Audi is a German luxury car brand that offers executive-level luxury cars that can be both great fun to drive and able to cushion you on long-distance journeys. Honda on the other hand is a Japanese economy-level car brand that aims to offer standard consumer-grade cars that are mostly designed for the average buyer.
One that is not interested in luxury or technology, but rather in dependability and user-friendliness. As such, these two brands also differ when it comes to reliability because Audi’s are a lot more complex thus are more likely to experience issues, both from new and after a few years of use.
Honda’s are typically able to last longer without needing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on maintenance and repairs. They tend to make simpler cars with simpler engines that are known to do the job without any fuss. Audi wants to make their products more sophisticated which means that they are willing to sacrifice reliability to achieve that.
All in all, Honda is the more reliable brand without a shadow of a doubt. This does not mean that Audi makes unreliable cars as most of their current lineup is a lot more durable when compared to older Audi models.
Audi reliability – Mediocre and highly dependent on proper maintenance
As mentioned in the beginning, Audi is focused on making luxury cars which means that reliability is not the main priority. This is because it’s a lot more difficult to make a reliable car that is also packed with all the latest and greatest technologies.
It is doable, but it would likely increase the development and testing costs way too much. This means that Audi needs to choose what they want to spend money on while developing a new model as sophistication, comfort, luxury, safety, technology, and design are all more important than class-leading reliability.
This is why Mercedes, BMW, and Audi all seem to offer relatively comparable results across the board. Secondly, Audi customers are also not looking for class-leading reliability because they are interested in buying high-quality products that are packed with more of everything.
All in all, Audi makes cars that offer mediocre predicted reliability results which are highly dependent on maintenance and proper care. J.D. Power, Consumer Reports, and WhatCar all list Audi as average when it comes to reliability.
Honda reliability – Very good, mostly in the top three most car reliability charts
Honda and Toyota reside in the very same market and they are constantly competing with each other in the same way BMW and Audi do. Honda and Toyota are both at the very top end of all reliability charts and surveys and this is not likely going to change soon.
Honda’s are bought by people who are interested in affordable, reliable, and efficient cars that don’t excel when it comes to luxury, technology, and overall desirability. They are bought by customers who want the very latest run-of-the-mill car that can do everything.
This is why the Honda CR-V is such a popular car as it is relatively affordable, practical, spacious, safe, and efficient. These are all the marks of a successful mass production automobile and that is the reason why many people buy CR-V’s.
That being said, the clear reliability advantages are also apparent the moment you take a look at surveys done by J.D. Power, Consumer Reports, and WhatCar as all three of these leading reliability surveys give a clear edge to Honda.
Conclusion – Honda is a lot better
It is rather easy to conclude that Honda makes more reliable cars than Audi, both because most online reliability surveys say so and because most owners do too. The reality is that people who buy Japanese economy cars prioritize reliability a lot more.
That is why Japanese economy brands tend to spend lots of money on reliability. On the other hand, most Audi customers buy Audi’s because they look good, they are luxurious, comfortable, and filled with technology.
A car made with these sets of priorities is likely to be more complex thus more problematic. It is true that some brands like Lexus do offer high-end reliable cars, but they are not as innovative nor up to date as most Audi models are.
FAQ Section
Is Audi worth it?
It depends on who you are asking because many people want an Audi, but only a selected few are willing to buy them. They tend to cost more money to buy, maintain, and fix and some people just don’t see the point of that while others are willing to pay more to enjoy a more privileged experience.
It’s not true that Audi’s are not worth their price tags because they are. They are more technologically driven, more comfortable, more luxurious, and they tend to make your feel more special.
Is Honda worth it?
It is a lot easier to convince someone to buy a Honda than it is to convince someone to buy an Audi. Honda models are constantly being praised for their reliability, affordability, and convenience which makes them perfect for people who just want a car for many different purposes.
If you buy a Honda, you are not going to be disappointed as all Honda models are able to do their job without any issues. If you are used to driving luxury cars, you will experience a significant downgrade when it comes to many build materials and overall sophistication, but you will pay less money.
Is Audi more expensive to maintain than Honda?
Audi’s are far more expensive to maintain, especially if you go for a higher-end Audi model. The cheapest Audi models to maintain usually come with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine and are equipped with a front-wheel-drive system. Higher-end Audi’s, especially ones with larger engines are way more expensive than even the most expensive Honda models.
This is rather expected as a technologically driven luxury brand is always going to be more expensive to run when compared to a consumer-grade product. Some people are willing to pay for it, while others are not.
