2018 Accord More Luxurious than Audi A4, says Motor Trend
Why buy a cheap Audi when you can get something less expensive, and better?
Audi’s public relations team is probably pretty unhappy right now. Why? Motor Trend just ranked a Honda as being more luxurious than the Audi A4. That the Honda happens to be the new Accord, and according to that same article, the best-selling car to individual buyers (aka, not rental fleets), would likely not console Audi. But, such comparisons are inevitable. Christian Seabaugh of MT notes that with tradition “luxury” car makers moving down-market to sell more volume and mainstream automakers stacking the options list on their top-tier models, this was bound to happen.
They capped the price at $40,000 and pitted a loaded 2018 Honda Accord Touring with the 2.0T motor. That’s the detuned turbo I-4 from the Civic Type R, and it’s a gem. The price? $36,690 to the bargain Audi A4 Ultra which rang in at $39,110 as-tested. We’ve driven a handful of Audis, including the cheap ones, so when Seabaugh gave the Accord the nod over the Audi we were honestly a little surprised. Real light gray (!) leather, convincing fake wood, and satin metallic trim all add up. Though the exterior of the Audi says, according to MT, “I’ve made it!” the interior seems to mutter, “Not quite…”
Does the Audi have anything on the Accord? Fuel economy is better, but it’s slower than the Accord; the Audi is quieter under acceleration and at highway speeds. That’s it. Though there’s always the brand recognition aspect. We never did understand the ripped and faded jeans fad, so maybe that’s why brand cachet isn’t ringing any bells for us.
Scott Evans, another Motor Trend editor, put the final nail in the coffin: “Audi does a superb job of dressing up the A4 to keep your eyes away from the cost-saving measures…but when you dig even a little bit, you find them.”
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