Audi A8 Review

     This is my review of the beautiful 2008 Audi A8. This car is owned by a family member who was gracious enough to give me a few days of quality seat time. The Audi A8 was given a complete redesign in 2005 as Audi moved into a sort of golden era. Sales since 2005 have been at record highs. The A8 was a testbed for many of the technologies that would trickle down into lesser product lines. This example ( a steel blue 2008 Audi A8 4.2 short wheelbase with most of the option boxes checked) rides on 19inch five spoke wheels. The A8 represents the pinnacle of the Audi design language. Its a simple, coupe like, organic shape that seems understated and elegant (unlike the BMW 7 series). For those who have long commutes, or take road trips, this is the closest to a perfect cross country cruiser i could imagine. 

    Audi has been one of the best at creating an inviting environment for a long time. They have chosen the best leathers, plastics, woods, and metals for their interiors in the A8. The interior is one of the major selling points in an Audi. The A8 continues the Audi trend towards high quality materials and excellent ergonomics. The center stack is dominated by a large retractable LCD screen (which rises from behind a sliding wooden panel upon startup), which displays the various control screens of the MMI (multimedia interface). Unlike older versions of the idrive or COMAND system from BMW and Mercedes, the Audi's MMI system is intuitive and easy to use. There are many menus, but not nearly as many as the confusing and frustrating idrive system. The MMI system controls everything from climate control and the radio to suspension settings. The standard Bose audio system does a fine job. Our test car had a recent software update, adding the 2010 version of Audi's navigation system. The navigation system is good, but not great. It lacks the high resolution maps of some newer systems (such as those in the BMW 7 series and Mercedes S Class), but does a fine job of finding the quickest route. Prompts are clear and audible.

    The Driving interface and seating position are Surprisingly aggressive. The seats are wonderful. Extremely supportive, deeply bolstered and infinitely adjustable. The 3 spoke steering wheel in this S-Line equipped vehicle is a joy to hold. There are thumb cutouts at 9 and 3, with audio controls sitting just inside the rim of the wheel. Behind the wheel there are paddle shifters to control the 6 speed TipTronic automatic. These paddle shifters feel a little cheap and fragile when compared with the rest of the cabin. Visibility out of the windshield is excellent, and the same can be said of the sides (the mirrors may be a little small for some people). The rakish roofline and high rear deck make visibility though the rear of the vehicle a little more difficult then in a traditional sedan. By no means is it impossible to see out the rear window, but the rear headrests further impede rearward visibility. Thankfully, there are rear park sensors to make the like of any nervous driver easier.

    The A8 feels like Audi used a private jet as the benchmark for cruising comfort. The A8 feels like the closest thing to a land going jet aircraft i could imagine. From the back seats, the A8 plays the role of limousine quite well. From the front seats the A8 feels like and drives like a much smaller car. The ride is well damped and never harsh. This can be attributed to the air sprung suspension. This computer controlled system has four settings; Automatic, comfort, dynamic, and lift. Automatic changes the suspension setting on the fly. Comfort keeps the ride very soft, allowing more body roll. Dynamic (my favorite setting) keeps the suspension stiff(er) then the other settings, and reduces body roll. Lift is meant to be used for abnormally high speed bumps, obstacles and snow. I found this setting very useful in 5 inches of Rochester's finest snow. The A8 is motivated by a 4.2 Liter naturally aspirated V8 engine. Audi has been perfecting this motor for almost ten years now, and the effort shows. 350 horsepower might not sound like a huge number when compared with its competitors from BMW and Mercedes (each boast about 20-40 more horsepower), but the Audi weighs about 500 pounds less then either of its major competitors. In fact, the A8 is the lightest full sized luxury sedan on the market. The engine is turbine smooth, pulls hard from just 1,500 rpm, and revs to 7,000 rpm. The 6 speed automatic transmission goes about its business flawlessly and smoothly. Shifts are quick and almost imperceptible. 0-60 is quoted as 5.9 seconds, but the A8 feels slightly quicker then that number. For such a large car, the A8 steers and handles remarkably well. This is not a floaty boat. The steering is light, but very fast and direct. In dynamic mode the A8 corners without much body roll, and grip from the large 255 sized rubber was excellent. I never managed (or dared) to approach the car's limits on public roads.

     For those with the means to buy a new (redesigned) or used A8, you will not find many vehicles in this price bracket that can match the A8 for its balance of comfort and sporting potential. The BMW and Mercedes are both excellent cars, but for my money i would buy an A8. The A8 is the luxury sedan for those who love to drive. BMW may bill itself as the ultimate driving machine, but the A8 is simply more involving and fun to drive. I have not driven the Mercedes Benz S550, but would say that it is probably not as involving or inviting to drive. This particular A8 stickered for 80,445 dollars in 2008. Since new, it has accumulated roughly 35,000 miles.