Until you lease it, and the lease is half the price for a comparable MSRP
I’d suggest anyone who looks down on Golf GTI’s from their A4 needs to read up more (specifically on the 2.0 TFSI engine in both cars, and the Haldex AWD system on the low end Audi’s and Golf R). I certainly wouldn’t pay $50k (or a high lease cost) for a FWD-biased 4 cylinder, especially if a sporty car is desired given how many options are out there. Best interiors at that price point, but not a lot else.
How a car drives is subjective so people will have differing opinions. A RWD Giulia with its smidgen more hp will be 1/3 cheaper to lease, even cheaper on a 24 month lease.
Just to be clear I’ve no issue with the A4 or Audi, they’re just overpriced for certain models particularly in the US. I’ve owned cars from 4 VW Group brands in the UK and US (Seat Leon, VW Golf R, Audi TT, Audi Q5, and a Porsche Cayman) so I’d say I have a good frame of reference.
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Thank you! This is very helpful.
@vjd15 are you only working with one dealer? That’s not the best way to go about it… I’d forget the dealer you’re working with, they obviously aren’t looking to deal. You need to email at least 4 dealers (ideally more if you can) and pit them against each other. List out the deal you’re looking for, or link them to the leasing calculator if you want. Start at 10% off MSRP, list out any incentives you qualify for, and the MF you expect to qualify for. Feel free to CC them all on the initial email so they know they’re competing with each other. One of them will want to lease you the car… You have to leverage them against one another, or you’ll never get the best deal possible.
100% agreed. Very well put.
Apparently many others disagree…Audi posted record sales in 2017 in the US.
They may be terrible leases, but if sales are up, why incentivize if you’re them?
I don’t quite understand it, to be honest. I test drove the A4 and A6 last summer, and found them both to be very bland driving experiences. Horrible interior/dash design and unless you step up to the S badge, they lack power. It’s not for me… But I see them EVERYWHERE in my area. A4’s galore, A6’s and Q5/Q7’s abound here. Maybe people here have more money than sense? I don’t know…
What’s ugly and boring to you is luxurious and refined to someone else. Different strokes for different folks.
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True story.
Maybe it’s my age, but I just expect more out of a “luxury” brand.
If you google Haldex in any Vw/Audi context you’ll most likely find a ton of forum threads written mostly by Torsen fanboys. Haldex is a bonafide manufacturer but somehow it became a bad word on those forums just because some people like to masturbate to their self-proclaimed Torsen superiority. Maybe it was better at one point in time, but my point is proof was never really required or debated; it became gospel long ago.
Best interiors are a matter of opinion. At one point I wound have agreed with you but these days they have gone off the deep end of minimalist interiors. Mercedes interiors look luxurious comparatively while Audi comes across as spartan these days.
I certainly wouldn’t pay $50k (or a high lease cost) for a FWD-biased 4 cylinder, especially if a sporty car is desired given how many options are out there. Best interiors at that price point, but not a lot else.
Not that it needs to change your opinion but the A4 is RWD biased. I think the A3 is FWD-biased.
As I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve done my due diligence and have been in constant contact with my closest dealerships. I then only posted the best offer I had received thus far on this forum. I put them all on hold while that offer was pending because I’ve been waiting on another dealership to get back to me so I could pit everyone against that one. New numbers should be coming in later this evening.
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Let me just say it is incredibly frustrating to go through this leasing process as a girl. The guy straight up laughed at me when I asked about putting multiple security deposits down. He said, “Well, I thought you said you wanted to put $1500-2000 down. So you want to put multiple of those?” and I said, “No, isn’t that equivalent to about 3 security deposits?” and he laughed at me and said no. It’s my understanding that the security deposit is typically the monthly payment rounded up, no??
I would find a new dealership then. I’m a 23 year old girl who got laughed at by a salesperson when I laid out the pricing I wanted, he told me I would never ever get that price on the car I wanted. I promptly took my business to a different dealership where I was treated with complete respect and got the exact deal I wanted.
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Negotiate everything over email. Don’t set foot in there until you have everything agreed upon (except for test drives).
Create a burner email, preferably with a plausibly unisex first name or just first initial, last name.
Create a burner phone # by signing up for Google Voice, with an automated Vmail response. Take only the calls you want, and when your deal is signed just stop forwarding calls to your real # altogether.
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Yes, when you do MSD’s it is based on the monthly payment, rounded. That sales guy didn’t know what he is talking about.
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Your problem is right here. “Cute” sports car ? you are perfect Audi customer…
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Thanks. He clearly didn’t understand because the quote he gave me listed it as a down payment. Wasting my time…
I know, right? I’m in it for looks right now. I recognize the shortcomings in that statement and that everyone will be groaning. 
It matters what you like…
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