I moved to Boston in January of 2010 and was looking to establish a working relationship with a local dealer for parts and service. I drive a 2007 A4 2.0T Quattro, which is under warranty and Audi Care. I have since been to AoB twice. Once was in late winter due to engine sputtering, the second was to line up my current purchase, an A3 which I have as of now put a deposit on.
I dropped the A4 off to their service department in January or so, where I was attended to by Jeff Buckholtz, expecting to pay upwards of $1500 for the 35k service that was due at the time. You can imagine my delight later that day when I received a phone call from the service department saying they had found the problem, and to verify that I wanted the 35k service completed. The problem was of course fixed under warranty, and upon asking what the service would cost, I was informed of the fact that the used Audi I was driving had Audicare paid out through 45k. To make a long story short, I picked the car up with a fresh engine tune, no more sputtering, oil changed and the remainder of the 35k service performed, with an amount due of $0. They very easily could have charged me for the 35k service and made a nice mint, and I would never have known better.
So, while I can't speak for service before January 2010, I can only assume there's been a shakedown, because I have zero complaints.
My most recent experience and the motivation for me to write this, was a visit to investigate a new A3. I'm downsizing, and I want DSG. I showed up and was greeted by Scott Allerheiligen, with whom I had no prior experience. Sharp-looking guy, and to be honest I was a bit worried this would equate to him being a hardcore salesman (read: douche). I rattled off a spec-list that I was looking for, and he told me about a gently used A3 they had coming in the very next day, with that identical spec list. We did a walk around of my A4, and he came up with a trade-in that was about the eBay value of it, so I was happy with that fact. With nothing but a quick glance he knew every option package and every specification of the car. I consider myself pretty well versed in Audi, but this guy positively spanked me.
We talked more about our previous Audi love affairs and what we like in our cars than we ever did about numbers, and his knowledge and relaxed attitude put me at ease. A classy guy for sure, and very unassuming even if you are buying a basic model like an A3. I had questions about DSG, and he proceeded to recount exactly how they work, what they do when you slam on the brakes or sit in traffic, the history of their development since the 80s, and literally every specification of the vehicle built around it. He knew the differences in the torque curve between my A4 and the A3, despite the identical powerplant, and why those differences exist. I asked about chiptuning, not only did he inform me of the recommended tuning program, but he knew the name of the specific act that was passed requiring auto manufacturers to be able to directly attribute damage to modifications in order to deny warranty claims (ie, you cannot deny repairs on a clutch because owner installed an aftermarket muffler).
In short, I don't know what the hell they've done at this dealership since most of these reviews were written, but I have not had a spit of issues to speak of. The 1-star ding, is because of the lack of Audi loaner cars, weird location, and bad parking situation. The only dealership I've been treated better in was Mercedes-Benz, and its really only because their insanely hot Russian model receptionist served me coffee there while I waited for my wheel bearings. God bless America.
1) Give them a chance
2) Let them know how much their reviews suck if they start getting screwy
3) Talk to Scott if you have the slightest technical or financial question
DO: -Pay the premium for German luxury and engineering if you think it's worth it
-Love your car, maintain it, treat it well, and it will maintain its trade-in value
-Drive the piss out of it, and love every second
DON'T: -Walk into a dealership expecting to be screwed and wearing the expression on your face
-BEAT the piss out of it
-Pay $40,000+ and expect service to cost the same as your Corolla.
Best of luck. I will update if I go through with the sale. If I don't, I'm sure Scott will have no problem, and I now know 100% more about my brand than I did before this experience. read more