The Audi A8 is a full-size 4-door luxury sedan made for those who deem the mid-size A6 to be a bit too small and not comfortable enough. An A8 is the preferred choice for many VIPs and the majority of A8 owners like to be driven more than driving themselves. So, is Audi A8 a good car?
The Audi A8 is a really good car as it offers the very highest levels of comfort you can get from an Audi. This is indeed special because all Audi models including the very smallest ones designed with comfort in mind. Being the flagship luxury car from a flagship brand usually means superiority, and the A8 offers lots of it.
For starters, the engines available in the A8 are all-powerful, smooth, and relatively efficient. The A8 looks huge and understated which some people love while others do not. The interior of the A8 is similar to the A6 so it’s not on par with the latest full-size luxury limousines, but the A8 also costs less than most of its rivals.
Reliability is decent, but only if you maintain it well enough. The A8 is also a practical car because it offers acres of interior space and a sizeable trunk as well. It may be a bit too large for cramped city streets, but an experienced driver can easily manage that.
Audi A8 – The powertrain
The Audi A8 engine palette consists of a few gasoline engines, a few diesel engines, and a hybrid engine as well. The range kicks off which the 3.0L V6 gasoline engine with 340hp and the 3.0L TDI V6 diesel with 286hp. The A8 also comes in a 4.0L V8 diesel variant with 435hp and is the most powerful diesel A8 model you can get.
The most powerful Audi A8 in general is the range-topping S8 model with a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 that offers 571hp. You can also get the A8 60 TFSI e if you want a hybrid that offers 450hp and still manages to be relatively efficient. All of these come with Audi’s iconic Quattro AWD system as standard.
All of these engines are also mated to Audi’s 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox that shifts gears seamlessly and fits the character of the Audi A8. The A8 used to be available with a W12 engine for those who wanted the very top-end luxury experience, but sadly this engine is no longer available due to emissions regulations.
Audi A8 – Design and chassis
Design-wise, the A8 follows a traditional Audi A8 silhouette which means that it looks understated. The A8 is a really long car and the specification you go for plays a massive role in how luxurious the A8 looks. The A8 is available in either regular sedan or long-wheelbase form for those who want the maximum space on the inside.
The interior of the A8 is cladded in the finest materials and is also packed with high-end technology to make you feel special inside the A8. The suspension and chassis tuning are solely focused on comfort which means that all A8 models including the S8 like to be cruised in on longer journeys. The A8 offers an incredibly advanced air suspension system that soaks up bumps amazingly well.
Audi A8 – Reliability and common issues
Reliability-wise, the A8 is decent, but it needs constant and thorough maintenance in order to last any significant amount of miles. Cars such as these are really complex and offer pretty much everything you can get from a modern-day Audi. Therefore, it needs to be kept in adequate condition at all times.
The most common A8 issues are associated with non-engine electricals, the steering system, the engine, the suspension, and potentially even the transmission.
Audi A8 – Value and practicality
The new Audi A8 undercuts its rivals when it comes to price, but the A8 does not exactly offer an inferior experience. We are all aware that cars from this segment are constantly upping each other with new models which means that the upcoming new A8 should close the gap between the S-Class and the BMW 7-Series.
Practicality-wise, the A8 is great because it offers lots of space in both the seating area and the trunk. No one can say that the A8 is not a practical car because it offers more space than you will ever need.
FAQ Section
Is the Audi A8 better than the BMW 7-Series?
BMW just came out with the brand-new 7-Series and it seems like the new seven represents the largest departure in the history of the BMW 7-Series, both from the inside and the outside. The new 7-Series is indeed the better car at the moment, but if you think that the BMW looks a bit too fussy, the A8 is still a great car.
All in all, we will have to wait and see until the new 7-Series comes onto the road before we can fully decide which one is better. For now, the A8 is against really tough competition in this segment, probably more now than ever.
Do I need the A8 L or is the regular A8 enough?
We have already mentioned that the A8 is available in either normal wheelbase length or a longer wheelbase in order to increase the 2nd-row seating space a lot. If you plan on driving the car yourself, you do not need the L version.
However, if you prefer being chauffeured or you want to buy an A8 for chauffeuring purposes, the A8L is the better choice. Also, no one can say that the normal A8 is small, not even NBA players.
Should I buy an Audi A8?
If you want understated luxury which means going places in extreme comfort without necessarily attracting all the attention, the A8 is a perfect choice. Cars such as the A8 shine when it comes to long-distance driving which means that the A8 is not a sensible town car.
If you spend a long time behind the wheel often, you should definitely buy the Audi A8 because it is priced really well for what it essentially is.
