derfA8L

I went back to this color combo. Had Phantom Black on black on my 2008 A8; now something a bit different with Panther Black. The rear comfort package makes being back there a real treat---just have to get someone to drive me around 😉

needles

I'm too tall and too thick for the back seat. I just about break my collar bone getting into the back. I bang my head on the C-pillar EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

But, my wife is much more svelte and she loves being chauffeured. My mother does as well. And anyone who sits in the back sees the rear comfort controls and recliner buttons and literally loses their mind. "THAT IS SO SICK!"

derfA8L

And they added ventilation and massage --- I think I have now become my wife's official chauffeur!

derfA8L

The 4.0 liter V8 was smooth, confident and delivered power with no apparent hesitation. At speed the power is linear, and any cylinder deactivation or reactivation was non-perceptible. The electronic steering at speed (in DYNAMIC mode) was precise, albeit a tad lighter compared to my prior D4's steering---but nothing that was bothersome; in fact, I didn't miss the additional steering effort that was previously required.

My 2011 A8L was pretty darn quite, but any road sounds that filtered into the 2011's cabin seem considerably diminished in the 2015 by comparison---virtually vault-like at 74 mph. I was a bit apprehensive about what the ride quality would be like on the A/S 20s (Pirelli P-Zero Neros) but to my surprise this car rides smoother compared to the 2011's 19" diameter tires (Contis)...both car's tires inflated to 38 psi. The same rough road surfaces felt markedly differnt between the two cars---I think any rough road vibration that transferred into the cabin of my 2011 felt absent in the new car, at least on tonight's extended drive. Whatever has been done to improve the suspension setup feels like it has succeeded.

At first I thought it was my imagination, but my wife agrees that the Luxury package's diamond stitched comfort seats are much more comfortable compared to the regular comfort seats we had in our 2011. Perhaps a function of the quilting effect from the diamond stitch pattern, but these seats feel more cushioned.

Other thoughts:
-I really like having the HUD feature; it works very well IMO and helps keep your eyes on the road instead of continuously checking your speed on the instrument cluster. Its intensity and horizon location on the windshield can be adjusted. It will be interesting to see how it handles pedestrian/animal warnings from the Night Vision Assistant and Navigation prompts.

-Speaking of the Night Vision Assistant, there is now an MMI-based contrast adjustment for the infrared Night Vision screen---this I didn't have on the 2011.

-The automatic high beam dimming function works really well, and the automatic headlight mode has varying MMI settings---you can set them to be turned on EARLY, MEDIUM or LATE. Again, this wasn't available on my 2011 A8.

All in all, my initial impression after my first weekend with my new 2015 A8L is very positive---in all respects it has exceeded my expectations. Good job Audi.

DRCHA6

The car is definitely quieter than the '11 I had and far less jarring over rough roads. I didn't have night vision before and was always dealing with pedestrians and deer. Now that I have it...nothing. It has taken time to get used to the active lane assist. The steering input to correct seems light and almost hesitant and on the '11 the vibration intensity and how soon it would activate was adjustable. On the '15, it's either on or off. Agreed, overall, the car is vastly improved.