porsche4life

Hello all, new to the forums here. I've been around German cars and a few VAG cars in the past. I'm looking for a new DD in the next 6 months and friend of mine got me to thinking about the D3 cars. He loved his D2 S8, and I loved the other one I have ridden in.

So whats the consensus here about the D3 cars? Can it be used for a DD reliably and not break the bank? I'm not afraid to swing a wrench, and I have a lift in my garage, but I don't have the time for much more than routine maintenance most months.

Also, is the S8 more thirsty than the A? Whats the real world MPG of the two? And how is the V10 to live with everyday? If I'm taking a client out, can it be a nice quiet sedate sedan, provided I keep my foot out of it?

Also, anyone know of any cars for sale in AZ? I'm not having luck finding any to at least go drive. I'm looking at pulling the trigger by xmas at the latest.

1Wasserwerks

Welcome the the forums.
I have to had any experience with the A8, just the V10 S8. Real world mpg, 12.5-13, highway about 19ish. My S8 is my daily right now. At first I wanted to change the exhaust out for something with more breathing capabilities. The more I drove it the more I came to enjoy the quietness of the car. Don't get me wrong, when you do get into it, it will give you a nice note. Getting into it with a client in the car not recommended unless you are supplying neck braces. Heh heh.
Do take some time to research the models you are interested in and the options that come with them. There are many color combinations out there (some God awful). Once you have narrowed that down, try to get one with a good history. I ended up finding my car on autotrader.com. Once I figured out what I wanted, I had a custom search made for me with specific keywords for what I was looking for (carbon fiber, bang and olufson). One showed up in my search at an Audi dealer in NH, I am in CT.
If you have done some research on here you will know that at some time in the vehicle's life, the front control arms will need to be replaced and at some time the front air ride struts will leak or fail altogether. VCDS is a must for the do-it-yourselfer and you can custom tweak some settings you would normally not see changed.
Good luck with your search and do let us know what you narrow your choice down to.

mishar

Welcome!

Just to add few words on A8. It is very similar in every aspect. A bit less sporty, but neither one of them is sports car anyways. Most of A8's are long version. Six inches of a rear seat leg room makes a huge difference not sacrificing performance. Millage is similar as S8. Depends more on a traffic and your driving habits than on those two cylinders. A8's are much cheaper too.

porsche4life

A few more ?? Thanks for the help so far guys!

How are these beasts on Tires? I've had friends with M cars say they get sub 10k miles on a set. Same story with these? And whats a set of tires run, upwards of 1k I'd guess?

On fuel, I'm guessing premium only? Or will it run on regular?

Thanks!

Panelhead

Tires vary. Some last 10k, others maybe 40k. Prices from 200.00 to 400.00.
Yes on the premium. Expensive to operate.

porsche4life

I suppose any car I think about will have those issues though. I've thought about a Cayenne as well, but also pricey to operate.

Howaboutthat

S8 will be fine with clients -- it is a limousine supercar with many luxury amenities that were optional on the A8s (though not all, including no ventilated seats). Given your moniker, the engine pedigree and performance should be right up your alley. Set aside some money for repairs, then drive and have fun.

porsche4life

Ventilated seats would be nice here in AZ, but frankly I'd love the V10 much, much more.

And yes, I do enjoy some good performance.

tx170754

who had both the A8 and S8 ( and Cayenne too ) if I would be you I would go with the S8 even without the ventilated seats, make sure you get one with full leather the B&O system if possible

porsche4life

How the did the 3 stack up reliability wise? Was one of them better or w