krava

I just took a look at the a7 sedan. The sedan to me is the best looking car I have seen that is a sedan. Also the trunk is huge 24 cubic feet with the seats back. I looked on audi forums and saw all kinds of hell problems with them. 1 guy had 20 problems or so in the first month and constant *****ing about it from lots of people so even though I like it I might have to steer clear away from that. I like the lexus GS interior more but the back end of that audi is nice. Any problems with the 2013 GS or should I just get the 2015 version and hopefully everything is worked out if any problems.

JEFFOS69

iTrader: (1)

99 times out of 100 you will have way more problems with an audi.

The lexus is pretty solid overall.

Unfortunate for the audi - they make some nice cars but usually have some issues (expensive big ones) and as they get older it doesn't get any better.

obturator

Cross shopped the a7. Absolutely beautiful. Wife has 3GS so very familiar with Lexus quality/reliability. When Lexus went sporty it peaked my interest. How it handled compared to 3GS and other cars in its segment and the interior are what sold me. A7 was number one on list but I knew if I spent 70k + on a car and it started having issues I would be PO'd. I played it safe and got the 4gs f sport and have no issues and no regrets. If I was the leasing type, I would have chosen the a7. Now this was back in 2013. Now, after seeing the BMW 6 series grand coupe, that would be my car (to lease).

Afrosheen

Here are the problems as I see them. I have a 2013 F Sport with the 6 speed transmission and RWD.

1. Engine seems to be lacking power and sounds like a tractor on cold start thanks to direct injection. Turns out the engine has good power but first gear is a nanny gear that doesn't want you breaking traction at every stoplight so it feels a little lazy off the line. Engine is also an ancient design (by German standards) that is in need of a refresh. BUT, older designs are refined and bulletproof, which this engine is. Zero drivetrain issues.

2. Brakes on the 2013's had some issues due to the floating rotor, 2 piece design. Some squeaking brakes, some tapping on turns. Dealership straightens these issues out free, no big deal. Factory pads dust like crazy but ceramics are now available that are much better.

3. App selection in the infotainment section is poor. Lexus Enform app for smartphones can be dodgy depending on phone type, OS, etc..

4. Paint tends to be soft and chips/swirls easily. Maybe it's just black cars though because I don't see many people complaining. Then again, a LOT of people opt for paint protection. I've seen bird poop etch the clearcoat in less than 12 hours. Environmentally friendly paint/clear probably to blame.

5. Gas mileage isn't wonderful, but it isn't too horrible either. In CA it might matter. Here in Texas, not so much.

As you can see, this is a lot of nitpicking and "other cars have this too" type of problems. Coming from an Infiniti, which was beautiful and powerful but had a Lego hard plastic interior, this car is damn near perfect. No major mechanical issues. Mature drivetrain (2014+ gets an 8 speed auto). Giant, fantastic nav/radio screen. Stereo options go from great to incredible with the Mark Levinson option. Interior fit and finish is nearly perfect although door switchgear may rattle from high bass which the dealer can fix with strategically placed felt tape. Seats are extremely comfortable and adjustable. Leather is a little on the hard side but by no means bad, just durable. Safety features are nice, as is the light touch lock / unlock built into all the door handles.

I think it's odd you're comparing an A7 to the GS. I figured the A7 price range was more similar to the LS, which also has an F Sport variant with a buttery smooth v8. Base on a stripper A7 is around 65.9k and probably tops out close to 90 with enough options. LS starts at 72 fairly well appointed.

krava

I cross shopped this thinking of a (USED for sure) a7 in the $40K range or a CPO or new gs350, never would by a new a7 that is out of my price range I want to spend. New gs350 maybe $49K if lucky, used lower $40K range so fair price.

Afrosheen

Haha, a used Audi. You will make the right choice on a GS350 in this case every single time. Of course, you're asking the choir about the bible, so it's hard to give an objective opinion, but I tried.

Dustin2011

I have an Audi (SQ5) and a Lexus (GS 350 F-Sport). I know they are not comparable vehicles, but in my opinion hands down Audi gives you more "sport" while Lexus gives you more luxury. I don't even worry about reliability with the Lexus when it goes out of warranty. I wouldn't be comfortable owning an Audi out of warranty.

I think it really comes down to what you are looking for in a vehicle.

sick21

I wasn't considering an A7, but I cross shopped an A6 3.0T w/ Black Optic Pkg before I got my F Sport. I personally don't like the interior of the Audi, the center stack seems ugly to me as are the way the front seats look. My deciding factor though was price and dealerships. The Lexus is about $2-5k cheaper (and easier to find than a specific Audi) and both Lexus and Audi dealers are 4 hours away from me so I chose the clearly most reliable. Oh and I believe the Lexus gets 29 mpg highway while being less than .5 sec slower that the A6 3.0T and 535. I am very happy with my new Lexus

GregCanada

If you are looking for reliability, the last car i would ever buy would be an Audi. They are like a hot, crazy girl... you'll be spending all your time, money and sanity dealing with their *****.

LexRuger

I contemplated getting a used A7 but I don't trust used cars. Especially German because they are very expensive for repairs. If you do decide to get the A7. Either get a brand new one or a CPO with extended warranty.

Also, I'm not sure if you're leasing or not. But another thing to consider is pricing. I often see A7 owners on other forums paying close to 1,000 a month on 3 year leases. With a brand new decently equipped GS, you'll be paying half that.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

We have had several audis in house and my brother is getting a 2014 audi a6 tdi with black optic package and prestige this week. Audis make great cars nowadays and far more reliable then the past

Here are the cars and miles we have put on.
2006 audi a8 50k miles with little problems. Lease from 2004 to 2006
2007 audi a8 170k miles with minor problems. Got totaled 2012.
2012 audi a8 60k miles. Bad driveshaft replaced but so far running smoothly and the best a8 yet.

These cars were driven by my dad and I maintened them for him without problems. I still love my lexus gs fsport and would get another one next year despite falling in love with the a7 looks but the fsport is a great looking car with balanced handling and package options. Also it's reliable. I wouldnt mind going for a7 too.

Christobol

I'm surprised that a used A7 is in the 40's how old are you looking? The retail on those starts at 70k and quickly ramps up to 80 with standard options. I looked and 2012's are going below 50k, while newer are generally priced above, but that's still a pretty high depreciation rate. There is a good reason the value has dropped so significantly after 2 years... people know they are potentially buying an extremely expensive to own vehicle.

As I told you in your thread about the A6, my mechanic just laughed and called it a 'rich man's car'. Beyond your lack of credit to buy any car right now, you're not sure what you want. With that being said I would stop thinking about a vehicle until you're credit is repaired, during which time you can let your mind slowly think about what car you want. At which time you can decide between:

Audi A6/A7 - Very sporty, fast, fun at the track, tons of room, monthly TMobile bills for NAV access, high depreciation during years 1-4, extremely high depreciation during years 4-10, extremely high maintenance costs, and major repairs starting around the 100-120k mileage range

Lexus GS - Sport, fairly fast, fun at the track but slower, medium room, moderately high maintenance costs, high depreciation years 1-3, moderate years 3-5, and low years 6-15, no major maintenance necessary until 160k, and major repairs starting at 180-250+ k miles.

If when you're ready to buy a car in 6 or so months and you're still feeling strongly about either Audi. Get one and just lease it. Then when you're ready for another car you'll have a strong auto credit score to buy your next vehicle.

GBFSport

I had four Audi A6's prior to joining the Lexus family, they were fun cars to drive and at the lime looked really sharp. I got so fed up with all the repairs (and cost) after they hit the 50,000 mile stage, on my last Audi at 51,000 miles BOTH catalytic converters packed up within a month, also Audi service is nothing to shout about.

On my third GS now and have never looked back, just got the F Sport with all the trimmings and could not be happier. The A7 is a sharp car and i did price it out just for the heck of it, $85K all in.

Bottom line is that I feel I will get better taken care of by Lexus and ML is far superior to Bose.

georgee01

I looked real hard at the A7 TDI before buying my 2014 GSh. The Audi is a beautiful car, lots of room, great fuel economy with the TDI. I've driven Audis before and had mixed experience with reliability.

wfibear

Audis are definitely nice. I had a 2012 A4 quattro with 6sp MT for about a year and a half before getting my 4GS a month ago. I did love the car; it drove really well, was comfortable, nicely designed interior, and Audis in general are somewhat understated, professional, and nice looking cars -- they aren't over the top. That being said, I will never own another. I had nothing but problems with it. Final straw was when one of the pistons sheared and snapped all the piston rings @ 25k. I had several engine and ECU problems prior and Audi for whatever reason decided that it was my fault this time (???). Customer service was not that great. Fixed it, traded it for the 4GS. The only cars I've never had problems and major maintenance with have been Japanese. I recommend sticking to them if that stuff is important to you.