There are three leading actors in the pantheon of German luxury brands: Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Audi against BMW is the fight that has intensified over the past 20 years as both brands actively chase younger, wealthier customers, despite the fact that the rivalry between the three has been waging for almost 100 years and the conflict between BMW and Mercedes is still extremely severe.
Both automakers maintain sizable lineups of opulent cars and SUVs, and both have created certified pre-owned programs that are becoming more and more well-liked. In search of luxury, performance, and elegance in 2019 new and used car buyers frequently wind themselves comparing cars from both Audi and BMW. Comparisons between the omnipresent Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series are most common among consumers. The BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 are frequently compared. That is skillful.
- What distinguishes BMW and Audi from one another?
- BMW vs. Audi: which is superior?
- Which brand is more dependable, BMW or Audi?
- Audi or BMW, which is more expensive?
- Which brand has a better reputation, Audi or BMW?
- Audi versus BMW, which maintenance costs are less?
In This Article...
BMW’s two problems
If you believed that the Mini Cooper was initially a symbol of Britain, you should know that BMW, a German luxury automaker, owns and manufactures Mini automobiles. Following a deal with Volkswagen Group, who now have custody of Bentley, BMW is now the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, another British luxury car brand that attracts attention everywhere it travels.
In 1917, the engine manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke, and in 1922 it amalgamated with the aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke. It initially began selling aviation engines before extending its manufacture to include motorcycles and cars in the future.
In relation to the Volkswagen group, numerous well-known automobile brands are owned by this German automotive behemoth. Volkswagen currently owns all of Audi, Scania, and Porsche, as well as Skoda Auto, Lamborghini, and Ducati in its entirety. The Volkswagen Group obviously makes great decisions when selecting its auto brands because they can claim to hold some of the best and most recognizable auto brands in the world.
In order to mobilize its populace for the future, the brand needed to have a car for the masses. Only a few of the models were produced before the start of World War II, at which point the factory shifted its focus to producing military vehicles.
Following the war, production of the company’s iconic Beetle began to pick up again, eventually reaching a total of over 21 million. Volkswagen’s corporate headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany. These assets are within the corporation’s control:
- Volkswagen
- Bentley
- Audi
- Bugatti
- Porsche
- SEAT
- Lamborghini
- Skoda
- MAN
- Scania
- Ducati
A Guide to Automobile Companies
The major automakers with present presences in the United States are listed below, along with the brands they sell.
BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce are all owned by BMW Group. Smart and Mercedes-Benz are owned by Daimler AG. Lincoln and Ford are owned by Ford Motor Co. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac all belong to General Motors. Hummer is back as a GMC subsidiary brand. In order to co-develop EVs, GM and Honda have an official collaboration. Acura and Honda are owned by Honda Motor Co. It collaborates with GM. Sony Honda Mobility is the name of the electric vehicle firm they founded with Sony. Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia are all owned by Hyundai Motor Group. Mazda is owned by Mazda Motor Corp. Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Infiniti are all owned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot S.A., a new company called Stellantis was created. According to the explanation, the word is derived from the Latin verb “stello,” which means “to dazzle with stars.” Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, and Ram are now under Stellantis and are FCA brands that are offered in the United States. Other Stellantis automobile brands include Citroen, DS Automobiles, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall. Subaru is owned by Subaru Corp. Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors. Owned by Tesla. Lexus and Toyota are owned by Toyota Motor Corp. Additionally, it owns stock in Suzuki and Subaru. The automotive brand VinFast, along with VinHomes, VinBigData, VinBioCare, and VinBrain, are all owned by VinGroup. Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Scout, and Volkswagen are all brands owned by Volkswagen AG. Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus are all brands owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (ZGH).
Audi
One of VW’s high-end brands, Audi, has a headquarters in Germany’s Ingolstadt and functions somewhat independently of its parent company.
The name Audi, which is derived from the Latin translation of the German word Horch, which means “listen,” was first registered in 1910 by German engineer August Horch, who had created an automobile manufacturer in his own name in 1904. The four rings of the company’s logo stand for the four automakers that joined forces to form Auto Union in 1932: Audi, Hord, DKW, and Wanderer.
After Volkswagen purchased Auto Union from Daimler-Benz in 1965, the brand was revived with the release of the Audi F103 series and the restoration of the Audi name after a 25-year absence.
At first, Volkswagen was only interested in the capacity of the plant in Ingolstadt and did not want Auto Union to function independently. The first Audi 100 was created by Auto Union engineers undercover, and it wowed VW brass before being released in 1968. A year later, Auto Union amalgamated with NSU Motorenwerke, a manufacturer of rotary engines, motorbikes, and compact vehicles. On January 1st, 1969, the new business, Audi NSU Auto Union AG, was established with Audi as a distinct brand.
In 1970, Volkswagen launched the Audi nameplate on the American market. The firm was renamed Audi AG in 1986, and its headquarters were once again in Ingolstadt.
Although the introduction of quattro all-wheel drive was well received, recalls for reports of sudden unintended acceleration, perpetuated by a false 60 Minutes report, nearly killed the brand in North America in the 1980s. The 1980 Audi quattro Coupe, which featured an all-wheel drive system developed from the Volkswagen Iltis military vehicle, set the template for modern rally cars.
When it was decided in 1972 that no member of the Porsche family (he was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche) should be involved in the day-to-day operations of the German sports car manufacturer, Ferdinand Piech joined Audi from Porsche. While initially providing Volkswagen with engineering skills it lacked in-house, Audi’s impact on the company turned out to be far greater.
In 1993, Piech was appointed chairman of the Volkswagen Group. Since then, he has played a key role in the company’s aggressive brand acquisition strategy and the creation of iconic cars like the Golf 4, Audi R8, Bentley Continental, and Bugatti Veyron.
Despite being hit by scandal once more in 2015 as a result of the bigger Volkswagen emissions testing affair, Audi is now a reputable and well-known manufacturer of sporty premium vehicles and SUVs. Audi is moving into the electric car market, starting with the Audi E-Tron, in accordance with the general direction set for the Volkswagen Group.
Who is Audi’s current owner?
Audi, a division of the Volkswagen Group, has continued to make luxury automobiles that dazzle with their opulent features and exceptional performance while staying faithful to its German heritage.
who sells the most automobiles Audi or BMW?
BMW was the world’s top-selling luxury car brand with 2.5 million vehicles sold. In contrast, Volkswagen’s Audi brand sold almost 1.7 million automobiles in 2021.