Out of all the European makes and models, Audi generally rolls out cars that are known to be very detuned and raw. Along with the obvious comfort and performance that German luxury cars provide, they also have potential in terms of custom improvements, modifications, tuning etc. Besides that, German Audi cars are loved by many and have plenty of loyal customers worldwide. However, they also have their fair share of controversies and shortcomings that commonly cause confusion to potential new buyers looking for a new car. Let`s look at some of the infamies that revolve around the brand that has brought us amazing machines like the rally legend Quattro and the ever famous R8.
B9 Mechanical Mishaps
A common problem with fifth-generation B9 Audi cars is that they develop expensive mechanical problems after the odometer crosses over a hundred thousand kilometers.
However, a team of Audi repair experts in Dubai revealed that they`ve only noticed these problems in a select few models. They also mentioned that customers who owned cars with 2-liter turbos and 3-liters such as the S4, S5 and the RS5s only visited their shop for basic maintenance.
Audi Are The Most Unreliable Among German Counterparts
It is hard to conclude this as a conception or a fact. The unreliability factor here totally depends upon unique cases. For instance, Audi with 2-liter turbos that rolled out in the span of 2009-16 were terribly unreliable vehicles. This makes buying used Audi for a fair price a challenge.
However, if you have made up your mind about a used Audi cars with a medium budget, it is recommended that you try Audi powered by their famous 3-liter engines. Anything from 2009 and up, 3-liter supercharged engines will prove to be very reliable. However, you will take a hit in terms of fuel efficiency because of the larger engine.
Japanese Vs. German
Many car owners that have owned both the likes of Lexus and Audi or BMW feel that it is hard for German luxury cars to achieve the reliability of their Japanese counterparts. While this common conception is true to several extents, it is important to note that this bad reputation was created by just a few choice European vehicles.
For instance, the B8 A4 powered by the 2-liter turbo mentioned earlier left a bad mark on Audi`s and Volkswagen`s reputation. Similarly, many late model BMWs were also plagued with issues contributing to this general conception.
Regardless, if you are willing to do a bit of research for the love of German engineering, you will be surprised by cases that strongly contradict the above-mentioned experiences. There are many people who treat their Audi religiously, having something north of 3,50,000 km on their odometer and still running. According to them, reliability simply came down to basic maintenance.
Getting Taken Over By Electrics
Today, electric cars are way beyond being just a concept. Even Audi has officially announced that they will stop rolling out cars fitted with internal combustion engines by 2033. They call this transitional strategy `Vorsprung 2030`.
Nonetheless, Audi cars and other German auto giants have not stopped their innovative efforts to make better engines that run on gas. Their technical and design teams are still at large improving performance figures by breaking barriers. Today we have family sedans that can perform even better than supercars.
So, even though we are looking at a potentially complete transition from gas to electric in the future, we still have a lot of time to enjoy the grunt and satisfaction IC engines offer.
Bottom Line
The pristine comfort and performance that German automakers like Audi and Mercedes Benz provide are to date unmatched. Wanting to buy and experience these beauties is every car lover’s dream. However, if reliability is the main factor stopping you from setting foot in an Audi dealership, we recommend that you research, find fact-based pros and cons, and choose the best model to suit your needs.