In March 2018, Audi unveiled the prototype of the e-tron at the Geneva Motor Show. Apart from being Audi’s first purely electric car, what caught the attention of the audience were the two virtual external mirrors equipped with cameras.
However, these technology-enhancing features were not seen on the production car in the domestic market.
Of course, the virtual external mirrors served more as a finishing touch rather than a decisive factor in purchasing decision-making for consumers. After all, with a starting price of 692,800 yuan, it is unlikely that someone would buy a car just for that. As for myself, my interest in the e-tron stops there.
With more and more new energy vehicles flooding into the market, my memory of the e-tron gradually faded away, and all I could remember was that it was Audi’s first purely electric vehicle. If it weren’t for meeting an e-tron owner in the 42HOW community, I would never have understood why people buy it. Is it “just a mode of transportation for the wealthy” or “a product that caters to their needs”?
After chatting with this e-tron owner, whom I will refer to as Xiangbei (pseudonym), I finally got the answer.
Audi Born, Driving Passionate
Xiangbei works in the home decoration industry and is also a native of Beijing. He owns an e-tron.
From S3 to e-tron
Before purchasing the e-tron, Xiangbei owned an Audi S3. He told me that he loves cars, especially performance cars. “I was lucky enough to get it in 2015. Even before I got lucky, I already had my eye on the Audi S3. I really love it. I bought this car mainly because I think it has great tuning potential. You know, I like to play with cars,” he said excitedly. However, towards the end of his sentence, Xiangbei seemed a bit disheartened.
Xiangbei informed me that the tuning potential of the S3 was great, but he did not spend much time or money on it, yet he still managed to make it very fast. The fastest time he achieved was 3.1 seconds.
“This car has given me too much shock,” he continued talking about the S3 with enthusiasm. “I think there are few brands that can achieve this kind of performance. I feel that Audi has the highest cost-effectiveness among the cars in the same price range. For example, it’s the same for the S3, which costs just over 300,000 yuan. I think there is no performance car in the same price range that has a better cost-effectiveness than it does.” Xiangbei spoke fluently about the S3, as if he had a lot to share.
But I interrupted him mercilessly and asked why he went from being a performance car owner to an owner of a mid-size SUV.Last year, my child was born,” said Xiangbei with a happy smile. “You may not understand it if you haven’t been married yet, especially after having a child, you are no longer living for yourself. At the same time, I realized that the S3 no longer meets my needs, so I want to switch to a larger car.”
But Xiangbei is not planning to consider fuel-powered cars. The reason is that according to the waiting time, he can get a new energy license plate in February of this year, so he will choose from new energy vehicles.
Choosing a car by elimination
Xiangbei went to see several cars when choosing a car, namely Tesla Model X, NIO ES8, Mercedes-Benz EQC, and Audi e-tron. But in the end, he chose the e-tron.
“I used the elimination method. I actually like the Model X very much, both in terms of brand tone and driving experience, but it’s a bit expensive; the ES8 has two main points, one is that NIO is still a new company, and I personally am not very confident about it; the other is that I am not satisfied with its mechanical quality. For a car, I 70% value its driving control experience and the other 30% are some comfortable configuration, such as intelligence. As for the EQC, that car is comfortable enough. When I say comfortable, I mean the feeling of braking, throttle, suspension, and steering that the overall car brings to you, especially the outstanding braking. But it’s a bit small, and I don’t like its appearance that much,” Xiangbei said.
Xiangbei is quite “stubborn”. Here, “stubborn” does not mean that he is unwilling to accept new things, but that he has his own opinions on cars. He believes that cars are not just transportation tools, but more to a certain extent, they are part of the family, whether they are companions or brothers. He feels that there is an emotional connection between people and cars, which comes from “communication” between people and cars.
And he believes that “communication” lies in the moment when you start driving the car. “This kind of thing is difficult to describe and quantify, but I think people who like cars or have driven cars will feel it. So I will consider e-tron, mainly based on this factor.”
Why Audi again?
I asked Xiangbei if he chose e-tron because of the Audi brand.
“Yes and no,” Xiangbei continued. “As I said earlier, in addition to product strength, the initial choice of S3 was more considered its cost performance. After having S3, I still have some affection for the Audi brand. But if you ask me to buy it just for the brand, I’m not that emotional. For me, I lean more towards the product and then the appropriate price after the product.”
Satisfied with the e-tron
When it comes to products, Xiangbei told me that he values the e-tron for several reasons. Firstly, it has a remarkable handling feeling that is superior to its peers, particularly due to its outstanding suspension tuning. Secondly, it has equally remarkable NVH performance compared to other vehicles within its level. Lastly, he is very satisfied with the spacious interior.
“In my experience with several cars, e-tron’s handling is the most satisfying, especially with the standard air suspension, you know that feeling, like melting chocolate in your mouth, it’s so delicate and comfortable, with occasional bursts of pleasure, coupled with decent power (0-100km/h acceleration in 5.7 seconds) and a very linear acceleration experience, that’s what I want.” Xiangbei couldn’t stop talking about the suspension.
Following our conversation, I test drove the e-tron and, as Xiangbei had described, the suspension was the most memorable part for me. In any case, once you drive it, you’ll know if Xiangbei’s assessment is accurate.
As for the NVH, Xiangbei also gave very high praise, “I know it can’t compare with my S3, but suddenly driving in such an quiet car surprised me, especially when you close the windows, the outside world seems to have nothing to do with you. Even my wife, an average user, can feel it.”
In fact, these two aspects are already enough to sway Xiangbei, “But what ultimately convinced him were the space and price discounts. “Because we have children, we need a child safety seat in the back, so we have a demand for interior space. EQC is not as satisfying in this aspect; the rear space is smaller, after all, the size is there. However, the e-tron solves our needs for space. Finally, it’s about the price.”
Xiangbei purchased the 2019 55 quattro technology version, although the MSRP was 760,800 yuan, there was a significant discount. He told me that the actual price is less than 600,000 yuan.
“At first, I was a little hesitant when I saw the MSRP, it was similar to the Model X, but after all, Audi is still a dealership model, so I thought there should be discounts, but I didn’t expect the discount to be so significant. Taking everything into account, the product’s quality and price have a balance for me.” Xiangbei said.
Interestingly, Xiangbei told me about an amusing incident when he went to the 4S dealership. “They asked me directly, ‘How much do you want to pay for it?'” Because the perception of this vehicle varies widely among customers, many people experience a significant change of opinion before and after test-driving it. “You really need to drive it and feel it to understand its value. In the end, the discount we agreed upon was substantial.” Xiangbei was surprised but ultimately received a good price for the car.## My Questions, North’s Answers
Despite North has told me a lot of advantages of e-tron, I still have some questions in mind. Faced with North’s frankness, I told him my doubts without reservation.
Question one, e-tron’s NEDC range is 470 km. Considering its weight of 2.6 tons, the power consumption may not be low, and the corresponding range may not be high. Doesn’t the problem of range anxiety affect purchasing decisions?
This problem was obviously anticipated by North, and he smiled and said, “I know you will definitely ask about the range issue. Actually, the power consumption of my car is not low. It is about 25 kWh/100 km in daily use. But I didn’t feel the problem of range anxiety. It’s mainly because of the usage scenarios. I have a home charging station, and this car is mainly used for commuting, so there is no issue. Even if I go a little further, it’s just to nearby cities. I can charge it to full at home, and then charge it once again on the way back. If I travel further, I will take high-speed trains or airplanes. So I didn’t consider this issue at the beginning. It’s enough.”
Then I raised the second doubt. Nowadays, new energy vehicle companies are developing towards intelligence. You also mentioned that intelligence is also a consideration in purchasing decisions. However, my experience shows that the intelligence of e-tron is average. Have you considered this aspect?
North answered, “Intelligence is nothing more than two aspects, one is intelligent cockpit, and the other is assisted driving. Let’s talk about intelligent cockpit first. Of course, better is better, but for me, considering the driving control, comfort, and price, e-tron is the best choice. You have to compromise. As for assisted driving, I prefer to drive by myself. I have already told you about this before. Moreover, e-tron also has adaptive cruise control, which is enough.”
Dissatisfied Parts
Due to time constraints, I asked North the last two questions: What are the shortcomings of e-tron? How satisfied are you with it, and what is the recommendation index?
“There are some, the main problem is some minor software issues. Maybe it is because e-tron is the first electric car of Audi, so there are some shortcomings in experience. But in my opinion, all cars are not perfect. As a consumer, it is a process of tolerating advantages and disadvantages. It depends on whether you can tolerate its shortcomings while enjoying its advantages. As for satisfaction, I would rate it 4.5 stars, and there is room for improvement in intelligence. The recommendation is 4 stars. If friends who can accept its price can try it.” After that, because North had something to deal with, he politely said goodbye and hung up the phone.## Translation
To this point, my conversation with Xiangbei basically came to an end. After talking to him, the question raised at the beginning was answered. Although Xiangbei is just one of the many e-tron owners, I believe that as far as the objective advantages on the car body are concerned, to a certain extent, users share the same feelings.
If we only look at the price of e-tron, I really don’t understand the motivation of users to buy it. But if we compare it with other models in the same level, the problem is solved. In addition, with the brand power of Audi, the mechanical quality of the product and extremely great discount, I have probably found the answer.
Conclusion
In fact, consumers of new energy vehicles like Xiangbei are not the majority. Among the users I have encountered, they belong to a small group. They have trust in traditional luxury car brands, but in the current market, these luxury brands do not have many products to choose from. Therefore, some people choose to try new brands, while others stick to the inherent advantages of traditional old brands. Regardless of the final outcome, they are all choosing the most suitable product for themselves.
You may not agree with me, but I have the right to choose, and this itself does not involve any contradiction. The key is whether you want others to agree with your choice, or whether you really like it and whether it is suitable for you?
In Xiangbei, I see the latter.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.