Originally Posted by
lookaught
Whoa slow down there Mr. Condescension. No need to have a fit.
I understand that according to you that at the companies that you visited the production technology may be universal, and production process may be similar. How do the quality of components and materials factor into the overall result? Surely they cannot be discounted entirely.
I maintain that the fit and finish on Audi is superior to most other brands including American. The design of the interior and exterior that is seen by the average consumer, including the components and materials used and the assembly, aggregate to a car that is a higher quality. It may not be your definition of quality, but it is a definition nonetheless. Sit in an A4 and sit in a Impala. There is a difference everywhere you look. That is why I bought an A4 and not an STi or WRX wagon.
Look at an Oetty kit in person before it is prepped. The fit and finish is suberb. There are plenty of other manufacturers of body kits that produce absolute garbage for not much less in price.
Why did you buy an Audi?
Here again, you've put words into my mouth. Mr. False Assumption
I would agree that the fit and finish on Audi's are typically better than most other manufacturers. I never stated that the quality of Audi is lesser than that of American automotive manufacturers. The statement was made earlier that "you pay for German quality". I simply felt that it was important to delineate quality from design processes. Unfortunately for you, the definition I use to describe quality is universally understood and used as a benchmark in nearly every industry.
Something that has better design is perceived to have better quality by the end user. That is not necessarily true when you look at quality from a Production or Operations standpoint. I agree that Oettinger products are designed to have the highest level of fit and function applied. This has been indicated by the general consensus of their target market. I would however be surprised if their repeatability and reproducibility is better than the typical U.S. manufacturer.
I also just so happen to be visiting a plastic manufacturer in Dresden, Germany next month that is a main supplier for Audi and MB. The products I'm going there to review are unrelated. However, I can tell you that the quality of these components is subpar at best. I can assure you that these components are of the exact material and machinery that the Audi parts are manufactured on.
I'd like to apologize to Oetty and the OP for thread jacking a bit here. I did not intend for it to go this far.
Bookmarks