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Audi Uses the Car and Driver Victories of the A6, S4, and Q5 on its homepage - Is it a Good Idea?

GermanNut submitted on 10/27/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 1:22:18 PM

11 user comments | Category: Spy Shots | Source: www.autospies.com

For those who have recently flipped through the pages of Car and Driver, it is likely apparent that Audi has been receiving exceptional praise and results in comparison tests for its A6, S4, and Q5 models, all of which have won their respective comparison tests thanks to glowing reviews.



For those who have checked out www.Audiusa.com - Audi of America's homepage, they will see that Audi conveniently displays Car and Driver's comments about the A6, Q5, and S4 on its homepage and then displays the following statement with all three models appearing on the screen:

"Audi Owners Have Known for Years. And Now the Critics Are in On The Secret. Car and Driver Hails Audi as Best in Class."

Is this a good marketing strategy for Audi considering that it trails its rivals BMW and Merceds-Benz by a substantial margin in the ailing, but important U.S. auto market?

Audi Uses the Car and Driver Victories of the A6, S4, and Q5 on its homepage - Is it a Good Idea?

About the Author

GermanNut

— GermanNut (View Profile)


User Comments

1UAW

Yes it, why not let someone else's praise speak for yoou achievment? Would it not have more credit than patting yourself on the back?

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 2:04:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Hantra

What a BS, pointless post this is. I want my 20 seconds back.

— Hantra (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 2:20:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

GTR35

seriously. What a stupid question. It's like: is it a good idea to show buyers your achievements and certifications? Of course it is. I want to know who's approving these articles.

001, Lets go for Quality not Quantity

— GTR35 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 2:41:50 PM | | Votes: 4   

Agent001

Guys, lighten up...you're only one click away from not having to read it.

No website on earth on publishes things that ALL people like.

In today's world if Top Gear or Car Magazine gave it a great rating THEN I'd use it.

C&D, R&T, MT, Automobile...sliding fast

Plus internet researchers aren't impressed by them anymore.

They want a JDPower or Consumer Reports endorsement.

001

— Agent001 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 5:53:05 PM | | Votes: -2   

SHOWTIME

Not a bad point at all and you people do need to lighten up!

I personally think it cheapens the brand when they go out of their way to prove something.

When I got my G37 at the dealer they had that Road & Track article against the 335i saying "The King is Dead"...Right away it gave me that feeling that I'm getting a lower brand (even though I knew, but still) since they were trying to compare themselves with BMW.

However, when I was in the market 7yrs ago for an Acura 3.2TL, I stopped by at the BMW dealer just to kill some time. I was approached by a salesman and I told him I was interested in the TL since it had way more HP than the CPO 325i that I was looking at at similar price. He asked me, "why don't we go for a test drive and then compare the cars?" After we did that and he saw the smile on my face from ear to ear, he then began to explain to me the specs of the car (weight distribution, control arms, bushings, steering, chassis, etc). All of these that made the drive so incredible. He did it very professionally and without lowering the other brand.

I was only 19 at the time and was amazed at how professional he was with me. It's not that I didn't know the difference between the cars, but he actually let me see that difference in the real world driving instead of just reading.

Basically 5 min behind the wheel and I instantly knew that this was the car for me.

I think this type of advertisement should be used by companies like Hyundai who are trying to get themselves up there with the premium brands, but Audi is up there with BMW and Benz, so they should just let their customers try out their product if they are confident enough.

— SHOWTIME (View Profile)

Posted on 10/28/2009 2:41:00 PM | | Votes: 1   

kkkat

It's been quantity and not quality. The photo galleries are examples.

— kkkat (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 2:55:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

thstone

I think that this post raises two very good questions:

(1) Does a Car and Driver comparison test win sway your preference in which car to buy?

For me, no. I usually have my mind made up before I even read the magazine test so Audi isn't gaining any ground in my mind by posting these "wins" on their website.

(2) Does Car and Driver lose any credibility by allowing manufacturers to use their tests for advertising?

For me, yes. This creates an appearance of C&D potentially selecting winners based on which manufacturer is likely to pay the most to use the resulting comparison test in its advertising.

— thstone (View Profile)

Posted on 10/27/2009 6:25:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

tattedtwice

Couldn't hurt. It's not like their dumb ads poking fun at the competition, that they desperately want to be, have helped. Since their cars can't move off lots on their own merits, or prestige, or reputation, let them try anything that may help; not like it'll work anyway.

— tattedtwice (View Profile)

Posted on 10/28/2009 4:16:05 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

XYZZ

LOL!

audi was making those DUMB ADS belittling the competition (and cars that weren't even competitors) TWENTY YEARS AGO!

only makes THEMSELVES appear juvenile and whiney.

any person or any company that HAS TO BRAG, has no confidence in people discovering merits themselves.

— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 10/28/2009 8:09:25 AM | | Votes: 2   

GermanNut

Yeah of course Audi's cars can't move off lots on their own merits. That must be why Audi has used the least incentives compared to BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the attempt to drive sales. BMW is offering HUGE incentives on their cars and this is why BMW has not even made a profit thus far in 2009.

Prestige....LOL, now your just grabbing for anything you can try to get your hands on, Tattedtwice. The R8 is very prestigious as is Audi's history as a company. Audi celebrated its centennial anniversary earlier this year. I can't say I've seen BMW's centennial anniversary...that is because BMW is not as old as Audi.

Reputation? Audi has earned a reputation as the alternative to BMW and Mercedes-Benz that combines the best attributes from both brands (handling from BMW and comfort from Mercedes-Benz).

I'll let the sales and profitability do the talking and I'll let you stick to this merits, prestige, and reputation garbage because you obviously can't support your claims with any hard, factual data and to make up for your shortcomings you rely on false claims.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 10/28/2009 10:10:28 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Inline6

To SHOWTIME, you obviously haven't been paying attention to the Infiniti's BMW comparisons, because I have November 2002 Automobile magazine and the headline is: BMW Beater! Infiniti's new G35 Sport Coupe does the unthinkable.

I also have the Automobile magazine that says Lexus builds a BMW, talking about the IS300, this was back in 2001.

So the comparisons by the magazines were already there yrs before you got your G37, they didn't magically appear, if you have following cars especially the G model, you would know this

— Inline6 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/28/2009 6:06:44 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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