I had planned on liking our 2012 Audi A8 L*, because I really liked the last one.
The second-generation A8 was, and is, a handsome sedan, with a wonderful cabin, and it was one of those cars that just shrank around you and felt deceptively small through corners. Of course, it helped that it was first-in-class with an aluminum unit-body (well, actually, the first-gen A8 was the first big luxury sedans to go that route, but you know what I mean), so it was lighter than its rivals. It was more than that, though. Everything in the second-gen A8, save for maybe the transmission, worked together so nicely -- steering, suspension, brakes -- that it really felt like it wanted to be a sport sedan. It was certainly more of a sport sedan than the flabby A6.
*(Yes, when you drive a car this expensive, you absolutely can park like a jerk across three spaces and get away with it. I just paid off all the parking staff with the money I was otherwise going to burn.)
The third-gen A8 (this car) is still light for this class, though the stunning Jaguar XJ that no one is buying is also very light. But it doesn't have the personality of its predecessor. It certainly doesn't want to be a sport sedan... there's just not enough steering feel for that. Switching up the Drive Select settings to my taste helps some -- for the moment, I've settled on "Dynamic" for the suspension and "Auto" for everything else, but I'm thinking may have to go back to Dynamic for the drivetrain, too.
I don't like thinking about settings. I want the car to feel interesting with everything set to Auto. And the A8 doesn't really, though maybe a long road trip would change my mind about it. Instead, Audi's top sedan just feels big. And it is big. But I want it to lie to me and insist that it's small, like the old one did.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 8,990 miles
dinobot666 says:
06:22 AM, 01/30/12
*(Yes, when you drive a car this expensive, you absolutely can park like a jerk across three spaces and get away with it. I just paid off all the parking staff with the money I was otherwise going to burn.)
If it's a BMW, you can park like that for free, just because all other BMW drivers do it.
tjpark01 says:
06:27 AM, 01/30/12
Cars like this are becoming more about luxury and less about sport. Although the two shouldn't be mutually exclusive, Audi has taken the the dull path. I still can't believe you guys haven't mentioned the paltry trunk space in a car this big.
texases says:
07:09 AM, 01/30/12
"though the stunning Jaguar XJ that no one is buying is also very light."
If they'd just make that goofy black C pillar body color the XJ sales would jump!
ryans93 says:
07:25 AM, 01/30/12
With the XJ on the market I don't know why anybody would buy anything else in that class. A beautiful and yes stunning car, one of my favorites out right now.
mptlptr says:
08:53 AM, 01/30/12
So we’ve lost another car to the bigger, heavier, number movement. Will it ever stop?
frazier500 says:
09:33 AM, 01/30/12
The Jaguar probably isn't selling below sales expectations honestly. Jaguar's biggest problem is not disinterest in the car, it's the fact that they don't offer AWD. They're missing the entire northeast, who buy's a lot of D-class luxury cars.
stovt001 says:
11:02 AM, 01/30/12
Glad the XJ is getting a little recognition here. I thought I was the only one who knew about it.
dinobot666 says:
11:31 AM, 01/30/12
What this vehicle really lost was half of its value when it drove off the lot. The deprecation curve on these things is insane.
esoterica says:
11:35 AM, 01/30/12
Another vote for the XJ. The interior is also so stunning that it's basically in a class of one.
isend2c says:
12:45 PM, 01/30/12
The Jag has an outdated transmission compared to every German luxo-barg, both the Audi & BMW have 8 gears and the S-Class has 7 and shall be redesigned very soon. I think that Jaguar is a looker, by far the sexiest in the class, but many folks who buy these cars don't want to be looked at all the time. I however, do. I'll take an bright blue760iL (too bad they don't exist in that hue...)
equ says:
12:55 PM, 01/30/12
I highly recommend setting steering to 'dynamic'. This is the single most important setting on the modern crop of Audis that allows their steering weight to be about right. Still not perfect, mind you with odd weighting by speed, but much better than 'auto'. 'Auto' only works if it is the only car you drive. Why they'd invent such a calibration curve, I know not.
Not sure if it can just be set to 'dynamic' forever so you never have to press the button. Just for extra info, there is a device called a VAG-COM that hooks in and with any laptop can change a bunch of bits in the car's coding (not for the faint of heart!). I was able to permanently set my non-drive-select a4 this way to 'dynamic' and leave it there. Quite decent steering for an awd car in that setting.
meldeeb says:
09:38 PM, 01/30/12
+1 xj is gorgeous still turns my head when i see one
brian_k says:
06:22 AM, 01/31/12
Erin-
I am surprised to read your review, considering all of te other reviews and comparison tests done by IL, C/D, Automobile, etc that I have read in which the Audi was described as the drivers car in its class (along with the Jag, but better overall than the Jag). My first question about your LT A8 pointed directly to this- the test winning A8 always had the 20 inch wheels and summer tires as well as the Sport Differential. I am sure that set up gives it a little more feel, urgency on turn in, outright grip, and maybe even playfulness. Have you driven both set ups? Does it make that much difference? Thanks!
mercedesfan says:
02:32 PM, 01/31/12
@brian_k,
Actually, very few reviews have called the Audi the driver's choice. The Jag typically gets that honor because of its steering feel, its suspension tuning, and the massive power its engines produce. The Audi puts up amazing numbers thanks to quattro, but most journalists have called it a little cold and isolating. It wins because during the day-to-day grind the Jag's abysmal infotainment system, dated transmission, and less adjustable coil-over suspension become sources of annoyance. In other words, the Audi is a jack-of-all trades: competent in every area, but dominant in few. The Jag is more of a one-trick pony: dominant as a driver's car, but at the expense of luxury. This is the same reason many journalists say the aging S-Class is still the best luxury car in the segment, but then rank the A8 higher. The Benz dominates in craftsmanship and comfort, but at the expense of driver involvement.