Editor’s note: This review was written in March 2011 about the 2011 Audi A8. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. To see what’s new for 2012, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years. Show Any high-end luxury sedan should deliver refinement in spades; for the most part, leading players like the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series do just that. Pitted against such competition, the Audi A8 hasn’t made much of a sales dent. Now, Audi has redesigned its flagship for 2011, and the results suggest a concerted effort to build something unabashedly different. Indeed, the Audi A8 is distinct, with a refreshingly progressive cabin, but the driving experience lacks polish — which is why Mercedes and BMW will remain the mainstream choices. The full-size A8 sedan comes with a V-8 or W-12 engine in regular- and extended-wheelbase versions. Compare the 2011 and 2010 A8s here. All-wheel drive is standard. I drove the regular-wheelbase A8 with a V-8 engine.
The extended-wheelbase A8 L adds 5.2 inches of length. Most of the extra space goes to the rear seats, which gain 4.2 inches of legroom and a slew of optional features — climate controls and seat massagers for the outboard passengers, a mini refrigerator and more. Even without those extras, our regular-wheelbase tester had a comfortable backseat, with ample legroom and excellent thigh support for my 5-foot-11 frame. Our test car’s front seats had exceptional adjustment range, and their memory settings remember the smorgasbord of power adjustments available, including lumbar and side-bolster support — a rarity. Thigh support up front is excellent, but over a two-hour drive I found the backrests a bit stiff. Cabin materials are quite good, with high-grade leather upholstery and premium surfaces nearly everywhere, prompting fellow editor Mike Hanley to declare that Audi has raised the bar yet again. Audi’s Multi Media Interface sports a new thumb pad, whose capabilities include scrolling the navigation system’s map. You can also use your finger to trace letters and numbers on the pad to input a navigation destination. Located on the center console, it doesn’t require you to look down to operate. Destination inputs are fairly intuitive, but in heavy urban areas the map shows woefully few street labels. Trace-scrolling, too, is frustratingly laborious; the scrolling knobs in the S-Class and many cheaper cars are a better approach. Trunk volume is 13.2 cubic feet, which is smaller than the trunks in some compact cars. Here, it’s unacceptable; the S-Class and Lexus LS have 16 cubic feet or more. A center pass-through for skis or other long items is optional on both the A8 and the A8 L.
Later this year, said lead-foots will be able to move up to the 6.3-liter W-12, which is similar to a V-12 but with offset cylinder banks. It makes 500 horsepower versus the V-8’s 372 hp, and it comes only on the extended-length A8 L. Audi pegs its zero-to-60 mph acceleration at 4.9 seconds, versus the V-8’s 5.7 seconds. Both engines use an eight-speed automatic transmission, whose short gears make for rapid-fire upshifts. It’s a smooth operator with the V-8, but it could use better kickdown response. Turn a corner at lower speeds and attempt to accelerate, and the automatic sometimes dallies in a higher gear. With a comparatively modest 328 pounds-feet of torque — significantly less than its competitors’ V-8 ratings — the A8’s 4.2-liter engine doesn’t have quite the low-end thrust to cover for a lazy transmission. It’s not the worst transmission in the class, but others — particularly the Jaguar XJ’s six-speed auto — are far better. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard. Like hybrids and some conventional cars, the A8 employs regenerative braking to aid its overall fuel efficiency — which, incidentally, is rated an exemplary 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Alas, as with most instances of regenerative braking, you pay a price in performance. The pedal just isn’t that linear: There’s an inch or so of limp pedal travel at first, and it’s too grabby at the end to manage smooth stops easily.
The A8’s Sport Package includes firmer calibrations for the car’s standard adaptive suspension; also part of the package are 20-inch wheels and thin P265/40R20 tires. Thus equipped, our test car rode a bit on the firmer side, even in the softest of the suspension’s three settings. It’s not likely to prove too objectionable for many shoppers — the LS is similarly firm, and the XJ is even firmer — but a car this plush ought to ride on clouds. The S-Class nails it, and the 7 Series comes very close. Indeed, a non-Sport A8 might fare better. If you test one back-to-back with the Sport, click the link at the end of this review to email me your assessment. Included in the Sport Package is Audi’s Dynamic Steering, which — similar to BMW’s Active Steering — can vary steering ratio and assist. Like the suspension, the steering offers three settings. Unfortunately, none of them are very good. Characteristic of many big luxury cars, the wheel turns with a light touch at low speeds. The A8 abruptly dials back the power assist as you speed up, but the transition isn’t very smooth: It often takes a second to catch up, with awkward moments of low assist if you slow down too quickly.
The V-8 A8 4.2 starts at $78,050. Standard features include heated leather upholstery, power front seats, an iPod-compatible Bose stereo, a moonroof and a navigation system. Options include a panoramic moonroof, ventilated seats, front and rear massagers and much more. The long-wheelbase A8 L starts at $84,000. The W-12 A8, which comes only in extended-wheelbase form, hasn’t been priced yet, but given the outgoing W-12 A8’s pricing, expect it to start at six figures. A performance-oriented S8 is likely to join the lineup down the road, too.
How fast is a 2012 Audi A8?The A8L W12 displaces 6.3 liters and produces 500 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 463 pound-feet of torque at 4750. For the 2012 A8L, Audi claims a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds, and a top speed electronically limited to 130 mph.
How much horsepower does a 2012 Audi A8 have?372 to 500 hp2012 Audi A8 / Horsepowernull
How fast is the Audi A8L?Technical details. What does the L stand for in Audi A8L?Curious what that L on the rear of that beautiful car means? In the case of the Audi A8L, BMW 7-Series Li, Jaguar XJL and Lexus LS 460L, it means long wheelbase.
|