doktorekny

Hi. I own a Panamera Turbo now and Im thinking of switching to an A8 just because I want a comfortable ride and my CPO expires soon.
But Few questions.
Im thinking of picking up probably a used A8L 2011-2014.
Question:

- What year would you recommend? Knowing about the issues with other years?
- In 2013 I think a new engine 4.0T was introduced. Is it a much better engine than old 4.2?
- Any known (typical) issues with the 4.2?
- Any known issues (typical) with a 4.0T?
- What are the typical issues with all 2011-2014 models? Stuff that is know to be problematic on all or some years? STuff that I will really need to fix no matter what.
- Do you think I need to buy a car with exteneded warranty ? I know with a porsche its a must own preowned used car. Im just assuming its expensive on maintenance - but give me a feedback
- Any options I should be looking out for that are a MUST TO HAVE when buying A8? Useful options.
- What are the useless not that important options to have that is a waste of money
- Is the front seat massage on the bottom cushion and on top? Is it just one type of massage? or is that just a gimmick and a waste of money?
- Any bad design choices on the car? (like bad cup holder placement on the Q7 that is a known problem for flooding the MMI)
- Is rear seat reclining seat a useless option? Do they recline a lot or another gimmick? I have that on my Panamera and it doesnt recline much so its useless.
- I think certified preowned is the way to go. Whats the OEM warranty on these things?

Please convince me to buy A8!! Give me good and bad points. I had an S class (hate the brand - they dont care about clients), had the 7 series (old one was great but new ones are terrible and plasticy) , I have the Panamera (very good experience but Im done with "Sports" feeling and my CPO expires in 1 month) and - I just want to see what the A8 is all about.

doktorekny

I had Jack88 get me some good info and I want to see what anybody else is thinking.

Garycw

The A/S 8's are great! Sounds like you need to take a trip to the dealer though

MCMLXIX

2016 bumped the HP from 435 to 450. They only offer the A8L for 16 as well and it has the sportier front fascia. Looks like the S8 to me but I've only had mine for a week and a half.


The massage function is just the bottom and it is fabulous! Multiple massage types.


I don't have the reclining rear seats so I cant comment but unless you are in the back seat more than the front, it seems useless to me. I do however have the rear AC with controls built into the rear center console (flip down)


factory warranty is 4/50k - CPO is 6 year (I think) and 100k


I wouldn't own another lux car without a warranty. I spent thousands on my previous Mercedes S65.

BigBoy11

IMHO, much of your Audi experience will be dealer dependent. In following the posts here over the last 3 years, many if not most of the various issues could be resolved faster, better, and satisfactorily by a competent dealer. As I am sure you know, in this price range, saving a couple of hundred or even thousand $$ upfront, pales in comparison to getting good, honest, thorough service and warranty resolution. My 2013 A8L has not suffered any of the maladies or problems of many of the posters thankfully and my dealer is outstanding.

It is a very well built, well designed luxury vehicle with many usable features that make daily driving more pleasurable. The 4.0T engine is awesome, love the shift lever (after getting the hang of it), B&O system is pure ear candy, the seats extremely comfortable and yes, the massage works great and really helps on long trips. Guests have praised the rear seat area including the reclining rear seats which were part of a package I believe. The night vision works well and particularly helps in more rural areas by displaying large animals as well as humans (even though Audi says not).

Fuel mileage is incredible for a car this large and powerful! 28-30 mpg highway is routine and can be higher in certain conditions. The quattro drive system works as advertised even with OEM Pirelli all season tires. The OEM's are noisy but the new NCS replacements help significantly.

My nits to pick are smallish trunk, glove compartment and center console. The drive by wire throttle is difficult to acquire the right "feel" but eventually comes round. Road noise levels are certainly not tomb silence as in a Lexus but not bad overall. Understand the newer models are improved in this respect. Seat heaters are limited to 10 minutes at high setting but between the heat and massage, probably a good thing for keeping me awake! I am sure there are a few more but again, they are truly nits which are forgotten the moment you press on the gas and get underway!

Great auto that has performed exactly to my needs and satisfaction.

drwdds

Purchased Aug. 2015 with 6,000 miles. So far, nothing but compliments for the car. We moved from Lexus to Audi mainly for a more engaged driving experience and the A8 hasn't disappointed for a car this large. Being able to select driving modes, trans. shift points and suspensions is noticeable and fun. Massage features will convince you on your first long trip. Mileage has been remarkable....got 30 MPG this weekend averaging 75-80 on Interstate. Audi dealer (Tulsa) has been excellent so far in dealing with minor items under warranty. Do your shopping....there are some great deals to be had on low mileage A8's. You won't be disappointed.

doktorekny

I want to thank everybody for their feedback. Very useful info. Sometimes those little things are what make me decide on picking a car.

the_duke

I'll answer in the order you posted:

-2013 or newer

-Yes the 4.0t is much better than the 4.2 as long as you like power. Lot's of power. Passing someone on a two lane highway requires some restraint as you will quickly hit the 130mph speed limiter.

-Both the 4.2 and 4.0t cars are quite reliable and don't have any major issues. I would recommend CPO as it isn't that much of price difference.

-As far as options go I really like the Driver assistance package. As others have mentioned the night vision can be useful(I don't have it but wish I did). However it only works well when the ambient temperature is 70deg. or less. If you live in an area that doesn't cool down in the evening then it won't be very useful. I have the Bose audio system and find it more than adequate.

-The massage function is only on the back cushion but it is not a gimmick. It works very well and has, if I remember correctly, 7 different massage patterns. Each one has 5 different intensity levels.

-Probably the biggest complaint on the design of the D4 series is the trunk size. 2015 and newer cars have a slightly larger trunk than the earlier models. Personally I find the trunk size more than adequate but it is smaller than the D3 I had previously.

-I've never ridden in the back seat for more than a quick trip to the store so I can't tell you firsthand if the reclining seats are worth it. However my wife and several others who have ridden back there really liked them.

And finally I'll add that the D4 A8 4.0t is probably one of the best, if not the best, cars you can buy for the money.

Jack88

Hey now, I owned a 4.2, and outside of acceleration maneuvers, I didn't notice any difference from even the S8 I drove(suspension and size difference not withstanding.) Now, the V6 I did note a lack of eagerness and a course engine noise under acceleration, although it wasn't far behind the 4.2 in terms of actual speed. I kind of wondered why they didn't leave the 4.2 as the base engine. The difference in economy was minimal and it was better suited to the car, in my opinion. Still, I like horsepower, so the 4.0t would be my engine of choice next go around but a 4.2 is significantly cheaper compared to a comparably equipped 4.0t. It is worth noting that if you do buy a 4.2, there are no modifications for that engine.

the_duke

The 4.2 isn't slow by any means but 4.0t is just plain fast.

3.0t - 0-60mph 5.4 sec. - 1/4 mile 13.9 sec. @ 104mph

4.2 - 0-60mph 5.1 sec. - 1/4 mile 13.7 sec. @ 104mph

4.0t - 0-60mph 3.9 sec. - 1/4 mile 12.4 sec. @ 112mph

* all numbers from Car & Driver instrumented tests.