Audi outsells Mercedes-Benz globally for the 1st time

[KillerHERTZ]

Audi managed to sell 15,600 more cars than Mercedes-Benz for the first three months of 2010, according to Automotive News Europe. The periodical states that this is the first time Audi has bested Daimler's main brand in quarterly new vehicle sales in history.

BMW has not yet reported their first quarter sales. Audi sold 264,100 vehicles, while Mercedes recorded 248,500 sales from January to March 2010.

For Audi, the claim comes with a jump in sales of 25.9% over the first quarter in 2009, and allows Audi to continue pushing forward with an ambitious plan. As we reported in November, the Volkswagen-owned brand is spending €7.3 billion to bring eight new models to the public by 2015.

Audi executives have previously stated that their target is 1.5 million annual new vehicle sales by the end of 2016.

This isnt really a bad thing if you ask me, Audi is going the same way as BMW (more common than Ford). I prefer the fact that Mercedes still doesnt feel quite as mass produced as the other 2.

What do you guys think?

 

[BenzedUP]

Yes, I hurd that.. the audi sales man told me when he was trying to convience me to buy the TTS instead of the SLK55

But I agree with you, I preffer that.. I hope they continue to do so as I like to see less mercs on the road, makes it more special buying an MB rather than a ford I mean an Audi

 

[Will]

Quality, not quantity

 

[Honey Bear]

I suspect this could be because audi is synonymous with four wheel drive. And considering our recent winter this isn't surprising. However, despite the purchase of a AWD car how many will get prep'd with winter/snow tyres?

Then again MB never gave UK buyers (along with many others) the option of the 4matic AWD system on their road cars like the E class, ect.

 

[Taniban]

Are the sales worldwide or just based on Europe? If it's worldwide then it this is understandable as Audi's are quite common for richer people in China

 

[Honey Bear]

This is what happens when I read things too quickly.

In this case I agree with above. even their smaller saloons like the A4 are offered in LWB for the people that want theirs to be chauffeur driven.

 

[grober]

In the battle of the big three my guess is that Audi have moved upmarket slightly and successfully stolen market share from Mercedes possibly due to the perceived lowering of MB quality in the late 90's early 2000's. Mercedes on the other hand have been less successful at capturing a greater share of their targeted "sporting saloon" market from BMW. BMW appear to have maintained their customer base by consistently offering fine handling conventionally engineered straight six rear wheel drive "drivers' cars" This adherence to their targeted customers driving tastes has been sufficient to overcome a period of "questionable" body styling which might have otherwise spelled disaster and again may have lost some sales to Audi. In addition with the retention of the MINI marque they are the only one of the three to market a really successful and chic small car which may have helped introduce younger "upwardly mobile" customers to the BMW marque.

 

[w124coupe]

Audi certainly exceed Merc in terms of cabin quality and ambience - its quite painful to sit in an A6 after a 212 - the 212 is, sadly, a bit low-rent and bland in comparison. Ditto A4 and C.

I'm sure lots of buyers are swayed by just that....without getting a long test drive and weighing up the dynamics.

 

[wemorgan]

As already mentioned, it's quality not quantity. It's possible to be more profitable selling fewer cars but at a higher margin. Whether that's the reality of VAG vs. Daimler I don't know, but if I was King for the day that would be my ethos.

 

[manalishi]

I agree that the QC problems that litter this forum must have something to do with it. Top Gear has been making jokes about MB reliability for ages, too.

Car design must play a part, too. Current MBs are too variable and vague, current Audis are far better). I know what I'd rather have on my drive.

 

[jeremytaylor]

The A3 must sell in the bucketload, and is cheap for them to make (rebodied Golf/Skoda/Seat), whereas the A/B class are expensive to make (and buy) nad sell much fewer as a result.

Innovative design that the A/B is, it has not been a sales success, hence the replacement being a more conventional model (like an A3).

 

[C240Sport97]

but all Audis look bland

 

[219]

Then again MB never gave UK buyers (along with many others) the option of the 4matic AWD system on their road cars like the E class, ect.

4Matic was introduced on the W124 series - hence there are loads of 300E and 300TE-4Matic models around , adding something like £10K to the price of the base car - it was most certainly officially imported into the UK .

 

[grober]

4Matic was introduced on the W124 series - hence there are loads of 300E and 300TE-4Matic models around , adding something like £10K to the price of the base car - it was most certainly officially imported into the UK .

It certainly was from about 1987-1992. They were very complex technologically were difficult to maintain and were finally withdrawn from the market. Chief culprit was the central transfer gearbox,many of which failed under warranty, leading to high repair costs for MB. [This from an era when Mercedes had perhaps a more generous attitude to customer service]
The 4matic was reintroduced with the W210 series but in the interim the transfer gearbox and front differential changed sides and the 4 wheel drive system became much simpler[ and reliable] being based on a brake based system ETS found in the new ML 4X4 . Because the system was engineered for LHD cars MB argued it would cost too much to engineer a RHD version and thus the UK has never been offered the 4matic option in saloon /estate vehicles again.

My long rambling thread about it here . http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/21885-4matic-models-uk-poll.html

 

[219]

They were very complex technologically were difficult to maintain and were finally withdrawn from the market. Chief culprit was the central transfer gearbox,many of which failed under warranty, leading to high repair costs for MB.

This was exactly why I opted to buy a 2WD 300TE instead of the 4 Matic version which I had been considering for towing my caravan - when I researched it , even back in the mid 1990's , the problems were well-known .

Pity , as I imagine it would have been an excellent towcar when working .

 

[Rory]

I don't know how Audi manage to "sell" anything - I've never had a good experience in an Audi dealer - and that extends to the whole of of VAG, with the exception of Skoda (and I was only going there to use their bodyshop).

Their DSG boxes are starting to often need expensive repairs and multitronic can be problematical. We had an A6 in the family from new and it was beyond economic repair at 8 yrs old due to autobox, engine oil leak and suspension issues.

 

[Mudster]

This is what happens when I read things too quickly.

In this case I agree with above. even their smaller saloons like the A4 are offered in LWB for the people that want theirs to be chauffeur driven.

I noticed this when I was in China last month - Lots of Audi A6L and BMW 525iL - not something I'd ever seen before.

Very high volume of VW's and noticeably few Mercedes.

 

[renault12ts]

And the E class is also longer in China.

 

[Roger Jones]

I read somewhere that the discerning German middle class has for some time regarded Audi as the premier marque for all-round quality. The shortcomings of my old Audi 100 notwithstanding, it was hard to fault build quality and especially paintwork, the latter being dictinctly better than the MBs of the same generation I've had subsequently.

 

[Sp!ke]

it just shows how fickle people are.

The sales figures have jumped because of Audi's LED drivinglamps.