►Shop for merchandise: autogefuehl.shop/ ►Subscribe here: ruclips.net/user/autogefuehl ►Also subscribe to our RUclips shorts channel: www.youtube.com/@thomasautogefuhl?sub_confirmation=1 ►Follow us on Facebook / Instagram / TikTok @autogefuehl ►Sustainability in the automotive industry documentary: ruclips.net/video/-8gNXlRGngA/видео.htmlsi=bCdeJZORRHNcVmV2 Thomas speaks about his personal vehicle history, which cars he grew up with, which cars he owned, bought, and which private vehicle he drives today and what's good and not so good about it. 00:00 My vehicle history 03:45 My current personal car 07:33 What's great about it 13:01 Engine and driving 19:37 All the problems with it Transparency note: Autogefühl videos are independent and free from editorial influence on opinion and rating. But since manufacturers enable us to do the reviews in the first place, for legal reasons this video is marked as _advertisement_.
Thomas I feel for you. I have had a series of new Audis for many years. I will not buy another. The final act was I took out a full service plan on my car. It went in for service and the dealer insisted that I pay for a brake fluid change. My reaction was, it was 2 years since the last brake fluid change and it does'not need changing from an engineering point of view.. It also was not covered in the Audi service plan that I purchased, even though not highlighted in plan documentation. The dealer said it was a service item but confirmed it was not covered under the plan that i had purchased and said that if the fluid change was not done then it may invalidate any warrantee claims in the future. I have had it with Audi, the build quality of the interior of car is not very special and is the same as VW , yet Audi price it as a premium product.interior
Changing the cabin filter will get rid of the smoking smell completely. Put a couple of drops of your favorite therapeutic oil on the cabin filter while you’re at it. Your reviews are the best❤❤❤❤❤
The problem with warranties might not necessarily be the dealer but from the insurer or underwriter that specifies the terms. The insurer might want service items to carried out way earlier than needed, because then everyone gets the work done long before a failure is likely, thus reducing the chances of a claim. Which doesn't help when Audi or the dealer then exclude it from the service plan
Mr. Thomas, and I thought, that only in Portugal, those things happened, in a daily basis! and we are talking about Audi´s official dealers, not the little garage on the block. Incredible, for God sake!
I'm a detailer and the paint issue is not exclusive to Audi, unfortunately all new cars now have some eco-friendly paint which sucks, it's easy to scratch but hard to polish and the insects burn into it and you can't do anything about it. The only solution is PPF. Also the poor quality of suspension parts isn't exclusive to Audi, my parents have 2020 X3 and basically whole front suspension had to be replaced at 50k kilometers. Also the bluetooth and android auto barely works in that car, it constantly crashes and needs a hard reset once a month which would be acceptable in 10 year old car I guess but it happens regularly since new. Btw it's crazy to think that german brand has such poor customer service in their own country. I never had any problems with customer service here in Poland, actually it's one of the best that I ever dealt with and I have a 2009 A6 so it's not a new car and still they're great to me so I'm super happy with that.
Audi PR team need to watch this! Thomas is the most diligent and detailed car pro on RUclips. His feedback needs to land hard at Audi. Poor quality control
This has nothing to do with PR. 'Good service' doesn't sell. It's only important when you actually need it. And it's hard to sell that idea since you'd have to talk about your product failing.
Nonsense! We have 2 Audi’s currently with our 2013 A8L being the oldest. Owned since new, replaced a switch while in warranty and a radio module this past year. Otherwise, routine maintenance on excellent vehicles.
@@ronaldlamascus1944 it’s an anecdotal evidence. I can also say that I had a very good Renault, but average Renault has subpar reliability. The same applies for Audis. There are undoubtedly happy owners, but there are also a ton of unhappy ones and they drag down Audi stats in surveys.
@@djoetma good service doesn’t sell the first car, but poor service prevents you from selling another car to the same buyer. It seems that Audi is currently in a position where it doesn’t care about long term success.
I truly respect the fact that you did not use your position as a youtube influencer who reviews cars in germany to get any advantages, and that you just tell the problems after being sorted.
@@autogefuehl great review, you got into how it actually is to own a car and struggle with the dealers and the maintenance! Also own a A3 2018. Love the car but it has it’s issues mostly related to bad service experience. Audi must work on that
@@Nikola-dx2te Could you mention some examples of bad service? Just curious if it was actually Audi or the dealership. And also if it's something that would be covered by law in certain countries. I drive a Toyota and moved cities and went from great service to terrible service to the extent that unless it's an emergency, I'm driving an hour back to my old city and just combine the trip with visiting some family and friends. Dealerships are the ones who decide the service most of times. Unless the manufacturer forces certain processes upon them (and they can't go too far with this, since the dealers are often huge companies themselves who they need to be friendly with) they have the freedom to decide on stuff like service policies themselves. So the problem Thomas ran in to around something they weren't sure about whether Audi would pay for it, is something that can happen everywhere, unless you have a manufacturer who simply says 'x year warranty on the complete car and y amount of warranty on the chassis'. Most car manufacturers don't do this and it's really the dealerships who take care of this. It's that Europe forced by law that there needs to be a 2 year warranty per minimum, because else f.e. BMW would only do 140K km or something and the rest would be for the dealer and they would make all the costs (I assume they had separate deals with the manufacturer, but still).
@@djoetma audi official certified / authorized dealer. Issues: (1) waiting times (at least 2 week for service as of the day of appointment, even for simple stuff like ac gas refill); (2)one brake squeaks and they tell me it’s ok (how?!); (3) they tell me that my AC is ok but for me it’s not normal to refill the ac gas once a year… Top 3. But the waiting time is the worst.
I can't believe the Audi customer experience you mentioned is actually happening in Germany /Europe, I thought it only ever happens in other countries 😅
@@elestromusicgamesfun1101 As an American I not only agree I would like to apologize for us infecting your guys process with making these beautiful cars. I am currently in the market for an S4/S5 or BMW competitor. I find not only are you buying the car for the car but you are also buying for the luxury experience you get from top brands. Can we bring back good car engineers and sellers?!
Audi's board members should watch this video. Same issue here in S. Korea. People love Audi cars but hate Audi Korea's sales policy and Audi's service is horrible. Audi should listen to customers and improve their warranty and service policy.
Your honesty is so comfortable and generates trust, even when you test drive cars in your usual role. Your story also shows the importance of honesty as a seller.
Dealers and insurance companies are such a pain in the ass man. If I get a sensor issue i shudder, not because of the actual problem, but because of the bureaucracy
@@leomux2004companies are allowed to sell directly to customers in Europe. For example ,Mercedes moved form dealer to agency model several years ago. That didn’t improve customer service though.
@@IvanNikitin1 Well, not here in Brazil, there's a law called "Renato Ferrari Law" from 1979 which mandates car sales from a dealership. Luckly tho this is starting to phase out due to changes in the market, so nowadays companies can get a car from direct sale, and there's pressure from politicians to allow this for costumers.
the increase in bureaucracy is deliberate. in economics, this is called a 'nudge' and all the trouble you go through, while it might not cost any money, still costs you time and stress, so you're less likely to make warranty claims or whatever, and in the long run, this saves companies money. there need to be regulations against this kind of thing, otherwise it gets out of control. as a matter of principle, when I have problems with my car (I drive a skoda and live in Germany) I try to be very insistent and rude with dealers and service people (basically always telling them that the issue is their fault, and I'm not leaving until they've fixed it). they hate me, but they still begrudgingly do the work because they know that it's their legal responsibility to. if enough people do that, then it will eventually cost VW group too much to sneakily shift mental load for fixing cars onto customers, and they might adjust their business model. one can only hope. but who knows. maybe the company goes bankrupt before they can fix it
Yes, but don't worry. The CEOs will come up with solutions. Like closing down German factories, sacking lots of proud loyal hard working people that didn't cause any of the problems. And if these cruel plans work the upper few will even be rewarded with a bonus. Can anyone still dig it?
Honestly, I really enjoy your content, your reviews, how indepeth you go into every car. Please keep making content, I always look to forward to the videos.
I stopped buying Audis years ago. The last one was an sq7 which had a recall. The customer service was so poor that I just rejected the vehicle. It was far worse than what you experienced. From uk.
My experience with Audi dealers, has always been a joke. They're not interested in helping you. However, they can't do enough to take your money in the 1st place. Never again will I buy Audi. It's disgusting that they get away and that people buy their cars despite the horrendous after care.
I had only one experience with an audi dealer with a Renault. Bought it there with warranty, they made me leave with the car and then send me a letter a week later with the invoice... for sure it was to much effort for them to claim insurance. They probably still did after I declined the invoice. Just shows the audi service.
Bought 2024 q7, barely managed to return it after 2k km. Car was shuddering when driving to a stop, worst dealer experience ever. Had immense issues with 2 A4s before, 2.0tdi. Never ever buying anything from Audi again
I had zero problems with my Audi dealer. On the contrary, when my maintenance contract was about to expire they called me and suggested to make the big service (which was not due yet) as long as the contract is valid so i won't have to pay for it by myself some months later. I think its like Thomas said: it depends on the person you get for your case :/
The experience you've had made me want a Toyota 😂 I thought these kind of customer service experiences was only special to my country. Thanks for the video and objectivity Thomas.
0:09 before even seeing what the car is, I can make a few informed guesses on the features… 1) No animal leather (most likely a vegan option on the seats) 2) No capacitive BS 3) No piano black (most likely a matte wood finish 4) No case for the Autogefühl police whatsoever Let’s see if all my guesses are correct…
That's the problem with pretty much every dealer in 2024, doesn't matter the brand. Its very very rare to find somebody that would actually do what they are suposed to do. If you are mecanically inclined, its way more better to work by yourself on your car. If for some normal things you get treated like that at the dealer, imagine a engine or transmision replacement...
Thanks for sharing - I hope Audi takes note and follows up. Every manufacturer should be forced to have a customer care department that actually cares for the customer, rather than tries to maximise company profits. I had an even worse experience with my approved used Mercedes SL500 (I won’t relive the awful emotions by going into detail - you could see here how Thomas was suffering just by retelling his story). All motoring journalists should report more on the after sales experience, rather than describing in great detail how a press-prepared car corners like a racing car (thankfully something that Thomas is not guilty of).
Have a friend who bought an Audi. His wife drives a Kia which needed to be towed. The tow truck driver pulled up to the Audi not the Kia expecting it to be that one. He joked to my friend he'd see him soon to collect the Audi.
You're my favourite automotive reviewer, Thomas. For over ten years now, I think. The quality of your content is unmatched. I'm so glad I found you, I'm so glad to be a fan, and I'm excited for the future of your channel. By the way, such a beautiful car (and a very beautiful spouse) you have. Both very fitting for you. 😊 And the blue is such a nice touch; if only its quality lived up to yours. 😂 A few years ago, I was in the market for one of your car's closest competitors, but opted for something else I'm very happy with, a direct competitor to the Audi A6. Funny enough, I went back to rewatch your review of it before buying, just to be sure. You were my virtual consultant, in a way. 😂
Basically Thomas you have illustrated why one should never buy a used luxury car out of manufacturers warranty unless you have lots of spare cash. The days of the bullet proof reliability Mercedes has well gone and Audi have always been a gamble used especially as regards switches, sensors and warning lights. Basically Audi have admitted that the original wishbones were not fit for purpose so they should have contributed. You have now given them the negative publicity they deserve especially their stuck up dealers in their flashy showrooms.
Give Lexus a try. For starters, the warranty is 10 years. The fact that no German manufacturer wants to give a warranty anywhere near as long speaks volumes about the confidence they have in their own product.
As a mechanic, I quit buying German cars due to constant problems and complexity to fix items that should be simple. However, I will keep my 1983 E28 533i.
Great video and really cool car! I’m sad to see the current direction of the interior design at Audi. Your car and previous year models had one of the best interiors IMO.
Governments around the world needs to mandate the implementation of physical wheels, buttons, knobs for HVAC in all cars. Why is it acceptable that you’d need to take your eyes off the road for a few seconds to even change the temperature? Completely agree with Thomas; newer cars are doing it wrong. Make cars great “again”
In the UK using your mobile phone while driving is a 6 point penalty (12 points allowed before a possible driving ban). But all of the car controls are on touchscreens that on some cars is barely different to using looking for an app or swiping screens on a mobile phone. From what I gather you can't even adjust a sat nav on your mobile phone, but you have to swipe and prod the screen for in car controls buried in a touchscreen.
Governments should make sure cities and countrysides have good public transport/bike lanes so that nobody even NEEDS to buy a car anymore. Simply, cars have taken the living condition hostage, and car companies know they have grabbed us by the bolls.
Modern car paints are now all water-based rather than oil based. As water-based paints are much softer, it makes them prone to chipping. All you can really do is get the front covered in a clear PPF stone guard wrap to help prevent further damage. Nice car, though 👍
Same for the UK. I've got an Audi Q8 e-tron, it's 2022. Under new car warranty, not even a used car warranty. 15,000 km (9,000 mi) on the clock. The parking sensors on our vehicle are too sensitive. They're getting activated by dirt or rain drop. It's raining every day in the UK and the car is valeted once in a week. It's really annoying, you can't drive the car in a parking lot, they are always beeping. Took an appointment and we went to Audi dealership to figure out what the problem is. They gave us a quote about replacing it, saying it'll be done under warranty. Visited next time to do the repair and replacements, they didn't, saying the car is valeted and the problem is resolved. Just before leaving the dealership, the sensors were still oversensitive even though they were just valeted. I showed them that, arranged me an appointment next week. Visited them again and they didn't replace them instead valeted the car again, saying they're oversensitive and that's just the way they are. Note that they didn't even test drive the vehicle at those visits. It's a €130,000 vehicle, and they behave like anyone can buy this vehicle and it's just a car, not like I paid a couple of times the price of a regular car. German car dealers are done. The customer experience is way below the acceptable levels, and the QC is terrible. If Lexus built a better EV, I'd buy it right away.
Really crappy to hear about his experience. Fortunately my used SQ5 dealer experience was pretty good, it’s the build quality and material choice of the cars these days that have me more upset.
Thanks for sharing , was always wondering what car you actually owned. Appreciate the honesty!!! If you do change car please make the follow up car video!!!
@@autogefuehlyour best bet might be the Polestar 6, that is about the only brand has pretty good reliability across all models and of course you don’t have the dealers issue. The upcoming 6 is supposed to be sold out ahead of its 2026 launch though. BMW’s outgoing electric mini headed up the reliability charts in the UK, perhaps an interim press car shuttle option.
Thomas, always enjoyed your reviews of new cars. This insight into long term reliability is really refreshing. maybe you can consider doing more of this type of videos
@@autogefuehlWouldn’t be the smartest move as I’m pretty sure none of these companies would ever give you cars for reviews. These corporations don’t handle well constructive feedback.
@@amdsquad Thomas can just do reliability reviews on the good cars then. Say good things about those make and models. Stay away from crap cars. This way more companies will try to get on this show
Unlikely, unless they get serious financial backing from Tata, which doesn’t seem to have been the case to date. Every model for the last 50 years always feels little a decent car let down by cost savings when the design moved to production line stage, whether than is cheap parts, insufficient testing, or implementing non-core skill features like software based systems
I was looking for the I-Pace, but in the way I found out the hv battery is problematic... And JLR dealers are also cash grabbers, like all premium oficial dealers.
I think the EV return could work. People will pay for top spec EV IF the design is incredible. I expect the 4 door GT coming in December to look insane
Thomas, I purchased a '22 A5 also used from an Audi dealer farther from my home (after watching your comparisons!) and had a similar frustration. The warranty is supposed to be across all Audi USA dealers, however the one closer to my home gave similar pushback to what you heard! Eventually the (minor) issues were sorted very quickly by the dealer I purchased at, which involved some travel time but otherwise was a smooth experience. I wonder if this is more common than we might think? I'd also like to add that I agree with the sentiment that it clearly depends on who one speaks with at the dealership, and there is an element of luck to that. But in any case, regardless if we're paying list MSRP or not, these are not small financial decisions and there is an expectation when buying these cars. Thank you for the video, and all the content you provide us! Lets go!
Had a 16 Audi A6 3.0 (purchased new in Aug 16). In less the than 30,000 miles and 6 years, the car was on its 3rd water pump. Also had to replace the electronic parking brake (which was never used). Sold it in Dec 22 for a 23 BMW M340i. Never again will I purchase an Audi. Shame as they’re really nice cars.
Not quite, it seems like a genius idea, but you have to put wires inside the seat belt and sooner or later wires will break as you bend your seat belt. Such king of solutions prone to failures.
More modern voice activation mechanisms in EVs tend to use mics and speakers near the headrest for any infotainment output. I think this works better than seatbelt mics.
In the Uk we would say you’ve had a ‘good rant’….. 😂 but you’re totally allowed to be disappointed. I’ve never owned an Audi, I’ve been in BMW for years now. However I’ve ordered a golf R 8.5 in part from watching your video on the facelifted R And GTI. So I hope it lives up to my expectations. :-) great video. Keep up the good work.
I think that you might like a Lexus LC500 convertible. All Audi have high cost of being on the unproven cutting edge and ownership cost. But they are nice, like BMW, to lease for a year or two. They have become fashion statements and lifestyle gear that’s disposable for the next new shiny model.
LC500s are great for the right person. But up until the current year the LC500s infotainment system was pretty dated. And I don't know if @autogefuehl uses his back seats, but the ones in the Audi are actually usable by humans when needed, where the LC500s are not, they are just storage space and not much of it because the rear seats of the LC500 don't fold down, so there is no trunk passthrough, where the Audi has I believe the widest passthrough of all of these 4 seat Cabriolets. And LC500 is not really a great all-weather (4 real seasons) Cabriolet, where the Audis, Mercs, and AWD BMWs are. Ultimately, I think the Audi is really the best out of the bunch for all weather conditions, if you need to randomly haul things, and / or people. LC500 sounds the best if V8 sounds are your thing, but it doesn't really outperform the others. It will depreciate a bit less, but it's not like it doesn't depreciate, they still do pretty hard over the first 5 years. Maybe after 5 years it will hold a bit more value as a collector's item to the right person. But it's possible the Audi cabs will start to hold a bit more value to the right person post 5 year depreciation as well now, since they will no longer be being made, and the VAG/Dub community is an enthusiastic bunch. Anyway, I looked at them all, test drove them all, took the Audi because it does everything I need a car to do, it's fun to drive while staying legal(ish), and I appreciate greatly all of the physical controls. I couldn't live with an LC500 as anything but a fair-weather weekend car due to all the compromises. I did the Audi 10-year extended platinum warranty when it was offered to me at more or less dealer cost, since I am going to keep it for as long as possible, and tech rates are crazy expensive in my market. That warranty at least is no fuss as long as I don't tune the car which I'm not planning on doing and it doesn't matter to me that I have to stay in the dealer network to use it as I have 4 dealers near me, and 3 of them are well regarded as far as their service departments quality (although not cost if paying out of pocket). I am too familiar with German car things being an old 'Duber but too old and cranky to wrench myself anymore and my local Indy techs are no longer as cheap as they once were either. The control arm bushing issue Thomas ran into is common as they are fluid filled and tuned for comfort, same with the motor mounts which are overengineered with hydraulic fluid and an electronic valve that moves the fluid around to soften or firm up the mounts depending on if you are idling and how you are driving. All of that is nice for eliminating vibrations (luxury car stuff). It's horrible for longevity of those components though. They can fail just by sitting around and temperature fluctuations causing the seals to crack and the magic fluid leaking out, you don't even have to drive the car. My warranty does cover all of that, as it's exclusionary, and those are not excluded or considered wear items by it. If desired / out of warranty, they can be replaced by solid rubber 3rd party components that will be far less likely to fail, but not quite as "plush". Anyway, one day I'll get a cheap depreciated EV to supplement it I'm sure, but as long as I can keep the S5 running, my plan is to keep the S5.
I had a similar bad experience in the UK with my Audi dealership. I had an Audi S5 Sportback, and the customer experience was absolutely abysmal. It put me off so much buying another Audi.
Great video, thanks for sharing. The S5 is always a solid choice, I owned an A4 Allroad 3.0 (from 2019 to 2023) of the same generation A4/A5 and I loved it, especially the drivetrain and the interior still with physical knobs and buttons
Amazing video Thomas! Loved the behind-the-scenes look into your history. Also, great overview of your experiences, good and bad! Keep up the amazing work. You’re my #1 auto channel🙏🖤👍
Great video Thomas. I also owned an S5 Cabrio ( 2017 brand new) had to sell it in 2019. Lovely car and will reconsider buying one again - But you’re absolutely correct about the dealer experiences… they can be a nightmare and the bureaucracy is horrible. Over time this car and engine will become a classic with all the EV and hybrid rubbish now going on ..
Totally agree with the last part, same experience with my Audi e-tron in Sydney, Australia, although they have been fixing my car for free, but constantly sits in the workshop for months and worst customer service. Love my car but I relate exact customer experience.
Thanks for your honest review on the S5 Cabriolet. Keep up the good work! I own a 2018 S4 Avant which I by chance also bought back in 2022, with slightly higher mileage. The car has been rock solid with literally no issues at all. It currently has about 75k km, and maybe the wishbones at the front start to wear out (just recently I noticed a bit of noise). I share everything about your thoughts on the car and am still very pleased with my choice. For me personally, this is a car concept close to perfection (excluding the fuel consumption maybe). You just need to be aware that it is not a money saver (maintenance and spare parts costs are by nature higher than for a 150 BHP car). Apart from that, after sales customer service (I also bought from an official Audi dealership) was really disappointing. As you said, it‘s the people who make the difference. And that can‘t be true for high end products. I have decided to no longer go to Audi dealership for maintenance, but to an external company. I am really not sure how long the car will stay with me, and if this will be my last Audi (have been driving Audi since 1997 without interruption). I find myself being attracted by companies like Subaru (great customer service and warranty), Lexus, Genesis, Toyota, Kia, Mazda. These imho offer way better value for the money. Audi - as other German premium brands - currently seem to focus too much on profit margins and save money even where the customer can feel and see it (e.g. look at the degraded quality of interior in newer Audi product lines). It would all be ok if the car manufacturer would give a generous after warranty policy („Kulanz“) - should be possible considering the high prices of the cars. I hope that the German car industry can hear the alarm bells ring loud and clear and that they come back to engineering solid solutions and deliver durable quality ASAP, combined with much more customer friendly behaviour after factory warranty ends.
I have a 2017 A4 and I've also noticed how the clear coat and paint are so thin and prone to chips and scratches... and it's even more noticeable on my car because it's black 🤦🏻♂️
I like that your personal car reflects what you like and have criticised on other cars you review. E.g Thomas Blue color, No animal skin interior, Real buttons on the steering wheel, No gloss black trim, No laggy infotainment system, Wired charging connection etc. I don’t typically see this level of consistency from a few other car journalists/reviewers. Thank you for sharing your horror story about the car as well. Hopefully everything goes well from now with your new car and your future purchases. Great video as always.
On my channel I have always been inspired by your videos To have a base of a good RUclips, I congratulate you on your new acquisition, greetings from Chile
3y ago I had a Renault Zoe II. It had a very similar AC-Button-Setup. Digital screen in the middle an the galvanised button around it. Plus some buttons for Seat heating and stuff like kind of piano keys. This was just perfect. Now in my newer UFO Ioniq 6 there is very much covered by a command in the screen which is much more complicated than it needed to be. Man, I miss those buttons. 😅 Your seats look very comfy. Liebe Grüße aus Hessen 🙏🏻
This is such a unique thing for your channel. I understand your main focus are reviews of new cars and the driving experience but you need to do more of these long term experience reviews.
We knew what color it would be- and wasn’t surprised that it was an Audi. I bought a new 2022 S4 in tango red and half loved it so far. I just put new Continental Contact Sport tires on mine and much improved ride and performance. Mine will do 0-60 in just over 4 seconds. I get compliments everywhere. I originally wanted a BMW for the engine, but in every other way thought the S4 was better. I did look at Mercedes and it wasn’t in the class of the other 2. I bought mine new, and accepted the depreciation, to know where the car has been for every single mile. So far- no issues!😊
Buying a used car is always risky. You never know what actually happened to the car and how it was treated by the previous owner. The previous owner probably hit a pretty deep pothole or something. I’ve had my s5 for 4 years now without a single issues since new
I drive a 2016 A7 in Florette Silver/Black interior which I bought from a lease return in 2019. In the 5 years of ownership, just oil changes and brakes. A truly refined driving experience everyday. My previous car was an E320 estate in silver, think Carmela's ride from the Sopranos.
Awesome Thomas, I really like the blue touches in the interior and it really sounds awesome, you can't find that anymore these days, just for that reason and for the simplicity and normalcy of the every day user experience it's worth keeping.
What a nice choice! I got myself Seapang blue a5 but pre 2017 facelift and i love it. Also i see u got one of the rarer ones with ventilated seats. Very nice!
Thanks Thomas, a very honest recap of your purchasing and ownership experience. I've owned many cars - at least 16 - and my all-time favourite was an Audi TT MkII Quattro S-tronic. But the dealers leave a lot to be desired and the costs to keep that car in top condition were unbelievable. Now I have a Smart #1: it's a very different car, but a joy to drive and own.
After living some years in Germany, I can totally understand Thomas's dealership troubles. But I think even here in the U.S., it depends on the people you deal with. Thanks to Thomas for his perspective.
Unfortunately this is not just an "Audi" thing, it's a "dealership attitude/business model/ staff motivation/ training" issue that I have experienced across multiple brands from Range Rover and Porsche to Jeep and GM...The whole system from the bartering over the price like we are in a medieval market to the lack of transparency and poorly trained staff who often know less about the cars than the owners needs to be "disrupted" to make the car owning and maintenance experience match the marketing and image they project.
Your car is purely Beautiful Thomas’ ! However the Audi brand really has progress to make in terms of customer service. I really appreciated your honesty. Congrat’ for this video. God bless u.
Thanks for sharing. I like Audi, but somehow I always keeping buying BMWs. Owned an E46, then an F30. Thought I'll upgrade to G20, but had to go with a U11(family). But I still bought an old E46 coupe to go with it 🙂 (some videos on my rudimentary RUclips channel)
BMW G20 owner here... Well, at least you did not get a mercedes!!! 😜 I guess it is nice that we get sensatec here in the US. Though I love the cloth seats offered in the european markets as well...
Your long review deserves one more thing to say - as an Audi 💖-er I feel you and all that stand with the brand. As long as we keep things in check, everything is fixable.
You are an Icon Thomas. We all love your unique way of reviewing cars. I can see like me you're hanging on to the analogue experience we all love in cars. Keep up the good work.
That's rubbish not doing warranty work at another dealer. I bought a used Audi in Frankfurt and had significant used car warranty work done at a dealer in UK no questions asked... Should have reported that dealer to Audi customer service and gone to another dealer, even if you could persuade them to do the work they will just muck you around if it's that kind of d.h. dealer. And Audi need to get their effing act together if the use a 3rd party warranty company that won't accept the Audi dealers diag without video proof, that's crazy.....
Beautiful car, I love your convertible! Just want to say that I have a 2023 Q7 and a 2023 Tiguan Rline. My personal experience has been that even though these are related products I have received better customer service when at the Volkswagen dealership. Just my humble opinion.
Thomas you the best! 3 things critical to a good review as learned from you - boot space measured with a proper ruler stick / physical knobs not just digital display / and the weight of the doors. You have no equal in this space! Thanx for your excellent reviews!
Thank you for honest info about your experiences, much appreciated!! Perfectly shows reviewing a new car for a week and living with it for 2+ years (especially after warranty) can bring very different conclusions.
29:30 - While our budget never included an Audi, we had bad service experience with Skoda to the extend I will never buy a VAG group car again. The fact that you had some bad experiences only confirms their bad corporate policies regarding the warranty. While Hyundai might not have better warranty (I don't know yet), it never broke down so I never had to use it and the purchase price is also better. I read these days that VW has some issues and will be closing some Germany factories, this did not surprised me at all.
Hi Thomas, I love watching and listening to your car reviews and appreciate your honesty, I thought the response from your Audi dealer was just something we experienced in England ! Keep up the good work, particularly in complaing about the loss of real switches. Regards. John
28:00 I guess dealerships and insurance companies work the same all across the globe. I thought it was just a South African thing. I bought a Golf 7 last year and I have had a few issues with it and many fights with VW dealerships and insurance companies.
Thomas, I’m afraid to say it but German car manufacturers do not stand behind their products and their dealers are often poor.. That wouldn’t be so bad if they made their cars well in the first place! If only one could buy an Audi built by Lexus!
Thank you for sharing your experience of owning a used car. Not many RUclipsrs buy a used car and it’s quite refreshing. Also at 28:48 had me dying from your response 😂
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Thomas speaks about his personal vehicle history, which cars he grew up with, which cars he owned, bought, and which private vehicle he drives today and what's good and not so good about it.
00:00 My vehicle history
03:45 My current personal car
07:33 What's great about it
13:01 Engine and driving
19:37 All the problems with it
Transparency note: Autogefühl videos are independent and free from editorial influence on opinion and rating. But since manufacturers enable us to do the reviews in the first place, for legal reasons this video is marked as _advertisement_.
Thomas I feel for you. I have had a series of new Audis for many years. I will not buy another. The final act was I took out a full service plan on my car. It went in for service and the dealer insisted that I pay for a brake fluid change. My reaction was, it was 2 years since the last brake fluid change and it does'not need changing from an engineering point of view.. It also was not covered in the Audi service plan that I purchased, even though not highlighted in plan documentation. The dealer said it was a service item but confirmed it was not covered under the plan that i had purchased and said that if the fluid change was not done then it may invalidate any warrantee claims in the future. I have had it with Audi, the build quality of the interior of car is not very special and is the same as VW , yet Audi price it as a premium product.interior
Changing the cabin filter will get rid of the smoking smell completely. Put a couple of drops of your favorite therapeutic oil on the cabin filter while you’re at it. Your reviews are the best❤❤❤❤❤
The problem with warranties might not necessarily be the dealer but from the insurer or underwriter that specifies the terms. The insurer might want service items to carried out way earlier than needed, because then everyone gets the work done long before a failure is likely, thus reducing the chances of a claim. Which doesn't help when Audi or the dealer then exclude it from the service plan
Mr. Thomas, and I thought, that only in Portugal, those things happened, in a daily basis! and we are talking about Audi´s official dealers, not the little garage on the block. Incredible, for God sake!
I'm a detailer and the paint issue is not exclusive to Audi, unfortunately all new cars now have some eco-friendly paint which sucks, it's easy to scratch but hard to polish and the insects burn into it and you can't do anything about it. The only solution is PPF.
Also the poor quality of suspension parts isn't exclusive to Audi, my parents have 2020 X3 and basically whole front suspension had to be replaced at 50k kilometers. Also the bluetooth and android auto barely works in that car, it constantly crashes and needs a hard reset once a month which would be acceptable in 10 year old car I guess but it happens regularly since new.
Btw it's crazy to think that german brand has such poor customer service in their own country. I never had any problems with customer service here in Poland, actually it's one of the best that I ever dealt with and I have a 2009 A6 so it's not a new car and still they're great to me so I'm super happy with that.
Audi PR team need to watch this! Thomas is the most diligent and detailed car pro on RUclips. His feedback needs to land hard at Audi. Poor quality control
This has nothing to do with PR. 'Good service' doesn't sell. It's only important when you actually need it. And it's hard to sell that idea since you'd have to talk about your product failing.
I suppose that’s intentional - Audi doesn’t care about customer experience.
They are on the very bottom of the customer satisfaction surveys.
Nonsense! We have 2 Audi’s currently with our 2013 A8L being the oldest. Owned since new, replaced a switch while in warranty and a radio module this past year. Otherwise, routine maintenance on excellent vehicles.
@@ronaldlamascus1944 it’s an anecdotal evidence. I can also say that I had a very good Renault, but average Renault has subpar reliability. The same applies for Audis. There are undoubtedly happy owners, but there are also a ton of unhappy ones and they drag down Audi stats in surveys.
@@djoetma good service doesn’t sell the first car, but poor service prevents you from selling another car to the same buyer. It seems that Audi is currently in a position where it doesn’t care about long term success.
I truly respect the fact that you did not use your position as a youtube influencer who reviews cars in germany to get any advantages, and that you just tell the problems after being sorted.
🙏🙏
Thomas you are the best in the industry, keep it up 💯
thanks so much keep recommending 🙌
@@autogefuehl great review, you got into how it actually is to own a car and struggle with the dealers and the maintenance! Also own a A3 2018. Love the car but it has it’s issues mostly related to bad service experience. Audi must work on that
Indeed 👍
@@Nikola-dx2te Could you mention some examples of bad service? Just curious if it was actually Audi or the dealership. And also if it's something that would be covered by law in certain countries. I drive a Toyota and moved cities and went from great service to terrible service to the extent that unless it's an emergency, I'm driving an hour back to my old city and just combine the trip with visiting some family and friends.
Dealerships are the ones who decide the service most of times. Unless the manufacturer forces certain processes upon them (and they can't go too far with this, since the dealers are often huge companies themselves who they need to be friendly with) they have the freedom to decide on stuff like service policies themselves. So the problem Thomas ran in to around something they weren't sure about whether Audi would pay for it, is something that can happen everywhere, unless you have a manufacturer who simply says 'x year warranty on the complete car and y amount of warranty on the chassis'. Most car manufacturers don't do this and it's really the dealerships who take care of this. It's that Europe forced by law that there needs to be a 2 year warranty per minimum, because else f.e. BMW would only do 140K km or something and the rest would be for the dealer and they would make all the costs (I assume they had separate deals with the manufacturer, but still).
@@djoetma audi official certified / authorized dealer. Issues: (1) waiting times (at least 2 week for service as of the day of appointment, even for simple stuff like ac gas refill); (2)one brake squeaks and they tell me it’s ok (how?!); (3) they tell me that my AC is ok but for me it’s not normal to refill the ac gas once a year… Top 3. But the waiting time is the worst.
Totally agreed about the climate dials. All I need is a climate dial and a volume knob as physical buttons in the centre console.
I get in & out of watching Car vids., but through the years yours have always been the gold standard in quality 👌🏼
thanks so much!
I can't believe the Audi customer experience you mentioned is actually happening in Germany /Europe, I thought it only ever happens in other countries 😅
It's because Europe is adopting the USA business model. It's very sad.
Exactly@@elestromusicgamesfun1101
@@elestromusicgamesfun1101 more like East Germany (communism) business model
@@elestromusicgamesfun1101 As an American I not only agree I would like to apologize for us infecting your guys process with making these beautiful cars. I am currently in the market for an S4/S5 or BMW competitor. I find not only are you buying the car for the car but you are also buying for the luxury experience you get from top brands. Can we bring back good car engineers and sellers?!
The “all the problems” segment is the largest part of the video, and will continue to grow.
The last 10 minutes of your video is literally everything wrong with Germany right now
Germany is destroying itself with the woke culture.
Germany is gone and it tries to take whole Europe with it.
And they're STILL the least fugged up car market in the world sadly
luckily there are other brands you can buy :)
It’s the world. Late stage capitalism.
Audi's board members should watch this video. Same issue here in S. Korea. People love Audi cars but hate Audi Korea's sales policy and Audi's service is horrible. Audi should listen to customers and improve their warranty and service policy.
The man, the myth, the legend! Finally!
I think Leah has a good impact on Thomas! He's coming out of his shell!
Great video and history!
Your honesty is so comfortable and generates trust, even when you test drive cars in your usual role. Your story also shows the importance of honesty as a seller.
thanks so much!
Dealers and insurance companies are such a pain in the ass man. If I get a sensor issue i shudder, not because of the actual problem, but because of the bureaucracy
true dat
@@autogefuehl I wish all countries allowed direct sale to the costumer, so we could get our cars for the factory price and without much bureaucracy.
@@leomux2004companies are allowed to sell directly to customers in Europe. For example ,Mercedes moved form dealer to agency model several years ago. That didn’t improve customer service though.
@@IvanNikitin1 Well, not here in Brazil, there's a law called "Renato Ferrari Law" from 1979 which mandates car sales from a dealership. Luckly tho this is starting to phase out due to changes in the market, so nowadays companies can get a car from direct sale, and there's pressure from politicians to allow this for costumers.
the increase in bureaucracy is deliberate. in economics, this is called a 'nudge' and all the trouble you go through, while it might not cost any money, still costs you time and stress, so you're less likely to make warranty claims or whatever, and in the long run, this saves companies money. there need to be regulations against this kind of thing, otherwise it gets out of control.
as a matter of principle, when I have problems with my car (I drive a skoda and live in Germany) I try to be very insistent and rude with dealers and service people (basically always telling them that the issue is their fault, and I'm not leaving until they've fixed it). they hate me, but they still begrudgingly do the work because they know that it's their legal responsibility to. if enough people do that, then it will eventually cost VW group too much to sneakily shift mental load for fixing cars onto customers, and they might adjust their business model. one can only hope.
but who knows. maybe the company goes bankrupt before they can fix it
If you sum it all up, no wonder the German car industry is in flames. Low quality, no service, high price.
Living on their historical success.
Yet they are still tame compared to their international clownish competitors. Maybe not all of them but still
?? 😂
You should try and visit Belgium lol.
@@gluttonousmaximus9048 which ones are you talking about?
Yes, but don't worry. The CEOs will come up with solutions. Like closing down German factories, sacking lots of proud loyal hard working people that didn't cause any of the problems. And if these cruel plans work the upper few will even be rewarded with a bonus. Can anyone still dig it?
Love your videos man. You are the my top 3 favourite car youtubers.
highly appreciated! Feel free to recommend :) Not being a huge corporation, we just rely on word of mouth 🙏
@@autogefuehl 100% I recommend your channel to all my car guy friends they love it too. Your voice is really soothing.
awesome and best greetings to everyone!
Honestly, I really enjoy your content, your reviews, how indepeth you go into every car. Please keep making content, I always look to forward to the videos.
Who are the other 2?
I stopped buying Audis years ago. The last one was an sq7 which had a recall. The customer service was so poor that I just rejected the vehicle. It was far worse than what you experienced. From uk.
What do you drive now? I am in the Uk, as well. I like Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes. Currently with an Audi A6 16 plate.
@@japanluv I have a diverse range of cars. From BMWs to RR etc.
Well, your story clearly shows that Audi being "premium" is a pure scam when it comes to client experience and not only that.
My experience with Audi dealers, has always been a joke. They're not interested in helping you. However, they can't do enough to take your money in the 1st place. Never again will I buy Audi. It's disgusting that they get away and that people buy their cars despite the horrendous after care.
I had only one experience with an audi dealer with a Renault. Bought it there with warranty, they made me leave with the car and then send me a letter a week later with the invoice... for sure it was to much effort for them to claim insurance. They probably still did after I declined the invoice. Just shows the audi service.
Bought 2024 q7, barely managed to return it after 2k km.
Car was shuddering when driving to a stop, worst dealer experience ever.
Had immense issues with 2 A4s before, 2.0tdi.
Never ever buying anything from Audi again
I had zero problems with my Audi dealer. On the contrary, when my maintenance contract was about to expire they called me and suggested to make the big service (which was not due yet) as long as the contract is valid so i won't have to pay for it by myself some months later.
I think its like Thomas said: it depends on the person you get for your case :/
This experience stinks. Not what you expect from a 3 "year old supposedly premium car. Makes leasing seem a better proposition. Sorry for your hassle
The experience you've had made me want a Toyota 😂 I thought these kind of customer service experiences was only special to my country. Thanks for the video and objectivity Thomas.
0:09 before even seeing what the car is, I can make a few informed guesses on the features…
1) No animal leather (most likely a vegan option on the seats)
2) No capacitive BS
3) No piano black (most likely a matte wood finish
4) No case for the Autogefühl police whatsoever
Let’s see if all my guesses are correct…
hahaha well played my friend - guess you were right 🤣
The door closing sound better be f'ing incredible! 😉@@autogefuehl
And in Thomas Blue. 🙂
And no fake exhaust
😄
I really like the review from you two. Congratulations on your marriage 🎂
No ring though.
That's the problem with pretty much every dealer in 2024, doesn't matter the brand. Its very very rare to find somebody that would actually do what they are suposed to do. If you are mecanically inclined, its way more better to work by yourself on your car. If for some normal things you get treated like that at the dealer, imagine a engine or transmision replacement...
Thanks for sharing - I hope Audi takes note and follows up. Every manufacturer should be forced to have a customer care department that actually cares for the customer, rather than tries to maximise company profits.
I had an even worse experience with my approved used Mercedes SL500 (I won’t relive the awful emotions by going into detail - you could see here how Thomas was suffering just by retelling his story).
All motoring journalists should report more on the after sales experience, rather than describing in great detail how a press-prepared car corners like a racing car (thankfully something that Thomas is not guilty of).
Have a friend who bought an Audi. His wife drives a Kia which needed to be towed. The tow truck driver pulled up to the Audi not the Kia expecting it to be that one. He joked to my friend he'd see him soon to collect the Audi.
😂😂
You're my favourite automotive reviewer, Thomas. For over ten years now, I think. The quality of your content is unmatched. I'm so glad I found you, I'm so glad to be a fan, and I'm excited for the future of your channel. By the way, such a beautiful car (and a very beautiful spouse) you have. Both very fitting for you. 😊 And the blue is such a nice touch; if only its quality lived up to yours. 😂 A few years ago, I was in the market for one of your car's closest competitors, but opted for something else I'm very happy with, a direct competitor to the Audi A6. Funny enough, I went back to rewatch your review of it before buying, just to be sure. You were my virtual consultant, in a way. 😂
Basically Thomas you have illustrated why one should never buy a used luxury car out of manufacturers warranty unless you have lots of spare cash. The days of the bullet proof reliability Mercedes has well gone and Audi have always been a gamble used especially as regards switches, sensors and warning lights. Basically Audi have admitted that the original wishbones were not fit for purpose so they should have contributed. You have now given them the negative publicity they deserve especially their stuck up dealers in their flashy showrooms.
The reason I would never consider an Audi.
Lexus all the way.
Give Lexus a try. For starters, the warranty is 10 years. The fact that no German manufacturer wants to give a warranty anywhere near as long speaks volumes about the confidence they have in their own product.
only 4 years warranty in Australia for Lexus- 5 for
Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
@@davidperry3531 not true. Lexus in Australia has been 5 year unlimited km warranty since 1 January 2021.
As a mechanic, I quit buying German cars due to constant problems and complexity to fix items that should be simple. However, I will keep my 1983 E28 533i.
Great video and really cool car! I’m sad to see the current direction of the interior design at Audi. Your car and previous year models had one of the best interiors IMO.
cheers! indeed
Governments around the world needs to mandate the implementation of physical wheels, buttons, knobs for HVAC in all cars. Why is it acceptable that you’d need to take your eyes off the road for a few seconds to even change the temperature?
Completely agree with Thomas; newer cars are doing it wrong. Make cars great “again”
In the UK using your mobile phone while driving is a 6 point penalty (12 points allowed before a possible driving ban). But all of the car controls are on touchscreens that on some cars is barely different to using looking for an app or swiping screens on a mobile phone. From what I gather you can't even adjust a sat nav on your mobile phone, but you have to swipe and prod the screen for in car controls buried in a touchscreen.
Governments should make sure cities and countrysides have good public transport/bike lanes so that nobody even NEEDS to buy a car anymore. Simply, cars have taken the living condition hostage, and car companies know they have grabbed us by the bolls.
In new cars use voice control for HVAC adjustments. Works great and no need to focus attention on any physical or touchscreen controls.
Modern car paints are now all water-based rather than oil based. As water-based paints are much softer, it makes them prone to chipping. All you can really do is get the front covered in a clear PPF stone guard wrap to help prevent further damage.
Nice car, though 👍
yeah good idea, when buying and keeping new that should be considered
i pressured wash my new id4...thought it was a some dirt that needed more pressure there....paint came off from the front bumper... way to go
Omg
I feel your pain, I really do.
2020 M340i here, zero problems after 80.000 Km, apart from the paint quality on the hood.
Same for the UK. I've got an Audi Q8 e-tron, it's 2022. Under new car warranty, not even a used car warranty. 15,000 km (9,000 mi) on the clock. The parking sensors on our vehicle are too sensitive. They're getting activated by dirt or rain drop. It's raining every day in the UK and the car is valeted once in a week. It's really annoying, you can't drive the car in a parking lot, they are always beeping. Took an appointment and we went to Audi dealership to figure out what the problem is. They gave us a quote about replacing it, saying it'll be done under warranty. Visited next time to do the repair and replacements, they didn't, saying the car is valeted and the problem is resolved. Just before leaving the dealership, the sensors were still oversensitive even though they were just valeted. I showed them that, arranged me an appointment next week. Visited them again and they didn't replace them instead valeted the car again, saying they're oversensitive and that's just the way they are. Note that they didn't even test drive the vehicle at those visits. It's a €130,000 vehicle, and they behave like anyone can buy this vehicle and it's just a car, not like I paid a couple of times the price of a regular car. German car dealers are done. The customer experience is way below the acceptable levels, and the QC is terrible. If Lexus built a better EV, I'd buy it right away.
Wow I hope someone at Audi watches this, that dealership experience for a 50k executive car is insane.
Really crappy to hear about his experience. Fortunately my used SQ5 dealer experience was pretty good, it’s the build quality and material choice of the cars these days that have me more upset.
Thanks for sharing , was always wondering what car you actually owned. Appreciate the honesty!!! If you do change car please make the follow up car video!!!
yes of course we will ! Lea wants to have an EV so we might need to decision help from you guys ;-)
@@autogefuehlSteer her away from hash tag BS buttons! 😊
@@autogefuehlyour best bet might be the Polestar 6, that is about the only brand has pretty good reliability across all models and of course you don’t have the dealers issue. The upcoming 6 is supposed to be sold out ahead of its 2026 launch though. BMW’s outgoing electric mini headed up the reliability charts in the UK, perhaps an interim press car shuttle option.
Thanks interesting!
I always thought you’re driving something crazy being such a huge channel, but an affordable, stylish and sporty car is pretty awesome
Thank you for taking us on your car journey! Love this video, big fan 🙌🏾
thanks for staying with us !
My dad used to say that the best car brand was "brand new".
And I add that what the car doesn't have, it won't break.
Thomas, always enjoyed your reviews of new cars. This insight into long term reliability is really refreshing. maybe you can consider doing more of this type of videos
highly appreciated !
@@autogefuehlWouldn’t be the smartest move as I’m pretty sure none of these companies would ever give you cars for reviews. These corporations don’t handle well constructive feedback.
@@amdsquad Thomas can just do reliability reviews on the good cars then. Say good things about those make and models. Stay away from crap cars. This way more companies will try to get on this show
Thomas you are a legend!!!! I totally agree with you about the phone connectivity/plug in/real dials etc etc peak cars 2018 - 2020
R.I.P. Jaguar btw... let's see if this EV return really works...
Their designers were, and are, some of the most talented, for sure. Great to see your car history, thank you for sharing it with us!
It's part of Jaguar's DNA, "build reliability out".
Unlikely, unless they get serious financial backing from Tata, which doesn’t seem to have been the case to date. Every model for the last 50 years always feels little a decent car let down by cost savings when the design moved to production line stage, whether than is cheap parts, insufficient testing, or implementing non-core skill features like software based systems
I was looking for the I-Pace, but in the way I found out the hv battery is problematic... And JLR dealers are also cash grabbers, like all premium oficial dealers.
I think the EV return could work. People will pay for top spec EV IF the design is incredible. I expect the 4 door GT coming in December to look insane
Thomas,
I purchased a '22 A5 also used from an Audi dealer farther from my home (after watching your comparisons!) and had a similar frustration. The warranty is supposed to be across all Audi USA dealers, however the one closer to my home gave similar pushback to what you heard! Eventually the (minor) issues were sorted very quickly by the dealer I purchased at, which involved some travel time but otherwise was a smooth experience.
I wonder if this is more common than we might think? I'd also like to add that I agree with the sentiment that it clearly depends on who one speaks with at the dealership, and there is an element of luck to that. But in any case, regardless if we're paying list MSRP or not, these are not small financial decisions and there is an expectation when buying these cars.
Thank you for the video, and all the content you provide us!
Lets go!
thanks so much! And interesting that you had the same experience!
Brilliant car. Have a 2018 pre opf S4 Avant and absolutely love this engine too. Perfect balance of sound, engagement and of course fun!
Thanks for sharing the personal story as is. So rare among media. Hope the car will be fine moving forward 🙏
🙏🙏
Massive thumbs up for picking a nice color, both inside and out, and a convertible. There are so many generic looking Audis out there...
Thomas you forgot to say 4k full screen full length!
Had a 16 Audi A6 3.0 (purchased new in Aug 16).
In less the than 30,000 miles and 6 years, the car was on its 3rd water pump. Also had to replace the electronic parking brake (which was never used). Sold it in Dec 22 for a 23 BMW M340i.
Never again will I purchase an Audi. Shame as they’re really nice cars.
Thank you Thomas for telling about your car history, you have such a nice narrative style!
cheers m8 !
Microphone in the seatbelt is a genius idea, I never knew cars had that, now I think all cars should have it.
Not quite, it seems like a genius idea, but you have to put wires inside the seat belt and sooner or later wires will break as you bend your seat belt. Such king of solutions prone to failures.
More modern voice activation mechanisms in EVs tend to use mics and speakers near the headrest for any infotainment output. I think this works better than seatbelt mics.
In the Uk we would say you’ve had a ‘good rant’….. 😂 but you’re totally allowed to be disappointed. I’ve never owned an Audi, I’ve been in BMW for years now. However I’ve ordered a golf R 8.5 in part from watching your video on the facelifted R And GTI. So I hope it lives up to my expectations. :-) great video. Keep up the good work.
Also an Audi owner. I love the car, but hated the customer experience from a Portuguese dealership.
And I thought that only in Poland Audi treats customers like this, but I see that our neighbors from Germany have the same 😂
I think that you might like a Lexus LC500 convertible. All Audi have high cost of being on the unproven cutting edge and ownership cost. But they are nice, like BMW, to lease for a year or two. They have become fashion statements and lifestyle gear that’s disposable for the next new shiny model.
LC500s are great for the right person. But up until the current year the LC500s infotainment system was pretty dated. And I don't know if @autogefuehl uses his back seats, but the ones in the Audi are actually usable by humans when needed, where the LC500s are not, they are just storage space and not much of it because the rear seats of the LC500 don't fold down, so there is no trunk passthrough, where the Audi has I believe the widest passthrough of all of these 4 seat Cabriolets. And LC500 is not really a great all-weather (4 real seasons) Cabriolet, where the Audis, Mercs, and AWD BMWs are. Ultimately, I think the Audi is really the best out of the bunch for all weather conditions, if you need to randomly haul things, and / or people. LC500 sounds the best if V8 sounds are your thing, but it doesn't really outperform the others. It will depreciate a bit less, but it's not like it doesn't depreciate, they still do pretty hard over the first 5 years. Maybe after 5 years it will hold a bit more value as a collector's item to the right person. But it's possible the Audi cabs will start to hold a bit more value to the right person post 5 year depreciation as well now, since they will no longer be being made, and the VAG/Dub community is an enthusiastic bunch.
Anyway, I looked at them all, test drove them all, took the Audi because it does everything I need a car to do, it's fun to drive while staying legal(ish), and I appreciate greatly all of the physical controls. I couldn't live with an LC500 as anything but a fair-weather weekend car due to all the compromises.
I did the Audi 10-year extended platinum warranty when it was offered to me at more or less dealer cost, since I am going to keep it for as long as possible, and tech rates are crazy expensive in my market. That warranty at least is no fuss as long as I don't tune the car which I'm not planning on doing and it doesn't matter to me that I have to stay in the dealer network to use it as I have 4 dealers near me, and 3 of them are well regarded as far as their service departments quality (although not cost if paying out of pocket). I am too familiar with German car things being an old 'Duber but too old and cranky to wrench myself anymore and my local Indy techs are no longer as cheap as they once were either.
The control arm bushing issue Thomas ran into is common as they are fluid filled and tuned for comfort, same with the motor mounts which are overengineered with hydraulic fluid and an electronic valve that moves the fluid around to soften or firm up the mounts depending on if you are idling and how you are driving. All of that is nice for eliminating vibrations (luxury car stuff). It's horrible for longevity of those components though. They can fail just by sitting around and temperature fluctuations causing the seals to crack and the magic fluid leaking out, you don't even have to drive the car. My warranty does cover all of that, as it's exclusionary, and those are not excluded or considered wear items by it. If desired / out of warranty, they can be replaced by solid rubber 3rd party components that will be far less likely to fail, but not quite as "plush".
Anyway, one day I'll get a cheap depreciated EV to supplement it I'm sure, but as long as I can keep the S5 running, my plan is to keep the S5.
You deserve to have 1m subscribers. I am sure you will get there soon. Keep up the fabulous work ☺️
I had a similar bad experience in the UK with my Audi dealership. I had an Audi S5 Sportback, and the customer experience was absolutely abysmal. It put me off so much buying another Audi.
16:28 this!! I love my 2017 q7 climate controls, so intuitive, when you compare it to modern cars.
Great video, thanks for sharing. The S5 is always a solid choice, I owned an A4 Allroad 3.0 (from 2019 to 2023) of the same generation A4/A5 and I loved it, especially the drivetrain and the interior still with physical knobs and buttons
Amazing video Thomas! Loved the behind-the-scenes look into your history. Also, great overview of your experiences, good and bad! Keep up the amazing work. You’re my #1 auto channel🙏🖤👍
29:58 That's why the VW group is going bankrupt.
I think the same!
I've had very similar experience with VW and I'm never going back. They should go bankrupt based on their poor customer experience
They swim in money. They just report a bit bad stuff so no one dares to reduce any subsidies.
as they should
@@biggabiggaA Audi is basically a VW. Only in a tuxedo.
Garbage quality.
Great video Thomas. I also owned an S5 Cabrio ( 2017 brand new) had to sell it in 2019. Lovely car and will reconsider buying one again -
But you’re absolutely correct about the dealer experiences… they can be a nightmare and the bureaucracy is horrible. Over time this car and engine will become a classic with all the EV and hybrid rubbish now going on ..
Totally agree with the last part, same experience with my Audi e-tron in Sydney, Australia, although they have been fixing my car for free, but constantly sits in the workshop for months and worst customer service. Love my car but I relate exact customer experience.
Thanks for your honest review on the S5 Cabriolet. Keep up the good work!
I own a 2018 S4 Avant which I by chance also bought back in 2022, with slightly higher mileage. The car has been rock solid with literally no issues at all. It currently has about 75k km, and maybe the wishbones at the front start to wear out (just recently I noticed a bit of noise). I share everything about your thoughts on the car and am still very pleased with my choice. For me personally, this is a car concept close to perfection (excluding the fuel consumption maybe). You just need to be aware that it is not a money saver (maintenance and spare parts costs are by nature higher than for a 150 BHP car). Apart from that, after sales customer service (I also bought from an official Audi dealership) was really disappointing. As you said, it‘s the people who make the difference. And that can‘t be true for high end products. I have decided to no longer go to Audi dealership for maintenance, but to an external company. I am really not sure how long the car will stay with me, and if this will be my last Audi (have been driving Audi since 1997 without interruption). I find myself being attracted by companies like Subaru (great customer service and warranty), Lexus, Genesis, Toyota, Kia, Mazda. These imho offer way better value for the money. Audi - as other German premium brands - currently seem to focus too much on profit margins and save money even where the customer can feel and see it (e.g. look at the degraded quality of interior in newer Audi product lines). It would all be ok if the car manufacturer would give a generous after warranty policy („Kulanz“) - should be possible considering the high prices of the cars.
I hope that the German car industry can hear the alarm bells ring loud and clear and that they come back to engineering solid solutions and deliver durable quality ASAP, combined with much more customer friendly behaviour after factory warranty ends.
Thanks for the interesting feedback 🙏🙏
I have a 2017 A4 and I've also noticed how the clear coat and paint are so thin and prone to chips and scratches... and it's even more noticeable on my car because it's black 🤦🏻♂️
The A5 cabriolet is a beautiful and timeless car. The Thomas blue color looks so good on that car. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful car Thomas, congratulations
I like that your personal car reflects what you like and have criticised on other cars you review. E.g Thomas Blue color, No animal skin interior, Real buttons on the steering wheel, No gloss black trim, No laggy infotainment system, Wired charging connection etc. I don’t typically see this level of consistency from a few other car journalists/reviewers.
Thank you for sharing your horror story about the car as well. Hopefully everything goes well from now with your new car and your future purchases. Great video as always.
thanks again and best wishes!
On my channel I have always been inspired by your videos To have a base of a good RUclips, I congratulate you on your new acquisition, greetings from Chile
3y ago I had a Renault Zoe II.
It had a very similar AC-Button-Setup. Digital screen in the middle an the galvanised button around it.
Plus some buttons for Seat heating and stuff like kind of piano keys. This was just perfect.
Now in my newer UFO Ioniq 6 there is very much covered by a command in the screen which is much more complicated than it needed to be.
Man, I miss those buttons. 😅
Your seats look very comfy.
Liebe Grüße aus Hessen 🙏🏻
Best greetings 😎
This is such a unique thing for your channel. I understand your main focus are reviews of new cars and the driving experience but you need to do more of these long term experience reviews.
I fully agree on the climate unit
It was awesome video 🙌🏾thank you sooo much for your honesty and transparency 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you so much! Please recommend / share our channel and our videos 🙏
We knew what color it would be- and wasn’t surprised that it was an Audi.
I bought a new 2022 S4 in tango red and half loved it so far. I just put new Continental Contact Sport tires on mine and much improved ride and performance. Mine will do 0-60 in just over 4 seconds. I get compliments everywhere.
I originally wanted a BMW for the engine, but in every other way thought the S4 was better. I did look at Mercedes and it wasn’t in the class of the other 2.
I bought mine new, and accepted the depreciation, to know where the car has been for every single mile. So far- no issues!😊
Thomas is the most reliable reviewer. Great and honest owner's review.
🙏🙏
Finally someone who understands the pain of owning a used German car 😅
Used ? 3years 30 000km ? it is a new car. Just germany more than 10 years making shitty cars
Buying a used car is always risky. You never know what actually happened to the car and how it was treated by the previous owner. The previous owner probably hit a pretty deep pothole or something. I’ve had my s5 for 4 years now without a single issues since new
I drive a 2016 A7 in Florette Silver/Black interior which I bought from a lease return in 2019. In the 5 years of ownership, just oil changes and brakes. A truly refined driving experience everyday. My previous car was an E320 estate in silver, think Carmela's ride from the Sopranos.
Finally!!! I would never guess your car choices. My bet was on BMW X5 :D. Great video. Cheerz!
Awesome Thomas, I really like the blue touches in the interior and it really sounds awesome, you can't find that anymore these days, just for that reason and for the simplicity and normalcy of the every day user experience it's worth keeping.
Lia wondering where her 911 cabriolet is?... Be strong Lia, we love you and hug you with all our hearts.
actually, she wants an EV - I am considering 😉
@@autogefuehl Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
@@autogefuehl good wifey! 😀
Any further thoughts which it will be?
Well I d love an BMW i7 but she wants a Tesla Model 3 - she's so lovely and modest.
I live in the USA and finding a lovely and modest woman is going extinct. Maybe I should visit Germany to find a wife.
Thomas is such a... delight, wathing his contact even on a rainy overcast day. Congrats Thomas!
What a nice choice! I got myself Seapang blue a5 but pre 2017 facelift and i love it. Also i see u got one of the rarer ones with ventilated seats. Very nice!
cool =)
Thanks Thomas, a very honest recap of your purchasing and ownership experience. I've owned many cars - at least 16 - and my all-time favourite was an Audi TT MkII Quattro S-tronic. But the dealers leave a lot to be desired and the costs to keep that car in top condition were unbelievable. Now I have a Smart #1: it's a very different car, but a joy to drive and own.
Beautiful story, beautiful vehicles 🙂
After living some years in Germany, I can totally understand Thomas's dealership troubles. But I think even here in the U.S., it depends on the people you deal with. Thanks to Thomas for his perspective.
thanks m8 !
Unfortunately this is not just an "Audi" thing, it's a "dealership attitude/business model/ staff motivation/ training" issue that I have experienced across multiple brands from Range Rover and Porsche to Jeep and GM...The whole system from the bartering over the price like we are in a medieval market to the lack of transparency and poorly trained staff who often know less about the cars than the owners needs to be "disrupted" to make the car owning and maintenance experience match the marketing and image they project.
That's a Bingo
Your car is purely Beautiful Thomas’ ! However the Audi brand really has progress to make in terms of customer service. I really appreciated your honesty. Congrat’ for this video. God bless u.
Thanks for sharing. I like Audi, but somehow I always keeping buying BMWs. Owned an E46, then an F30. Thought I'll upgrade to G20, but had to go with a U11(family). But I still bought an old E46 coupe to go with it 🙂 (some videos on my rudimentary RUclips channel)
Such a nice vibe from the video! Wishing you and Lea all the luck and happiness in marriage ❤️
BMW G20 owner here... Well, at least you did not get a mercedes!!! 😜 I guess it is nice that we get sensatec here in the US. Though I love the cloth seats offered in the european markets as well...
Your long review deserves one more thing to say - as an Audi 💖-er I feel you and all that stand with the brand. As long as we keep things in check, everything is fixable.
Nice insight Thomas thanks
🙏
You are an Icon Thomas. We all love your unique way of reviewing cars. I can see like me you're hanging on to the analogue experience we all love in cars. Keep up the good work.
That's rubbish not doing warranty work at another dealer. I bought a used Audi in Frankfurt and had significant used car warranty work done at a dealer in UK no questions asked... Should have reported that dealer to Audi customer service and gone to another dealer, even if you could persuade them to do the work they will just muck you around if it's that kind of d.h. dealer. And Audi need to get their effing act together if the use a 3rd party warranty company that won't accept the Audi dealers diag without video proof, that's crazy.....
Been following you for a long time Thomas! Thanks for sharing. I'm honestly shocked you don't have a Porsche Taycan!
Beautiful car, I love your convertible! Just want to say that I have a 2023 Q7 and a 2023 Tiguan Rline. My personal experience has been that even though these are related products I have received better customer service when at the Volkswagen dealership. Just my humble opinion.
Thomas you the best! 3 things critical to a good review as learned from you - boot space measured with a proper ruler stick / physical knobs not just digital display / and the weight of the doors. You have no equal in this space! Thanx for your excellent reviews!
Highly appreciated m8 🙏
Thank you for honest info about your experiences, much appreciated!! Perfectly shows reviewing a new car for a week and living with it for 2+ years (especially after warranty) can bring very different conclusions.
29:30 - While our budget never included an Audi, we had bad service experience with Skoda to the extend I will never buy a VAG group car again. The fact that you had some bad experiences only confirms their bad corporate policies regarding the warranty. While Hyundai might not have better warranty (I don't know yet), it never broke down so I never had to use it and the purchase price is also better. I read these days that VW has some issues and will be closing some Germany factories, this did not surprised me at all.
Very suitable: a gentlemen’s vehicle for the gentleman you are 🎉
highly appreciated my friend !
Hi Thomas, I love watching and listening to your car reviews and appreciate your honesty, I thought the response from your Audi dealer was just something we experienced in England ! Keep up the good work, particularly in complaing about the loss of real switches. Regards. John
28:00 I guess dealerships and insurance companies work the same all across the globe. I thought it was just a South African thing. I bought a Golf 7 last year and I have had a few issues with it and many fights with VW dealerships and insurance companies.
Thanks Thomas for your honest review, as always. I have a VW Passat and am similarly experiencing issue after issue.
cheers! Tell us more!
Thomas, I’m afraid to say it but German car manufacturers do not stand behind their products and their dealers are often poor.. That wouldn’t be so bad if they made their cars well in the first place! If only one could buy an Audi built by Lexus!
Thank you for sharing your experience of owning a used car. Not many RUclipsrs buy a used car and it’s quite refreshing. Also at 28:48 had me dying from your response 😂