It took a few years after the chip shortage, but the car market is absolutely ripping. BMW just recorded its best U.S. sales year ever, Lexus just had its best-ever year, Genesis had another record-breaking year and is now nipping at the heels of Lincoln. Generally, it’s a good time to be a luxury automaker, unless you happen to be Audi.
That’s because Audi didn’t exactly have a great 2025. Titling the sales release with the rather plain “Audi of America reports 2025 year-end sales” already felt like a warning, and a glance at the actual sales table reveals why the headline didn’t tout any achievements: Sales were down 16 percent over 2024. Ouch.
In raw numbers, that’s a drop from 196,576 units to 164,942 units. Not great, and that’s before you look at the fourth-quarter results, which are even worse. We’re talking about a year-over-year drop of 36 percent for the fourth quarter, some 20,678 units just gone compared to last year. It’s exceptionally unusual for a company to suffer nearly two-thirds of its loss in sales volume over just a single quarter, which begs the question: Is Audi the new Infiniti?
Flash back to the late 2000s, and Infiniti was absolutely crushing it. The G37 was a proper world-class sports sedan at a time when sports sedans still sold, the EX was a properly sporty compact luxury crossover, the FX was a pioneer, and even the QX56 was a decent Navigator alternative. Then, things changed. Every car name started with a Q, wiping out brand equity. The G37’s successor got soft, investments made didn’t match where the market was going, and a sales spiral resulted. Is a similar thing happening at Audi right now? Let’s see.
Let’s start off with the obvious: The rollback in EV incentives didn’t play well with Audi’s strategy. Last year was a big one for Audi’s electric push, with the A6 Sportback e-tron and Q6 e-tron coming online in America. With the latter filling space above the entry-level Q4 e-tron and effectively replacing the somewhat aged Q8 e-tron, and the former offering an electric sedan below the e-tron GT, sales were off to a decent start. However, something weird happened that affected the fourth quarter.
Of the 17,481 Q6 e-tron and Q6 Sportback e-tron examples sold last year, 220 were sold in the fourth quarter. I’m not missing a zero, that’s just what the official chart says. Sales of the A6 e-tron look a bit better with the fourth quarter seeing deliveries of 220 of the 3,931 sold this year, but this electric sedan didn’t go on sale until late in the second quarter, and logged 3,532 sales in the third quarter. It’s worth noting that Q4 e-tron sales were also down late in the year, with just 71 out of 6,738 units for 2025 being sold in the fourth quarter.
So what’s going on here? Well, the end of federal EV tax credits and their leasing loophole resulted in market-wide pull-ahead in Q3. Across the industry, inventory that was expected to last months flew out of showrooms ahead of schedule. In addition, Volkswagen briefly paused production in the Zwickau-Mosel plant during October, citing weak Audi Q4 e-tron demand, and that’s before we consider what effects the Nexperia crisis might’ve had on production.
Alright, Audi’s all-electric ambitions haven’t quite panned out, which wouldn’t be a problem if there were a strong combustion-powered lineup to fall back on. It’s safe to say that Audi’s gasoline-powered range isn’t the strongest it’s ever been, and some big weaknesses stand out. Let’s start with the easily solvable ones: Production of the new-generation Audi A6 was still ramping this year, and the fourth-quarter sales figure is within two percent of last year’s fourth-quarter sales figure despite a full-year sales decrease of 19 percent for the model. Any brief blip here should iron itself out in 2026. Likewise, we just had a model changeover for the Q3 subcompact crossover, so volumes there are likely to recover once production of the latest generation ramps up. As for the A3, while full-year sales are down 13 percent, fourth-quarter sales are up 63 percent. This is a bright spot, so it’s best to keep on keeping on in that department.
Unfortunately, that’s about where the good news ends, and the bad begins. Perhaps the biggest debacle is the new A5 and S5, which haven’t received the most glowing reception. See, Audi came up with a naming scheme to make all gasoline-powered models have odd numbers and all EVs to have even numbers, but abandoned it after effectively one combustion model launched: the new A5. A liftback sedan, it replaces both the old A4 and the old A5 Sportback, while the A5 coupe and convertible have been discontinued. Unfortunately, not only does it look and feel a bit cheap, but any performance gains aren’t immediately evident. In a piece entitled “Tested: 2025 Audi S5 Is Worse Than It Was Five Years Ago,” Edmunds found that the new S5 was slower to 60 mph, took longer to stop from 60 mph, and served up worse roadholding than its predecessor. As the outlet wrote:
We wouldn’t be surprised to see the return of the higher-performance RS 5 at some point with this generation, and that would be a warm reception. Because the S5 just doesn’t cut it in terms of performance or driving experience — not when we strapped our gear to it, and not from the seat of our pants.
Add in a substantial price hike, and it’s not difficult to see why A5 and S5 sales plummeted. If we lump in the old A4 to last year’s totals, we’re looking at an effective 2025 drop from 31,672 units to 16,886 units. Considering the compact sports sedan segment has historically been one of Audi’s strongest, the new A5 and S5 seem like a misstep.
At the same time, much of the lineup is getting a bit aged. The current A7 and A8 are around eight years old, the current Q7 is a decade old, and the Q8 is seven years old. While the A7 and Q8 have posted five-percent sales gains for the year, all four of these models are down in the fourth quarter. Then there’s the curious case of the new Q5, Audi’s highest-volume model. While 2025 was a changeover year, production has ramped up by now, yet fourth-quarter sales are down 23 percent over last year, when the old Q5 was still on sale. Perhaps this is because the new Q5 follows a similar path to the new A5, costing more but not exactly feeling leaps and bounds more advanced.
It seems like Audi’s current woes are part planning and part product, with a sprinkle of supply chain shenanigans thrown in for good measure. While an annual sales figure of 164,942 units doesn’t put the brand in dire straits, it is the lowest we’ve seen from Audi since 2013, and for a significant portion of the drop to occur in the fourth quarter paints an ugly picture. I’m not saying full-Infiniti, but if things don’t turn around, Audi could end up closer to say, Genesis or Lincoln than it expected. The only way out? Offer seriously compelling cars that form a less confusing lineup than what we’ve got right now. Let’s monitor the situation and see what happens, shall we?
Top graphic image: Audi
I’m in the market now, and not really even considering Audi, but strongly looking at MB and BMW. One is because their reliability…they have had their ups and downs but there isn’t enough “other” charm to overcome it anymore that the others retain. Which is the second point…there isn’t a strong “why not’ as much as there isn’t a strong “why”. When everything is screens, you are only as good as your interface and surrounding design, both of which VW have not really excelled at. Second, Audi used to be sort of the chiseled, conservative but classic look…very intentionally handsome. They’ve lost that and simply devolved into blandness.
Last, is purchase price. Toyotas, Hondas, etc. have gotten pretty close to parity with non-performance models. Aside from RS line, I’d probably pick toyota, honda, (and lexus/toyota), even Volvo over Audi at this point. Given that everything is so goddamn expensive these days, that Toyota starts to look awfully appealing vs dropping like 80 grand on an audi…
The Toyota that will still be worth $20,000+ when it’s 10+ years old with six figure mileage and never needed anything other than preventative maintenance. There’s a good chance the Audi will have been mechanically totaled long before then and even if it hits those marks you’re practically going to have to pay someone to take it off your hands and it’ll have approximately 32 entries on its CarFax.
Even as an enthusiast who grew up around Audis and BMWs I genuinely don’t see the point of almost any modern luxury cars outside of Lexus and Porsche. And you’re right, normal cars are so goddamn expensive at this point that a well equipped Toyota is basically the same cost as a base Audi, Merc, etc.
If you actually want to keep your car (and you should if you make sound financial decisions) for a while and everything is expensive why set unnecessary money on fire? My next car is probably going to be a Passport or 4Runner. If you would’ve asked my what I’d want in 6 or 7 years back in the early 2020s I might have said an M2 or RS3 or certified Macan S or something.
But now? Shiiiiiit man I’ve got an 18 month old and a mortgage and everything costs twice as much as it did 10 years ago. Why the fuck would I set money on fire owning a new Audi? It’s an unforced error. Give me something I can drive for a decade without issue and I’ll put all the money I save in a Roth or something.
Damn, same boat pretty much. Got a little one on the way in a couple months and our grand cherokee is ticking with 50k on it (unless you ask the Stellantis dealer techs…) which was supposed to be the “reliable” car. Passport and 4Runner are way up there on the list, but entertaining X5s and GLEs too. Would love to get an E63 wagon but they’re tough to find.
No real interest in Audis or VWs these days, I’ve had a couple with mixed results. We have looked at them and it simply doesn’t seem worth the money.
Funny how Infiniti changes up their naming scheme and gets pwned, and now Audi does the same. I’d say Infiniti’s glory days were 1995-2010, and Audi’s 2005-2020. Audis don’t feel special anymore, much like MB and BMW these days. Those brands all felt and drove special. That’s no longer the case.
BMWs are still excellent cars, and some of them are still very special.
Audi’s historical strengths were the following:
They have none of that left. These sales numbers aren’t a surprise.
There’s a lot of collective bitching about BMW in internet/enthusiast circles, but they just had another record year while their competition chokes.
Enthusiasts will never ever be pleased but BMW really do seem to be in the best shape. The iX3 looks to be super competitive and they’ve got some of the best chassis and powertrain engineering in the business.
Styling is what it is, but honestly the nostrils have grown on me. At least they aren’t shapeless blobs like the EQs or e-trons (GT notwithstanding).
In lieu of any tangible reason to buy an Audi, I wonder why the design team doesn’t try taking the ugly stick to it? Maybe cram some more electronics into it too?
It seems to work for BMW, if nothing else.
The rate at which I’ve lost interest in German luxury cars in the past few years feels like the collapse that Cadillac/Lincoln faced in the 1980s and 1990s.
One upon a time, something to be aspired to. Overnight, that was gone.
I mean – I hate to say that it might work. There was an article posted here where BMW basically admitted they designed for the China market and that’s where the design language came from.
The ironic part is BMW hasn’t even succeeded in the Chinese market…but you are correct, they do love the gaudiest and most overwrought designs possible in China. They also want their cars to be rolling Apple stores. Trying and failing to cater to the Chinese market is how a lot of luxury manufacturers wound up where they are today….aka in hell world.
Funny and tragic. I can see them studying the Chinese competition, designing their version, and everyone in Deutschland nodding approvingly that they nailed it.
As an American, I’ve had a few experiences going to “American” themed restaurants abroad. In some cases it’s clear the creators made a sincere effort to make it “authentic” BBQ or whatever. local reviewers say it’s exactly like the place they went to in Texas. And, yet, I think even a child could tell everything was a bit “off” as soon as they walked in the door.
We’ve been over this. Audi has no soul anymore. In an endless quest to make the least offensive cars possible they’ve created a lineup of rolling nothingness. Almost all of their cars are soulless, tech burdened appliances. They tried to become Tesla But Softer and failed spectacularly.
For decades people liked Audi for the personality, uniqueness, racing pedigree, designs, etc. All of that is gone and in its place are a sea of what are essentially a sea of $65,000 RAV 4s with extra screens that’ll be worth $30,000 as soon as they come off leases. I’m also not going to say that enthusiasts were ever their biggest customers but we did buy a lot of S and RS line stuff, TTs, R8s, etc.
All of that is gone. What’s left is a vapid husk. Do I think they can stay afloat leasing white over tan Q5s to upper middle class housewives and people who aspire to be nouveau rich and can stretch themselves to afford that $699 a month payment? Maybe, but then again whenever I’m in a parking lot in nice parts of town or the burbs I can’t even count how many innocuous white Audi crossovers I see or even tell you which one is which without getting up close.
Is it a Q5? Q6? SQ whatever? I have no idea. They’re personality less appliances, but they’re entirely inoffensive as Ze Germans intended. Yawn. Make better cars or rest in piss…
Edit: although if you want a used S/RS Audi now might be the time to strike. Audi’s fall from grace has led to some prices on the secondhand market that are getting hard to ignore, especially if you’re fine with “just” the S model.
I totally agree, and I own an S6, albeit a C7.5. I refuse to buy a newer version because it doesn’t have the V8, and they are heavier in every way. I am not going to pay a premium to get a 2.0 engine, which is not that different than the one I got in my 2017 GTI. Also, Audi pivoted too hard to all electric rather than moving into hybrids. Unless it’s an RS model, I have nothing I want to buy new or even slightly used at the local Audi dealer. It’s a shame because my S6 is an amazing car.
I had a MK7.5 GTI for a couple of years and the idea of paying $20,000+ more for a car with the same damn engine has never made sense to me. My mom had an Allroad with the EA888 that grenaded itself at 65,000 miles as well and despite being a new car my GTI has several months of misfiring issues that they were never really able to figure out.
How is that a luxury experience? I’ve driven an SQ5 and the turbo V6 is…fine but unremarkable. It’s certainly no B58 and if I recall correctly it was never really engineered to be a performance engine, it was basically a commodity engine for Porsche products.
I am sorry you had bad experiences with the EA888. I looked back at my receipts for the GTI, and I spent less than $500 on maintenance other than oil changes and tire rotations over 85,000 miles.
As an Audi owner for many years.
The cars remain beautiful to look at, brilliant interior finishes, and drive wonderfully.
100% of the issue is that the human interface is horrible. Designed by committee who refused to say no to any feature. My guess is that the marketing team came in to the UI meeting with a list of every single electronic display/operating feature that every other car company provides and told the engineers to put all of these in the car.
The result is complete crap. Steve Jobs explained why this type of design by committee sucks…they would be well served to read some of Jobs’ musing on the subject.
Case in point. Currently driving a Q5 E-Tron. The dash has a screen that is about 1’x4′. The clock…something you need to look at frequently…is presented in 12pt font buried behind the steering wheel. Every time you need the time you need to refocus from down the road to 12pt font 18 inches from your face. Unbelievable. Yes….we got the clock in there boss…great! Next box to check.
Audi used to have the best switches and dash layouts. Get back to those and focus on only the stuff the driver needs. No one needs to drop through thee levels of screens to adjust the dash light level….no one.
The brand has lost their soul and sabotaged their most loyal audience, while not doing anything to attract anyone new. So you’re stuck with trying to convince companies to sell to fleets (I know that for a certain VAG brand, fleet sales make up as much as 55% of the total). And when incentives say no, there is nobody left to sell to.
Personal take: ungodly hideous interiors (especially that passenger screen, wow, looks like something aftermarket from Temu/Alibaba) and blobby pseudofuturistic exteriors. Oh and don’t forget the terrible infotainment designed by the now defunct Cariad, which was meant to roll out across the entire VAG universe.
Both VW and Audi are preparing to roll out a big bang of changes for the better, for instance reviewers are raving over the new id.Polo. Let’s see how it works out for them.
The funny thing is, I’ve always thought of Audi as a bit soulless. A bit like very good mechanically designed, but lacking a bit of the fun/art, kind of in a sterotypical “designed by an engineer” kind of way. Now, they seem to lack both. They aren’t bad mechanically or anything, they just seem more designed by bean counters than by engineers.
If you haven’t owned or ridden in an S or RS model, you should. I was always a VW guy until I got an S6.
The internet is absolutely teeming with praise for that 4 liter V8
It is glorious as long as you can pay the German car maintenance tax. Case in point, $4k today for front upper/lower control arms, tire rotation, oil change, driveshaft carrier support bearing, along with trans and driveshaft flush/refill. Even with the wallet hit, the glorious V8 noise and power makes it worth it.
As an owner of a 2016 A3 TDI, we bought a new ’25 A3 on Dec 30th 2024, and while the ride is nice, there are still quirks in it that we still can’t figure out. Like in order to stop the external vents from blowing cold air in the winter, I need to turn on the heat to enable it, then turn it off. It was near impossible to make my wife the primary user on the HUD in the car.
First service for an oil change and a 4 tire rotation ( because there is a ’68 mustang undergoing restoration in the garage) was $225.00.
My golf clubs do not fit in either A3 with the the rear seats up.
Don’t get me started on how Audi handles driver personalization and prioritization via key fob/MMI/My Audi app/ My Audi account. It is the most convoluted setup I’ve ever experienced and have never seen anyone with multiple drivers get it set up correctly.
Like many others, I just don’t really see why I would chose to purchase an Audi anymore. 10-20 years ago, they were offering usable performance with AWD, and genuinely excellent interiors. They were sharp-looking as hell. Now their cars don’t seem to stand out from even mainstream options anymore, nevermind luxury ones.
Have been an Audi owner for 20 years. The diversity of the comments here highlighting the brand’s problems is probably the most telling issue: the brand is doing a lot wrong and there’s no real bright spot to focus on as a potential way out. All of the reasons people bought them are now gone or barely there … reasonably balanced performance, German engineering with a well appointed interior, and clean styling at a price somewhat lower than rival German brands. I bought a B9 A5 in 2023 and feel like it and the current Q7 are sort of the tail end of that ethos, both of which were engineered in the early 2010s.
The push to electrification at all costs really screwed up the entire VAG universe. There are now better electric vehicles, better hybrids (which VAG brands never really had in the first place), better interiors, better styling, better performance sub-brands, etc. … and now Audi’s big moment to update an existing decent ICE compact sport sedan/SUV platform with the B10 A5/Q5 and it’s worse than the B9 in every respect. That was kind of their last chance to build on their core legacy and they really blew it.
Sadly, if I had to buy my car now 2.5 years later instead of 2023, I’m not sure I’d even go to the Audi showroom.
Agree 100%. I have a B8 S4 (2011) and I really want to like the new Audi’s but everything you said is true. Their electric offerings are kinda meh. I mean, paying $60k+ (for lightly used, $75k+ for new) with 220 miles of range? Hard pass.
Totally agree. I have a B9 S4 and feel the same. Could not see myself walking into an Audi showroom nowadays.
The shift from EVs is really crippling the brand. I hope they find their way.
I went from a 2013 A4 allroad to a 2025 SQ6 EV, and while I love the SQ6 that I’ve had for a year now, I worry about what will be available when my lease expires in two years. Before the Audis I had a series of three Saabs, and we know how THAT went.
Perhaps I am fortunate that I have a great local Audi dealer, not that I’ve had to visit them much lately. I do hope Audi is able to turn around as there isn’t another brand that ticks all the marks for me (other than not offering any wagons in the US except the RS6.)
Of all the people I know who have had an Audi, none ever bought/leased another. Talk about poor brand retention. I used to assume it was a cost of ownership or reliability issues and that might be partly true, but when I started asking them, they praised the car and they had no complaints. They did not end up getting another because they didn’t like the newer models. They found the styling had lost the script and they hated the gadgetry that had taken over the interiors. Up sizing also turned some of them off. To be fair, I’ve heard the same from previous BMW and MB drivers too.
Interestingly, many switched to Lexus. If you are losing to Lexus because of styling, it’s time to fire your design staff.
I’m a repeat Audi buyer, but we also own a Lexus … think reliability and the simplicity of a Lexus helps. Somehow Lexus can keep their aged platforms attractive to buyers throughout their lifecycle and Audi can’t. Better the Lexus infotainment has fewer features but still works rather than Audi’s overengineered system that randomly and sporadically malfunctions.
And yes, the Lexus styling pains me every time I look at it. My 80-year-old father won’t drive a Lexus because the styling is horrid … bad news when it polarizes a key demographic. If someone’s choosing Lexus over anything else for styling, that’s bad news.
I have to think that Lexus knows what they’re doing with the styling at this point. They’ve had the predator grill that supposedly everyone hates for about 10 years now and their sales are not suffering for it. I can’t imagine 300,000 people a year are simply holding their nose, a good portion of them must actually like it.
I’m not one of them, btw. I hate the grill on my final-gen GS.
Owning a Lexus is like giving up. Yes…it silky smooth…runs forever…and yet has ZERO excitement.
Sort of like a 2020’s version of an Oldsmobile vibe…grampa swapped out the (Chevy) Camry for a (Olds) Lexus when he retired.
Oh please. Not this nonsense conflating how interesting an “enthusiast” finds a car with how interesting the car’s owner is. I can go bathe in that over at Car and Driver.
The four cylinder 530i, A6, and E300 that the GS competed against are in no way exciting. Same story with volume trims of the X3, Q5, GL-whatever.
When it’s your wife driving around your two young kids, excitement is generally not a helpful quality in a family SUV. Enthusiasts can also pick boring cars if the mission benefits from boring. I’m sure Hardigree will back me up on that.
I had an A3 (bought 2 years old) for a decade that was great to when I sold it with 190k miles, now I have a Chevy Bolt. The A3 I think was an absolute base model with manual cloth seats, manual transmission, and no added on BS, but it was still nice. To keep the same level of relative simplicity, I don’t think there’s an option other than to move down market as everything keeps getting fancier and more complicated.
I used to love Audi because their awd platforms had the go-anywhere capability of a truck with a sleek exterior, and a nice interior. It also didn’t hurt that they sold a lot of wagons. Now I just don’t understand the point in owning an Audi over a VW, and I am not interested in wrenching on a post-04 VAG product.
A lot of wealthier neighbourhoods are driving Toyotas, that were formerly flush with Audi SUVs.
Very true. Noticing this same migration, but more generally from European luxury brands to Japanese and Korean mainstream brands.
Might have something to do with mainstream brands costing as much as a luxury one 10 years ago, and having most of the useful features that used to be exclusive to luxury marques. So much of what constitutes “luxury” these days is pointless tech trinkets that a lot of people not only don’t want, but will actively avoid.
Yup. After the dealership gets their hands on you most Toyotas are as expensive as luxury cars at this point anyway and, surprise surprise, the only cars they have on the lot are fully loaded ones and if you want a base trim you’re number 33 on the waitlist.
That being said, Toyota more or less offers products that line up with the old school luxury ethos at this point. They’re build really well, they last, and they hold their value. Yeah paying $60,000 for a Highlander vs a Q5 is a tough pill to swallow but in 3 years it’ll be worth approximately $58,000…the Q5 will be worth $30,000, the bleeding edge tech shit will be bugging out, and if you didn’t religiously follow the maintenance recommendations down to the punctuation the powertrain might grenade itself at 60,000 miles.
Or if you did follow everything it still might grenade itself at 60,000 miles because German engineering. I get why people would rather have a Toyota or Lexus. I would too. Outside of Porsche German luxury cars are disposable at this point.
Used to be, people bought high-priced cars for luxury, quality, or prestige. Cars from Audi aren’t significantly more luxurious than stuff from mainstream brands. The quality/reliability is questionable, and there are plenty of brands that carry as much (or more) prestige than Audi.
I’m not a buyer in this price class, but even if I was, I doubt that I would even have Audi on my shopping list.
It’s a bit early to draw too many parallels with Infiniti. A 16% YoY drop isn’t good, but Infiniti has lost over 2/3rds of it sales volume since the mid-aughts.
That said, it’s a rough time to have bet half the farm on EVs and their overall model lineup seems a bit lackluster.
For my part, the brand holds very little appeal at the moment. The prior A4/A5/S5 were excellent cars in my opinion. Particularly the Sportbacks. Sharp and clean styling Inside and out, nice materials, excellent powertrains. Then they murdered the redesign, particularly the joke of an interior with forgettable design slathered in tacky black plastic and screens, screens, screens. I almost bought the last A5 but this new one is ridiculous.
In my un-asked-for opinion, Audi is in a far worse state than Infiniti. If they both came out with “the perfect car” at a reasonable price for what you’re getting I wouldn’t hesitate that much buying the Infiniti, but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to buy the Audi. They first need to undo 20+ years of stupid over/under engineering, a complete lack of reliability, and stop turning a simple 1 hour job like replacing an alternator or radiator into a 25 hour engine out service. (yes I’m exaggerating, but only slightly) Once they do that I’ll start considering them (and VW) 10 year later.
First owners keep the lights on in Ingolstadt, though. And Munich and Stuttgart. Until they start keeping the cars longer than 3-5 years and demanding they last beyond warranty, it’s going to stay this way.
You sum it up perfectly, however they’re running out of people willing to be the first owner now too. I like buying new cars knowing that it’s always had mechanical sympathy and care, however I think of them as 10-15 year purchases, with the most enjoyable ones being after it leaves warranty. I just don’t see a point in spending nice car money on one that expires in 5 years when there are many other brands to choose from.
As I said of BMW back in the Bangle-mangle era – imagine how many they would have sold if they weren’t so damned ugly?
As for Audi – meh – the one European make I have never bothered with. VWs with delusions of grandeur do nothing for me, and I need AWD like a couple of ex-wives. And I never found them particularly good to drive compared to the rest. But I imagine they will sort themselves out. Or not. I fully get why they went all-in on electrons given the European and Chinese regulatory environment, but the problem is they didn’t really have that great ICE to start with to fall back on, and everybody else in the class does, AND kept developing them.
de Nysschen’s specter claims another one.
The new B10 A5/S5 is disappointing in every regard. I give it 3 years before we see the B10.5, but I don’t expect many major mechanical changes. It’ll probably still suck.
The Q7/8 on the 4M platform dates back to 2016, but they absolutely still hold their own. They’re certainly competitive in their current form despite their age. Most people have no idea how old a platform is. That’s not to say it might not be time for a new one, just that the cars themselves are still good. They’re also not competitors for the X7, which Audi desperately needs. They’re midsize SUV’s with (in the case of the Q7) a kid-sized 3rd row.
The A6 etron is straight busted, but the gas version…isn’t ugly? That’s the best I can say.
Styling across the board has gone soft and squishy with lots of piano black around the grilles. Fugly.
At least the RS6 is getting the 4.0T back. I guess that’s a bright spot.
They’re in the same spot as VW and Porsche. They put all their eggs into the EV basket, essentially stopped developing any combustion engines/platforms years ago, and now they’re on the back foot as they try to pivot back.
I’ve owned 2 Audis. They use to be a good shopping spot for something luxury, euro and a little unique. They have lost what set them apart, so they just blend especially alongside BMW. Add to that their recent model confusion (I couldn’t even tell you how many models they have now, 20? 30? seems like a lot) and I’m not surprised people are writing them off quick.
I just checked. Audi USA has 33 models.
Agree and piggybacking off V10omous below, Audi (like vw) used to make unique cars for particular people. Even if that person was someone buying a regular A4 for a corporate commute, there was still a reason they chose the Audi. Was is the interior quality? The quattro? The powertrain options? To have a different vehicle than everyone else in the parking lot?
Now they just make “cars” for “people” and there is little to no reason to chose them over any other brand it seems. They don’t even have that brainworm attraction people get for Toyotas where they will overpay for a 10 year old platform.
The biggest problem with Audi is they look the same as they did 15 years ago.
That’s about to become their biggest strength with what BMW is doing to themselves. Neue Klasse… damn.
Luxury buyers want new and different. Doesn’t matter if looks worse
Counterpoint. They look the same as they did but are bigger and have too many sprinkles and ersatz styling crap. They had their own classic look, but now are just chasing silly trends.
yes, not only the models themselves but between models–they’re like russian dolls, A3 > A4 > A6 > A8, they just get bigger (and more expensive) as you go up (or down).
Strongly disagree. I have a 15 year old S4 and it is gorgeous compared to the current offerings.
Right, if the 2010 S5 appeared as a new car on the Audi lot, I’d be far more interested than the current new model.
I don’t necessarily want flashy and a severe deviation from the “Audi look”, but they’ve evolved into something completely bland. The whole “primary” lineup (outside the R8 I guess) used to be understated but in a good way from the TT, A8/S8 to the A3.
Yeah the B8 styling was insanely good and still modern, drivetrains were unique.
IMO their cars have gotten very bloblike and featureless while simultaneously overstyled. Idk how they’ve managed that.
styling has also gotten very soft…
It used to be that you’d buy an Audi for AWD and for class-leading interiors, even if the badge never quite carried the prestige of BMW or MB, and if the reliability didn’t quite justify the pricing.
Now that everyone offers AWD on everything, and interior quality/design is mostly good across the board, what is Audi’s hook?
Everything they make looks better than the current crop of BMWs and Mercedes?
If styling were my #1 consideration, I’d be at the Genesis store.
I read this, balked momentarily, scratched my head, and then nodded silently.
None of them are good, and it is highly model dependent. In no way would I say that Audi looks better than the other two, across the board.