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Audi A8

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Comments

  • denaliinpadenaliinpa Member Posts: 169
    hey like i said... my experience has been very positive.
    i've owned plenty of vehicles from different manufacturers
    and dealers with no horror stories to tell. it is obvious
    from your post that you have a personal grudge against
    Audi. so "bubba" just try to keep in my that they are just
    cars. if you don't like em...don't buy em! :P
  • paldipaldi Member Posts: 210
    Hello, please be invited to make comments in a forum composed of European flagship sedan owners. Stop by to compare notes and share experiences!

    High End European Luxury Cars
  • rzimmerman1rzimmerman1 Member Posts: 1
    What company is offering the $295 cradle with a "free phone"?

    It's a good deal

    Rick
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    Just picked up an 05 A8L for my wife last week. I did a lot of research before deciding on the Audi. It seems that the only real competition is the BMW 7 series. When the BMW does win in comparison tests it is for performance reasons, but I don't see the need for performance in a near 18 foot long luxury sedan. The 4.2 liter engine in this car is plenty. The Audi wins for exterior and interior styling and the MMI interface is supposed to be much easeier to use than BMW's i-drive.

    This is an incredible vehicle from its aluminum construction to the absoloutely gorgeous interiors. This is truly a world class car, but most of the US doesn't know about it. If you have any specific questions, let me know.
  • dwongswongdwongswong Member Posts: 62
    I currently drive a 2003 A6 Quattro and will probably upgrade to a pre-owned 2004 A8L. Is the insurance high? Have you had any problem so far? Does it get reasonable gas mileage? What is your favorite thing about the car? What do you dislike the most?
  • wbreaux1wbreaux1 Member Posts: 55
    One specific question: how did you wife get so lucky?

    I agree with your analysis. I've recently downgraded the price range I'm looking in so I'm afraid the A8 is out, but for the money it is a fantastic car and if I was picking a car in that range I'd get it, unless the new 7 really looks a lot better than the old.
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    We've put on less than 200 miles so far, so I'm really not able to comment on gas mileage, yet. The only problem so far is that the CD player is supposed to recognize the names of the CD's and songs displaying them on the MMI screen. I've tried several and haven't found one that works, including ones that computers recognize the playist. The dealer is researching this for me. There may be a difference between the electronic labeling for computers and this car. The insurance is normal for a large size $75,000 car. Favorite things would include the styling (interior & exterior). Features in this class are fairly similar between manufacturers, but the keyless entry / ignition is handy. Dislikes are few and trivial including no coin holder and rather large headrests in the rear seat making rearward visibility limited.
  • Jaynj1Jaynj1 Member Posts: 47
    Hi Steve,
    I also did lot of research.I narrowed my choice to Audi 8L. But there are not that many posts with prices paid , lease rates etc. for A8. I test drove A8 couple of times. L & SWB. I did not find any difference in driving.Right now I am negotiating with dealer.
    Did you get good deal? If you did, could you share your experience with us.

    Thanks. :confuse:
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    The MSRP on our vehicle was $75,770. We leased it for 3 years with 10K miles per year. I paid normal inceptions plus $5000 (about $8200 total). The payments pre-tax are $773.00. Hope it was a good deal. Good luck!
  • grendelgrendel Member Posts: 1
    Audi's A8 is a beautiful car and their advertising budget has evidently been increased. This has at least as much to do with sales as their mechanical reliability and the quality of their service. But I have a few horror stories of my own if you'll allow:

    Purchased a 2000 A8 in 2003 from a private party -- out of Audi's warranty period and no extended warranty. Six or seven months after purchase, the 'check engine' idiot light came on. Audi in San Antonio diagnosed it as nothing to worry about -- possibly a bad tank of gas. They reset it and sent me on my way. A month later the light comes back on, stays on, and so I'm back at the same San Antonio Audi dealer. This time though I want an actual diagnosis. After keeping the car for over a month and charging me over $4k in diagnostic time, their diagnosis: We don't know what's causing it, Audi USA suggests a new engine. The cost: $21,000. I declined.

    A week later I leave Texas, moving to Virginia. I got as far as Texarkana on the Texas border and the 'low oil level' symbol comes up on my dash. I pull over, check the oil, and sure enough, it's at least 2 qts low. In an amazing bit of luck, I had 2qts of Mobil 1 in the trunk -- the movers wouldn't pack any petroleum products and left it in my garage. I pour those 2 qts in and wait 30 minutes looking for leaks. There were no leaks. I got on the cell with my San Antonio Audi dealer and explained. The service manager's response: "We may not have filled the oil when we were running those engine diagnostics. We wanted to see if it was related to oil pressure, so we changed the oil and left it a little low." Keep in mind this is an Audi dealer -- not a privately owned repair shop.

    Now, all oil changes I had done at that Audi dealer. I had always specified synthetic oil. Just verifying, I asked if they'd used synthetic or mineral oil when they changed it. He replied they used mineral oil. ...And I just dumped in 2qts of synthetic on top of it. Service manager, hearing this, suggests I change the oil and filter at my very first opportunity. Keep in mind I'm in the middle of nowhere --otherwise known as the outskirts of Texarkana.

    I find an Audi dealer in Little Rock but it's after-hours, so I take a hotel room for the night. Next morning I'm at the Little Rock Audi dealer bright and early. All I need is an oil and filter change. They perform the oil change, I'm finally back on the road. Before I get back to the interstate I notice the dashboard display is black. No radio display, etc. I turn around and head back to the dealer. His response: "If you can tell me how changing the oil and filter would make the dashboard display go out, I'll fix it for free." Well, I'm not an Audi mechanic, but I'm pretty sure they use some kind of tool or network connection to reset the service interval computer. After haggling with this guy for another hour, I'm so frustrated and pissed off that I can't see straight. I tell them to open the bay doors, I'm leaving. As the manager walks away, the young fellow who's been working on my car says, "You have to understand, we don't see many A8s around here."

    Well, he's wrong. I most definitely do not have to understand. What I *do* understand is that both the San Antonio and Texarkana Audi dealers have a long way to go in the quality of their repair shops.

    My dashboard display is back on, by the way -- courtesy of an Alexandria, VA Audi dealer who seems to know what they're doing. The Alexandria shop also diagnosed my 'check engine' light issue as a broken valve spring requiring the heads be removed for repair. And just this past week the steering column started making a grinding noise. That diagnosis: an irreplaceable bearing in the column is shot, the entire electronic steering column needs to be replaced. But I digress. I do trust this Alexandria dealer, but would warn anyone considering an A8 outside of an affluent metropolitan area to reconsider their vehicle choices.
  • dgintzlerdgintzler Member Posts: 1
    How many times does an Audi A8 owner have to replace the MMI unit in his car after the dealer blames him for reason number 3 on the "its your fault" list of Audi Corps. Excuse du jour list. The favorite is "You spilled coffee in it" or its variation, "There was a stickey substance on the pc board"
    I am not amused when the MMI lights up like a Xmas tree. The first time they replaced the board "as a goodwill gesture, the second time they nicked me 600 bucks (and I don't think they replaced the whole unit). Now its happened again, 3 times in 9 months. How many others have had this same experience?
  • greenie7greenie7 Member Posts: 12
    As a member of one of the Audi forums, I have read similar accounts concerning the MMI. A number of owners have complained of sticking buttons and one fellow actually trashed his unit by accidentally spilling coffee on it. Is your problem software or hardware related?
  • greenie7greenie7 Member Posts: 12
    Hey paldi, does an A8L qualify???
  • greenie7greenie7 Member Posts: 12
    Yep, the issue is an overly-teched car. Its the same issue Mercedes is having with their cars!
  • esfesf Member Posts: 1,020
    Wow, you're harsh for an obvious Lexus or Toyota owner. BTW, I own a Lexus, too. And, it's been 3.5 weeks since I got my S4. There have been no problems, Mr. Know-It-All. People like you are so stereotypical of cars. To you, 'If it's German, it breaks', and 'If it's American, it sucks', and 'If it's Italian, it really breaks.' Oh yeah, 'If it's Japanese, it's good.' Forgot that one. Now, where is your information to back up that I'm going to be "tied-up in something with tech problems"? And, it's $62K. Audi's are less than BMWs, you know. It's not their first attempt at something, either. I don't know if you're talking about me having an A8, which I don't, or an S4 Cabriolet, which I do. But, this is not their first time with a sports car/convertible. They're experienced with use of their 4.2 V8, and they know how to work the A4 Cabriolet.

    I haven't seen one new Audi in the shop when I go there for a checkup on my car, by the way. That's more of Mercedes's frequent pose, and I recently saw an E-Class on the back of a tow truck.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    There is no reason to turn different viewpoints into personal issues. Let's just stick to the cars and leave our opinions of each other by the side of the road ...
  • paldipaldi Member Posts: 210
    Sure greenie, though any silver car is given a free pass!
  • acme01acme01 Member Posts: 3
    Do the ventilated and massage components of the seats really work well, or are they not worth ordering? Also, does the bluetooth telephone give you hands-free technology that works well?
  • ssnyderssnyder Member Posts: 1
    Maybe a different request, but as I spend a lot of time at speed on Alligator Alley, get tons of bugs. Does anyone know where to get a bra for a 2004 A8L. Tried all over the 'net but seems to be none after 2001.

    PS: just started viewing this forum. Got $5000 off list and 1% financing. Many problems with MMI computer, but finally fixed when I went straight to service manager instead of write-up techs.

    Thanks for any help.
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    I have the Amaretto interior and did not like the looks of the ventilated seats, therefore, I can't comment on them. From the cars I've seen, they look OK on black seats.

    The bluetooth works great. I had to order my car to get it. Early 2005's came with Onstar and not bluetooth. Vehicles manufactured after a date in December, I can't remember it, have bluetooth. If the car has Onstar it does not have bluetooth.

    I've used the bluetooth for years, I have it in my BMW and it is great. Easy to use and much safer. As long as the bluetooth is activated on your cell phone, you can receive and dial calls using the steering wheel and voice commands.

    It is very simple to sync up the cell phone (up to 4) with the vehicles bluetooth. Also, with the Audi there is a very quick way to import your existing telephone numbers to the car's bluetooth system. All you have to do is voice record the names and it's ready to go.
  • anderson7anderson7 Member Posts: 2
    Hey guys, first post. The ventilated seats and message are OK. I live in Miami and I was wearing gym shorts and I felt the air come right through them, felt great. The bluetooth is great, I can go through my phone book (be sure your numbers on your phone are stored in your SIM card so you can browse through it with the MMI). Haven't had any problems with the car so far. As mentioned earlier theres no coin holder and the rear headrests are a bit too big, but thats about the only problems we've had. Tomorrow I'm driving the car up to Boston, so I'll let you guys know of any problems.
  • anderson7anderson7 Member Posts: 2
    Oh yeah also, the reason why the MMI isnt recognizing the name of the CD's is because its not supposed to. Your supposed to label the name of the CD's yourself so you know what order the CD's are in when you check the CD list.
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    Check the owners manual. It states that you can name the CDs but you can't name the individual tracks. There is a photo of the MMI screen for a Dire Straits CD (which I own and tried) where it lists the songs. If the owner can't name the songs, how did they get labeled in the manual photo? According to the dealer it is misprint in vehicles sent to the US and that various versions of the model are produce for different parts of the world.

    This answer sounded fishy, that's why I posted the questions.
  • sellissellis Member Posts: 1
    Stephen Ellis again.

    I also have the warning light on in the dash telling me that the HID headliught auto adjustment is not functioning. Any ideas?

    Stephen Ellis
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Follow-Up Test: 2005 Audi A8 L W12 was posted last week - whaddya think?
  • jmckeownjmckeown Member Posts: 1
    Can you tell me what model of phone and provider works so well for you? I have the 05 model and the dealer does not not seem to have a lot of experience with anything other than Audi phones. Also I heard that there is a new accessory that displays and plays ipods on your MMI. Any information is appreciated.
  • brendybrendy Member Posts: 6
    I live in South FL and my service is with Cingular. You can use any phone that has bluetooth. My wife and I have different phones, one Sony Ericson, the other Siemens, both work well. Setup on both phones was very easy, the vehicle's manual is pretty good. Within the bluetooth menu of the phone, have the phone search for the cars bluetooth system (vehicle must be on), then you must enter a PIN number "1234". When connected a bluetooth icon will appear on the MMI next to the clock.

    Regarding battery life, I have had different experience with each phone. On the Sony Ericson the bluetooth can be left on with little impact on battery performance. On the Siemens, I find that I have to turn the bluetooth off when not in the vehicle because it drains the battery too much if the bluetooth is left on all of the time.

    Don't have an ipod, so I can't comment on that feature.
  • stang22stang22 Member Posts: 36
    I NEED SOME ADVICE FROM ALL YOU AUDI A8 AWD QUATTRO EXPERTS!! I have the opportunity to purchase a high mileage 1997 audi awd A8 quattro with 152,000 on it,in seemingly excellent shape considering the mileage. I personally need a very reliable all-season car for the winters and all,and don't have alot of money to spend. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF I SHOULD KEEP AWAY FROM A CAR LIKE THIS, AND HOW MUCH WOULD A CAR LIKE THIS BE WORTH,AND IS A CAR LIKE THIS GOOD IN THE WINTER MONTHS FOR TRACTION?? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A 1997 AUDI A8 AWD QUATTRO 4DR. SEDAN,AND I WOULD SURELY BE DEEPLY THANKFUL FOR ANY ADVICE ON THE QUESTIONS I ASKED,OR ANY OTHER INFO OR ADVICE WOULD SURE HELP ME!! THANK YOU SOO MUCH!! stang22 aka Jennifer Thanks guys!!! :)
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    I guess your CAPS blinks on and off...but seriously.

    I would be very cautious about buying a 97 A8 with 157k miles on it. Even if the car has been well maintained, that's a heck of a lot of miles on any German car.

    Parts and repairs for the the A8 are extremely expensive, and if you're on a tight budget, looking at a 9 year old A8 w/ 157k miles is not the way to save money.

    I wouldn't buy any Audi with over 100k on it unless it was a 1 owner car, or you at least had acesss to the service history on the car from the previous owner.
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    "I personally need a very reliable all-season car for the winters and all,and don't have alot of money to spend."

    I agree with rjlaero, the A8 is a great car, but I don't think even the greatest Audi enthusiast would consider a '97 A8 with 152k miles as a safe buy for reliability, especially if you need something that is cheap. It would be a fun weekend car, or something that you could drive if you had a backup should something happen...

    For reliability, get a car under warranty... perhaps a 1 or 2 yo A4 or A6? The A4's built after 2003 have had great reliability and the latest A6 (2005+) are doing well so far...
  • greenie7greenie7 Member Posts: 12
    IMO, stay away from it. The maintenance on this car will eat you alive!
  • osbornosborn Member Posts: 1
    I'd like to hire an Audi A8 or S8 mark 1 for my wedding in the UK. Does anyone know where I can hire one for a 24 year old to drive?
  • a8drivera8driver Member Posts: 1
    That's really a lot of miles, especially without warranty coverage. Repairs can be extraordinarily expensive. On the other hand there are much lower mileage cars around that are terrific buys. They are fantastic in the snow, great drives and very safe. I know of a 2000 A8 with 75K, in great shape with an extended warranty good until 100K miles, for instance. That care with the warranty is $18,500.
  • jdjjdj Member Posts: 1
    I just took delivery on a new 06 A8L this week. I have owned several bmw's and mercedes, but was looking forward to giving the new Audi a try. I drove the car for 40 miles before I noticed a humming sound coming from the drivers side rear of the car. I continued to drive for another 5 miles before the center driver information screen turned completely white. I then called the dealership and was told to bring the car back and a technician would look at the car. So the day after taking delivery I returned to the dealership with 52 miles on the car. They have determined that I need a new fuel filter, fuel pump, and also a new center driver information screen which will require the entire dash to be removed in order for this to be replaced. The dealership tells me that I must give Audi a chance to fix the car, but are these problems that are inexuseable for a 50 mile car? I do not want to be ridiculous, but could this be a lemon? Has anyone heard of Audi taking a car back with such few miles and just replacing the car? Any advice would be appreciated. thanks
  • jay27jay27 Member Posts: 1
    I am in the process of purchaising an 97' Audi A8 4.2 from an auction. The car currently has 104k and is selling the car for a $8500 grand. This is my first Audi and do not know much about the maintenance, reliability, etc. I carfaxed this vehicle and gave me a listing of all the times it has been serviced by the dealership but I still dont know whether the mandatory maintenance such as water pump and timing belt has occured. I was wondering if you guys can give me some input about the car and whether or not it is a good purchase and at what mileage this mandatory maintenace is due. Thanks.

    *On an another note, I only planning on having the car for the next 2-3 years.
  • audibuyeraudibuyer Member Posts: 7
    I am in the process of negotiating a lease for a 2005 Audi A8 L...what do you think about these terms?

    $76,570 :MSRP
    $70,570 ($1,000 Below invoice) : Agreed SALES PRICE
    $2,000 :Down payment
    Dealer is paying for Taxes
    Dealer is paying $574 Destination

    .0009 : Money Factor
    56% : RSV
    36 Months
    12,000 Miles

    MONTHLY PAYMENTS: $864.50 (I am trying to get them down to $850)

    Do you think this is an ok Deal? Do you think if I wait till the end of the month I might get a better deal? The 2006 A8 has not hit the dealership yet.

    I live in Texas for what it's worth

    tHANKS :)
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    I'd go ahead a pull the trigger on that A8 deal. With a money factor that low, you're a hair over 2% interest, and your're $1000 below invoice @ 6k off sticker.

    The A8's leases out pretty well, and that's not much more than you would pay to lease a 4.2 A6.
  • len3len3 Member Posts: 4
    My 2005 A8l has about 7300miles and is 7 months old . My MMI has lit up like aXmas tree 3 times. Called the dealer and he says dust or something got into the buttons suggested I use a piece of thin paper or plastic.and run around the 4 buttons around the big MMI knob.The 1st and 2nd time it cleared up, Then the radio button stuck in the On position and and entire MMI system lit up and shut down. I pried Radio button up and covered the entire area with Plastic(SARAN) Wrap As an engineer myself THIERE IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT AUDI SHOULD CORRECT AND STOP TRYING TO MAKE CUSTOMERS PAY FOR THEIR ERRORS>
  • cnnfncnnfn Member Posts: 1
    My 2004 A8l has similar problems with the MMI, starting about 4 months ago, it would just reset itself every 6-8 hrs of continuous usage. Took it to dealer and they said nothing's wrong. And just these past few days, it occurs more often, every 1 minute or so. Took it back to dealer and they said because water got through to the computer inside and they want me to pay $880+tax to fix and replace it. They said it's not covered under warranty. I honestly can't remember of ever spilling any water around the control knobs.

    Do you think that's true about it not being covered under warranty? And I'm stuck on paying that to get it fixed?

    Thank you in advance for any advice or input.
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    The MMI systems had quite a few problems for the 2004 model year, and I've heard a lot fo that has to do with software issues that can be remidied with updates.

    Yout nav system should be under warranty. Were the cupholders up top by the nav on the 2004 models? The only thing they could say is that you spilled something on it and it seeped through.
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    What does the 06 a8 have that the 05 not have other than the radio? Is the body work going to change? Tony
  • emaussemauss Member Posts: 151
    I will be purchasing a SWB 2006 A8 in about 4 weeks. My last two cars were a Porsche Boxster and a BMW 330 Convertible.

    Then came the Granddaughter (I highly recommend this to all!!!)

    I guess a *slightly* bigger car is now a necessity :-)

    I am seeing about 2K off MSRP as the current price for the vehicle. Any comments?

    Eric
  • paul175paul175 Member Posts: 1
    I also have a early 2005 A8L and a Motorola V60s phone. Did you get this to work? If you did would you mind telling me how?

    I got the V60s/p/x cradle, my phone fits, the phone finds the cars cell antenna, but no charging power, and apparently it is not seen by the car. If I press the [Tel] or [Name] buttons the MMI displays:

    The telephone is not installed.
    Please visit your
    Audi dealer to activate
    your telephone.

    hints?
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    Two thousand is all I could get.....Do you know about what the changes to the car for 06 would be ? Thanks Tony
  • emaussemauss Member Posts: 151
    That seems to be the going rate here in NYC area. Three differenet dealers quoted similar prices. I will squeeze harder when I am ready to sign.
    As far as the changes, I am told the only real change is the nose update...and some color changes.
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    If you can get 2 g's off a new 06, that isn't a bad deal. There's only about 5k or so dealer mark-up in the A8, and that's not a lot for a 75k car.
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    I had to order the car, and that then makes it sort of harder. There are some options I would think a person would want, that then has to be ordered as a dealer is not able to order the car for inventory....At least that is what I am told....The dealer experience was pleasant, and that is a plus Tony ps I was wondering when the will offer a larger engine
  • emaussemauss Member Posts: 151
    I, too will be ordering the car. There seems to be a pretty "standard" discount of 1K negotiable to 2K for all the A8s (This is from my very limited experience).

    I have one dealer who will offer close to 3K off, but price is not the entire bottom line. The service reputation of one dealer over the other is well worth about 1K over the lifetime of the vehicle!

    Anyway, I will roadtest the A8 and Phaeton on the same day when I return from abroad and make a decision then. So far the Audi is a bit ahead. Especially when I look at the resale value. Almost a 10K difference in the 2004's! (Guess which is more!)

    (e)
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    When you test drive the Audi please check out the sport suspension if possible...As you will find out the adaptive ride can be changed, but for two housand more you can get the sport setting...I wonder if this is too firm....I ordered it but have a couple of weeks to change my mind about it.....As you mention ,the dealer is very important, so much so I wouldn`t get a car at a cheaper price and then have to worry about a poor dealer....Life is too short at this stage....Tony
  • emaussemauss Member Posts: 151
    I put on about 6K miles/year and the vast majority of those miles are in the greater NYC area. I have owned mostly sports-type vehicles in the past and it is now time for me to get a car without "the sports package". I am planning on getting the (now) standard 18" wheels, and will be very happy *not* to have 40-series (or lower profile) tires!

    As I mentioned earlier, I have a motorcycle for my "zoom-zoom".

    (e)
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