2008 Audi S8 Review

PROS  Opulant interior, Fantastic ride/handling balance, Plenty of passenger room

CONS  Silly MMI control system, Limited rear visibility, Poor fuel economy

Audi is frantically trying to become a big-time player in the U.S. luxury-car marketplace. In the last couple of years the German automaker has introduced three significant vehicles designed to grow its lineup and attract hip, new buyers. The A3 sport wagon is aimed squarely at young and active couples; the Q7 is a seven-passenger luxury crossover with few equals; and the A5 coupe reaches out to empty nesters with disposable income and an itch for something unique.

While these new vehicles have helped Audi grow both sales and market share, they couldn't have done it without a solid foundation. Audi's core vehicles include the 3-Series-fighting A4, the midsize-luxury A6 and its flagship A8. All three are solid players in the luxury marketplace and are available with Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Arguably the most important from an image standpoint is the A8. It's Audi's flagship and the automaker's most-expensive model--outside of the limited-production R8 super car. It seats five on front buckets and a rear bench seat and competes with models like the Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the top of the luxury-car market.

The "value leader" in the lineup is the $70,690 A8, it has a wheelbase of 115.9 inches. Next up is the $74,690 A8 L, which is stretched by five inches in wheelbase. Both the A8 and A8 L come with a 350-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine that mates to a six-speed automatic transmission with separate shift gate for manual-shift capability.

The sporty S8 is next with a base price of $93,300. It rides the 115.9-inch wheelbase of the A8, but comes with a 5.2-liter V10 that pumps out 450 horsepower. It mates to the same six-speed automatic, but also gets steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a sport suspension.

Topping the line is the A8 W12. It shares the stretched wheelbase of the A8 L and lists for an eye-popping $120,100. Power on the W12 comes from a 450-horsepower 6.0-liter twelve-cylinder engine, featuring pistons arranged in three rows, that again mates to the six-speed automatic.

All models get Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system and a driver-adjustable suspension. Standard safety equipment includes antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat active head restraints, tire-pressure monitor, and dual front, front- and rear-side, curtain-side, and front-knee airbags. Optional safety features include a rearview camera, front and rear park assist, blind-spot alert, and lane-departure warning.

The A8 comes with dual-zone automatic climate control, power tilt-telescopeleather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, 16-way power front seats with power lumbar adjustment and headrests, memory system, center console, wood interior trim, heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, sunroof, Bose AM/FM radio with digital-media player connection, glovebox-mounted six-disc CD changer, satellite radio, navigation system with voice recognition, Bluetooth cell-phone link, rain-sensing variable-intermittent wipers with heated nozzles, trunklid-closing assist, rear defogger, automatic headlights, floormats, theft-deterrent system, steering-linked adaptive HID headlights with washers, front and rear fog lights, adjustable load-leveling air suspension, 255/45HR18 tires, and alloy wheels. In addition to the longer body, A8 L models simply add rear sunshades.

S8 adds to the A8 adjustable load-leveling air sport suspension and 265/35R20 tires. The W8 adds to the A8 L front- and rear-obstacle-detection system, rear dual-zone climate controls, massaging and ventilated front seats, power rear bucket seats that limit seating capacity to four, alcantara interior trim, wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel, rearview camera, keyless access and starting, door-closing assist, power open/close trunklid, DVD entertainment system, rear-illuminated visor mirrors, power rear and side sunshades, trunk pass-through with ski sack, security glass, and 255/40HR19 tires.

Notable options include keyless starting, adaptive cruise control, rear refrigerator, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and numerous interior material upgrades. The A8 is manufactured in Germany and carries a destination charge of $775. S8 models have a $2100 Gas-Guzzler Tax and W12 $1700 Gas-Guzzler Tax.

Get Up and Go  The A8's 4.2-liter V8 engine might seem undersized compared to the 4.6-, 4.8-, 5.5-liter offerings on competitors. Yes, it's down on size and horsepower compared to the others, but it's not horsepower you'd really notice unless you're a certified lead-food. The A8 does seem a trifle underpowered when pulling away from stoplights, but that's a factor of its longish throttle tip in not an indication of the engine's ability to provide acceleration. Indeed, the A8's silky-smooth 4.2-liter V8 has great mid-range and highway passing power.

If you desire more power, perhaps you'd prefer S8. Its V10 delivers hair-raising acceleration at any speed. Audi claims a 0 to 60 mph time of a scant 4.9 seconds, and a seat-of-the-pants test gives drivers no reason to doubt that number. There's a trifle more vibration under hard acceleration than the V8, but its barely noticeable.

The six-speed automatic is down a gear or two to direct competitors, but shifts with the silky smoothness that luxury buyers expect. Downshifts require a healthy stab at the throttle, though S8 models get steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that react quickly to driver input.

Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system is standard across the board and it makes a lot of sense on a vehicle at this price point. As you might imagine isn't not off-road capable, but does an excellent job of limiting wheel slip on slippery surfaces. It's important to note that most premium-luxury cars come with touring tires that aren't well suited to snow- or ice-covered roads, so a set of snow tires like Bridgestone Blizzaks are mandatory fair for Chicagoland winters.

The A8 carries EPA ratings of 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. S8 and W12 models are rated at 13/19 mpg. Audi requests that all models run on premium-grade gasoline. In real-world fuel driving the A8 is likely to average 16-18 mpg and the S8 15-17 mpg. In straight highway driving it's easy to average nearly 20 mpg in either model.

On the Road  A8 and A8 L strike a delicate balance of luxury comfort and athletic sport. With the driver-adjustable suspension, individuals can tailor the A8's overall ride demeanor to their tastes. Comfort mode yields a fair amount of bump absorption and resulting body bounce. The Sport setting is noticeably firmer without being harsh. Automatic sits in between, balancing the two based on driving conditions.

S8 rides with noticeable firmness compared to the base model. Though the ride is far from harsh, it's busy compared to luxury competitors and might not be to everyone's liking.

Although the A8 is a large car, it seems to shrink around drivers as they spend more time behind the wheel. The steering is light and quick at parking speeds and firm and accurate on the highway. There's little body lean in turns, and the brakes are reassuringly strong. Obviously the S8 is the athlete of the brood, but any A8 feels more nimble than its size and nearly as sporty as the class jock, the BMW 7-Series.

Calling the A8 quiet it a bit of an understatement, as premium luxury sedans are among the quietest riding vehicles on the road. The A8 isn't as whisper quiet at the Lexus LS, but it's hardly loud by any stretch of the imagination. There's a bit of tire rumble on coarse pavement and the engines emit a hearty and rich sounding growl in hard acceleration.

Behind the Wheel  Featuring opulent materials and expert craftsmanship the interior of the A8 stands out among luxury sedans. Sportier than most, the interior comes across as sophisticated without being stuffy.

Drivers face conventional analog gauges with digital insets--a simple and elegant use of space that's easy to read day or night. Most basic audio and climate controls are handled with conventional buttons and switches. However, all A8s come with MMI, Audi's multimedia interface. It consists of a center-console-mounted knob flanked by a number of pushbuttons. As in competitors, this system confuses set-and-forget features with daily-use functions, making for a muddy mix of control interfaces that's both distracting and disturbing.

There are a couple of nice touches though. The navigation system commands are nicely integrated into the instrument-cluster display, easing driver diversion. Also, the Bluetooth phone connection process is among the easiest in the industry, and there's full iPod control from the audio system.

Front-seat passengers are treated like royalty with nicely padded seats that have firm, but not hard, bolstering. Head and leg room are exceptional. The center console features a split armrest that ensures both driver and passenger comfort. Outward visibility is good to the front and sides, but blocked to the rear by thick roof pillars and tall rear-seat headrests.

Audi's blind-spot alert and lane-departure warning work effectively but are quite discrete. The blind-spot alert illuminates a small light on the side-view mirror when a vehicle comes alongside, and the lane-departure system vibrates the steering wheel when the driver strays outside of the lane.

Regular-length models have elegant rear seating areas with good leg room and ample head room. The car is wide enough to accommodate three-abreast seating, but the center seat is somewhat raised and the driveline tunnel is quite large.

Long-wheel base models have limousine-like rear-seat leg room. They also have opulent features that have become the norm for this class like rear-seat DVD and a built in refrigerator.

A8 has a large trunk with a flat load floor. It's not as wide as you might expect and that limits overall cargo space to class average. Interior storage is adequate, highlighted by a large glovebox and wide, richly flocked map pockets. It would be nice if there was a bit of additional small-item storage in the center console.

Bottom Line  My father was big into proverbs, you know, "a watched pot" and "a penny saved." One of his favorites was "a Jack-of-all-trades and master of none." I used to believe that, until I drove the A8. It rides the thin line between sport and luxury that really helps it stand out among its competition.

While the Mercedes and Lexus pander to the luxury set and the BMW and Jaguar lean toward the enthusiast, the Audi rides safely in the middle giving the best of both worlds. In addition, it has the most sophisticated interior and incredible dose of technology.

The Audi can't shake another old saying, "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." That stands true here. Even the base model tops $70,000, and while that's on par with competitors, it's beyond the grasp of all but a few buyers. I suppose that makes the A8 exclusive, but driving it makes it compelling.