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> Some cars are just flat-out much more enjoyable to drive. The counterpoint to that is Audi ( A4 in particular ); dreadfully unbalanced whale-like FWD with th

> Some cars are just flat-out much more enjoyable to drive. The counterpoint to that is Audi ( A4 in particular ); dreadfully unbalanced whale-like FWD with the engine hanging out over the front wheels. Objectively dynamically inferior to the humble Ford Mondeo. But sold in droves in spartan-spec because of badge cachet. They have recently started to tidy up their handling but still lag more humble brands.

madeuptempacct 8y ago
Don't forget that these cars are a huge pain to maintain.
- ams6110 8y ago
  They're German. Germans expect that you will take care of things on a schedule if you are told to do so. That's why German cars have a much more detailed list of required maintenance than American cars do. The Germans don't think it's unusual.
  - biztos 8y ago
    Indeed, I'm planning to buy a (probably German) used car in Germany around April, and pretty much the first thing I've figured out is you never buy anything that doesn't have its full service history meticulously documented, with receipts.
  - jcims 8y ago
    Come on now, there's a hell of a lot more going on with the reliability of vehicles coming out of Germany than slack maintenance cycles.
    - cmrdporcupine 8y ago
      It seems it really depends. My '12 Jetta TDI was super reliable, never had a single problem apart from it destroying the earth and lying about it. But other people with the same year, same car, had all sorts of problems. I feel like there's perhaps quality control issues coming off the line in Mexico. Our new-used '13 Audi Q5 is made in Bavaria. So we shall see how its quality compares. So far no problems.
seanalltogether 8y ago
I remember wanting to buy an Audi during my entire 20s specifically because of the movie Ronin.
jddaigle 8y ago
The Mondeo/Fusion's F-R balance is actually worse than the A4's. Since the engine in the Fusion is mounted transversely with an inline transaxle the majority of the weight is in front of the front axle. The A4 has a longitudinally mounted engine with the transmission and PTU (output to the rear wheels) behind it, which means the weight straddles the front axle. Audis used to be extremely nose-heavy but their engineers have spent a lot of effort over the past few generations to move the drivetrain's center of mass backwards. They also offer things like differentials with electronically controlled multiplate clutches that allow torque to be transferred to the wheel(s) with the most traction in a matter of milliseconds to improve traction in cornering or in wet/snowy conditions. So "badge cachet" is definitely not the only difference.

madeuptempacct 8y ago

Don't forget that these cars are a huge pain to maintain.

ams6110 8y ago
They're German. Germans expect that you will take care of things on a schedule if you are told to do so. That's why German cars have a much more detailed list of required maintenance than American cars do. The Germans don't think it's unusual.
- biztos 8y ago
  Indeed, I'm planning to buy a (probably German) used car in Germany around April, and pretty much the first thing I've figured out is you never buy anything that doesn't have its full service history meticulously documented, with receipts.
- jcims 8y ago
  Come on now, there's a hell of a lot more going on with the reliability of vehicles coming out of Germany than slack maintenance cycles.
  - cmrdporcupine 8y ago
    It seems it really depends. My '12 Jetta TDI was super reliable, never had a single problem apart from it destroying the earth and lying about it. But other people with the same year, same car, had all sorts of problems. I feel like there's perhaps quality control issues coming off the line in Mexico. Our new-used '13 Audi Q5 is made in Bavaria. So we shall see how its quality compares. So far no problems.

seanalltogether 8y ago

I remember wanting to buy an Audi during my entire 20s specifically because of the movie Ronin.

jddaigle 8y ago

The Mondeo/Fusion's F-R balance is actually worse than the A4's. Since the engine in the Fusion is mounted transversely with an inline transaxle the majority of the weight is in front of the front axle. The A4 has a longitudinally mounted engine with the transmission and PTU (output to the rear wheels) behind it, which means the weight straddles the front axle. Audis used to be extremely nose-heavy but their engineers have spent a lot of effort over the past few generations to move the drivetrain's center of mass backwards. They also offer things like differentials with electronically controlled multiplate clutches that allow torque to be transferred to the wheel(s) with the most traction in a matter of milliseconds to improve traction in cornering or in wet/snowy conditions. So "badge cachet" is definitely not the only difference.