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Audi A8

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Comments

  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    “The A8 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $66,590.”

    Hmm . . .

    The new Caddy STS V8 AWD (1SG) appears to be in the $62K range.

    A8 (SWB) with cold weather and convenience packages (just to come close to comparable equipment) = approx. $74K. (One could argue equipment levels forever, I suppose.)

    Both V8 300+ HP/TQ, AWD – sized similarly? I will have to check. Weight advantage for the (aluminum intense) Audi? I will have to check . . . .

    Hmm . . .

    - Ray
    Just finding this interesting . . .
    2022 X3 M40i
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Well the two cars may come close in price, but for me the A8's interior, styling etc. put it in another league above any Cadillac. No comparision to me. The Cadillac is way overpriced if it comes close to the A8's price, imo.

    M
  • djsky24djsky24 Member Posts: 2
    I have to agree with the other reply. If it is close to the A8 price I hope you are not entertaining the idea of purchasing the caddy. The first reason is it is a caddy. The second reason is, it is a caddy. I hope you spend the time necessary to actually drive both vehicles in inclement weather/ If you do, let me know how much the towing bill is after the caddy test drive. I have personally driven the A8 in 10" of snow up hill. I would be astonished if anything other than a 4x4 truck, no, I mean, uhhh, well I guess another Audi. Believe what you will, but this is only my experience.
  • djsky24djsky24 Member Posts: 2
    I have to agree with the other reply. If it is close to the A8 price I hope you are not entertaining the idea of purchasing the caddy. The first reason is it is a caddy. The second reason is, it is a caddy. I hope you spend the time necessary to actually drive both vehicles in inclement weather/ If you do, let me know how much the towing bill is after the caddy test drive. I have personally driven the A8 in 10" of snow up hill. I would be astonished if anything other than a 4x4 truck, no, I mean, uhhh, well I guess another Audi. Believe what you will, but this is only my experience.
  • jpvwaudijpvwaudi Member Posts: 139
    When considering the weight of the caddy:

    Both V8 300+ HP/TQ, AWD – sized similarly? I will have to check. Weight advantage for the (aluminum intense) Audi? I will have to check . . . .

    Don't forget the Laundau roof, gold package, Vogue tires and the requisite walker or RASCAL.
  • jpvwaudijpvwaudi Member Posts: 139
    Just a quick poll:

    If shopping for a new A8 SWB, check that, A8, because no matter what, its not short, how would you like it equipped?

    I just built our first one the other day and would like to know how I did....
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    " how would you like it equipped?"

    w/RS6 motor and RS6 suspension and RS6 'Sound Enhancing Exhaust System' . . .??
    - Ray
    Realizing that is probably NOT exactly what you had in mind
    2022 X3 M40i
  • auditorauditor Member Posts: 63
    Response to your quick poll:

    Though I'm now more inclined toward getting a 2005 A6 4.2V8 eqippd to make it as equivalent eqpt.-wise as a SWB A8, if I were to go for a 2005 A8 SWB, it would be either in night blue pearl or light silver metallic (in either case with a black/amaretto interior).

    Definite options for me would be: cold weather package, parktronic and 18" alloys with all season tires (would decide between 5-spoke or 9-spoke wheels after I've see them and get their prices).

    Possible additional option is a wood steering with paddle shifters and a wood shift knob but,again, would want to see and drive a car with one and assess its cost vs. benefits.

    When you say you "built" one, do you mean hypothetically (which is what I've done), or have you actually ordered one and, if so, did you get
    list prices for the options? My understanding is that the U.S. base price will be $66,590.
  • coppercopper Member Posts: 94
    I just came back from my local Audi dealership.
    They said they just 15 A8 demos from the company.
    And they have a deal on them for $669, 24 months...$2000 down. Some have 4000 miles on them. They assure me they are not buybacks. It this possible??
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    If it's a lease and under warranty, and you like the car that is a great deal. I'm a Lexus LS430 person and prefer its ride and quality but the A8 design is gorgeous and that's an awful lot of car for that money. If I wanted an A8 - even moderately - I wouldn't pass on that deal and Audi is too classy a company to allow a misleading sale by its dealers. It may well be simple business - that being that is the price needed to move the cars and it may well be subsidized by Audi.
  • a8lsuspiciousa8lsuspicious Member Posts: 1
    Dealer is offering over $12K off the msrp for cars they are buying at auction. Why are there so many of these new vehicles already at auction?
    I have also heard about problems with brakes, electronics, & and the MMI systems, has anyone been faced with these problems?
    While a the dealer I met a couple that test drove a 2004 A8L (my salesperson said that it was a buy-back with only 9K miles) they said the ABS light was on and the dealer told them it already needed new brakes (sounds like a big lie), what's up with the brakes on these cars?
  • hjcanterhjcanter Member Posts: 31
    Has anyone else test driven the new SWB a8 yet? I test drove it last Friday and I liked it very much. In fact so much, I placed and order for one. (Pretty much loaded) I would like to hear from anyone who as driven the car.
  • auditorauditor Member Posts: 63
    I also test drove an SWB A8 last week and found it very impressive:
    a large, very comfortable and quite luxurious car but, also, very fast and responsive to driver inputs.

    I've been considering it, along with the soon to come '05 A6 4.2 V8 (which I haven't been able to test drive yet), as a replacement for my wonderful but aging 740i. My sense is that the new A6 will have a bit less luxury but, perhaps, more of a sporting feel and, not unimportant, cost about $15K less (even when configured to match the SWB A8).

    Given that you were probably one of your dealer's early buyers of the new SWB A8, were you able to negotiate any discount from MSRP on the
    price and, if so, how much??
  • hjcanterhjcanter Member Posts: 31
    After I added my options, and there were many, the MSRP was about $74,000 and change. I do not have it in writing, but I should be getting $1,500 off the price. I do not think that is a bad deal. Most A8's get only $500 to $1,000 off here in MD.

    The cool thing is that I am the first one at the dealership to order one and I only have a $1,000 deposit on it. Should have it in about 3 months. If you want to know, I'll tell you what options I got.
  • auditorauditor Member Posts: 63
    I believe the $1,500 discount you got is quite decent; I haven't asked
    the 3 dealers I've been talking to (in the Phila. area) about what they'd be willing to do yet, because I waiting to decide which new Audi I really want.

    But, when I talked to them about an '04 A8L 6 months ago (in the middle of the model year), initially they seemed willing to take only $500 or maybe $1,000 off MSRP.

    And, yes, I would like to know what options you got.

    Thanks.
  • hjcanterhjcanter Member Posts: 31
    Options:

    Cold Weather, Convenience, Parktronic, XM Radio, Vent. and Massage seats (treat for me!), 18" 9-Spoke wheels.

    Exterior: Oyster Gray Metallic
    Interior: Beige

    It is going to be nice!
  • auditorauditor Member Posts: 63
    Congrat's!! Your new A8 will be more than nice; it'll be great!!

    Just don't let the seat massage get you too excited!!
  • jpvwaudijpvwaudi Member Posts: 139
    I appreciate the responses from the little survey. I had already ordered the car; let me see if I can cut and paste what I built....
    uh I can't...well here it is, I'll have to type:

    05 A8
    Black/Black-Amaretto
    parktronic
    XM radio
    Sycamore wood steering wheel
    cold weather package
    19's with ALL SEASONS....(Yay!)
    Massage/Ventilated seats

    We're very excited we can now offer the 19's with the allseasons. The car looks so much better this way. Well, how did I do?
  • jpvwaudijpvwaudi Member Posts: 139
    Many of these cars are press fleet/training cars/executive demos. When I went to Vegas for training, there had to be 75 of them. We watched an online-dealer only auction for these cars; I was really close to buying one. I didn't, only because I bought a boat instead. (I tow it with my trusty "why don't you sell this thing" anti-wife 91 F150).

    Don't be afraid to buy one, they'll be certified, with a 6/100k bumper to bumper. You'll retain the free service til 50k, and be eligible for great lease and finance programs through AFS.
  • hjcanterhjcanter Member Posts: 31
    Close in options to what I ordered. I was not crazy about the wood steering wheel. I like a wood and leather one (like in my wife's lexus). So, went with the leather wheel. The SWB A8 drives great!
  • sgriefsgrief Member Posts: 2
    I drove the 05 SWB A8 yesterday. It was great! It felt bank vault solid and the "feel" of the MMI was vastly better than the iDrive. The quality of the displays--both MMI and in cluster--are really impressive. No problem at all with glare from any angle on a very sunny day. The handling with the suspension set to "Dynamic" was tight and there were no problems handling a chopped up Route 9 west of Boston...

    I have a few questions on options:
    1) Has anyone seen the 9-spoke wheels? Any pictures you can post a link for?
    2) Are the tiptronic paddles only available with the wood wheel? I love the paddles, but I agree with the previous post that the leather is more comfortable...
    3) What does the Alcantara package get you? Are the seating surfaces different or just the miscellaneous trim pieces? It seems pretty pricey.
    4) What do people think about the leather for the door and center armrests?
  • hjcanterhjcanter Member Posts: 31
    The car I test drove had the 9 spoke wheels. They look great and I did order them! You can get a look at them at the audiuk website. I saw a great pic of them before, I just can't remember where I saw it.

    I believe all the new steering wheels are coming with the triptronic paddles, but not 100% sure.

    Alcantara is really an upgrade for the headliner. It is the same material used in the doors. A suade like material. I did not think it was worth the money. The seating is still leather.

    When I drove the car, I had it in the automatic setting. On the highway, it felt great. On the twisty roads, it handled well for a big car.
  • dhaudidhaudi Member Posts: 1
    hi guys..recently gave up my 98 7 series for a 2001 audi a8l..bimmer was out of warranty w/96,000 miles..still ran like a trooper though..i recently moved and now have a 100 miles daily commute...needed all wheel drive for the winter days up and down the nj turnpike...car is certified till 100,000 miles...paid 30,900..42,000 miles at riverside audi in nj..car runs great..much quicker off the line than the 7 series..aluminum makes it more nimble also...however the 7 is built with a better quality..as we all know with preowned german cars..the service dept can make or brake the ownership experience..riverside is starting to get on my nerves and i haven't had the car a month.. a series of recent incidents have led me to believe that the car never actually went thru the certification process but rather prepped for delivery...there are very obvious nuisances that a service tech could not have missed if he drove the car..like squeak in the steering wheel and sensor light on..hte fact that they never gave me the inspection and certification report only supports my suspicion...dropping a certified letter to the service manager this morning...otherwise a great car..i love the inconspicous styling..the 310 hp can certaily get you where you want to go...glad to be aboard..
  • palmapalma Member Posts: 1
    Need to know if paying 23,000 for an Audi A8 2000 with 59,000 miles is worth the price. Should I consider a 32K certified car instead?
  • tiny1tiny1 Member Posts: 26
    I'm in the same boat. A dealer gave me a 2000 A8L to drive over the weekend with the hope I'd buy it. It has 59500 miles, looks to be in good shape and costs $22,990, which I think is way under "trade in". The struggle: There is no warranty on the car and there are a couple of little things that are broken; 1) Power headrest and seatbelt adjustment; 2) Power rear window shade; 3)Service light comes on and displays "AIRBAG" when car starts sometimes. Although the dealer will work with me on these items, I'm worried about what will go wrong next. The tires probably should be replaced in the next year. I'm not in a financial state to pour money into this every other month, however, I really like the car and it fits my size (6'6'. 250lbs, with tall children). I'd really like to get into this car for 23K rather than 33K, but don't want to buy a continuing problem. Do you have a feel for the reliability of the 2000 A8L, after 4 years? Are there any after market extended warranties out there that make sense financially for the major items (engine, power train etc..)?
  • etisburyetisbury Member Posts: 1
    Considering buying a 98 A8. 68K miles and 18K$. Transmission was service/fixed? at 50K . Great coondition.

    Any reason I should not buy it? Have owed BMW's and would like to own an A8 but the reviews have me nervous concerning reliability out of warranty.

    P
  • rodneyhrodneyh Member Posts: 2
    Hi,

    Be very, very careful. We bought a 1997 A8 Quattro with 40+K miles on it. It immediately needed a very expensive head casket, control arms, tie rods, and wheel bearings. After that, we had to fix fuel leaks and coolant leaks. The memory seats don't work properly and the automatic-volume-raising-when-speed-increases feature has never worked except to blast the radio whenever it wants. At a little more than 100K, the transmission had to be replaced (at $6K); I called Audi who said they wouldn't do anything. I checked with Junk Yards that told me the '97 transmission was so bad they stopped making it, and the demand for early A8 transmissions is so huge they can't keep any in stock. Dealers told me they won't deal in '97's because of the transmissions. A friend had a '98 Tiptronic that had to have the transmission replaced 3X in the first 2 years. He is a "former" Audi driver. We had an after market extended warranty, but the company went bankrupt. They paid on our car 4X what our premium was. I asked Audi if this was the way they stood behind their $70K, top-of-the-line, engineering marvel, and they replied "Sorry".

    The car is comfortable, fast, fun to drive, but be prepared to pay and pay and pay to a company that does nothing more than apologize.

    Good luck!

    Rodney Hager
  • rodneyhrodneyh Member Posts: 2
    I just came from our local highway and there in the middle of the road with it's magnificant hood upright blocking traffic was a brand new, broken down Audi A8L with the owner standing on the median strip. "Engineering Marvel" came to mind. Apparently the newer they are the worse they are. My 97 has cost a fortune in unreasonable repairs. They started making crap and they engineered it to perfection...way to go Audi!
  • sussus Member Posts: 1
    I am very taken with the Lexus L430 and Audi L8, having a tough time making a decision, Love the controls of Audi ( my right arm does not reach), but love the pillow ride of Lexus, but I do need to get up the hills, can I even consider the Lexus??? lots of features on both I Love,,, HELP!! Sus
  • aggie76aggie76 Member Posts: 266
    I'm very pleased with my 2004 LS430 and will get to give it a nice test beginning today on snow & hills. Heading over to northern Michigan from western Illinois mid-day today through the forecasted snow. Just mounted my new wheels and Dunlop Winter Sport M3's and will have the opportunity on some hills when visiting family. Will get back and share experiences. I personally am thrilled that I chose the LS, great ride & great price.
  • idahodougidahodoug Member Posts: 537
    I'm looking at a used A8 for the second time and this one has a slight leak onto the catalytic converter according to the owner. It runs in my mind that there is a leak others have had here and it turned out to be something minor that is known about by A8 enthusiasts. I base this off of an A8 for sale that mentioned this leak had already happened and been attended to.

    So, I'm looking for input from you folks to see if I can go into this knowing what the source is.

     Thanks in advance,

    IdahoDoug
  • vic6vic6 Member Posts: 2
    contemplating buying a new A8 or A8L and looking to hear from owners of 2004 or 2005's about ownership experiences. especially interested in any repair issues or dealer concerns as i have been spoiled by japanese ownership.
  • loslobos71loslobos71 Member Posts: 28
    i spoke to my dealer today and he told me that they are putting the new trapezoidal grille on the 2006 A8. They are also apparently going to change the back. Has anyone else heard this? I have not heard of this anywhere and i kind of think that he heard some false info.
  • axel1axel1 Member Posts: 5
    vic6 - not sure about the dealers yet as I've had one for only 2 weeks, but mine seems like they will be at least fair (brand new dealership). I love this car!!! One intersting thing I almost walked away as they weren't really willing to deal at all. Then they realized I came to them via AAA, and took $2k off the sticker, just like that (I had committed to the deal with $600 off of chrome wheels, but they actually changed it AFTER I was sold).
  • welschmanwelschman Member Posts: 4
    took delivery 3 weeks ago...beautiful car...silver /black interior..19 inch all-seasons....xm...cold weather. Wonderful ride, handling, finish..traded my 2000 740 iL, also a fantastic car. Ride great with 95K miles on it..Love everything about the 8 EXCEPT the MMI has crashed a number of time this last week. Bringing it in for a fix on Monday, and if all goes well, great, if not, they get the car back and they can get me another. Should be able to play the radio for 70K
  • axel1axel1 Member Posts: 5
    welschman - do you know the date of manufacture or software version? I have had no problems as of yet.... anything specific bring on the crashes to your knowledge?
  • paldipaldi Member Posts: 210
    Both are 10k mile corporate cars, asking $60,000. I like the Phaeton because its so rare, solid quality, comfortable, big enough for 4 adults and has 4 wheel drive. The Audi is similar but less luxurious and, being all aluminum, I worry about repairs if it's ever hit. I also think the VW may be more reliable given the A8 MMI troubles. You guys are Audi lovers... Have you tried a Phaeton? What were your thoughts about it?
  • gold233790gold233790 Member Posts: 183
    I don't know for sure, but that Phaeton price looks a little high to me. VW was offering close to 15k incentives on brand new '04's within the past month or so. I like the car, but there is a difference between VW and Audi.

     

    If it was me, I'd either purchase the Audi or spend a few extra K and buy a brand new Phaeton. If you are thinking of driving the car into the ground it probably doesn't matter, but the Audi is almost certain to retain its value at a much better rate as well.

     

    Also, I don't know if I could ever spend 60k on a used car. For 60k, I want to know EXACTLY how the car has been driven.

     

    As for the quality of each vehicle? I've owned A8's and never a VW, but I've driven around in a Phaeton several times and have to say I was very impressed. Build quality seems excellent, and it is certainly one of the plushest interiors on the market.
  • welschmanwelschman Member Posts: 4
    get it..best car $ for $ in the world. sold my 2000

    740iL, which was, until this car, the best I ever owned. The 8 is amazing..fun fast and better looking than the BMW or MB IMO
  • welschmanwelschman Member Posts: 4
    bad connection..secured and to date no further problems so now I think the car is an A+
  • ugly2ugly2 Member Posts: 22
    Have looked every where but can't seem to find it. Can someone please tell me the top end of an '05 A8 w/ std. 4.2? Limited and if possible unlimited. Thanks in advance.

     

    John
  • welschmanwelschman Member Posts: 4
    LIMITED IN THE US TO 130...DUNNO OVERSEAS BUT WOULD EXPECT 150+
  • wbreaux1wbreaux1 Member Posts: 55
    Am thinking of a 2005 A8 (and CLS etc). I understand that A8's now come with Bluetooth. Can any recent purchasers confirm this, and does the Bluetooth work well? Thanks.
  • Jaynj1Jaynj1 Member Posts: 47
    I checked with salesperson last time I was at Audi dealer. He said new audi A8s are bluetooth compatible.
  • axel1axel1 Member Posts: 5
    Not all 05's have BT. The early 05's do not and have onstar instead. Of course, Audi does not mention this in any literature or the website (says BT is STANDARD on 2005 A8's).
  • acme01acme01 Member Posts: 3
    I am interested in a new A8L, but I'm wondering about their reliability and Audi's customer service. I currently own a 1999 A6 Quattro and have spent several thousands on maintenance and repairs, including $1700 on repair of the suspension. Audi customer relations has declined to be of assistance other than "I'm sorry". Are there any data about the track record of the A8L's repair history and reliability?
  • jolee61jolee61 Member Posts: 8
    Looking at trading my 02 A8 for a new one. What kind of pricing is anyone seeing? Any incentives or hold backs etc from audi? Any subsidized financing or lease rates? I paid $1500 over invoice for the 02. Don't want to pay too much for the next one. Maybe buying it somewhere else (that doesnt have "snow" demand, and shipping it would be better?
  • wbreaux1wbreaux1 Member Posts: 55
    This may be a basic question, but can anyone comment on the usefulness of all wheel drive in a southern climate; we don't get snow and rarely ice. Jolle61's post suggested that demand for the A8 would be higher where it snows, which has always made sense to me. Of course if there is a difference in demand, presumably the supply would be equalized for this.

     

    My wife has a 2002 A6 with quattro. We love the car. We didn't get it for quattro, and in fact if a CVT (without quattro) had been out then, we would have gotten it. It didn't seem logical to me to pay $2k extra for quattrro without driving in snow, but we like the car otherwise and the value still made sense compared to others. I know driving it in heavy rain and wind, it feels much more solid than my 2000 E320. Maybe that answers my own question, but if anyone has any comments on the usefulness of quattro in a warm weather climate, I'd appreciate it.

     

    I am looking for another car, and may consider an A8. I love the new A8, although it may be out of my price range.
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    I don't get much snow here in Texas but really like the Quattro. It gives me comfort on rainy days when the roads are so slick. My previous car (a front wheel one) would hydroplane all over the place with the smallest amount of precipitation. The Quattro drives as if there wasn't any rain at all. I have yet to experience any sliding.

     

    Honestly, from my reading, AWD isn't the end-all, beat-all in the North either. Snow tires are. So if you're looking for safety or a stable ride on possibly slippery roads, Quatro is for you. If you're looking for raw power, faster 0-60 times, etc...get a RWD auto. They're lighter and faster.
  • jamesdvorakjamesdvorak Member Posts: 1
    I don't know where to begin on this one! I bought a new A8L as an '04 model - of course no Bluetooth or satellite radio and a phone cradle that does nothing - but that is only the beginning! After 2 WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP the MMI crashed constantly. They kept the car for ONE MONTH to update the MMI software. Then everything seemed normal. Then about a month later someone hit my driver's side rear quarter panel - any normal car would be about $2k in damage, but not the A8L! 3 MONTHS LATER I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY CAR because there are only limited amount of aluminum repair centers in the US and they are back-logged. The bill?? $14,400 for a dented rear quarter panel!!!! I hope this helps in your decision :-)
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