Need car now that it's cold. Any good audi dealer in west end??

[UberCLK]

Thanks, but that doesn't answer my question. Researching reliability ratings has nothing to do with making a statement that someone wouldn't want to own one out of warranty which is why I asked.

I own an Audi, which is out of warranty, and I wanted t know if there was substance behind the statement made for my own reference.

I'm of the same opinion as Freestyle72. It's going to be more expensive to maintain an Audi, BMW, etc than a Neon, Corolla, etc. That's a given.

Back in the days European cars had more electrical issues, but that was because they had more innovative equipment and were usually the first to incorporate the new technology. people still like to carry that stigma as a justification or excuse to not own these premium cars as to other reasons like price. clearly if people are worry their power windows will break, then don't buy a car with power windows..

I also own an Audi, during warranty and now out of warrantly. also have a Merc while it was in warranty and now out of warranty. if something breaks, i'll get it fix. parts are more expensive as noted above but that's the price you paid for more driving enjoyment.

same with a high end bike and a $2000 bike, if they can't afford an expensive bike they will make a gazillion excuses why the expensive bike is crap.. just look at some of Pegy's posts..

 

[FullMotoJacket]

is this your handle on AW/AZ/

And QW, yes.

Mike (Tanner), Davide (KRAFTIG), and Joku in front of me at the Forks (I was driving my Rallye Golf that day).

Back in the days European cars had more electrical issues, but that was because they had more innovative equipment and were usually the first to incorporate the new technology. people still like to carry that stigma as a justification or excuse to not own these premium cars as to other reasons like price.

Even my father's 5000 had heated seats back in 81.

Just don't get me started on VAG window regulators.

 

[SunnY S]

Back in the days European cars had more electrical issues, but that was because they had more innovative equipment and were usually the first to incorporate the new technology. people still like to carry that stigma as a justification or excuse to not own these premium cars as to other reasons like price. clearly if people are worry their power windows will break, then don't buy a car with power windows..

I also own an Audi, during warranty and now out of warrantly. also have a Merc while it was in warranty and now out of warranty. if something breaks, i'll get it fix. parts are more expensive as noted above but that's the price you paid for more driving enjoyment.

same with a high end bike and a $2000 bike, if they can't afford an expensive bike they will make a gazillion excuses why the expensive bike is crap.. just look at some of Pegy's posts..

I love Euro cars and would drive/own one in a second. Almost considered one their premium SUVs last winter when purchasing our family vehicle SUV and chose an Asian brand instead. (BMW X5 and Audi Q7)

I work for several clients with these high end cars and I got tired of hearing how many problems people have with their german cars. One BMW customer with a 3 series convertible out of warranty had his convertible top fail. BMW wanted $23,000 to have a new top imported from Germany and installed. I know of an Audi owner who spent $600+ EACH for new shocks, another Audi S4 owner had his clutch go and told me it cost him $5000+ for a new one.

Another example is a $300 oil change for a Mercedes E class sedan.

My BMW bike is another example. Its been to the dealer no less than 3 times for fixes in less than 3 years. When I walked through the service bays I viewed mechanics working on BMW cars with various problems like water leaks and other defects.


Euro cars are VERY nice, likely the best on the market, and I like to drive a nice car as much as the next guy, but they simply haven't nailed the overall reliability target yet. I ain't going to line the pockets of the dealers, and don't have the time to return the dealer constantly for overpriced service, warranty service and parts.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

I ain't going to line the pockets of the dealers, and don't have the time to return the dealer constantly for overpriced service, warranty service and parts.

Seriously? Find a good indy mech. Bring coffee. Problem solved.

 

[kickstartt]

Seriously? Find a good indy mech. Bring coffee. Problem solved.

LOL +1 on that, or chinese mech, bring them cigarettes. But don't expect your car to be as clean afterwards.

I've had enough fun fixing this used 2007 Audi A3 i got last year. No more used cars for me later on.

 

[RockerGuy]

Back in the days European cars had more electrical issues, but that was because they had more innovative equipment and were usually the first to incorporate the new technology. people still like to carry that stigma as a justification or excuse to not own these premium cars as to other reasons like price. clearly if people are worry their power windows will break, then don't buy a car with power windows..

I also own an Audi, during warranty and now out of warrantly. also have a Merc while it was in warranty and now out of warranty. if something breaks, i'll get it fix. parts are more expensive as noted above but that's the price you paid for more driving enjoyment.

same with a high end bike and a $2000 bike, if they can't afford an expensive bike they will make a gazillion excuses why the expensive bike is crap.. just look at some of Pegy's posts..

Well to me a reliabe car is very important. Gotta take time off work, plus the.weekends are packed. I wont want to be taking it to the dealer every month. You have to worry about getting it scheduled, plus there is no guarantee that the problem will be fixed 100%. Sometimes its guess & test. I prefer be riding. Hey but if u're made of money, why not?

Seriously? Find a good indy mech. Bring coffee. Problem solved.

Most indy mechanics will look at the brand and charge accordingly. Plus some indy wont even want to touch a european car


Sent from my phone using my paws

 

[FullMotoJacket]

Most indy mechanics will look at the brand and charge accordingly. Plus some indy wont even want to touch a european car

Let's try again. Find an indy mechanic that specializes in your brand. Bring coffee. Problem solved. That work for ya? There's plenty of good guys out there that prefer to work on only 1 or 2 brands exclusively.

 

[RockerGuy]

Let's try again. Find an indy mechanic that specializes in your brand. Bring coffee. Problem solved. That work for ya? There's plenty of good guys out there that prefer to work on only 1 or 2 brands exclusively.

So u're saying i bring coffee to any "indy mech" and they will give me a good price?

Sure....

Sent from my phone using my paws

 

[FullMotoJacket]

So u're saying i bring coffee to any "indy mech" and they will give me a good price?

Sure....

"Bring coffee" is a euphemism for establish a personal relationship with your mechanic (and literally bringing coffee is a good start). Do I have to explain everything?


Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to explain euphemism.

 

[LePhillou]

"Bring coffee" is a euphemism for establish a personal relationship with your mechanic (and literally bringing coffee is a good start). Do I have to explain everything?


Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to explain euphemism.

A nicer/simplified way of saying things

The cousin of vulgarization

There ya go

 

[kickstartt]

"Bring coffee" is a euphemism for establish a personal relationship with your mechanic (and literally bringing coffee is a good start). Do I have to explain everything?


Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to explain euphemism.

I'm sure mechanics would like to work on european luxury cars once in a while, it could be a treat for them, like having steak for dinner once in a while

 

[nfq]

You want steak, you go to a steak house, not east side mario's.

You want your bmw/merc/audi looked after? go to shops that only deal with that. There's a lot more than you think.
I used to have a guy named Hans work on my Audi for years, until he went back to Germany. Like FMJ says "bring a coffee".

as for the $300 oil change comment, yeah, when you do 1 a year, it's $300, or do 4-5 oil changes/yr at $40-50. Same *****. Not to mention, I've never had 'just an oil change' done. They always did a once over on the car and made sure it was tip-top shape.

And for the whole "time off, get it serviced" etc etc. Most Audi dealers offer free concierge service for your car while under warranty, so they'll pick up your car, leave a demo there for you to use, while yours is being serviced, and voila. No lost time.

You get what you pay for. My old man spoiled me with a 1982 5000 CD Turbo, and once you're used to horses, you can't go back to a donkey.

 

[Freestyle72]

You want steak, you go to a steak house, not east side mario's.

You want your bmw/merc/audi looked after? go to shops that only deal with that. There's a lot more than you think.
I used to have a guy named Hans work on my Audi for years, until he went back to Germany. Like FMJ says "bring a coffee".

as for the $300 oil change comment, yeah, when you do 1 a year, it's $300, or do 4-5 oil changes/yr at $40-50. Same *****. Not to mention, I've never had 'just an oil change' done. They always did a once over on the car and made sure it was tip-top shape.

And for the whole "time off, get it serviced" etc etc. Most Audi dealers offer free concierge service for your car while under warranty, so they'll pick up your car, leave a demo there for you to use, while yours is being serviced, and voila. No lost time.

You get what you pay for. My old man spoiled me with a 1982 5000 CD Turbo, and once you're used to horses, you can't go back to a donkey.

There is a guy DT toronto. Alpine Motors, guy is named Hans. German. It's what they do. Apparently a very highly recommended shop. Had a few drinks with him one night.

 

[SunnY S]

Interesting how you guys don't mention the exorbitant cost of Germany parts.

A oil drain pan bolt for my BMW cost me $35. 35 bucks for a silly bolt. My buddy has a MB m class. A stone took out his led drl light. $500 to replace a silly small strip of led lamp that cost $5 to make. Ridiculous.

Bringing a coffee to my mechanic and getting on a first name basis with him? sorry. I have better things to do with my time.

:laughing3:

 

[Freestyle72]

When you own a german car you get to know your Fastenal guy really well.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

Interesting how you guys don't mention the exorbitant cost of Germany parts.

A oil drain pan bolt for my BMW cost me $35. 35 bucks for a silly bolt. My buddy has a MB m class. A stone took out his led drl light. $500 to replace a silly small strip of led lamp that cost $5 to make. Ridiculous.

Bringing a coffee to my mechanic and getting on a first name basis with him? sorry. I have better things to do with my time.

:laughing3:

Then keep driving your mundane Jap SUV. No one's holding a gun to your head telling you what to drive.

 

[Chaos]

I was considering an Audi A4 recently, but between unfavourable reports of the car's history in consumer reports and the Edmonston lemon aid guide, I shied away from it.

 

[RockerGuy]

"Bring coffee" is a euphemism for establish a personal relationship with your mechanic (and literally bringing coffee is a good start). Do I have to explain everything?

Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to explain euphemism.

Coffee or not, sooner or later he'll know you by name.

An indy mech doesn't mean you won't be paying a premium price. You might be paying slightly less than dealer, but you're won't be paying like a regular car.

My bro just called me, he has an X5. His ABS sensor has gone haywire. Funny thing is it also affects Speedo and his engine light is on. He cannot pass emissions with an checked engine light. He's asking me what to do. It's funny because before he got that X5 I strongly recommend that he do not get a BMW. I had a 328 and it was hell.

He had a '91 accord before that and he never had any problems at all, literally drove the thing to the ground. Now he has an X5, he's either in the garage every month or at the shop.

I'm sure mechanics would like to work on european luxury cars once in a while, it could be a treat for them, like having steak for dinner once in a while

Have u worked on a european car before?

Things are not positioned for an average joe to repair. For eg. to get to my Crankcase Ventilation valve, a stupid plastic valve that cost $50, I have to remove manifold, air intake, throttle bottles, cabin filter assembly and contort my hand around the intake. A 10hr project.
My starter is behind the engine, sandwiched between the engine and the car body. I don't even want to know how much hours it is to get to that.

I've called certain shops before and if you tell them it's a BMW, they won't even take a look at it. You have to go back to a BMW independent shop or u risk somebody F'ing up your car.

If you love European cars, fine, but don't say they're reliable

 

[RockerGuy]

Then keep driving your mundane Jap SUV. No one's holding a gun to your head telling you what to drive.

I don't see why you're getting your panties in a knot. There are various testimonies of reports regarding the reliability of those cars and 1st hand accounts from other users who can attest to the reliability of those cars. You're not bringing any facts to the table, only trying to insult others.

You're not open to a discussion, you're open to a fight. No sense arguing with you. It's like arguing with a brick wall

 

[Freestyle72]

I don't see why you're getting your panties in a knot. There are various testimonies of reports regarding the reliability of those cars and 1st hand accounts from other users who can attest to the reliability of those cars. You're not bringing any facts to the table, only trying to insult others.

You're not open to a discussion, you're open to a fight. No sense arguing with you. It's like arguing with a brick wall

Nobody has brought any facts to the table, only anecdotal evidence, which when it comes to cars doesn't count for much at all. I really love VW/Audis. I am on my 4th VW. I think they are great. Not really the same or as expensive as an audi/bmw to repair, but certainly more than some of the japanese economy options. Anyways my first Jetta 1.8T that I bought was hell at first. The previous owner had obviously treated it like ****, but once I repaired everything It ran for 60,000km without needing a single repair/serious maintenance. I find the real problem with German cars is if you neglect to fix small problems early, you open yourself up to some very expensive problems down the road. Don't replace one part, you potentially risk damage to many other parts and the price can add up quickly. Your $80 single part problem can easily turn into a $400 problem + labour.