an VW ID.4. The ADAS was better and actually usable. I have a benchmark route, on which I stopped counting automatic speed adjustment errors at 20 and there were probably around 30 at a ~60km drive.
I recently got a Q6, expected a similar error rate, but was blown away, when there was only one error in one direction and three in the other. #audi #Q6

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In regards to the lane keep assist and ADAS, when I test drove the pre-refreshed and renamed e-tron, it felt like it was using the same system that I have in my 2017 A4 allroad. And that has the same issues that Nikki and Kate mentioned in the video.

I would only hope that the Audis that are built on the new PPE platform (Q6 e-tron, A6 e-tron) have a much better ADAS system. Maybe if I were still interested in a Q6 e-tron, I might care enough to test drive one when they become available.

Continued thread

I know they were trying to do the "Ooh, an EV needs a unique gear lever/selector", but it's not great ergonomically compared to the ones that Audi currently uses in the A4 through A7 family of models.

I got to test drive an Audi e-tron a while back (before it was refreshed and renamed to Q8 e-tron) and it was an okay overall experience. I disliked the infotainment system setup with dual touchscreens (something they also do with the A6, A7 and A8) and the efficiency was, frankly, bad.

Although I'm glad that they fixed the latter, but it's too little and too late, especially when the new Q6 e-tron is right around the corner.

I agree that a used or CPO Q8 e-tron (avoid the non-Q8 labeled e-tron) is a better choice if you want to get one now.

Transport Evolved: We FINALLY Get To Test The Audi Q8 e-tron As It Gets Discontinued (But You Should Consider One Used)

youtube.com/watch?v=XIH0i-nQPMg

I've had a couple of Audis since 2004, but no plans on getting any new Audis going forward, especially when I'm only considering an EV.

The VW/Audi EV portfolio is extremely lackluster in terms of efficiency and overall package. The Q4 that I test drove costs too much for the range and it has the same cheap feel as the Q3.

The Q6 does nothing for me and the Q8 e-tron is basically a dead car cruising.

Jalopnik: Audi's Sales Are Flagging Because There's No Reason To Buy One

jalopnik.com/audis-sales-are-f

Jalopnik · Audi's Sales Are Flagging Because There's No Reason To Buy OneBy Amber DaSilva

Needed to get my mind off of current events and scrolled through my old photos. Can't believe it has been 12 years and 1 month today since the whole Audi thing happened.

So much has changed since then, but so much hasn't.