Audi or indie ?

[mac4RS]

BTW, I'm not some apologist for Yeovil Audi, but read the post again - they replaced the DRC system FOC, & BTW - I didn't by that particular car from them in the first instance.
Personally, I think that it's all about the way one approaches these problems?

Read my post again, I wasn't in any way implying that you need to apologise for Yeovil Audi and I was commenting positively on the way they treated you.

Do you think I approached Southampton Audi differently from how I approached Camberley Audi? - that's what your reply implies...
And I have only praise for Portsmouth Audi (who replaced my DRC system under the goodwill scheme even though it was the first time I had taken my car to them), but Portsmouth Audi and Southampton Audi are both part of the Harwoods group - hence my comment about group being no guide to quality.

Now - let's see Southampton to Camberley - less than 50 miles say an hour at most.
I know where I'd be going....?

An hour? - in the rush hour, you obviously don't know the M3? Unfortunately some of us have work commitments which mean the "luxury" of a 2 1/2 hour rush hour return trip (twice - once to deliver the car and once to collect it) isn't achievable. If that's a "luxury" you can accept, then good luck to you.

Cor blimey...most weeks my average is around 38mph...

[PetrolDave]

Cor blimey...most weeks my average is around 38mph...

My 5 mile commute usually takes me 30 minutes, but at least once a week it takes 45 minutes (the record is 90 minutes) - so I average less than 10mph.

The last figures I found showed that average traffic speeds in the Southampton area are lower than central London

[F@tBoyF@t]

Now - let's see Southampton to Camberley - less than 50 miles say an hour at most.
I know where I'd be going....?
An hour? - in the rush hour, you obviously don't know the M3? Unfortunately some of us have work commitments which mean the "luxury" of a 2 1/2 hour rush hour return trip (twice - once to deliver the car and once to collect it) isn't achievable. If that's a "luxury" you can accept, then good luck to you.

Move West PetrolDave - the life is obviously a lot less stressful here in the glorious West Country (well OK we are at Red Alert for flood warnings today as it happens...)than it is in your neck of the woods.

Anyway, doesn't one have a butler/chauffeur to do one's running around for one?

And the daft part of this argument is that we are both pro good Audi Dealers...........?

Lighten up,

Ian
"57" AVUS AVANT

[PetrolDave]

And the daft part of this argument is that we are both pro good Audi Dealers...........?

Argument? If you think this is an argument then you haven't lived yet! This is one of the calmest discussions we've had on here in a long time

100% agree that good Audi dealers would remove the temptation to use indies for normal servicing, but that ain't going to happen until Audi UK understand that and get their dealer network sorted out. They're not as bad as Alfa Romeo dealers used to be around 20 years ago, but the difference is much smaller than it needs to be and I'm concerned that Audi's chase for market share isn't going to be helping things.

Lighten up

As above, you're the one that thinks this is an argument so you're the one that needs to lighten up

[F@tBoyF@t]

And the daft part of this argument is that we are both pro good Audi Dealers...........?

Argument? If you think this is an argument then you haven't lived yet! This is one of the calmest discussions we've had on here in a long time

100% agree that good Audi dealers would remove the temptation to use indies for normal servicing, but that ain't going to happen until Audi UK understand that and get their dealer network sorted out. They're not as bad as Alfa Romeo dealers used to be around 20 years ago, but the difference is much smaller than it needs to be and I'm concerned that Audi's chase for market share isn't going to be helping things.

Lighten up

As above, you're the one that thinks this is an argument so you're the one that needs to lighten up

OK PETROLDAVE -I give in - "arguing/sparring" (call it what you will) with you reminds me of arguing with my wife & there's only going to be one winner there..........?

I'll refrain from resorting to emoticons, & claim the moral high ground.

But seriously, the roads here in Dorset may be worth a run out on. You could be here in under an hour. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Fortunately my car sees well over 100mph several times a day....safely & in the right place - right time? Clean license.
Yes, I do work for a living. Not because I have to, but because I enjoy it - bizarre, I know.

Funnily enough, having been an owner of a series-105 Alfa 2000 GTV Bertone, for thirty years I have experienced the thick end of Alfa ownership.
Believe me, Audi Dealers are a doddle after that.

Expecting that this won't be the last word on this little spat........... & it's improving my posting count.

Ian

"57 AVUS AVANT

[lengster1]

F@tb@boyf@t i think youve missed the point,your reference to scrimping couldnt be further from the truth,i know how much these cars were new i bought it much nearer that price than what they are now,its had 5-6k worth of tuning and mods for many a year also,it has an oil service every 5k with top quality oil and such things as brake fluid etc etc all done as per schedule and upgraded if i feel theres a better product.My point is £180 to drop the undertray and put my oil in it IS ott imo seeing as i cant seem to get out of them what else they are doing for 1.8 hrs given plugs filters etc etc were all done before they needed to be done when MRC tuned it.I could do it with trolley jacks in well under an hour im sure.My point was is it worth paying an extra £120 labour for the main dealer to pour my oil in against an indie doing it? At the end of the day when im back home either way the car has top quality oil in it but would an indie stamp make any difference come sale time? Im inclined like most (and have booked it in) to have main service at audi inbetween oil etc and other work at indie.

[lengster1]

Im fairly sure my indie wouldnt take 3 times the time to change my oil either,youve kinda grasped or not as the case may be with that comment what im getting at,its hardly a technical job that warrants £180 is it? My local indie has both the master techs from Hull audi so im sure it would be in safer hands than the bog standard tech at the main agent.As for your comment regarding why do people buy RS4s? Well its to enjoy the car for what it offers not look forward to going to dealer and have it serviced surely?Mines mint and runs the best of everything and always has but a make sure i get a deal on it all.

[RIV]

I have all the work done on my car at an indie, I trust the the company they specialize in Audi and Porsche.Now the car is out of warranty I don't see the point with using Audi anymore, the only reason would be the free mot with servicing, I have the ex master tec at Audi doing all the work on my car, he also prepares touring cars, his knowledge is second to none!!!so why would I use the main dealer, I guess it just depends on personal preference at the end of the day

[F@tBoyF@t]

F@tb@boyf@t i think youve missed the point,your reference to scrimping couldnt be further from the truth,i know how much these cars were new i bought it much nearer that price than what they are now,its had 5-6k worth of tuning and mods for many a year also,it has an oil service every 5k with top quality oil and such things as brake fluid etc etc all done as per schedule and upgraded if i feel theres a better product.My point is £180 to drop the undertray and put my oil in it IS ott imo seeing as i cant seem to get out of them what else they are doing for 1.8 hrs given plugs filters etc etc were all done before they needed to be done when MRC tuned it.I could do it with trolley jacks in well under an hour im sure.My point was is it worth paying an extra £120 labour for the main dealer to pour my oil in against an indie doing it? At the end of the day when im back home either way the car has top quality oil in it but would an indie stamp make any difference come sale time? Im inclined like most (and have booked it in) to have main service at audi inbetween oil etc and other work at indie.

What makes you think that I've missed your point?

If you're happy to have your car serviced by the non-franchised indie (expert as he may be) then just do it - what's your beef?

Do I think that it would make a difference if I were a prospective buyer? - perhaps, but probably not. It would depend on the individual buyer.

Car condition is paramount to me when buying, as was value for money.

While, I realise that you've made the acceptable mods & your exemplary care of your car - it is personal choice after all, personally, I'd prefer to keep my car as standard in the first place. I wouldn't have considered a modified car when I was buying, especially if it was at the other end of the country.

My car has a couple of indie stamps (Audi specialists) - some Audi - looking at the history, at the end of the day, I was happy enough to buy it.

Thank goodness we have the choice?

1.8 hours for servicing - do you realise how long it takes to tick those boxes on the check sheet ?.....(that's irony BTW)

I do take your point - a colleague's son is a technician at the local VW dealer. On the face of it, he's expected to clock 12hours+ each & every day - he's only there for 8 hours. He does get a nice bonus at the end of the week.

I suppose they have to make their money some way given the architectural masterpieces they are obliged to have by VAG?
Stuff like that doesn't come cheap. Plus, we as customers expect them to have all the special tools needed to do the work in the first place? & yes I do realise that they do not require special tools to do an oil change.

But, I know that if I had a niggling technical problem with the car I'd be going to Audi, since I think that they have the weight of world-wide experience behind them. They did design/manufacture and now maintained the majority of these cars the majority of the time? Who has any more experience of the B7 RS4 than Audi?

Why not just change the oil yourself?

I think that any of us trading a B7 RS4 against a B8 is going to get trousered by the Audi dealer anyway - that's life. If we don't like it we can always just walk away?

Have you had to use the services of a solicitor or an accountant recently? - £275 per hour?

Audi is cheap by comparison - but I wouldn't trust Yeovil Audi if I wanted to file for a divorce from the current Mrs F@tboyF@t, would I?

On the other hand...... if I needed my DRC system re-gassed, I wouldn't be hot-footing it to Cuthbert, Dibble & Squire?

Ian

"57" AVUS AVANT

[lengster1]

My car went into Hull audi no less than four times on the expectstion of correct eqiupment etc thats my whole point the skill level needs to match the charging rate but doesnt in this case, escuse any speeling im bladdered and mybpork ssussge fingers are struggling on the phone

[RIV]

My last taste of Audi main dealers was when I had my dreaded DRC, they replaced the suspension and over pressurized the system, the ride was shocking after 1 day the shocks burst!! Good old Audi

[mac4RS]

Now - let's see Southampton to Camberley - less than 50 miles say an hour at most.
I know where I'd be going....?
An hour? - in the rush hour, you obviously don't know the M3? Unfortunately some of us have work commitments which mean the "luxury" of a 2 1/2 hour rush hour return trip (twice - once to deliver the car and once to collect it) isn't achievable. If that's a "luxury" you can accept, then good luck to you.

Move West PetrolDave - the life is obviously a lot less stressful here in the glorious West Country (well OK we are at Red Alert for flood warnings today as it happens...)than it is in your neck of the woods.

Anyway, doesn't one have a butler/chauffeur to do one's running around for one?

And the daft part of this argument is that we are both pro good Audi Dealers...........?

Lighten up,

Ian
"57" AVUS AVANT

Me thinks you have been drinking too much of your west country brew chill man

[PetrolDave]

Fortunately my car sees well over 100mph several times a day

Posting in a public forum that every day you exceed the speed limit by a margin guaranteed to get you a driving ban isn't clever, and is likely to make any 57 Avus Avant in Dorset worthy of "special attention" by the boys in blue.

I'm well aware of the delights of Dorset roads, my Dad lives in Dorset and I visit him regularly - but I get my enjoyment from the handling ability of the RS4 not it's raw speed.