AudiWorld Forums - What is your GAS MPG?

This thread cracks me up.

Did anyone really buy their S8/A8 for the fuel economy?

I sure the hell did not.

On that point, I left Pacifica, CA with a full tank of fuel, and after breaking every speed limit possible going East towards Reno, NV, decided to stop just outside Sacramento, and fill up with gas, and buy some CD's of music to keep me in tunes as I lost radio stations going over the Mountains. (This was my first trip in the car, after I'd bought it in LA, and driven up that evening from LA to Pacifica, also breaking all speed limits possible up and over the grape vine and I5 etc....)

After filling up, I proceeded to enjoy the new music, and power, control and just downright mechanical perfection that is an S8 on smooth highways. It's like this car is much more happy at 100mph than it is at 75mph, and it's even more in it's element at 120mph. Too bad other traffic does not have this ability, or much more likely, desire to get places in a hurry.

So, in NV, at Winnemucka, I filled up again, and then did a speed run into Oregon, and over into Idaho.... Only to find out that above sustained speeds of 120mph, this S8 would flash the engine light... So, I just reduced my cruise speed to keep it at no more than 120mph, and enjoyed the security my V1 provides in the middle of nowhere. :)

ON the way, I passed a guy in a 5 series, and a dude in a Pontiac Gran Prix.... Both fell in behind me, or they tried! LOL I passed the BMW, and he got on it to try and keep me from going by, we were coming out of a small town, where the speed limit was down to 35mph, so I'd caught up, as I'd coasted down from 120mph, to about 40mph... and rolled up behind a line of cars, one semi truck/trailer, and the 5 at the front of the group... As we pulled out of town, the road was clear, so I just hit "resume" on the cruise control, and let the car pull back up to warp speed, passing all the cars/truck/trailer in the process...

I think this made the BMW driver feel slighted, so he at first followed me up to about 100mph, but then dropped back... In a few miles, I had nearly lost him, as there are some corners, and slight hills out there in middle of Oregon, but then I passed the Gran Prix.. who I suppose upon being passed by the BMW, decided that following me was a good game, so then BOTH cars come up gradually on me, and as I coasted down into the next town, they made up most of the space, but still were about a mile behind me. (It's getting dark, so I'm watching headlights here, and the radar detector, and roadway with the great high beams the S8 has.)

As we got into another town, they had closed the gap to hundreds of yards, a safe following distance at the just under 120mph speed I was running, and we came upon another town... (There are a bunch out there, and they all have slow limits in town.)

Anyway, that's when I could tell it was the same 5 and the Gran Prix that were following me.. As we all passed some other slower traffic going out of that town, another car joined the group, I think it was a Tarus SEL, but I'm not sure, it had a very hard time there at the back, and in the corners, the driver was not willing to trust the vehicle, or it's limits were just too low to enjoy the ride. :)

At the last town before the Idaho border, the V1 started to chirp, so I dropped it down to 75, and then coasted into town, since the signal was still too weak for being ticketed, but it's constant, and as we made it into town, I could see the flashing lights of a cruiser pulled over and giving someone grief there on the way out of town.. We rolled by all law abiding, and innocent, and then as soon as the V1 showed only that signal behind me, and just down to a chirp or two, much too far away to get any reading, I hit resume, and the chase was on again! :) WhooHOO! This is why I drive an S8, easy rolling curves, great lights, and moonlit nights in the middle of nowhere, while tooling along at 120mph and listening to the CD of your choice.

Fuel economy? I might have been getting 10? I don't know, or care really, but I was not out of gas, so it's all good right? :) :)

So, along this road, is a series of whoop de doo's where the the cars nearly can get airborne at times... Especially at 120mph! The S8 handled them excellent, and I watched the 3 vehicles behind me go over them.. The BMW no problems, the Gran Prix, not quite as well, some line weaves, bu the Ford? It had fallen well back, but I guess tried to make up some time on the mostly straight section with the whoop's... Not a good choice, it must have scraped something, as I could see sparks from way up ahead, but it still kept on coming and we all rolled into Idaho, and had to slow down as we encountered other traffic again near Nampa, ID.

The guy in the BMW, gave me a quick toot of his horn, and a thumbs up grin, and was off his own way, same with the Gran Prix, but the Ford driver never did catch up, or attempt to pass me as I slowed down going into Nampa.

I know where the tickets are, and going 80 in a city is silly, I only speed where there is nobody around, and cattle or deer are the only real threats to watch out for at night.

So, fuel economy on the S8 is less than the A8, and A8L I've owned prior, but the response, handling and power of the S8 trumps the prior two 8's I've owned, and that's what's important to me.

If I want fuel economy, I'll buy a small car, with a turbo on it for power of a 2.0 engine or smaller. The Prius is a great mileage car, but I would not want to even attempt having fun driving one 120mph across the same section of highway I just described.