Angrypengu's review of the D5 A8.
11-05-2018, 03:26 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Angrypengu's review of the D5 A8.
The D5 A8 landed at my local Audi dealership today, here is my review.
Build: 2019 Audi A8L:
1) 20" rims with the Pirelli P7 tire
2) Exterior lighting package
3) Executive Package
4) Luxury Package
Comfort/Ride:
The D5 A8 now rides as well as the S class Mercedes. The active rear steering causes my mind to not be able to comprehend how I managed to get around very tight parking spots. The ride is very supple in Comfort mode. Via a decimeter, and tested on the same road at the same speed vs the S class, at 140km/hr, the noise levels are exactly the same between both vehicles. I could not discern any noticeable differences with road noise/wind noise between the two flagships. The D5 is much more comfortable, and quieter than the D4, and with the vehicle I tested, that surprised me given the fact that I was on 20" rims as well.
Massaging seats: Infinitely better vs the D4, and infinitely better vs the S class. A definite HUGE thumbs up from me.
Engine: This is by no means a slow car. There is some turbo lag, and it takes maybe about 1.5 seconds for the vehicle to lurch forward if I'm driving around in comfort mode and then slam down the accelerator to hit the kick down button. I have no desire to wait for the V8. Some B9 S4 folks report a whistling noise due to the hot V turbo where it is. I was in a garage when I started the D5, and I could not hear it.
MMI:
The MMI system was incredibly intuitive, and MUCH better to use/feel/experience in real life versus watching the videos. I much prefer this new MMI system, and any qualms I had in regards to fingerprints/usability and such were gone. I felt at home using the MMI interface, while I was driving as well. It took maybe a few minutes to get used to it. I LOVE IT. When the D5 was first announced with this all touch MMI system, I was instantly turned off. I am pleased to say that it blew past my expectations and I much prefer this to the current COMAND interface found on the S class.
Noise/rattles:
Yes, I did hear a minor rattle behind the dash on certain roads, but to be fair it happened on my MB too. It was probably just a rough road for those sort of things, but it was not something that occurred in my test vehicle at any time other than on that one piece of road. My concerns about the dashboard creaks/rattles are no longer a priority.
Premium 3D sound system:
My vehicle as driven did not have the Advanced 3D sound system. The Premium 3D sound system is MUCH better than the Burmester base stereo system in the S class. It's much better than the old B&O system on the D4 A8, mainly because there is some bass now. I did not, however, appreciate the DSP and the 3D sound experience was not 3D for me. The bass, while there, was not as strong as I would have hoped, and to me, the Premium 3D sound system lacked oomph. I expect to be able to be in a vehicle with the Advanced 3D sound system at some point, but I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the Premium 3D sound system, but that was also expected given the fact that I am a self professed audiophile. The A pillar 3D speakers didn't do anything for me, despite maxing out the 3D experience and all the settings I feel would give that vehicle a "concert hall" experience. Even if I do not get a chance to listen to the Advanced 3D sound system, I feel I would buy it anyways because the Premium system is just lacking umph for me. To be brutally clear here, I prefer the HK Logic 7 system found on the previous generation S/E/C classes to the Premium 3D sound system. That's saying something.
While B&O has clearly improved the bass oomph in the new D5, it's not quite there, and in fact, I would even say I prefer the Bose sound system on the D4 A8 vs the Premium 3D sound on the D5 A8. Once I have the chance to listen to the Advanced 3D B&O system, I'll update this post with how it compares vs the Burmester Advanced 3D sound system.
Lights:
I was not blown away or disappointed by the brightness of the HD Matrix Design LED headlights. The Matrix function is not enabled yet, but the low beams at night were alright, but the high beams lacked omph. I understand it's not fair to compare my bi-xenon HID headlights on my car vs LEDs given the fact it's not a fair fight, but these are just my general comments. LED systems are not as bright, I get it, but that said I wish it was brighter. It's not to the point where I'll walk away from the D5, of course, because all cars these days no longer come with xenon lights anymore, much to my dismay
Major disappointment bits:
1) No 120V socket, and this is standard on the S class.
2) Holy moly the center armrest storage is tiny. I made sure I wasn't missing anything, but we're talking about a tiny box for your phone and maybe a few other things. It's incredibly shallow.
3) Yeah, it's a big car, but it doesn't have much presence. Carwow mentioned this too. The S class has presence, the A8 does not.
4) As mentioned, the Premium 3D sound system was alright, but not what I expected.
Conclusion:
All in all, I was impressed with the D5, and walked away tonight from the dealer a bit perplexed. This car, if reliable, would instantly be on my "to buy" list. I love this D5, as suspected, but that fear of things going wrong and that lack of assurance from the extended warranty is something that bothers me.I can confirm that due to supplier reasons, the laser scanner will no longer be available on the A6/A7, but it will be available on the A8. Based on my testing, the laser scanner on the A8 does not interfere with laser jammers, radar detector/laser detectors, and if covered with duct tape, the cruise control system still works. My understanding is the laser scanner helps with intersection assist and it also helps with long range cruise control. If people want more info on this last bit, PM me, but I don't want to delve further on this point publicly.
Feel free to ask any questions. I'm happy to share more if needed.
Build: 2019 Audi A8L:
1) 20" rims with the Pirelli P7 tire
2) Exterior lighting package
3) Executive Package
4) Luxury Package
Comfort/Ride:
The D5 A8 now rides as well as the S class Mercedes. The active rear steering causes my mind to not be able to comprehend how I managed to get around very tight parking spots. The ride is very supple in Comfort mode. Via a decimeter, and tested on the same road at the same speed vs the S class, at 140km/hr, the noise levels are exactly the same between both vehicles. I could not discern any noticeable differences with road noise/wind noise between the two flagships. The D5 is much more comfortable, and quieter than the D4, and with the vehicle I tested, that surprised me given the fact that I was on 20" rims as well.
Massaging seats: Infinitely better vs the D4, and infinitely better vs the S class. A definite HUGE thumbs up from me.
Engine: This is by no means a slow car. There is some turbo lag, and it takes maybe about 1.5 seconds for the vehicle to lurch forward if I'm driving around in comfort mode and then slam down the accelerator to hit the kick down button. I have no desire to wait for the V8. Some B9 S4 folks report a whistling noise due to the hot V turbo where it is. I was in a garage when I started the D5, and I could not hear it.
MMI:
The MMI system was incredibly intuitive, and MUCH better to use/feel/experience in real life versus watching the videos. I much prefer this new MMI system, and any qualms I had in regards to fingerprints/usability and such were gone. I felt at home using the MMI interface, while I was driving as well. It took maybe a few minutes to get used to it. I LOVE IT. When the D5 was first announced with this all touch MMI system, I was instantly turned off. I am pleased to say that it blew past my expectations and I much prefer this to the current COMAND interface found on the S class.
Noise/rattles:
Yes, I did hear a minor rattle behind the dash on certain roads, but to be fair it happened on my MB too. It was probably just a rough road for those sort of things, but it was not something that occurred in my test vehicle at any time other than on that one piece of road. My concerns about the dashboard creaks/rattles are no longer a priority.
Premium 3D sound system:
My vehicle as driven did not have the Advanced 3D sound system. The Premium 3D sound system is MUCH better than the Burmester base stereo system in the S class. It's much better than the old B&O system on the D4 A8, mainly because there is some bass now. I did not, however, appreciate the DSP and the 3D sound experience was not 3D for me. The bass, while there, was not as strong as I would have hoped, and to me, the Premium 3D sound system lacked oomph. I expect to be able to be in a vehicle with the Advanced 3D sound system at some point, but I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the Premium 3D sound system, but that was also expected given the fact that I am a self professed audiophile. The A pillar 3D speakers didn't do anything for me, despite maxing out the 3D experience and all the settings I feel would give that vehicle a "concert hall" experience. Even if I do not get a chance to listen to the Advanced 3D sound system, I feel I would buy it anyways because the Premium system is just lacking umph for me. To be brutally clear here, I prefer the HK Logic 7 system found on the previous generation S/E/C classes to the Premium 3D sound system. That's saying something.
While B&O has clearly improved the bass oomph in the new D5, it's not quite there, and in fact, I would even say I prefer the Bose sound system on the D4 A8 vs the Premium 3D sound on the D5 A8. Once I have the chance to listen to the Advanced 3D B&O system, I'll update this post with how it compares vs the Burmester Advanced 3D sound system.
Lights:
I was not blown away or disappointed by the brightness of the HD Matrix Design LED headlights. The Matrix function is not enabled yet, but the low beams at night were alright, but the high beams lacked omph. I understand it's not fair to compare my bi-xenon HID headlights on my car vs LEDs given the fact it's not a fair fight, but these are just my general comments. LED systems are not as bright, I get it, but that said I wish it was brighter. It's not to the point where I'll walk away from the D5, of course, because all cars these days no longer come with xenon lights anymore, much to my dismay
Major disappointment bits:
1) No 120V socket, and this is standard on the S class.
2) Holy moly the center armrest storage is tiny. I made sure I wasn't missing anything, but we're talking about a tiny box for your phone and maybe a few other things. It's incredibly shallow.
3) Yeah, it's a big car, but it doesn't have much presence. Carwow mentioned this too. The S class has presence, the A8 does not.
4) As mentioned, the Premium 3D sound system was alright, but not what I expected.
Conclusion:
All in all, I was impressed with the D5, and walked away tonight from the dealer a bit perplexed. This car, if reliable, would instantly be on my "to buy" list. I love this D5, as suspected, but that fear of things going wrong and that lack of assurance from the extended warranty is something that bothers me.I can confirm that due to supplier reasons, the laser scanner will no longer be available on the A6/A7, but it will be available on the A8. Based on my testing, the laser scanner on the A8 does not interfere with laser jammers, radar detector/laser detectors, and if covered with duct tape, the cruise control system still works. My understanding is the laser scanner helps with intersection assist and it also helps with long range cruise control. If people want more info on this last bit, PM me, but I don't want to delve further on this point publicly.
Feel free to ask any questions. I'm happy to share more if needed.
Last edited by angrypengu; 11-05-2018 at 03:54 PM.
11-05-2018, 04:36 PM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Just to add on to a few things that I now remember.
The German board has folks saying the fuel door flap isn't exactly flush with the rest of the body. Ok, I see that, it's VERY minor.
Also, where the front fender meets the front door, near the front door mirrors, there are some minor build quality issues. The pieces aren't all flush and things are off by maybe a mm.
That said I can point out some of these foibles on the W222 S class too. These aren't Rolls Royce cars that are hand made, and so it's understandable, but thought I'd point that out.
The German board has folks saying the fuel door flap isn't exactly flush with the rest of the body. Ok, I see that, it's VERY minor.
Also, where the front fender meets the front door, near the front door mirrors, there are some minor build quality issues. The pieces aren't all flush and things are off by maybe a mm.
That said I can point out some of these foibles on the W222 S class too. These aren't Rolls Royce cars that are hand made, and so it's understandable, but thought I'd point that out.
11-05-2018, 06:21 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Just to add:
The Audi start stop system was ugh, disappointing. Same experience as the usual 12V systems we are used to.
The Audi start stop system was ugh, disappointing. Same experience as the usual 12V systems we are used to.
11-07-2018, 02:23 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
The dealer will be loaning me the D5 for 24 hours shortly. If there's anything specific you guys want me to check pls lmk
11-08-2018, 09:20 AM
#5
Thanks for the great review!
I have had this car for just about a week now, and a lot of things have been said accurately. The drive is beautiful, the car rides amazing, and I had the S-Class, so yes it is definitely comparable. The S-Class has a bit more waft-ness to it, especially with the big V8 it just felt like a cloud at all times (a fast cloud!). I just hated the lack of adjustment on the S-Class. The transmission has 2 modes, economy (starts on 2nd geat) and Sport. The Sport mode felt horrible, very jerky, and the economy too slow to react (but once that V8 kicks in, WOW!) I believe the facelift S-Class has a bit more adjustment, but I honestly did not even look at the S-Class this time around.
The V6 in the Audi is fine, I could not wait for the V8, and the V6 does the job (just wish it pushed me back in the seat a bit more!) If you put the car in Auto, it does what you need it to do. On the highway the engine pulls nicely, and on the city streets it has no problem getting up to speed, albeit does so quietly.
Other concerns you had
- center console- Ridiculous, it is beyond tiny, I am lucky to fit a chap stick and some coins. No ashtray in the car either. I do not smoke, but I usually leave change or my key there.
- Street Presence- I bought this car so I could be different than every S-Class or 7 Series out there. I like that it is a bit more under the radar. While I admit the D5 resembles it's smaller brothers, there is something still special about this design, especially in the rear. I absolutely love the tail lights (and I do not even have the lighting package!)
- Sound System- Compared to the S-Class, this sound system is much better. Compared to my previous HK system in the 7 series (base system) that HK had a bit more thump to it. This system is still beautiful, but believe it or not I prefer the Bose on my previous D4 (and on a family member's Porsche Macan) I still give it a thumbs up, as it is the base system and sounds really good.
- Start/Stop System- I turn this off the instant I start the car. Do not care for it at all.
I have had this car for just about a week now, and a lot of things have been said accurately. The drive is beautiful, the car rides amazing, and I had the S-Class, so yes it is definitely comparable. The S-Class has a bit more waft-ness to it, especially with the big V8 it just felt like a cloud at all times (a fast cloud!). I just hated the lack of adjustment on the S-Class. The transmission has 2 modes, economy (starts on 2nd geat) and Sport. The Sport mode felt horrible, very jerky, and the economy too slow to react (but once that V8 kicks in, WOW!) I believe the facelift S-Class has a bit more adjustment, but I honestly did not even look at the S-Class this time around.
The V6 in the Audi is fine, I could not wait for the V8, and the V6 does the job (just wish it pushed me back in the seat a bit more!) If you put the car in Auto, it does what you need it to do. On the highway the engine pulls nicely, and on the city streets it has no problem getting up to speed, albeit does so quietly.
Other concerns you had
- center console- Ridiculous, it is beyond tiny, I am lucky to fit a chap stick and some coins. No ashtray in the car either. I do not smoke, but I usually leave change or my key there.
- Street Presence- I bought this car so I could be different than every S-Class or 7 Series out there. I like that it is a bit more under the radar. While I admit the D5 resembles it's smaller brothers, there is something still special about this design, especially in the rear. I absolutely love the tail lights (and I do not even have the lighting package!)
- Sound System- Compared to the S-Class, this sound system is much better. Compared to my previous HK system in the 7 series (base system) that HK had a bit more thump to it. This system is still beautiful, but believe it or not I prefer the Bose on my previous D4 (and on a family member's Porsche Macan) I still give it a thumbs up, as it is the base system and sounds really good.
- Start/Stop System- I turn this off the instant I start the car. Do not care for it at all.
11-10-2018, 08:16 AM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Another bit I just noticed that ruffled my feathers.
On the D5 A8, there are still headlamp washers. (good!) I just found out that MB has gotten rid of this, for ALL MB cars, inclusive of the S class. What joint were they smoking? Cost cutting ******.
Before someone makes the same allegation that MB supporters just made to me, headlamp washers are critical for LED lights because by nature they are less bright than bi-xenon lights. The 2019 Lexus LS500 also has it, although allegedly BMW has gotten rid of it on the 7 series too, which I can't confirm or deny.
On the D5 A8, there are still headlamp washers. (good!) I just found out that MB has gotten rid of this, for ALL MB cars, inclusive of the S class. What joint were they smoking? Cost cutting ******.
Before someone makes the same allegation that MB supporters just made to me, headlamp washers are critical for LED lights because by nature they are less bright than bi-xenon lights. The 2019 Lexus LS500 also has it, although allegedly BMW has gotten rid of it on the 7 series too, which I can't confirm or deny.
11-12-2018, 08:51 AM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
B&O Advanced 3D Sound System Thoughts:
I spent about 30 minutes today listening to the Advanced 3D Sound system by B&O. As any audio geek will tell you, one must place massive disclaimers on listening to any sound system when the car has 5km on it. Nothing's burned in yet. As some of you know, I have listened to the Premium 3D sound system in my original review and shared some of my thoughts there.
Music listened to:
1) Gustav Holst songs. Mars/Jupiter
2) Top 40
3) Vocals
All of my comments with the D5 are from the perspective of the front driver's seat only. I am making no comments at all about the rear seat experience as it does not impact me and I did not sit there to form any opinions.
The Advanced 3D sound system is an evolutionary improvement to the Premium 3D sound system. For those of you who have been in an S class, the Burmester 3D surround system is an epic revolutionary improvement to the Burmester base system. The Advanced 3D sound system on the Audi is a few degrees better than the Premium 3D sound system in these respects
1) The mid/highs are crisper. I suspect my original belief that the pop out tweeters are nothing more than a novel item is wrong. I could certainly make out very high end sounds (say triangles in a band) much better. There was also noticeably less distortion.
2) My original concerns about the depth and breath of the bass tones on the Premium 3D sound system are alleviated in the Advanced 3D sound system. I usually don't care about a system's rated wattage, but the Advanced system certainly had much more oomph and I have 0 concerns about the bass breath and depth, in all 3 forms of music listed above.
3) Most interestingly to me, the spatial depth of the Advanced system is precisely what I was looking for. If you can imagine sitting in a concert hall, the 3D effect of sound gives you a good estimation as to the size of the hall. Even when maxing out the Premium 3D sound system, I didn't get that sense of spatial depth, but in the Advanced 3D sound system, I got precisely that. My guess is that the DSP system in the Premium system tries to generate this depth but it's not "authentic" sound. Those 6 speakers in the Advanced 3D sound system may be primarily for the rear, but I think my ears can still pick out some of that sound as a front listener and that may be what is giving me the depth i'm looking for.
So would I pay another $5100 CAD for the Advanced 3D sound system? For now, yes. I'm about to go on my 24 hour loan of the D5 A8 (the one I originally drove in my first post) tomorrow. That one has the Premium 3D sound system and not the advanced one, so I will go through this exercise again to further refine my opinion.
I maintain that Audi's biggest 'miss' with both of these systems is the lack of overhead speakers like on the Mercedes 26 speaker system, but one can't have it all.
For the audiophiles among us, I would put all of the high end sound systems from MB/Lexus/Audi up on the same pedestal. They're all fantastic. The MB gets the nod from a 3D sound perspective (front, rear, and above). The Lexus gets the nod from a pure bass perspective, and the Audi gets the nod from an amazing amount of clarity from the mid/highs and the best all around sound.
I spent about 30 minutes today listening to the Advanced 3D Sound system by B&O. As any audio geek will tell you, one must place massive disclaimers on listening to any sound system when the car has 5km on it. Nothing's burned in yet. As some of you know, I have listened to the Premium 3D sound system in my original review and shared some of my thoughts there.
Music listened to:
1) Gustav Holst songs. Mars/Jupiter
2) Top 40
3) Vocals
All of my comments with the D5 are from the perspective of the front driver's seat only. I am making no comments at all about the rear seat experience as it does not impact me and I did not sit there to form any opinions.
The Advanced 3D sound system is an evolutionary improvement to the Premium 3D sound system. For those of you who have been in an S class, the Burmester 3D surround system is an epic revolutionary improvement to the Burmester base system. The Advanced 3D sound system on the Audi is a few degrees better than the Premium 3D sound system in these respects
1) The mid/highs are crisper. I suspect my original belief that the pop out tweeters are nothing more than a novel item is wrong. I could certainly make out very high end sounds (say triangles in a band) much better. There was also noticeably less distortion.
2) My original concerns about the depth and breath of the bass tones on the Premium 3D sound system are alleviated in the Advanced 3D sound system. I usually don't care about a system's rated wattage, but the Advanced system certainly had much more oomph and I have 0 concerns about the bass breath and depth, in all 3 forms of music listed above.
3) Most interestingly to me, the spatial depth of the Advanced system is precisely what I was looking for. If you can imagine sitting in a concert hall, the 3D effect of sound gives you a good estimation as to the size of the hall. Even when maxing out the Premium 3D sound system, I didn't get that sense of spatial depth, but in the Advanced 3D sound system, I got precisely that. My guess is that the DSP system in the Premium system tries to generate this depth but it's not "authentic" sound. Those 6 speakers in the Advanced 3D sound system may be primarily for the rear, but I think my ears can still pick out some of that sound as a front listener and that may be what is giving me the depth i'm looking for.
So would I pay another $5100 CAD for the Advanced 3D sound system? For now, yes. I'm about to go on my 24 hour loan of the D5 A8 (the one I originally drove in my first post) tomorrow. That one has the Premium 3D sound system and not the advanced one, so I will go through this exercise again to further refine my opinion.
I maintain that Audi's biggest 'miss' with both of these systems is the lack of overhead speakers like on the Mercedes 26 speaker system, but one can't have it all.
For the audiophiles among us, I would put all of the high end sound systems from MB/Lexus/Audi up on the same pedestal. They're all fantastic. The MB gets the nod from a 3D sound perspective (front, rear, and above). The Lexus gets the nod from a pure bass perspective, and the Audi gets the nod from an amazing amount of clarity from the mid/highs and the best all around sound.
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11-12-2018, 03:51 PM
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11-12-2018, 04:43 PM
#10
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