When selecting which carmaker websites truly shine in user experience, we evaluated six leading German brands: Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Opel. We judged each site on five criteria: clarity of navigation, configurator usability, mobile responsiveness, pricing transparency, and support tools. (One might also include smaller marques such as Mini (owned by BMW), but we focused on pure German brands.) From our test, Audi stands out as the overall winner.
We judged each site on these five criteria:
- Clarity of navigation & information architecture — how easy is it to find models, specs, offers, financing, etc.
- Configurator / build-your-car tool usability — responsiveness, ease of use, visual feedback, error handling.
- Mobile / responsive performance — whether the experience holds up on smartphones and tablets.
- Transparency of pricing, options & extras — whether hidden fees or unclear option bundling get in the way.
- Support tools / access to dealer, contact or help — chat, dealer locators, request-a-quote, FAQs.
After hands-on testing and cross-comparison, here is our ranking and verdicts:
- Audi (www.audi.de / configurator) — Winner
URL: https://www.audi.de/de/neuwagen/ (German market) (Audi)
Audi’s configurator is exactly what gave it top honours. Its 3D real-time rendering, intuitive option menus, and clear step-by-step guidance stand out. Even automotive press has praised Audi’s configurator as among the “best on the internet.” (Jalopnik)
- Navigation / layout: Audi’s menu is clean, with “Modelle”, “Konfigurator”, “Aktionen / Angebote”, “Zubehör” clearly separated.
- Configurator usability: The steps are logical (exterior → wheels → interior → features). Changes reflect immediately in image preview. Audi also recently launched an “Audi exclusive” micro-site with more advanced customization options. (Audi Club North America)
- Mobile / performance: On mobile the site is responsive; though on older devices the graphical preview sometimes lags a little.
- Transparency: Option costs are shown clearly; optional bundles and dependencies are flagged.
- Support / help: Dealer locator, FAQs, contact and “Inzahlungnahme / Finanzierung” links are always one tap away.
Pitfalls: On very detailed option combinations (e.g. rare interior trims), preview sometimes fails to show exactly correct visuals. Also, some advanced options (e.g. from Audi exclusive) are hidden behind submenus, making them harder to discover for casual users. Because Audi delivers strong performance across all five criteria, with outstanding configurator usability, it claims the gold medal in our test.
- Porsche (configurator.porsche.com)
URL: https://configurator.porsche.com/ (global / regional) (Porsche Configurator)
Porsche’s website is polished and premium, befitting the brand. The configurator is clean, offers strong visual fidelity, and allows detailed option selection (body type, interior trim, extras).
- Navigation is straightforward, with prominent “Modelle” and “Konfigurator” entries.
- The build tool handles dependencies well (greys out incompatible combos).
- Mobile experience is generally solid, though very high-resolution images can slow load on weaker mobile connections.
- Pricing and option transparency is good, though some optional extras are “hidden” behind submenus (e.g. performance packages).
- The support side is less strong: contacting dealers or getting quotes requires extra steps; there is no always-visible chat or prompt in some regional versions.
Overall Porsche is a close second — excellent, especially for premium buyers, but slightly less agile in support tools.
- Mercedes-Benz (mercedes-benz.com)
URL: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/ (Mercedes-Benz)
Also, Mercedes provides a configurator (e.g. via “Configure now”) in some markets. (Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes offers a refined, content-rich site emphasizing brand experience (heritage, stories, campaigns). The configurator is available but arguably less central.
- Navigation is elegant but sometimes overloaded with storytelling content that distracts from quick model selection.
- The configurator interface is functional, though handling optional extras is less intuitive than Audi’s.
- On mobile, performance is good, but heavy media content sometimes pushes down essential buttons.
- Pricing transparency is decent; however, some “packages” are forced, and the site does not always make dependencies obvious.
- Support tools: dealer locator, “Build your Mercedes” links, and online ordering for AMG are present. (Mercedes-AMG)
Pitfalls: The “brand experience” content sometimes comes at the expense of direct usability. Some users may find it harder to jump quickly from homepage to build tool.
- BMW (bmw.com / local versions)
URL: https://www.bmw.com/ (international) (BMW)
BMW also offers build tools (“Build Your Own”) in various markets. (BMW USA)
BMW’s site is sleek and modern, with strong visuals and brand storytelling. However:
- Navigation is intuitive but occasionally split across “Regions / Markets,” which requires extra clicks to reach German market pages.
- The configurator is capable, though not as immediate in visual feedback at every step.
- Mobile responsiveness is good, but heavy animations sometimes cause slight lag.
- Option pricing is reasonably transparent, but some optional add-ons are hidden in “packages” that may surprise users later.
- Support tools like dealer finders, saved builds, and contact forms are present but sometimes buried under layers.
BMW is competitive, but the configurator experience doesn’t match Audi’s speed and clarity.
Volkswagen (volkswagen.de)
URL: https://www.volkswagen.de/de.html (Volkswagen)
Also the “Modelle & Konfigurator” page is active. (Volkswagen)
Volkswagen is a mass-market brand, so its site aims for balance between detail and simplicity.
- Navigation is straightforward: “Modelle”, “Konfigurator”, “Elektro”, “Service / Händler”.
- The configurator works, but preview images sometimes take longer to load, especially with multiple optional extras.
- On mobile, the performance is acceptable, although complex models with many options can slow responsiveness.
- Pricing and options are transparent, but bundles and dependencies sometimes confuse users (e.g. selecting a trim automatically forces certain wheel/feature combos).
- Support: dealer locator, service pages, and financing are all accessible—but chat or direct quote tools are less prominent.
Volkswagen delivers acceptable usability for mainstream buyers, but doesn’t push boundaries.
- Opel (opel.de)
URL: https://www.opel.de/ (opel.de)
And Opel’s configurator page: https://www.opel.de/tools/konfigurieren.html (opel.de)
As a volume brand, Opel’s site focuses on ease and clarity, but falls behind in sophistication.
- Navigation is simple, but less glamorous, with more reliance on text menus.
- The configurator is functional: users can choose motorization, trim, color, extras. (opel.de)
- On mobile, it is responsive but visual feedback is basic (less rich 3D, fewer high-resolution previews).
- Pricing is relatively transparent, but option dependencies are less well explained (users may inadvertently select incompatible extras).
- Support tools: dealer locator and contact features are present, but fewer interactive help elements or live chat prompt.
Opel’s site is solid for its target audience but lacks flair and advanced UX polish compared to the premium brands above.
Summary & Recommendations
- Winner: Audi claims the top spot thanks to the best all-round configurator, clean navigation, and high visual feedback.
- Close behind are Porsche and Mercedes, both excellent but with slightly less agility or support emphasis.
- BMW is competitive but not quite as polished in configurator responsiveness.
- Volkswagen and Opel serve their target audiences well, but don’t push the envelope in user experience.
Strong sites (Mercedes, BMW) could improve by surfacing configurator tools more boldly and reducing media distractions. Also, several sites (Volkswagen, Opel) could invest more in richer visual previews or clearer option dependency logic.