testarossaguy

Well some of you may have read my post about an on-highway performance comparison of my STS driven by my girlfriend Karen, and the A8 driven by myself. We drove back to Michigan from Pennsylvania, where I purchased the Audi....a distance of 540 miles one way. The northstar V8 is pretty impressive for power and the Audi being a smaller V8 really had to work to keep up. Sometimes if I selected the right gear and used tiptronic I could beat the caddy in a straight line. From a dead stop the caddy trounced the Audi. But once rolling along it was whoever "got it right". I think the Audi did very well considering it has a smaller motor (4.6 versus 4.2) and it's all wheel drive. So never challenge an STS from a dead stop....only do it when rolling. But on the curves and braking the Audi totally destroyed the STS...I didn't "feel" like there was much difference until I saw Karen fading in the rear view mirror...the A8 is impressive for being so heavy and having so much ground clearance. I'm definately going to lower my A8 soon. So for a few weeks now I've been driving my (new to me) Audi and soaking up every minute of it. The car is gorgeous....different...and gets lots of looks. Even the younger rice-burner crowd seem to respect it! I've got the STS all cleaned and detailed and will sell it soon. But a nagging anti-lock idiot light must be fixed first. So I drove it into a shop for a code scan. Man what a hay-wagon it is after driving the A8!! It wasn't so much of a change going uphill to the Audi....but just try going downhill to the STS! The seats aren't as nice, the car feels more flexy, the materials feel cheaper. I just couldn't believe it was the same Caddy STS I fell in love with 5 years ago. I don't think I can ever own another big American sedan now.....I'm ruined (grinning)! The Audi is so much more car...but in so many subtle ways. I'm impressed by the A8 all over again!! What a car! Sure they have their quirks and mine is no exception. But the fit and finish and construction is considerably better. I just had to post this....sorry for ranting. I just feel really good inside knowing I made the right choice in getting an A8. What a CAR !!

escapA8

Congrats! I know the feeling. Now it's time for you to post some pics of your ride. :-)

brittcrowell

I picked up "Black Momba" in Chicago and drove her 1000 miles back home to Colorado, Then drove her 1500 to my new home in Alabama. Its funny to watch people try and keep up on the I-state when you put your foot in it.

testarossaguy

My A8 is a 99, silver/black, warm weather package, etc. It's got painted bottom panels, 18 inch wheels, and in great condition despite many highway miles. It was fully serviced by the previous owner(ferrari owner..like myself) who spent about $9k on the car over a 2 year period. He needed to make room for a restoration project....and was in tears as I drove the A8 away. About the only thing it doesn't have is the steering wheel controls. It is a fabulous car!

testarossaguy

I haven't yet got the hang of it to post pics in threads...but my profile has a few pics of my A8 and the ol'e Testarossa.

Return 4 Deposit

comparison. Before I bought my 99 A8 I test drove a Seville STS Northstar that was 3 years newer & had 20k fewer miles. After driving the Audi, the Caddy was a joke. It felt soft and cheap. I always liked the look of the STS in black, and the Northstar is a good powerplant, but the car looses something on the road, especially when pressed into a corner or driven agressively.

My STS test drive was about 5 min. I jumped on the interstate and turned around at the next exit.
The sales dude at the Caddy dealer was like "back so soon?" I handed him the keys and said "That's all I needed - I've figured out what car I"m buying" and promptly left for the Audi dealership to buy my black 99.

Thanks Cadillac!

NFRFALO

I traded in an STS for my A8L No comparison and I thought that I loved my STS for several years.