subaru vs audi tech

[RShaw]

Basically I'm just asking for some advice from any techs out there. I don't have any dealership experience... but I have worked in a body shop for a few years and have a lot of experience wrenching. I know what ever dealer job I did end up in I would do fine at....

 

My question is, if you had a choice, which manufacturer would you work for, an asian car company or euro, when all things are taken into account. (Pay, fun, advancement opportunities, etc)

 

Im sick of construction and want to work towards an automotive career. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! !

[BAC5.2]

Japanese.

 

European cars are all electrical problems. At a Subaru dealer, you'll spend your time replacing head gaskets on early 90's Legacys, mid 90's Imprezas, and late 90's Foresters.

 

At a VW/Audi dealer, you'll spend your time plugging in VAG-COM cables and pushing "reset", or replacing boring sensors. The only fun will be the occasional catastrophic failure. Otherwise you'll get paid too little to chase down electrical gremlins.

 

Unless you head over to a high end Euro dealer, but don't expect to do more than change oil for minimum wage until you get many years under your belt. If your goal is to wrench at a place like that, starting with euro cars might be the best idea. A Maserati dealership isn't likely to hire someone whose only automotive repair experience is in a Subaru dealer, but they are likely to be pretty keen to hire someone who has been wrenching on Audi's for half a decade.

[MikeNH]

I'd say none. The job market for technicians is garbage right now. Pay isn't as important as customer pay vs. warranty pay percentages. Any manufacturer with a long warranty will hurt you, so the Toyota and Hondas with only 3/36 full and 5/60 powertrain are your better bets. Plus Toyota is one of the most user friendly brands in terms of doing work on them. The flat rate pay system is garbage unless you get in a high volume customer pay shop. There is no "advancing" really. You may get continual raises but most places won't bump you to say service manager without some sort of management degree. The only think you could hope for is to get picked up by the manufacturer as a trainer but even those guys usually have some sort of engineering background. And I see that you live with me in salt-loving New England. Working on cars won't be fun. A couple winters up here turns cars into rust buckets that will be awful to work on.

 

I left the business 4 years ago and other than missing having a lift to work on my own junk, I never looked back. Find shtbxr22 on here or newenglandsubaru as he has current dealer experience if you want to pick someones brain.

[RShaw]

Thanks for the advice! I have heard that very same thing from my two friends that work for audi vw. Butttt my friend from audi has only been working there one year and frequently takes home 1500 dollar pay checks and 80 flate rate hrs a week isnt uncommon.

 

The way i see it is, if subaru pays almost as well, i would rather work on them. There would be less headaches, and I am more confident in them.

[Ozzy]

^ I take home 1500 after taxes every two weeks but it just depends what you want to do.. I sit on my ass all day in front of a computer but I do have a lot of freedom to do what I want. Plus my pay is very entry level. Dealing with electrical crap on a car i'm pretty sure you know is horrible. You should do what you love even if the pay isn't the best as it will still probably make you happy. It's not all about the money.

[RShaw]

I know your right, pay isnt everything. I guess I'm just getting antsy, Im 22, I have like 2.5 years of college done but have no real desire to finish. I also have a few years of autobody and mechanical experience, and have been in and out of construction and excavation for the last few years. I just need to figure something out soon.

[BAC5.2]

Why don't you have a desire to finish college?

 

Pay potential goes up exponentially if you have that sheet of paper.

 

Even if you want to be a mechanic, you can do that after you finish your degree.

[SubOperator]

Finish the college - I hope you major in something good, not language arts. You will never have time to do it once you get real job (40+ hours a week don't leave much time for study), family and house.

 

Regardless of what path you choose, having a degree does not hurt.

[RShaw]

I was majoring in civil engineering, but with the way the economy is going that degree doesn't seem like the best idea. I guess I would go back to school if I had a set goal. I just don't want to be one of those jerk offs goin to school just because everyone else is. I don't see why half my friends needed business degrees .....

 

I'm working full time now and your right its to hard to work classes into my schedule. I did night classes last year and they really don't get you anywhere fast

[Max Capacity]

civil engineering, the way I see it, wind energy is the wave of the future. Someday Gov't will figure out that is the way to create jobs. Think of all the roads that will need to made, land the needs to be developed, power lines need to be laid, citys and towns need to connected.

 

Isn't that something civil engineers do ?

 

FINISH SCHOOL, you have no idea how important it is, trust us old guy's, I'm 56y/o.

[allwheeldrive]

Finish school. I'm 28 and getting ready to finish in the spring and wish I had completed it all the way around the first time. If you're getting antsy go back and take 5 or 6 classes a semester and take no breaks. You will finish in a year. That little piece of paper is good for two things....getting your foot in the door at a potential employer or getting your foot in the door at a potential grad school. Now, I am not saying that college is the only way to go...sometime I wish I had gone the union carpenter route and would be pulling down 75k+....but if you are more than 1/2 way done, finish up. Plus, if you have taken the loans out in your name, you have to pay them back. If you were lucky enough to have your parents help you out, think of the money that they threw away. I'd say, keep your head down and finish up as it will be worth it in the long run...my 2 cents.

[SubOperator]

Civil engineering is going to be a great profession in this country for next few decades. Don't compare it business degrees.

 

Really, I am 38yo and I see a lot of people around stuck at their levels of job/income simply because the lack of a degree. There are couple college dropouts that are often put in front as examples of college degree not being important - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are ones. What no one is talking about is thousands of dropouts who are not so lucky and have to take whatever life gives them... Don't become one.

[RShaw]

Wow you guys are great. I really apreciate the advice, and I AM taking it to heart. I've heard this all from my familly, but its different hearing it from fellow car enthusiasts. I will seriously consider going back to school. I wouldn't say I'm half way through school, but I do have a lot of the nonsense classes done atleast. And I've been through cheap state and community schools so far, so everything is paid for.

[atwood]

Finish school...Uncle Sam pays for most of it (I went to a state school) after you're 24 (pell grant) I think. I'm 32, got my mech. engineering degree, couldn't be happier. It gets better/more interesting once you start taking upper division courses as well. A little hard work for the next ~4 years will pay for the rest of your life.

[F-WDC Spec B]

from another engineer (EE) get your degree first. an engineering degree can get you into several jobs and several fields. i.e. teaching, business, sales, consulting, etc...

if you want to wrench, engineering is a good start. vocational schools teach basic engineering. i was tutoring my friends on basic circuits (like circuits 1&2 classes) while they were in lincoln tech.

[05LGTLtd]

Recession and slow recovery are the best times to be in school! If all works out for you things will be on the upswing when you finish and finding a job will not be as difficult. We have serious infrastructure problems in this country and they are not being addressed and will be waiting for you when your finished with your degree.

 

I was 29 when I got my professional degree and have never regretted it..

[Drift Motion]

u really should finish ur degree

Im environmental engr, very close to what u have...

[lordhowe]

I have a Computer Engineering degree. School work sucked but damn does it really pay in the long run.

[RShaw]

Hey if you guys with engineering degrees wouldn't mind giving me a quick description of your job that would really help me decide which engineering specialty would suit me best. I've read about some of the different engineering degrees, but it would great to hear it from someone actually in the field.

[f1anatic]

Finish school. You will not regret it. But just you know - there are fields besides engineering that will pay for you to play with cool technologies, be at the forefront of science and make a difference in people's lives: Two such fields are environmental and safety sciences but I can think of almost a dozen other fields that have a future. That may involve a bit more study than just college but it is important to recognize them early on and perhaps it will spur your desire.

[ehsnils]

Finish school - by the time you have finished it the economy may be different.

 

If you want to learn some automotive work try to find a job at an independent shop because you will then have the opportunity to encounter a wide variety of vehicles.

 

And if you are out in rural areas working at an independent you can probably end up working with just about anything that moves. That will certainly build experience in a broader way than working for a brand specific shop.

 

I would say that doing some part time mechanics job while studying could be fine. Engineering degree combined with physical experience is worth a lot more.

 

Consider that if you are looking for a job and provide a decent engineering degree combined with good words from an engineering related field you are a step ahead of others with just the degree. The point is - being a step ahead in experience is what will take you forward.

 

Just find the right balance between study, work and sleep. Jam in social life now and then too, just to avoid becoming too worn out.

 

And don't worry if you have a degree in mechanical engineering, you can always add additional competences to that degree. Combined knowledge is worth more in real life.

 

(Random rambling enhanced with coffee! )

[F-WDC Spec B]

Hey if you guys with engineering degrees wouldn't mind giving me a quick description of your job that would really help me decide which engineering specialty would suit me best. I've read about some of the different engineering degrees, but it would great to hear it from someone actually in the field.

it doesnt really matter what you study. as long as you finish and get your foot in the door. My friend was more of a software guy and i was more of a hardware guy. he went into programming but i went in to sales and applications, i orginally wanted to go into wireless field but i couldnt get my foot in the door as my offers expired since i applied 6 months before my graduation.

I now can get my MBA and move up far in my company or move to another company and up to tripple my salary or go to another company entry level start fresh. yes a there will be a pay cut but its something different i may enjoy more.

[allwheeldrive]

Plus....lets not forget how much easier it is to mod a car with a fat salary and all your benefits taken care of.

[Verwilderd]

I would def finish school. An undergrad degree in today's time is more like having a highschool degree in your parent's time....it's becoming more and more common. So if you don't get it, you are behind....If you do get it, you are level...then if you go for a master's or other advanced, you start to really separate yourself. My point is, without it, life will be much harder....it will be harder to find a job with advancement opportunities and your salary (which will more than likely never be a true "salary"...but hourly wages), will peak much earlier in life.

 

With that being said, if you are going to work on cars, work on subarus. They are much easier to work on than audi. There is always plenty of work to be done so you won't have to worry about that.

[Sydtron]

+1 on engineering. I did my time as a mechanical engineer and now I do civil work. It's the most generic degree you can get in terms of job potential. Get your paper and find a job -- wrenching won't get you that far.