Car makers think car buyers are stupid. And they're right.

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How do I know? The existence of fake exhaust outlets.

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After all, how else could so many fake exhaust finishers continue to exist? These cheap pieces of trim are often made in a slapdash manner, with little attention paid to details like shape or size. In some cases, the fake exhaust finishers are so poorly crafted that they can be spotted from a mile away. And yet, there they sit on cars from Audi and other brands, belying their inherently shoddy quality.

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Audi is one of the most egregious offenders when it comes to fake exhaust finishers. The company's A6 sedan and Q5 SUV both come standard with plastic fake exhaust tips, and Audi doesn't even bother to make them look convincing. Up close, it's obvious that the "exhaust" tips are just plastic trim, and they don't line up with the real exhaust outlets. The metal caps, which sit over the real exhaust outlets, are meant to give  a sportier look. But up close, it's obvious that the finishers are just for show.

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It's a lazy design choice that makes the car look cheap, and it leads one to wonder what other corners Audi has cut in the name of cost savings. Clearly, the company thinks its buyers are idiots who won't notice the fakery, and that's a pretty low opinion to have of one's customers.

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It's a sad day when Audi, a company that prides itself on building understated luxury cars, stoops to selling fake exhaust finishers. It's a cynical ploy to sell more cars, and it shows that Audi thinks its customers are stupid.

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And the worst part is, they're probably right. There will be people who see the fake exhausts and think they make the car look better. Audi is counting on it.

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To me, this blatant disregard for consumers is absolutely infuriating. Why do these companies think that we would ever fall for such obvious attempts at deception?

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The truth is, they must know that most of us have a discerning eye when it comes to high-end cars - after all, we're the ones who spend our hard-earned money on them! Who are these companies trying to fool? Do they really think we couldn't tell the difference between real exhaust outlet fins and cheap knockoffs? Clearly, they must believe that we'll buy anything if it has a big enough price tag and thus deserve nothing but ridicule and contempt.

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It's a sad state of affairs when carmakers think that buyers are so dumb that they'll fall for this kind of thing. But unfortunately, it seems to be working. So the next time you're looking at a luxury car, make sure to check for fake exhaust tips - they might just be the tip of the iceberg.

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For one thing, Audi is renowned for its high quality and precision engineering, so it makes sense that they would put forth their best efforts in every area. Furthermore, by reusing the same exhaust for both higher-end vehicles and cheaper models, Audi can save valuable time and resources during manufacturing. And perhaps most importantly, the average consumer simply doesn't care too much about what's under the hood; they just want a smooth ride and reliable performance.

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It's no secret that Audi is always looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality, and their choice of exhaust system seemed like a perfect opportunity. By reusing the same basic units from their cheaper models, Audi could save considerable amounts of money while still delivering the refined ride that customers had come to expect. However, critics argue that this cost-saving measure is at odds with Audi's reputation for excellence. After all, luxuries such as top-of-the-line engines and fancy interiors are what set Audi apart from other car manufacturers; if they sacrifice these features in order to save money, where do things end?

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At first glance, it might seem like the design of faux exhausts on modern cars is a fairly trivial issue. After all, they aren't exactly an essential part of a vehicle, and it certainly isn't difficult to tell that they are fake even if they are well crafted. But when you consider the fact that such obvious fakes can be found on popular models like the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Peugeot 308, and recent iterations of the Toyota Corolla hatchback, it becomes clear that there may actually be some real value to these seemingly questionable design features. They're nothing more than silver trim strips, and as a result they end up looking painfully obvious and laughable.

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Whether we admit it or not, people judge others based on their appearance. And for car designers, creating an attractive and eye-catching vehicle is often a top priority. But when it comes to exhausts, is it really worth sacrificing design aesthetic for the sake of authenticity? Many manufacturers seem to think so, designing cars with fake exhausts that are clearly visible even to the untrained eye.

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However, I have less of a problem with finishers that don't connect to the actual end of the exhaust, but are close. Mercedes is a fan of this format, notably with the quad trapezoids of contemporary top AMGs. Why? Because they are STILL EXHAUSTS. Simple.

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So while exhausts might seem like a minor design detail, it turns out that they are actually incredibly important. After all, if people can easily tell that your car is a poser just by looking at the back end, doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of having those "fake" exhausts in the first place? Perhaps this trend will one day die out as manufacturers become more attuned to consumer preferences; but for now, when it comes to looking cool and classy behind the wheel, exhaustless is apparently a-okay.

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After all, these cars are marketed as sporty vehicles with sleek designs and impressive performance capabilities. And yet, their exhaust ports are barely any larger than those on ordinary sedans or hatchbacks. So what purpose do these silver strips truly serve? Whether we like to admit it or not, a great deal of our perception of any given car is based on its visual aesthetic. Thus, by creating the illusion of extra performance through fake exhausts designed to mimic those found on sports cars and supercars, manufacturers may be inadvertently giving consumers a false impression about these otherwise uninspired models.

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In my opinion, Audi should ditch their pennywise measures and focus instead on what makes them great: delivering an unforgettable driving experience for luxury car buyers.

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It's time we called out these carmakers for their deception. We're not dumb, and we deserve better than this cheap trickery. Let's make sure to show them that we're not going to be fooled so easily.

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I'm sure their PR department will listen.......

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