CalgaryGuy

I have read posts and seen this discussion many times before, but in general.

I would like some opinions if you could on a specific decision I am looking at.

My current car 2014 A6 loaded, with S-Line, night vision, heads up, 20" wheels and extended CPO warranty for 7 years 140,000km. Currently has 25,000km (15,000 miles). 3.0L

Wondering if I should pay about $16,000 (CND) to move up to a 2015 A8 4.0L SWB with Luxury & Sport packages but no night vision or heads up or no B & O stereo. It has 15,000km (9,000 miles) without extended warranty.

I do not use or really care about the heads up & night vision and the A8 has message seats, soft close doors & trunk plus the 4.0L sounds like fun.

I live in Canada and have 20" OEM matching rims and Continental winter tires for my A6 & the A8 does not have these because it was never driven in the winter.

The biggest reason for looking at this upgrade would be the interior of the A8 is much nicer and I like the 4.0L for a couple times a year I want to accelerate faster than the A6.

Thank you,


Before I sold my Merc...

snagitseven

I've driven both and they are two completely different vehicles. The A8 is definitely more cushy with added luxury accoutrements. On the other hand, the A6 is lighter, more nimble and is designed as a "sport" sedan. I guess you have to determine your priorities. And your wallet.

Tinbad

I just went from an '14 A6 3.0 to an '16 S6 and the added power of the 4.0 is nice but it also made me realize how amazingly fast the 3.0 actually is.

The things I like about my 16 S6 that the 15 A8 also has:
- the air suspension, the ride is really comfortable and the A8 is a different beast altogether. If you don't mind it not being as toss-able as your A6, you'll probably enjoy the added plush and luxury
- the updated MMI, is much much faster
- even though I have the sport seats, the comfort seats are amazing (although not exclusive to the A8/S6 they are available in an A6) - however you will not want to go back to the standard/prestige seats you have in your current A6

CalgaryGuy

TY, my neighbor mentioned a friend of his had an A8 but found it too big and went down to the A6. Paying extra and not loving it is my delema
I find the 6 nimble, but because it is the SWB vs LWB and 4.0 are the only reasons, I'm considering it. Oh and I miss the auto soft close trunk & message seats in my Merc.

CalgaryGuy

Thank you for taking the time. I live in a congested

city of 1.3M and don't get to push the throttle very often, so at 50 years old, I'm missing the luxury of the Merc and yes the 6 would be more nimble, but with SWB & 4.0L I think the 8 would get around fine

DanfZX14

I suspect back to back test drives would solve your dilemma if you have not already done so...

CalgaryGuy

Yes that might be the answer. I can try a dealer to test drive but don't want the hassle. The car is a 14 hour drive away. Thank you.

McFuzz

I spent a week in an Ibis White A8L 4.0 loaner while my A6 (TDI) had its rear view camera replaced - here are my impressions:

1. The car is HUGE - really really big car; land yacht status. However it is very easy to drive, very maneuverable and the addition of side/top/front view cameras make parking a breeze. Commuting and road trips were both enjoyable - dynamic cruise control makes things a breeze (which is true for any car but especially so for this yacht). The lane assist, in my opinion, has been significantly refined over previous models. It is consistent, provides proper force-feedback and yells at you if it detects your hands are off the wheel for longer than they should.

2. A ****TON of leg room in the back. Very comfortable rear-passenger ride quality. The higher end models even have massage seats in the back and other goodies (my loaner did not). The 2nd sunroof and side/rear sunshades are a nice touch. Lots of in-cabin storage spaces. I did not like having the rear HVAC controls embedded into the middle armrest - cumbersome access, especially if you have three passengers in the back (however front control of rear HVAC mitigates that).

3. An amazing amount of power - the 4.0L TT V8 gives you about 450 HP and an equal amount of torque - it's a car with unexpected amount of speed and acceleration. The air suspension is great - very forgiving when in auto/comfort mode and pretty tight in dynamic mode. Brakes grab well without any hint of mushiness.

4. The amenities are excellent as well - massage seats are badass, FULL SEAT COOLING is badass, 482372 seating configurations are pretty nice (though can be confusing a bit). The HUD is neat but nothing any different than what the A6's have. Self closing trunk/doors are a neat, although a bit frivolous, touch. The shifter is a sour point for me - it's the same shifter as in the Jeep Cherokees that killed Anton Yelchin - and you HAVE to pay attention to what you do. Luckily, the A8 will engage the parking brake if you leave the shifter in anything but P when opening the door.

A couple of cons:

5. Trunk space is surprisingly small for a car that size. I drove my parents to the airport and had 3 full size bags - it was a bit of a squeeze with no room to spare.

6. It's a gas guzzler; I was able to do 23 MPG, at best, on the highway doing 75. In traffic I averaged about 17 MPG.

7. The center console layout is weird and there are way too many buttons. I am not sure if the MMI has been updated to take advantage of LTE speeds (my loaner was a '15 model) - it seemed very similar to the one in my A6.




Final thoughts:

While the A8L was a hell of an experience to drive, I was happy to be behind the wheel of my A6. Better gas mileage, feels tighter overall - just an all together better package for me.

CalgaryGuy

Great summary! Really appreciate the details in your response. Everything I read does suggest it is a HUGE car. This particular one is a SWB so not much longer than my A6 but I have also read the trunk is smaller than the 6!!

I think I will put in a low offer and if he doesn't take it, then I am fine and in fact very happy with my 6. I do like the messaging seats, & pushing a button, walking away & seeing the trunk close

Cheers,

the_duke

I just moved up to a '13 A8L from my '05 A8L. I test drove the A6 and didn't like the seats. Also the interior seemed lacking compared to the A8. I also drove a few Mercs and liked them but they tended to be more expensive and even thirstier than the A8. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere so I don't have to deal with traffic and city type driving very often. We did spend 5 days in San Antonio and I didn't feel like the car was too big for city driving there. As far as carving corners goes we have some pretty twisty mountain roads and the A8 does just fine even at triple digit speeds. We put a lot of miles on our vehicles and the A8 is far more comfortable than our '04 A6. I realize a old A6 is very different than a new one but the A8 is just more comfortable. One thing I don't see mentioned above is the horrible depreciation of the A8. They drop like a stone off a bridge. It's unfortunate as they are spectacular cars.