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Audi A8 and S8
2008 Audi A8 luxury full-size sedan.2008 Audi A8 - enlargeComplete Audi A8 and S8 New Car Reviews listed below
The 2008 Audi A8 full-size luxury sedan is the flagship of the Audi product line. It is among the most luxurious products on the market. If money is no object, this is a product that should be on your shopping list. That said, these Audis are excellent values when compared with their competitors. The 2008 A8 and S8 compete with the Acura RL 3.5, BMW 7 Series, Cadillac STS V8 AWD, Jaguar XJ 8L, Jaguar XJ Super V8, Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas, Lexus LS 600h L, and the Mercedes-Benz S Class.
The Audi A8 sedan comes in three trim levels. The A8 quattro sedan (MSRP starts at $70,690) and the A8 L quattro sedan (MSRP starts at $74,690), the bigger version of the A8 quattro, comes with a 350-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine. The A8 L W12 quattro sedan (MSRP starts at $120,100) comes with a 450-horsepower, 6.0-liter W12 engine (a 12-cylinder piston engine).
The Audi S8 quattro full-size luxury sedan (MSRP starts at $93,300) is the powered up version of the Audi A8, and competes with the 2007 BMW 750 Li, 2007 Cadillac STS V8 AWD, 2007 Jaguar XJR Super V8, 2007 Lexus LS 460 L, and the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S63 AMG 4MATIC. The S8 comes with a 450-horsepower, 5.2-liter V10 engine.
Both the Audi A8 and Audi S8 can be personalized with a variety of accessories and options and equipped with six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and the Tiptronic manual-shift auto system. The A8 quattro, A8 L quattro, and S8 quattro offer basic features such as adaptive, auto-leveling, and four-wheel suspension, front and rear anti-roll bars, power and speed-dependent steering, and alloy wheels. Its exterior comes with power and heated door mirrors, turn-signal indicator mirrors and body-side moldings. Some convenience and entertainment features include power moonroof, memory seats, steering wheel memory, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, remote six-disc CD player and BOSE speakers.
The Audi A8 L W12 quattro sedan offers the basic features mentioned above, plus rear air conditioning, ventilated front seats, and a DVD player. Some optional features include distance pacing cruise control, heated steering wheels, lane departure indicator, and a blind spot sensor.
The Audi A8 and S8 quattro share similar safety and security features, including panic alarm, perimeter/approach lights, driver front and side impact airbags, passenger front and side impact airbags, and knee and rear-side impact airbags. All four also have adjustable head restraints for the driver and passenger.
A safety and crash test report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed good (five stars out of five) frontal crash ratings for the Audi A8 (model tested was a 2003 Audi A8). [1]
A reliability history report from ConsumerReports.org for 2007 reflected varying results since the A8 was redesigned in 2004. In 2005, the A8 got excellent to very good ratings for wear-and-tear on its engine and transmission but received poor ratings for its electrical, drive, and fuel system. [2] In 2007, a used 2006 Audi A8 now falls within the $59,130 - $107,645 price range.
The first generation Audi A8 debuted in Europe in 1994 and was made available in North America in 1997. It was introduced with an all-aluminum space frame, which can be credited for the vehicle's significantly reduced weight. Minimal redesigns took place until 2004, when the second generation and current A8 was launched, this time with different engines with Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI).
The first generation Audi S8 - which came with a retuned engine and suspension - was introduced in the US market in 2001. The second generation S8 (2006) featured a new 450-horsepower engine, which was largely based on the engine used in the Lamborghini Gallardo.
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Automotive journalists have long considered the Audi A8 to be the best deal in the full-size luxury car market. The A8 bests significantly larger sellers like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS430 and the Infiniti Q45. The 2004 Audi A8L is the company’s way of communicating to affluent consumers that the company is a First-Tier Luxury automaker and that their products belong in a consideration set containing any of the aforementioned products.
•2007 Audi S8 Full-Size Luxury Sedan
Lavish cabin appointments include a DVD-based navigation, Bose surround-sound audio system and seat heating for every passenger.
•2006 Audi A8 Full-Size Luxury Sedan
Audi's large-car A8 series -- cast on a unitized aluminum structure, then fitted with sophisticated mechanical systems and extravagant luxuries -- comes in two lengths. A8L rides on a stretched wheelbase with generous legroom for riders in the rear quarters. A8 also appears with wheelbase pared slightly and five inches trimmed from the overall length.
•2004 Audi A8L Full-Size Luxury Sedan
Consider the new A8L flagship sedan from Audi of Germany: It's a kinetic work of automotive art, chiseled from aluminum with a space frame structure stretched to extravagant length and an elegant cabin decorated in glossy hardwoods and supple leathers and filled with limousine luxuries.
•2005 Audi A8 and A8L Premium Full-Size Sedan
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•2004 Audi A8 Series Full-Size Luxury Sedan
Theme for the exterior is understated elegance where subtle shapes and soft edgework come out of the less-is-more school of car design.
•2003 Audi A8 Large Luxury Sedan
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