Why the 2011+ Audi A8 is the Best Flagship Luxury Car

"Mike Kopstain" (mikekopstain)
07/08/2014 at 18:02 • Filed to: None

Hello Oppo. I have a problem. I'm addicted to higher end luxury cars. It used to be an affordable hobby. I started innocently enough with a 2002 Infiniti Q45 which I loved dearly but then that evolved into an Audi A8 and that evolved into an E60 M5 which evolved into a BMW 550 with a 6 speed manual (M5's reliability ruined me), a nearly 500 horsepower BMW 535 and yet another A8.

I'm constantly on the hunt for my next car and through a combination of frequent traveling, friends that are car dealers and dealers that want to sell me a car, I generally get a decent amount of seat time in a particular vehicle well before I pull the trigger on purchasing it.

And so I've become accustom to reviewing the cars I drive and sharing them with the regulars on a local car forum. This is one entry out of many reviews. If there's interest in this I'll post more. So without further delay, join me as I drive the Audi A8.

2012 Audi A8 Review

If you're looking for a short and concise review: the car is awesome.

I managed to get my grubby paws on a 2012 A8L for about 18 hours to see if I could manage to live with it. Yes, "live with it". I know, you're pulling out your tiny violins right now, ready to play me the saddest song but but I'm a guy that likes to be engaged and in many of the areas that are important to me (handling, overall power) the A8 comes up well short of my current car, a 470hp BMW 535. Lucky for me, my current car is so far above the threshold of fun that I'm pretty sure I could spare a hundred horsepower and a few g's on the skidpad in exchange for a back massage in traffic.

I've had a couple A8's: a 2004 limousine and currently another 2007 limo. They are amazing cars, though underpowered and with so much understeer that you quickly give up the notion that you'll be driving them in any kind of way that resembles performance. Now my 2007 is a sport model and improves upon the 2004 drastically however it's still no sports car. They are luxury cruisers and as a luxury cruisers they were way ahead of offerings from either Mercedes and BMW for the time at least with respect to where you spend the most time: the interior. But by 2010 Mercedes had caught up and BMW had surpassed the A8 with the new twin turbo V8 750li, finally correcting a problem that people seemed to be happy to ignore in exchange for driving a giant sedan with the BMW roundel on it: a garbage interior. Yes, by 2010 what was once new was now old and Audi was left with an underpowered, poor handling luxo-barge. Thank goodness for 2011.

Exterior - It's an understated elegance that doesn't scream "look at me!". There's no over-use of chrome and LED running lights like the S550 and it's not nearly as sporty looking as the 750. Some say it looks like a big A4. Some also say it didn't sell very well because it looked like a big A4. Some might be right. Me, I don't care. It looks good. It looks classy. Much like the car it replaced, it's almost timeless. You can tell this is a car that will age gracefully. Have you seen a 2004 A8 recently? You might not know it because they've aged so well that they don't stand out as an old car.

Interior - I used to have a 2004 Grand Prix. In comparison to the 1997 - 2003 Grand Prixs the 2004's interior is like a Bentley. The seats are thicker, the dash soft to the touch and they didn't have to stick fabric stickers between the plastic panels to keep them from squeaking (yes, this really was a think with GM). It felt like you were in a different class of car. So in 2008 I took my older brother out to go look at cars. We drove a few BMW's and an Audi S4. I remember getting back into my Grand Prix after leaving the dealer, completely satisfied with it's interior right up until that point, and thinking to myself "this is shit". I had a similar experience this morning when getting back into my BMW. How BMW ever managed to convince anyone that the interior of the E60 5 series or last gen 7 series was a luxurious place to be is beyond me. Apparently the world finally realized that a well built interior doesn't equal a well designed, luxurious interior and BMW was finally forced to reconcile with that.

Everything in the Audi is soft. The doors are lined in leather, the dash is covered in leather, the steering wheel, the seats, the center console and when it's not leather it's alcantera: a deliciously soft faux suede that lines the doors, the roof and other assorted panels. You sit in this interior and can't help but to notice every single small attention to detail. There's the map light that hits you with two separate lights from two separate indirect locations, the gear selector that doubles as a wristpad so that your hand conveniently finds it's way to the touchpad controls, the door sills that light up when you open them, not to mention the doors themselves which require no effort to close. Just let them fall into place and they pull themselves in the rest of the way. The last generation A8 was the benchmark of the class but by comparison it seems just... cheap. That's how good the new interior is.

Drivetrain - If you're not out to be a speed demon it's plenty sufficient and I would even say, a bit exhilarating. It's just not "fast" but it is quick and you're never lacking for power. 0-60 ticks by in 5.1 seconds and I believe the 1/4 mile passes in 13.4 seconds so it's no slouch. Even more impressive is the fact that this 372hp 4.2 L V8 only has 22 more horsepower than the last generation's 4.2 yet manages 0-60 and 1/4 mile times that are 1.4 seconds quicker. In fact, this base V8 is as fast as the outgoing A8's top of the line W12 and just as fast to 60mph as the same vintage twin turbo V8 BMW 750. Audi has also replaced this engine with a 3.0L Supercharged V6 that is a tick slower and a 4 liter twin turbo V8 that is a lot faster. Faster to the tune of 3.8 seconds to 60 and 12.4 seconds through the 1/4 mile. And if you need more the S8 will get you through the quarter in 11.8 seconds.

So what's it's like to drive? It's amazingly smooth and always has power when you need it. The 8 speed transmission's shifts are almost undetectable but surprisingly firm and quick in sport mode where the car will hold the gears for longer, re-map throttle response and even rev-match on downshifts. The engine also sounds amazing... it's decidedly quiet during normal driving but when you start winding it up it makes a beautiful noise that only a naturally aspirated engine can. I think my only complaint is that the manual paddle controls are of the dumb variety. The BMW will let me hold a gear and bounce it off the rev limiter for as long as I'd like. The A8 will auto-shift for you and always assumes that you only wanted manual mode for about 15 seconds at which point it takes back full control until you hit the paddle again. Despite that, the car is surprisingly quick. The twin turbo V8 found in the newer A8's would be nice but with a $30,000 premium over a used naturally aspirated 4.2, it's not worth it. You could buy a nice used Porsche for the difference in price.

Handling - My 2004 A8 was a pig. It was agile for a 4400lb car but that's kind of like saying that fat person runs fast for a fat person: yeah you're speed racer compared to other fatties but you're still slow. The previous generation A8 handled well for a barge but still handled relatively poorly compared to everything else. Plus Audi likes to stick the engine in front of the front axle which puts a lot of weight up front and leaves you with a car that has mass amounts of understeer. I really took pity on my tires when entering a turn quickly in that car. You could feel the front end fighting to hold it's track only to eventually lose the battle and end up plowing straight ahead. It was a predictable experience that your average Camry driver might even call "safe" but for the rest of us it kind of sucked. My 2007 sport package is significantly better but still not sporty per say.

I'm happy to say that by and large, the understeer is gone. I won't go so far as other people that say the car feels half it's weight because it just doesn't but it's incredibly agile and does things no 4400lb car should be able to do. I had it up on Mulholland Drive last night (see red line on map) and it was both predictable and poised. If you push it to it's limits it will still plow but it's limits are so high for the type of vehicle that it is that no reasonable person would ever get there... Well I guess I would but there's so much fun to be wrung out of it before you get there. Whereas my 535 handles uncannily well and will swing it's ass out on demand, the A8 is all work and no drama. It's not a sports car but you won't care.

Audi let's you taylor the experience too. Put it in comfort mode and the steering stays relaxed, the ride sublimely soft and the shifts early and undetectable but slide the dial over into dynamic mode and the air suspension lowers the car, firms up the ride, stiffens up the steering and holds each gear longer. If ever a limousine could be a visceral experience, this is it.

Sound & Tech - I'm coming from a Harmon Kardon system in the BMW which has subs under each seat and a ridiculous amount of speakers in the cabin. I've yet to hear anything that has sounded as wonderful as my 535 and after hearing the A8's stock Bose system I can confidently state that that's still the case. It's not bad; in fact it's very good but it lacks just a bit in bass for my tastes. To be fair, my Harmon Kardon system is optional and the Audi's system was the base setup. $6000+ gets you a Bang & Olufsen system that is apparently regarded as the best system available in any car and then there's the motorized tweeters that pop out of the dash, arguably worth the price of entry all by themselves. If it's anything like the Bang & Olufsen system in my 2007 A8 it is hand crafted by God.

Other than sound, attention to detail is a theme that is again repeated with interior ergonomics. Audi has found a way to simplify everything and even manages to get multiple uses out of the same buttons in a way that's intuitive. For instance, the side shades on the rear windows don't have separate buttons. Instead you hit the rear window switch in the up position to raise it and down to close it. Hit down again and the window opens. The seat controls are just a front and a back for basic controls and then a knob system for everything else. Just look at the center display and the seat is easily adjusted. Trying to dazzle a prospective client in the passenger seat? No need to tell them how to control everything; you can simply commandeer their seat's controls from the menu and set them up with a massage without ever having reach over them to tell them where the buttons are. Seriously, everything has been thought of.

Then there's the actual features, the stuff you buy a luxury barge for... The LED headlights are incredibly white and bright. They would overtake the headlights of the car in front of me and cast a shadow where the car's body was. In my 2007 A8 the massage function is simply a bladder of air in the seat continually filling and emptying. It feels like someone is constantly engaging and disengaging the lumbar support. There is nothing therapeutic about it. In fact, the first time I used it I thought the seat was broken. But now? Now you have 5 different areas of massage and they work. A wave massage pulses up and down your back and all of the sudden you don't care that it's been 30 minutes and you've only managed to make it a mile down Santa Monica Boulevard. Having all the features is great but having a car that makes them easy to use and discover on your own is awesome.

My only real complaint, and it's not even really a complaint, is the new MMI touchpad which works amazingly well. You just use your index finger to draw the letters or numbers and the system does a great job of deciphering your scribble and converting it into commands. Here's the problem though. This is a system designed to keep your eyes on the road yet you still need to use the MMI dial to get to the right menu to use the touchpad and then to the next menu to enter street, house number, etc. So it doesn't really do it's job there and when you're completely stopped, using the knob to select your input is a lot faster. A good voice detection system would work wonders here. My Ford Touch let's you say the address in it's entirety. Simply hit the voice command button, say "enter address", say the address and you're on your way. It's a lot less gimmicky than a touch pad.

Would I buy it? - Absolutely and apparently so would an assload of other people as there are currently three used 2011+ A8's for sale within a 25 mile radius of me and I live in the second largest metropolitan area in the country. In fact, whereas the previous model A8 had probably the worst depreciation of the big three's luxo-barge offerings, the new one seems to have the best. The starting price is $75,000 yet you'd be hard pressed to find a now 3 year old 2011 with reasonable miles for anything less than $40,000. Amazing residual value, especially when you consider that a similar mileage 2011 740i with a similar starting price can be had in the mid to high 30's.

DISCUSSION (40)

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:05

Yeah! All 3 generations of A8 rock!

Kinja'd!!!

dogisbadob > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:06

No love for the Lexus LS430/460?

CRider > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:11

The only cure for your Affluenza is a year or two DDing a Geo Metro 3 cyl 5 speed. When your baseline for cars is Audi A8s and BMW 5 Series something is seriously wrong.

Mike Kopstain > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/08/2014 at 18:12

I still remember doing 4 wheel power slides on ice in a first ten A8 back in the early 2000's. The slowly retracting roof handles were mesmerizing to me. As the driver of a Ford Taurus at the time, it didn't take much to impress me.

Mike Kopstain > CRider
07/08/2014 at 18:13

Well I wouldn't say it's my baseline but even if it was, what's inherently wrong about that?

heliochrome85 > dogisbadob
07/08/2014 at 18:14

i too like going to bed with the town prostitute. hotdog down a hallway. absolutely no feeling what so ever.

Mike Kopstain > dogisbadob
07/08/2014 at 18:16

I've never driven one but everything I've read about them with respect to driving experience has stopped me from looking further into them. I do like the looks of the LS460 though.

For the purposes of this article I was really considering Mercedes, Audi and BMW though I didn't mention that and you guys aren't fortune tellers so I'm not sure how I expected anyone to know that.

Either way, once you're dealing with cars at this level they're all pretty great. I know people love the Lexus' and the new XJ's are supposed the be the sportiest of the flagship cars.

CRider > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:17

: )

Mike Kopstain > CRider
07/08/2014 at 18:21

I've lived with plenty of regular cars. I understand what the difference is. I don't think you're grasping the point of a review.

heliochrome85 > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:25

While I deeply respect the A8, I don't think it will ever have the brand cachet, sheer presence or provenance of the S-Class. Reviews of the W222 have been glowing across the board. They have defined the segment for decades and are no longer a serious competitor to the A8. Even Jalopnik agrees...

"The S-Class defines its segment. It is its segment. Everyone else that plays here is just pretending and playing catch up. Mercedes sets the bar at this level, and they know it. The newest S550 just extends that lead and has suddenly made BMW, Audi, Jaguar, et. al. have to reconsider all of their future product plans.

That's how you lead."

http://jalopnik.com/2014-mercedes-…

Mike Kopstain > heliochrome85
07/08/2014 at 18:31

If we're looking at the current offerings I totally agree. Mercedes stepped up it's game big time with the W222. But I'm of the opinion that the last generation S class was a pretty mediocre car and that the one before that was even worse, albeit with some pretty great powertrain offerings.

But yes, when looking at the new S Class it appears that Mercedes finally woke up and they needed to. After all, 10 years ago the A8 was a non-player and now you have not only that but cars like the Tesla Model S encroaching on your territory. They needed to step up their game. The new S class is amazing.

heliochrome85 > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:34

I dont disagree. Ultimately though, I suspect very few here on Oppo will understand the very point you are making. I have driven pretty much every one of the cars listed and tend to agree with you. I chose to buy a new BMW this year, even though I could have gotten much more car or power for the money, in no small part because of the little details. Thats something you don't find on a moroney sticker, and unfortunately, something that is lost on many of the enthusiastic, young oppos here.

Mike Kopstain > heliochrome85
07/08/2014 at 18:40

The amount of people that look at my 535 and tell me I could have had a more powerful Mustang for half the price… If I had nickel for every time…

heliochrome85 > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:43

YES. THIS.

I don't want sheer power. I want total experience. My lowly 2014 328i MSport is more than sufficient for my current needs. While I know I could have gotten a loaded Camaro SS, Chrysler SRT8, or used C63, the reality is that sometimes, I just want to waft home in quiet luxury. For where I am right now in life, the 3 is perfect for me. If i wanted loaded to the gills value special, I would have gone with the acura TL. Friends don't let friends buy acuras.

Mike Kopstain > heliochrome85
07/08/2014 at 18:48

A tune and some E85 will close the gap too!

heliochrome85 > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 18:53

the next car will either be another eurodelivery, this time an M4, or a euro delivery Cayman GTS

Sn210 > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 19:37

make mine an S!

Kinja'd!!!

dogisbadob > heliochrome85
07/08/2014 at 19:48

Lexus is awesome. Stop the hate :)

Besides, you can even get Bilstein PSS coilovers and max performance summer tires for some fun.

dogisbadob > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 19:49

The LS is the only car in its class that's a Toyota, so you know it's reliable. And you can get some performance add-ons for more sporty driving, too.

Dsscats > Mike Kopstain
07/08/2014 at 23:30

You're in LA? Me too! I live 5 min from the East (Studio City) end of Mulholland

Mike Kopstain > Dsscats
07/09/2014 at 01:16

Laurel Canyon here!

Dsscats > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 01:30

Woot woot! I'm off of Laurel Canyon and Ventura

Mike Kopstain > Dsscats
07/09/2014 at 02:17

Flail your arms like a crazy person if you see me. I'm down there every day, generally sporting my more visceral ride.

Kinja'd!!!

Dsscats > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 03:50

Kinja'd!!!

You do the same! Any other defining features on the Bimmer?

TG > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 08:39

I'm an Audi fan, and I've always liked the A8.

That said, were I in the market for a luxo-barge, the new Merc S-Class would be so far at the top of the list as to not consider any others.

I agree with other reviews that say that the new S has substantially raised the bar. In comparison, the A8 is a nice car - but it sure doesn't have the presence or the wizardry of the new S.

ZabiakFero > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 09:11

AUDI dominating the car interiors since 1998 TT

Kinja'd!!!

EscapedTexasAlive > dogisbadob
07/09/2014 at 09:56

Lexus is just fine, if you enjoy driving a Toyota. Not much difference there.

bpands > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 10:41

It's the best. Only the best will do. It's the best. You root for the Yankees. You love the boys. Number 1. You get Sam Adams. That's the best beer. That's the best beer. I have the best car. You put on "Dark Side" at every party. I mean really who's going to complain about Floyd? Baby photos! Baby photos! Baby photos!

w0bble > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 10:56

What a pointless article

I like second hand Audis they are great stretched into an entire article

Mike Kopstain > w0bble
07/09/2014 at 12:30

Hey thanks! I think.

Mike Kopstain > TG
07/09/2014 at 12:34

I actually think I'd still go A8 right now, actually probably an S8. I love the Mercedes, I recognize that on paper it's the best but there's an understated quality about the A8 that I still dig on the newer cars. Also I live in LA which means that I can't sneeze without seeing a new S class whereas A8's are a lot fewer and farther between.

Then there's the fact that the A8 is tens of thousands of dollars cheaper. I could well option an A8 for the cost of a bare bones (if you can say that with a straight face) S class. Though I imagine most people cross shopping the two cars aren't entirely concerned with pricing.

Mike Kopstain > Dsscats
07/09/2014 at 12:35

Well yours is easier to spot for sure. Mine is basically the Camry of the valley. There is a distinguishing feature: "LOLZ" license plates.

Dsscats > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 12:39

I'll keep a look out

DetroitIron > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 14:24

Constructive feedback: please have an editor or someone proof your work. Some great review content in here. But the "conversational tone" you are shooting for here just has too many run-on sentences.

Mike Kopstain > DetroitIron
07/09/2014 at 15:32

I'm not a professional writer nor am I trying to be. I appreciate the feedback but until someone is paying me to do this I'm not entirely concerned if it's not perfect so long as the point is getting across. Also I don't see any run-on sentences.

david > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 15:35

Are you saying a bmw 535 has 470 hp? which is totally wrong. Y.our lucky if its 300 hp. An A8 has a v8 engine and a bmw 535 is a v6. So are you sure you know what your talking about. ( the A8 comes up well short of my current car, a 470hp BMW 535. Lucky for me, my current car is so far above the threshold)

david > Mike Kopstain
07/09/2014 at 15:35

Mike Kopstain > david
07/09/2014 at 15:41

The 535 is 300hp from the factory, actually more since BMW has underrated pretty much every turbo car they've released. Throw a tune on top of that and you have a solid 400hp car. Throw enough E85 in the tank and switch to a different map with the tuner and you have a solid 470hp(ish) car or about 400whp.

So no, it's not 470hp from the factory but when I'm running an E85 mix (pretty much all the time) it's sitting at a tick over 400whp. The N54 powered BMW's are some of the best hotrods on the street right now.

Mike Kopstain > CRider
03/20/2015 at 00:47

Upon re-reading this it clearly appears I didn't grasp the humor in your post. D'oh!