Looking to buy an A8L - advice appreciated
02-08-2018, 12:03 PM
#1
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Looking to buy an A8L - advice appreciated
All,
I've never owned a luxury car before and am looking at purchasing a 2015 A8L 4.0. I see the prices range from 35k to 50k depending on features and mileage. I'm primarily a solo driver (work and back) and drive 30 minutes each way, mostly back roads and some minor highway miles. I'm looking for something quiet where I can take conference calls as I drive and something comfortable. I also routinely am the car pool driver for lunch / events so I'm looking for something that will comfortably fit 4 people.
I have a few questions:
1.) What features would you consider "must have" in the A8L?
2.) How's the maintenance on these cars? What's the typical 15k maintenance cost? Does Audi sell an extended warranty that I can purchase directly? My workplace is literally 3 minutes from an Audi dealership.
3.) Any things I should be cautious of when purchasing a new car? Any common problems?
4.) How is the Nav unit? I have a Note 8 and love using GPS on my phone because of traffic and Waze. Does the A8 have traffic in the nav unit or am I just going to ignore the nav unit and stick with my phone?
5.) How is the trunk? I've heard two stories, the trunk is big and the trunk is small for a big car.
6.) What is your greatest frustration with the A8L?
I've never owned a luxury car before and am looking at purchasing a 2015 A8L 4.0. I see the prices range from 35k to 50k depending on features and mileage. I'm primarily a solo driver (work and back) and drive 30 minutes each way, mostly back roads and some minor highway miles. I'm looking for something quiet where I can take conference calls as I drive and something comfortable. I also routinely am the car pool driver for lunch / events so I'm looking for something that will comfortably fit 4 people.
I have a few questions:
1.) What features would you consider "must have" in the A8L?
2.) How's the maintenance on these cars? What's the typical 15k maintenance cost? Does Audi sell an extended warranty that I can purchase directly? My workplace is literally 3 minutes from an Audi dealership.
3.) Any things I should be cautious of when purchasing a new car? Any common problems?
4.) How is the Nav unit? I have a Note 8 and love using GPS on my phone because of traffic and Waze. Does the A8 have traffic in the nav unit or am I just going to ignore the nav unit and stick with my phone?
5.) How is the trunk? I've heard two stories, the trunk is big and the trunk is small for a big car.
6.) What is your greatest frustration with the A8L?
02-08-2018, 12:36 PM
#2
I will take a stab at a few...
Must have for me: 4-way climate, luxury package (diamond stitching, double-pane glass), pano roof.
Maintenance: Go for a CPO and/or a vehicle with Audicare, which follows the car even if sold.
Watch out for: Leaky windshield seals, sway bar end links/suspension noise, downpipes which cause vibrations at low RPMs. Front rotors are pricey so if they are worn try to work out a deal to get them replaced.
Nav is ok but not up to par with smartphone apps.
Trunk is small.
Biggest frustration for me is no remote start or Apple Carplay.
Also, on a more esoteric level... This isn't the car that you want to hop in to run quick errands or short drives. It is a heavy, long car but it performs well, especially with the 4.0.
I think you will love it, and the L with the extra legroom is great for hauling people around.
Must have for me: 4-way climate, luxury package (diamond stitching, double-pane glass), pano roof.
Maintenance: Go for a CPO and/or a vehicle with Audicare, which follows the car even if sold.
Watch out for: Leaky windshield seals, sway bar end links/suspension noise, downpipes which cause vibrations at low RPMs. Front rotors are pricey so if they are worn try to work out a deal to get them replaced.
Nav is ok but not up to par with smartphone apps.
Trunk is small.
Biggest frustration for me is no remote start or Apple Carplay.
Also, on a more esoteric level... This isn't the car that you want to hop in to run quick errands or short drives. It is a heavy, long car but it performs well, especially with the 4.0.
I think you will love it, and the L with the extra legroom is great for hauling people around.
02-08-2018, 12:57 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
The trunk volume on the D4 A8 is the smallest in its class. In fact, the pre-facelift 2011-2014 A8 trunk volume was about the same size as the much smaller A4 at about 12.0 cu ft and much smaller than that of the A6 trunk (15-16 cu ft). When the 2015 facelift model came out, Audi did some repackaging of the luggage compartment behind the rear seats to squeeze out a bit more room, increasing it to 13.2 cu ft. It’s still much smaller than the Lexus LS, BMW 7-Series and S-Class which all provide 16-18 cu ft.
If you’re looking at a post-facelift A8L 4.0T, you may want to move up to the 2016 4.0T Sport which has an almost S8 look (front lower fascia and side skirts, option of 21” wheels) and 15 hp extra for a total of 450 hp.
If you’re looking at a post-facelift A8L 4.0T, you may want to move up to the 2016 4.0T Sport which has an almost S8 look (front lower fascia and side skirts, option of 21” wheels) and 15 hp extra for a total of 450 hp.
02-08-2018, 06:07 PM
#5
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thank you all for the comments. Is there an easy way to identify features / packages on the car? It looks like the rear seats have heat and cooling - does that mean it has the rear seat comfort package? How would I know if it has a heated steering wheel and dual pane glass?
Psy - you mention the luxury package. The two cars I'm looking at both have diamond stitching - does that mean it has the luxury package?
Twg - is is possible to buy a car at a car lot and take it to Audi to have it be a CPO A8? Or do I need to purchase it at an Audi dealership?
Psy - you mention the luxury package. The two cars I'm looking at both have diamond stitching - does that mean it has the luxury package?
Twg - is is possible to buy a car at a car lot and take it to Audi to have it be a CPO A8? Or do I need to purchase it at an Audi dealership?
02-08-2018, 06:18 PM
#6
For all practical purposes you need to buy a CPO from a dealer, very occasionally you’ll find a CPO being sold by a second owner that was previously certified by Audi since the POBis transferable to new owners. CPO is a marketing program for second hand Audi’s sold by authorized Audi dealerships. You can NOT buy from a second hand lot or private seller and have it certified by Audi as CPO.
the CPO cars are more expensive since certification has a $2,000 fee and additional standards the need to be met: appearance, brakes, tires, etc.
look for the window sticker for details, if you have the VIN there is a search page here at audi world.
the CPO cars are more expensive since certification has a $2,000 fee and additional standards the need to be met: appearance, brakes, tires, etc.
look for the window sticker for details, if you have the VIN there is a search page here at audi world.
02-09-2018, 05:19 AM
#7
Thank you all for the comments. Is there an easy way to identify features / packages on the car? It looks like the rear seats have heat and cooling - does that mean it has the rear seat comfort package? How would I know if it has a heated steering wheel and dual pane glass? ...
The heated wheel comes with the cold-weather package (another must-have for me) and it should have dual-pane if it has the stitching. If it has the rear dials for temperature then it has the 4-way climate. (someone correct me if I am wrong)
Most A8s don't get optioned up much beyond that so if you do come across one with rear seat entertainment, exec package, etc it may be worth checking out.
Last edited by Psy Wagon; 02-09-2018 at 05:31 AM.
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02-09-2018, 10:42 AM
#8
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All,
I've never owned a luxury car before and am looking at purchasing a 2015 A8L 4.0. I see the prices range from 35k to 50k depending on features and mileage. I'm primarily a solo driver (work and back) and drive 30 minutes each way, mostly back roads and some minor highway miles. I'm looking for something quiet where I can take conference calls as I drive and something comfortable. I also routinely am the car pool driver for lunch / events so I'm looking for something that will comfortably fit 4 people.
I have a few questions:
1.) What features would you consider "must have" in the A8L?
For me, the massaging front seats; multi-camera system, driver assistance package, and heated/cooled rear seats.
2.) How's the maintenance on these cars? What's the typical 15k maintenance cost? Does Audi sell an extended warranty that I can purchase directly? My workplace is literally 3 minutes from an Audi dealership.
From my research, not cheap. Getting a CPO Audi would be my first recommendation. However, if you find a car that has what you want not at an Audi dealer (as we did), you can still buy an extended warranty from an Audi dealer (or other 3rd party source). To buy from the dealer, the vehicle still needs to be within its 4YR/50k new car warranty period. You can choose the level of coverage and deductible you want. For us, a 4YR/50k additional mileage warranty (8YR/100k total) platinum plan with $100 per repair deductible was quoted at $5700. I will call around to a few Audi dealers and try to get that down a bit (since there is a profit margin built into extended warranties).
3.) Any things I should be cautious of when purchasing a new car? Any common problems?
Audis have a lot of technology. I am finding I will have a definite learning curve. My light bedtime reading is now the Owner's Manual in preparation for delivery. (It would be rather embarrassing to not know how to drive if off the lot.)
4.) How is the Nav unit? I have a Note 8 and love using GPS on my phone because of traffic and Waze. Does the A8 have traffic in the nav unit or am I just going to ignore the nav unit and stick with my phone?
Compared to the navigation systems on my other cars (Cadillac and Volvo), I think it is a great OEM product. However, I don't think any in-vehicle system will be better than an app driven navigation product that has dynamic updating (unless you want to pay for Sirius In-Car Navigation or an On-Star type product).
5.) How is the trunk? I've heard two stories, the trunk is big and the trunk is small for a big car.
I think large is a relative term. I think it is large by luxury car standards. It is not the largest (or the smallest). It's large enough for me and my family. The question is whether it will be large enough for you.
6.) What is your greatest frustration with the A8L?
I've never owned a luxury car before and am looking at purchasing a 2015 A8L 4.0. I see the prices range from 35k to 50k depending on features and mileage. I'm primarily a solo driver (work and back) and drive 30 minutes each way, mostly back roads and some minor highway miles. I'm looking for something quiet where I can take conference calls as I drive and something comfortable. I also routinely am the car pool driver for lunch / events so I'm looking for something that will comfortably fit 4 people.
I have a few questions:
1.) What features would you consider "must have" in the A8L?
For me, the massaging front seats; multi-camera system, driver assistance package, and heated/cooled rear seats.
2.) How's the maintenance on these cars? What's the typical 15k maintenance cost? Does Audi sell an extended warranty that I can purchase directly? My workplace is literally 3 minutes from an Audi dealership.
From my research, not cheap. Getting a CPO Audi would be my first recommendation. However, if you find a car that has what you want not at an Audi dealer (as we did), you can still buy an extended warranty from an Audi dealer (or other 3rd party source). To buy from the dealer, the vehicle still needs to be within its 4YR/50k new car warranty period. You can choose the level of coverage and deductible you want. For us, a 4YR/50k additional mileage warranty (8YR/100k total) platinum plan with $100 per repair deductible was quoted at $5700. I will call around to a few Audi dealers and try to get that down a bit (since there is a profit margin built into extended warranties).
3.) Any things I should be cautious of when purchasing a new car? Any common problems?
Audis have a lot of technology. I am finding I will have a definite learning curve. My light bedtime reading is now the Owner's Manual in preparation for delivery. (It would be rather embarrassing to not know how to drive if off the lot.)
4.) How is the Nav unit? I have a Note 8 and love using GPS on my phone because of traffic and Waze. Does the A8 have traffic in the nav unit or am I just going to ignore the nav unit and stick with my phone?
Compared to the navigation systems on my other cars (Cadillac and Volvo), I think it is a great OEM product. However, I don't think any in-vehicle system will be better than an app driven navigation product that has dynamic updating (unless you want to pay for Sirius In-Car Navigation or an On-Star type product).
5.) How is the trunk? I've heard two stories, the trunk is big and the trunk is small for a big car.
I think large is a relative term. I think it is large by luxury car standards. It is not the largest (or the smallest). It's large enough for me and my family. The question is whether it will be large enough for you.
6.) What is your greatest frustration with the A8L?
We just signed to purchase a 2015 A8L TDI. Just last week we were ready to pull the trigger on a 2015 Equus Ultimate when I came across a car versus car write-up against the A8L. That got me curious and led to me doing some research. After researching the brand and finding several Audis of interest in different parts of the country (as I shop for cars nationally and have no qualms about getting on a plane to drive a car back home), I figured I should probably test drive one locally. We found one nearby at a local new car dealership that had been taken in on trade. All I can say is that was the first test drive during which I have said the word 'wow' more than once. We anticipate taking delivery on Monday. As to your questions above, I'm barely ahead of you in the ownership process but I have discovered a couple of things.
02-09-2018, 10:47 AM
#9
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Thank you all for the comments. Is there an easy way to identify features / packages on the car? It looks like the rear seats have heat and cooling - does that mean it has the rear seat comfort package? How would I know if it has a heated steering wheel and dual pane glass?
Psy - you mention the luxury package. The two cars I'm looking at both have diamond stitching - does that mean it has the luxury package?
Twg - is is possible to buy a car at a car lot and take it to Audi to have it be a CPO A8? Or do I need to purchase it at an Audi dealership?
Psy - you mention the luxury package. The two cars I'm looking at both have diamond stitching - does that mean it has the luxury package?
Twg - is is possible to buy a car at a car lot and take it to Audi to have it be a CPO A8? Or do I need to purchase it at an Audi dealership?
02-09-2018, 10:49 AM
#10
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Running the VIN and getting the original sticker is the easiest way. Most non-Audi dealers don't list all the options correctly so definitely run the VIN.
The heated wheel comes with the cold-weather package (another must-have for me) and it should have dual-pane if it has the stitching. If it has the rear dials for temperature then it has the 4-way climate. (someone correct me if I am wrong)
Most A8s don't get optioned up much beyond that so if you do come across one with rear seat entertainment, exec package, etc it may be worth checking out.
The heated wheel comes with the cold-weather package (another must-have for me) and it should have dual-pane if it has the stitching. If it has the rear dials for temperature then it has the 4-way climate. (someone correct me if I am wrong)
Most A8s don't get optioned up much beyond that so if you do come across one with rear seat entertainment, exec package, etc it may be worth checking out.