Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Audi A8

12467…30

Comments

  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    i dont know what the supply of A8Ls are in the midwest, but in houston, A8s are not in demand,and the you will be able to pay close to invoice if you get the regular length, but the long wheelbase is probably in higher demand, since it is brand new. perhaps 7% over sticker, vs 4%. i dont know anything about the phone but the longer warranty and scheduled servicing are to keep in line with MB Lexus BMW and all other luxury cars. andi was knocked in recent years because of this. the A8 is well built, and the factory is one of the best, so reliability should be excellent. i'm sure the 2001s should be ready to order, since the 2001 A4s and A6s can be ordered now. (check the audi website and see) i'm not aware of any major changes for 2001 except the long wheelbase option. what options are you getting? and what color? the A8 is a technological wonder after 5 years, and topped the S class in the Car and Driver high end luxury test. the only complaints were the lack of rear room and loud tires. with the L, as you are buying, that has been taken care of and the tires can be easily fixed. so i think the A8 is the best car built, including the 7, S and new LS 430.
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    by the way, why do you not like the new S class? the biggest complaints of tank like styling and heavy weight have been corrected. my only complaint with the new car is the busy interior that looks like the designers had 1 minute to place all the gadgets in the car.
  • stheodd1stheodd1 Member Posts: 18
    1998 A8 - 16000 miles - asking $47000 from a dealer. Is this the right price? I have not owned an Audi before but I am interested in this car. Would appreciate any feedback or thoughts on this. Are there any financing deals from the factory? Will watch for posts or contact s.theodoredis@att.net
  • jwilkersonjwilkerson Member Posts: 15
    My concern over the Audi was the three year warranty. MB has had a four year and 50,000 warranty for years. Additionally, MB provides for 800 call road side assistance for life. Audi has it for only 3 years. Seems they should try a bit harder to parallel with MB. When I asked the manufacturers rep about it, he had little to say. My problem with the new S500 is probably more to do with my own personal experience. I like the heavy,old car. The new S class has so much hard plastic front and back that it looks cheap The sideline design is very similar to a Buick. It simply does not have much style and the command center, information, and data screen is very difficult to operate. Salesmen hate it. Takes for ever to learn and nobody seems to want to use it. MB is selling cars like crazy today. But, they are not building them like the did a few years back. The market seems to be taking it OK. If I do buy an Audi A8L, it will be the first time I have turned away from MB in 23 years because I just don't like the style and presentation of the S car today. The CL 500 Coupe is another story. Thanks for your interest.
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    in this war to save weight, audi started using aluminum and MB went to plastic steel and magnesium. but MB has the name so it sells more. audi also looses money on every A8 they sell, because of all the aluminum processes that had to be pioneered for it. it's a great car and is one of the last of the old style german luxury cars that went for the best engineering without gimmicks...the S class is definitely the opposite of it.
  • quattro_pearlquattro_pearl Member Posts: 51
    And liked the changes that were made. Interior layout on the A8/L are different now and a few other things like the front-end. WWW.CARANDDRIVER.COM
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    what's different, other than the wheelbase extension and the back seat AC vents on the door frames, i cant see much different
  • mdchockeymdchockey Member Posts: 3
    just rolled a new a8l into svc 5/9/2000; model yr 2000. was never told by both the dealer and factory reps ( @ ny car show ) that 2001 models have 4yr/ 50K pkg. ( feeling slighted ). and no accomodations made by client relations......

    2000 a8l is a beautiful auto; rear pwr shade is trouble. been in for svc on it 3 times in 2+ months. what gives? so much engineering in a well thought of car and can't get the shade done right? ( hope not a prob like the a6 fuel gauges )
  • jwilkersonjwilkerson Member Posts: 15
    I too have learned that the 2001 model year for the A8L will provide for the four year 50K mile warranty. The Factory Rep. did not admit this to me. I have one being delivered (2000) next week to my home to drive for three days. I'll know more after that test, and I will ask him about the sun shade. MB has one also. I have not heard of problems. Must be the Audi supplier. There is not much to them to go wrong. What kind of a deal did you get on your 2000 this spring? Are they taking a $2,000 profit or more? The big difference I can see in the MB S500 and the Audi A8L, other than the obvious exterior design, is the interior. MB went with hard plastic, slim seats, nothing overstuffed, in fact somewhat cheap. The plastic tends to rattle with little to no padding. Yes, it is a much more sporty drive, but the ride and sound is very different than the old grand dame of the highway, the tank. If I cannot get the coupe delivered this summer, I may make the move to Audi. Any idea what the resale is like with the A8L two or three years down the road? Many thanks for your interest and participation.
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    A8 depreciation probably will be high, because of ASF frame that's hard to fix and costly, plus Audi doesnt have MB cache.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    That has it's advantages for some, who want an A8, but can't afford a new one. A year old A8 is a good car and if you plan to keep it for a long time, the resale won't really matter. The A8 is a wonderful car.

    M
  • quattro_pearlquattro_pearl Member Posts: 51
    And if you have A8, 740/50 Sclass money, why would one worry about resale? It's just like those ppl who pay 40k for a car and cry about the gas milage, as if it's a sub-compact or diesel. If you can't afford gas, don't buy it. If you worry about resale don't buy it, you probably couldn't afford it anyway Audi resale may not be like MB, but it's on par with BMW and Lexus, and much better than Acura and Infiniti.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I kind of agree with that, but it is disappointing for a car to be worth so little after a few years, but I myself wouldn't base a purchase of a certain car based completely on resale value.

    M
  • jwilkersonjwilkerson Member Posts: 15
    I just wanted a feel for the Audi resale. I have no experience with this manufacturer. If MB can deliver the CL500 Coupe I ordered in October 99, I will go with that this summer/fall. The A8L just caught my attention with the engineering and design. Seems like a very high quality vehicle for the price, and not plastic inside. Thanks again for your opinions.
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    the A8 isnt like the CL500, which you can drive for a year and sell for what you paid for to the impatient who must have the car!! PS the normal thinking that the first year depreciation is actually what the car is really worth is bogus... audi loses money on every A8 they sell due to the aluminum frame and technology behind it and it has harsh depreciation. vs the SUVs which, in the navigator's case, is a profit of almost 15000 a car and have little depreciation.
  • quattro_pearlquattro_pearl Member Posts: 51
    isn't as drastic as you make it seem. The A8l has been selling better than the A8, since its arrival. The 740i depreciation is rather weak also, so is the LS00, Jaguar too. There's no doubt that MB has the best resale, they also cost more upfront. Remember, when you buy a car, you won't get back the money you paid. If you are going to have a car for a year or two, why not lease? It would make sense and save you money, rather than buying outright and expecting a great return..That's what the stock-market is for.
  • mdchockeymdchockey Member Posts: 3
    got car for $64600 here in ny. it's an a8L w/ 17" wheels and xenon headlites; those were the only opts. it think he mad $2200 over inv and dest chgs. called client relations over new 2001 support pkg and they said that 4/50k pkg is applicable to all audi 2001 models. i told her to make me feel better about the fact that i just got a 2000 model ( less than 60 days ) by knowing that audi either raised dealer cost or increased msrp to account for the extra value in wty enhancements. her response, 'oh no, just a value-added piece for all 2001 audis'. isn't that a kick in the [non-permissible content removed]! it seems that audi here in the usa is sucessful inspite of themselves. i just read my quattro qtrly newsletter and it mentioned the S8 to be delivered in the usa in canada starting in 2001. i'd hold for that car (i'm not recommending audi to anyone at this point ) but if you're gonna do it, the S8 has 360hp over the A8L 310 hp. and when the hell will they incorporate pwr folding mirrors and a digital phone connection. get with it. vw passat has folding mirrors - same company, right? oh yea, check for universal homelink to be included. my prod date was 3/2000, deliv date 5/2000 and it wasn't included. client relations sent one to local dealer who installed it at n/c; but it need to go back to dealer because they failed to rewire the visor to automatically deploy courtesy light when folded down. again, 2 months of svc, going in for 3rd svc call in august. that's another thing - always get a 3-4 wk leadtime on the next svc appt - to go back for the same problems. if you like the car and are willing to be as crazy as i, more important than $ is svc. interview the svc manager and staff, find out about loaners, and leadtimes for appts - you will be back.........
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    at least they do on my '97. As far as depreciation it seems the std. A8q looses about $4,000-$5,000/yr on average over 4 years. It's anyones guess what this will mean as far as the "l" version since it is so new. If it's selling better than the std. then it may depreciate at a lesser rate but from what I see here on the price of the "l", higher resale value goes hand in hand with a higher mark-up on the original sale price. By the way I've have problems with rear shade too. A replacement was ordered at my last scheduled service and that was over a month ago. Still no notice from the dealer on it's arrival, but then again it took 6 weeks for them to get the first aid kit that goes in the rear arm rest.
  • tmhgatmhga Member Posts: 1
    Sorry this is late jwilkerson. Availability for 2001 A8L is upon us. Mine arrived at dock over weekend, delivery next week.
    On resale. Like most high end luxuries (w/possible exclusion of MBs other than S500), value drops off pretty quick. I am leasing (Company car...) to combat the gamble. Audi seems to be subsidizing the lease numbers, although they are up a bit on the 2001 (interest rate bump...). The A8L is pretty hot (if you can call expected sales of just north of 2,000 for all A8's "hot") right now. I was only able to split the difference with the dealer in Atlanta.
    Good luck in your search. By the way, the S8 someone referred to only comes in the shorter wheelbase, I understand. That's why I didn't hold out for it...
  • jwilkersonjwilkerson Member Posts: 15
    I just received a manufacturers test car to drive for three days (A8L) It has the high end 18 inch wheels and tires. Gives it a hard ride. The acceleration is better than my S500/96. The car is about 1000 pounds lighter. The drive is comfortable and everything seems to work correctly. The interior has much more workmanship in it than the current MB S500. No sharp plastic. Higher quality leather than the Benz too. I will drive it for a couple of days and post results. Off the bat, I'd say this is heads above an S430 in quality and could very well be more car for the money (2001) than the S500. List for the car is about $72K. Dealer has about $63K in it. I think $2K profit is sufficient. So, lots of car for about $65K. The service problems are a concern.Thanks for your opinions.
  • jwilkersonjwilkerson Member Posts: 15
    The manufacture provided me with the A8L to test drive over four days. This is an elegant vehicle. Audi has come a long way. The interior is much more refined than the S500. No cheap plastic, sharp edges, thin cushioned seats, a finer grade of leather too. It is very quick off the line and would out run an S500 easily. I know, I own one. My vehicle had the option 18 inch wheel and high performance tire. This gives a very hard ride, unless you want a very sports car feel in a luxury sedan, go with the 17 inch wheel and year round tire, an inexpensive option. Audi needs to expand the warranty to four years and 50K miles. They have done this for the 2001 model. Next, they need to make the 800 service call for life. MB has it for the life of the car. Everything functioned well. Stereo was similar to the Benz in sound quality. GPS, very difficult to manage, as with the MB. The windows creaked, not squeaked, but just a constant very faint creak to them. Plenty of room in the back seat and trunk. High quality interior detail is much more refined than the new S500. No sharp plastic, no thin seats, and the leather quality is better than MB. The swede on doors and leather arm rests were excellent It is a lot of car for $72K list set up the way I would like it, options,xeon lights, phone and 17 inch wheels. Dealer has about $63K in it. I think if you can get it for $65K you are buying an lot of car and technology. However, body shops consider the car almost unfixable. Insurance is very high with the all aluminum and many shops will not even tackle a fix up job. My suggestion, wait for the 2001 to arrive at your local dealer, try one out in a week or so. If I were going to buy another S500 today, I think I would purchase the Audi instead. You might want to check on service in your area. Lots of complaints with schedules and parts availability. I have been a Benz owner for 23 years. Have two now, 45SL and 96/S500. Maybe I can find a good used 1999 S500, the last of the grand tank cars, I should snatch it up. Mercedes knows they have a problem with the new S cars. But they are selling well to people that do not know the difference. Perhaps MB will work on the interior, it needs help, especially to previous S car owners. I would be glad to answer questions on the Audi test, should you have some. Kindest regards...
  • bollingerbollinger Member Posts: 207
    There was just an article on Car & Driver on how Audi worked with insurance companies on the A8 to ensure it was highly fixable, in order to keep insurance rates down.

    Most shops just don't have the tools, it is fixable if you go to the right one.

    The rates aren't very low anyway, because the A8 apparently has 3 times the accident rate of other cars in its class.
  • mdchockeymdchockey Member Posts: 3
    jwilkerson is right; these windows creak, not squeak. such an annoyance. like to drive this car and enjoy the quiet; but the slight creak blows me away. does anyone have an idea on how to fix this? everything on this car is as tight as it comes, but this is puzzling. love to hear about any fixes/ suggestions/ solutions....pls advise.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    If your windows creak take it to the dealer and have them fix the problem. It is usually due to misalignment and can usually be fixed permanently although it may take a couple of tries.
    As far as insurance goes, I doubt the A8 is in 3 times more accidents than other cars in it's class based on demographics alone. The A8s' insurance rate is so high because IF it does get in an accident it is incredibly costly to fix. Much more so than other cars in its class. Considering the high price point of the vehicle the insurance companies are very unlikely to total it for anything but the most severe damage. There are only 4 or 5 places in the US that can work on the Audi Space Frame and something on the order of 27 that can deal with painting aluminum properly. If the car gets in a wreck, it must be shipped to one of these places for repair ($$$). Consequently if you get in a wreck you will be without your car for a long time so you need to have a rental for a long time.($$$) The insurance pays for all of this. That is why the premium is so high.
  • quattro_pearlquattro_pearl Member Posts: 51
    There is a discussion on the insurance on A8's on the www.audiworld.com site. Most ppl just figure it's going to cost more because it's aluminum. It's actaully in the same range as the 7series and S clases. Why don't you call your insurance agent? Or get quotes?
  • mbnutmbnut Member Posts: 7
    With used A8 prices dropping I inquired as to the cost of insuring it versus my A4 1.8T. A 97 A8 was only $150 more per year ($700 vs $550). I consider a minimal increase for all the additional car you are getting.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    I'd double check on that figure. That's what my agent told me at first then the bill came and it ended up being almost $1,100 a year. The agent didn't realize the car has a "T" (high performance) rating. I checked with other carriers in the area and this was still the lowest price. I asked my agent what the rates were on a 740 and the price was about $150 less a year. Not much when you are talking about these cars but it's about a 15% decrease for a car with the same price point. PS these figures are from a '97 A8
  • mbnutmbnut Member Posts: 7
    I'll do that. I did challenge him when he quoted the figure. I told that I expected it to be higher due to the aluminum body and repair procedures and he stood by his quote, but he did try to steer me in the direction of a Mercedes. But I agree I still don't trust the quote and will double check with another agent.
    By the way I drove one yesterday. It came pretty close to automotive perfection. It was only marred by the fact that it had been sitting on the lot for a while and the tires felt flat spotted. Tremendous acceleration on the highway. Very tossable for such a big car. Other than the tire noise super quiet on the highway.

    How is the upkeep? This one had 50K on it and had the 5 yr 75k warranty.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    Mechanically the car has been great. Only had one problem with rough idle after a cold start. Dealership replaced the plugs and wires and have not had a problem since. There have been a fair amount of little things that translate into annoyances more than anything else. Rear window shade was broken when I bought the car. Was fixed but is now broken again (from what I've read this is an ongoing issue.) Spouses remote keeps dying or loosing it's programming. Stereo has a high pitched whine (faint but noticeable) when the ignition is on. Both the head unit and the amplifier have been replaced but the noise persists. I suspect the cars' data bus is bleeding into the lines that run between the head unit and the amp. I have to say even with this noise this is the best factory car stereo I have ever heard.
    If the car you are looking has been sitting at the dealership a long time, take a good look at the paint. Mine had been at the dealership for quite sometime as well and had developed acid rain marks on the horizontal surfaces which you can only eliminate by repainting the affected areas. Unfortunately I did not realize what these marks were when I bought the car and now I either have to live with them or pay to have the affected area repainted since this kind of damage is not covered under Audis' warranty although I suppose I should trying running the issue past Audi CS to see what they say. The dealership did not disclose any damage to the car when I bought it.
    BTW my car currently has about 25K miles on it and was manufactured in January of '97.
  • mpyles1mpyles1 Member Posts: 91
    Just saw a blurb in a car magazine about a new S8 . . . essentially an A8 with 360 hp. Anyone have any more info, such as introduction date, chassis/brake/wheels modifications, etc? Thanks.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    go to Audiworld.com or Audiusa.com for the details on the differences. The S8 is supposed to arrive here (the USA) in January. BTW, in case you weren't aware, the S8 is only "new" to the North American market.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    The Audi USA website has nothing on the S8. There is detailed info on the AudiWorld website however. From the home place your cursor on the gray bar near the top of the page that includes the following:
    AudiWorld Forums - model guide - FAQ - registry .... etc. Move it to "model guide" then to S8 on the pop down. You will find much more info here. Don't miss the links at the bottom of the main S8 page for the even more (useful) info.
    You can disregard the 6 speed manual tranny. It will not be available in the US.
    HTH
  • mpyles1mpyles1 Member Posts: 91
    Thanks, and will do.
  • bollingerbollinger Member Posts: 207
    Why produce an S8 with no stick availability? I hope the S8 produces 360HP here, it produces 340HP in Britain, and I think Germany. Of course, they get a 6-speed, so they can pull off a 5.5 0-60.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    Well for what it's worth Audi has changed the gearing in the S8 automatic tranny for the US/NA market so it will perform closer to the manual figures. They have probably tweaked the trannys' E.C.U. as well for quicker shifting in comparison to the A8. I understand the desire for a stick but if 0-60 is what has you concerned, unless you are a professional driver, reality is it can be very difficult to achieve the times posted with a manual. Audi also has a new multitronic transmission (stepless automatic) that they are about to put into production. This tranny is supposed to outdo manual acceleration figures and be more fuel efficient to boot. It will also operate in a tiptronic mode so there is the opportunity to step in and do some of the work your self. I believe it is slated for the 6 series line first however so it may be a few years before we see it on the 8 series cars.

    The decision to not offer a manual S8 in the NA market has been discussed a few times in the A8/S8 Forum at AudiWorld. Apparently it comes down to economics. The EPA requires certification for each variation of a model (i.e. manual & auto) and this certification is very expensive. Due to the small quantity of S8's that will sell here, adding a second EPA certification to the S8 line would have pushed the cost up somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000 per unit and that would be to both the manual and automatics sticker. The S8 is a nice car but I think what Audi is doing is fiscally wise. I doubt people will pay that kind of money for it. If the demand (based on sales) for the S8 proves adequate, Audi may decide to offer a stick in a few years.
  • ferarri11ferarri11 Member Posts: 91
    the CVT is supposed to come in the A6 2.8 first, maybe for 2001
  • silvera8silvera8 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone experienced vibration/ hesitation/ pulsation on their A8 Quattros when the steering wheel is in a fully turned/locked position and you just start driving??

    Is this normal? If not, what could be wrong?
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    A slight vibration is normal in this situation, kind of like a rumble. If the wheel is fully turned and the engine is applying torque, the all wheel drive is going to be at it's most stressed. What you are feeling is the quattro system dealing with the fact that all the wheels are tied together and the outside wheels are turning faster than the inside wheels.
    If by pulsation and hesitation you mean the car is speeding up and slowing down while the pressure on the gas pedal remains constant in this situation, I do not think that is normal. At least I've never noticed it on my car.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    Michelin does not offer a "Z" rated Pilot XGT in the 16" size but they do offer a "V" rated model.
  • srob62srob62 Member Posts: 3
    In response to the tires for an A8, I'm also looking for tires. In the past I have used the tire rack at www.tirerack.com to order tires. The web site provides great insite into selecting tires and also a wide variety of choices. I have run Pirelli 4000 Super Touring on my Infinity Q45 and have thought they were great all round tires, and lasted for over 40,000 mi. Great price too.

    On this car, I'm looking for a performance tire. I'm considering the Bridgestone Potenza RE730. Anyone had any experience with this tire?
  • rollierollie Member Posts: 337
    Regarding post #198:

    I used to have Michelin Pilot XGT Z4s on my Volvo about about a year ago (I've since sold it). I specifically changed them from the V4s. I just checked TireRack and they are still selling them in the 16" 55 series for $154/each.

    Thanks.

    -rdo
    rdollie@home.com
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    Thanks for the info. My wifes car has the 15" rims which use a 195/60 size tire. We are somewhat up in the air about whether we are keeping this car or not right now. If we end up keeping it I will get new rubber for the car and I will probably go to 16" rims. The Volvo 16" rim uses a 205/55 tire which is available in the Pilot XGT Z line. Again, thanks for your input.
  • carnut30carnut30 Member Posts: 51
    I have found the Yokohama AVS-S4V to be that ideal luxury car tire. Good as a dedicated rain tire in the wet, retains its wet traction when worn, unlike many Brisdgestones or Goodyears, responsive, quiet, might last the 35,000 mile warranty, not that expensive.
  • srob62srob62 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give them a try. I might jump to the W rated for greater sidewall stiffness.

    I have had this A8 for a little more than a month, and love it. I thought I'd miss my Q45. I usually drive aggressively, and it took me a while to stop 2nd guessing the transmission shifting. It's great in the rain, and I can't wait to play in the snow. I'm glad I choose this over the BMW 740. All wheel drive and less consicuous.
  • carnut30carnut30 Member Posts: 51
    Just received data from Yokohama. The AVS-S4V has been replaced by the AVS-dB, which, of course with such a designation, is quieter.
    If you want W rating, the AVS Sport is probably your best choice.
    See Yokohama's website: www.yokohamatire.com
    for extensive data. You could also have Y. mail you a booklet "High Performance Tires" in which a diagram on the inside front cover plainly shows the tradeoff between comfort and traction.
    ****
    You have 55% more brains than the many people who shell out big bucks for cars that have only 45% of their weight over their drive-wheels vs. 100 % four your A8.
  • jamiedcjamiedc Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone had problems with catching the front underside of there A8 or A6 or A4 on a curb or driveway and having the lower grills or fascia or licence plate bracket pop out or fall of?
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    The new W12 A8 has arrived, any thoughts? See Edmunds main page for details. Awesome engine, awesome car.


    M
  • bollingerbollinger Member Posts: 207
    In the A6 forum. First one in a while. Go check it out there.

    W12 A8. Yeah, I have thoughts:

    A V12 is the smoothest engine around. This is because it is made up of two straight 6's (the second smoothest engine around) put together in such a way that they cancel each other's remaining vibration out. However, a W12 isn't a V12, two V6's stuck together. Why?
    Interesting that Audi is putting a very powerful engine in an over-the-hill car at this time of high gas prices. I know it looked like a good idea when they started the project, but now it seems like a disaster.
    I don't predict this will help sell many A8's. I hope it helps Audi's image at least.

    I have to ask why? Why did they do this?

    At least it means an armored A8 can still have some get up and go.
  • billmillsvabillmillsva Member Posts: 53
    'Cause there is a finite amount of space under the hood of an A8 and they already make a V6 so it cuts down on R & D and tooling costs.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Nobody's 12-cylinder car is going to "sell" that many units anyway, it was done to show engineering prowess and to make people want something "Audi" i.e. A4's and A6's.

    M
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles