Audi A8?

Any of the 7 owners ever own an Audi A8? A friend of mine has the A6 and its a sweet car I looked at the A8 and it seems very nice just have no clue how it compares to the 7.

Road and Track rated the A8 as #1 in 2004, read all about it .....

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

I took a look at the A8 when looking at my 7, sportiness wise, its a good car that's oriented a bit towards being sporty, the S class is more luxury, the 7 is a good compromise. The A8's interior is nice as far as the front is, the back seat area is ok. If you are looking at a 750i or 750li, it should be a decent comparision. Just beware that with audi they don't cover maintaince for older cars, all 2006+ BMW's have it covered.

Originally Posted by csmeance

I took a look at the A8 when looking at my 7, sportiness wise, its a good car that's oriented a bit towards being sporty, the S class is more luxury, the 7 is a good compromise. The A8's interior is nice as far as the front is, the back seat area is ok. If you are looking at a 750i or 750li, it should be a decent comparision. Just beware that with audi they don't cover maintaince for older cars, all 2006+ BMW's have it covered.

I have an 04 745 and love it just was in his A6 and the front seemed very nice and 4WD doesnt hurt either. I think the A8 would look sick with 22's and H&R's

I also have an eye on the A8, I currently own a 730d, thinking of buying either a 2004 760 V12 or 2004 A8 6.0 W12 .

I'd like to know if someone has driven both the a8 and the 7 that can give me a direct comparison.

I think the 7 series gives out a better presence on the road, I prefer the looks of the 7.

Originally Posted by 730dMaster

I also have an eye on the A8, I currently own a 730d, thinking of buying either a 2004 760 V12 or 2004 A8 6.0 W12 .

I'd like to know if someone has driven both the a8 and the 7 that can give me a direct comparison.

I think the 7 series gives out a better presence on the road, I prefer the looks of the 7.

I think the 7 does over the A6 anyday but the 8 is not seen as much and looks good done right. Just wondering if they have the same issues the 7 see's.

I shopped A8s when I bought my 750i. Audi interiors are very luxurious, less Banglesque and more traditional with organically-tanned leathers that feel great and smell even better. The rear seat space of the A8L is voluminous, probably a bit more roomy than a 750Li, at least in terms of legroom. Dynamically, though, the car drives more like an S-class than a BMW. This suits many buyers in this class, but a (rare) Sport Package is available which helps a little. Of course the quattro is a real asset in this class. Audi has had nearly 30 years of experience with it and it's the best AWD system extant. Aluminum body keeps the car relatively light, but requires specialized equipment and skills for repairs. 4.2L V8 is powerful and reliable. Audi electronics are about par with other German luxury marques.

If you want an A8 with attitude, consider a 2006-up S8. It's a much different beast. While it may not match the BMW in peak handling prowess, it combines AWD and a V10 engine along with some pretty nice performance bits to make a unique and exquisite automobile.

The W12 A8 is a rare beast, more uber-luxo than the S8 but also more rare. I'd wager that maintenance and upkeep would be an expensive proposition as well.

Good review Driver8, I love the 7, only reason I'm thinking about an A8 6.0 W12 is because I wanna try something different.

My brother owns an S-class, I've driven it a lot, and don't like the way it drives, it's too soft, doesn't feel like a drivers car, I think it's suitable for older people who just want a comfy ride. So I don't like cars that drive like an S-class.

The A8 6.0 W12 is not that rare, at least in Germany, I've found a dozen good ones at:

This link

I'm sure the 6.0 is sportier than the 4.2 and other weaker engines.

The 760 is amazing as well, it's going to be a tough choice. But I think I'm gonna go with the 760!

7 looks more different and luxurious than the a8

The guy with the space next to me at work has an S8 and I admire it every night as I get into my car. I like the A8 and Audi's in general, but if I were going for one, definitely the S8!

I had an '04 A8L. Very nice and quattro is definitely a plus in the northeast. But it wasn't reliable at all. Probably because it was a first year model like the '02 7 series. I traded it in for my 7 when it started to overheat and it was just past the warranty period. I didn't want to visit the dealer anymore and I felt somewhat comfortable that I was getting a 7 that's been around a while and most of the bugs should be worked out already. Audi service, at least in my area, was way below BMW service, in my opinion.

Just in terms of service, I have a Q7 and agree that Audi Service SUCKS, believe it or not they dont even provide alternate transportation for NEW CARS UNDER WARRANTY.

But to keep on topic, I think the A8 is a very capable car and Ive driven it. However I feel the styling was the downfall, not aggressive enough for me

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW

The guy with the space next to me at work has an S8 and I admire it every night as I get into my car. I like the A8 and Audi's in general, but if I were going for one, definitely the S8!

I don't see any significant benefits of getting a S8 over an A8 6.0 W12

S8 has a 5.2 V10 FSI
A8 has a 6.0 W12

I prefer the W12 one much more than the V10 FSI

Both have 450hp
Both Weight Around 4200 lbs

The used s8s are still pretty expensive.

In Germany (that's where I buy and import the cars from) a 2004 A8 6.0 W12 in solid condition will set you back around 35.000$.

Since the first S8 for this generation of 8s was introduced in 2006, a 2006 S8 in solid condition will set you back around 55.000$

I really don't see the point of the S8 when there is the A8 6.0 W12 , you basically get the same thing with the 6.0, for much less. The S8 might be sportier, but the difference isn't that significant, while the price difference is huge. Shelling an extra 20K for the S8 is not worth it IMO.

I drove an A8 before I bought my 750Li. Beautiful interior, nicely finished. It drove very well, different from the 7 but I could live with it. What I could not live with was the front seats. I spend 20 minutes trying to get comfortable and it just didn't happen. I'm actually very glad, I love my BMW!

I love my 7, but Audi really did a great job on there entire line up. They do have a few gaps to catch up to the bimmer line up but they still hold there own. I owned 2 Audis and loved every bit of them till the day I sold them. The only reason I did not go back to audi is due to the mantainance factor. Audi used to have the same exact service coverage as BMW until 2002 models when they did away with it. Regardless to be different I would do an S8 even with the service missing. I think they are a lot more rare then 7's in my area...but again I love my my 7.

i bought a brand new audi in 2004 and it still had the maitenance plan included

sorry I don't know why I wrote 2002 I meant 2006 models at least here in So. Cal.

Mine where 2003 and 2004 as well

The S8 is a ton more sexy than the A8. Does it justify the price difference, I don't know. But the main drawback is the styling compared to the 7 and the S8 turns heads.

You nailed it Joe. In addition to the overall sexier appearance (IMO) of the S8 over the W12 A8L, I (again, subjectively) prefer the look of the 2006-up facelift model. I vote S8 It's still on my short list for when the time comes to replace my 750i. I've seen a few S8s for under $50k on AutoTrader, and because of the cost of admission and the fact they've not been around that long in their current guise, there does not seem to be many of them that appear to be beaters.

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW

The S8 is a ton more sexy than the A8. Does it justify the price difference, I don't know. But the main drawback is the styling compared to the 7 and the S8 turns heads.

I understand why you like the S8 better, but the price difference is too large over the 6.0 .

You could just get a 6.0 , put some nice rims, lower it, do some simple mods, and you'll have a great car, nearly identical to the S8.

You can even slap a S8 badge if you want, since the 6.0 is as fast as the S8. Only think that the S8 has that would be hard to put on the 6.0, is the exhaust. I love the exhaust of the S8, I don't know if it is possible to put the same on the 6.0

Originally Posted by 730dMaster

I understand why you like the S8 better, but the price difference is too large over the 6.0 .

You could just get a 6.0 , put some nice rims, lower it, do some simple mods, and you'll have a great car, nearly identical to the S8.

You can even slap a S8 badge if you want, since the 6.0 is as fast as the S8. Only think that the S8 has that would be hard to put on the 6.0, is the exhaust. I love the exhaust of the S8, I don't know if it is possible to put the same on the 6.0

Yeah but to do all that work just to have an equivalant vehicle is just not worth the effort the s8 is just f-ing hot... i also love the quattroporte. It is a toss up for me between those come this fall when my warranty runs out. S8 or Quattroporte. i'll still keep my 7er cause I can't see getting rid of it...I'd rather drive it into the ground then sell it for the litle money I'd get for it.

Originally Posted by 730dMaster

I understand why you like the S8 better, but the price difference is too large over the 6.0 .

You could just get a 6.0 , put some nice rims, lower it, do some simple mods, and you'll have a great car, nearly identical to the S8.

You can even slap a S8 badge if you want, since the 6.0 is as fast as the S8. Only think that the S8 has that would be hard to put on the 6.0, is the exhaust. I love the exhaust of the S8, I don't know if it is possible to put the same on the 6.0

Yes, but after all that, it is still not an S8 which is a rare car. Slapping an S8 badge on it is downright tacky. You would also need to replace the front and rear bumper assemblies to make it look like an S8. New wheels and lowering it will just make an A8 look modified.

I understand your economic decision, but don't try to rationalize your way into it by putting a fake badge on it. Sounds like you really want the S8 and will probably spend more time and money modifying an A8 trying to make it look like an S8.

EDIT - I thought you were the original poster, but my point still is valid.

definitely S8 IMO. more exclusive and drives like a champ.

I have to agree on the A8 as well, I was just debating a change but given the resale value on the 7's and what I paid I cant see taking a decent loss to try one out when my 7 has been pretty much 100% worry free other than a leaky trans gasket and blown L7 amp in the last 3 years. My luck I'll get one like a 2002 7 thats nothing but trouble and after some research Audi service SUCKS and warranty sucks as well.