The best seats in the house are in the rear — if you're in the new Audi A8. It has several inches more legroom in the back than in the front, as well as the option to recline your seat and stretch out, which, for obvious reasons, you can't do up front.
But up front's not a bad place to be either.
What It Is
The A8 is a full-size, top-of-the-line luxury sedan. It is similar to others in this class like the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7 Series, but it differs from them in a number of ways. It comes standard with all-wheel drive, for one.
The BMW 7 and Mercedes S Class offer it as an extra cost option.
The base price is $85,200 - with Quattro all-wheel drive (and a turbocharged V-6 engine) versus $91,250 for the rear-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz S450 (which costs $94,250 with its optional 4Matic all-wheel-drive system). The rear-wheel-drive BMW 740i starts at $86,450. With its optional xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the price rises to $89,450.
The Audi also offers a plug-in hybrid version — also with all-wheel drive — that starts at $94,000.
At the apex is a V-8 hybrid — again with all-wheel drive. It stickers for $96,800.
What's New
An Executive Package with a wireless tablet-controller is now available, along with the option to fully recline and prop your feet up.
And get a full-body massage.
What's Good
If you want all-wheel drive, you'll pay a lot less for it in an Audi versus a Benz or BMW so equipped.
There's more backseat legroom than most cars have up front.
It comes standard with a superb 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround-sound audio system.
What's Not So Good
It has less trunk space than most cars half its size (just 12.5 cubic feet).
It has even less trunk (10.4 cubic feet) if you buy either of the plug-in hybrid versions.
If you don't want all-wheel drive, you'll prefer the BMW or the Benz.
Under the Hood
The A8 comes standard with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 engine paired with a 48-volt electrical system that allows the car's computer to seamlessly stop and start the engine when engine power isn't needed — like when the car isn't moving.
During light-load driving, the system lets the car sail, using inertia rather than gas in order to reduce the amount of gas used. Even with its standard Quattro all-wheel-drive system, the A8 rates 17 mpg in city and 26 mpg on the highway. These are excellent numbers for a full-sized luxury sedan, especially one with 335 horsepower that can get from zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds.
For more power — and the power to coast for up to 17 miles without the engine running at all — opt for the plug-in hybrid version.
And for the most power, there's the V-8 plug-in hybrid, which pairs a 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine with a high-powered lithium-ion battery and electric motor for a total power output of 453 horsepower and 487 foot-pounds of torque.
This one will get you to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds.
On the Road
The A8 is a car that's as appealing to the passenger as it is to the driver.
Up front, you've got control of one of the largest, most powerful luxury cars on the road. In the back, you're so relaxed you may never want the ride to end.
Arguably, in a car of this type, the biggest advantage of the plug-in hybrid option isn't the increased gas mileage. It's the instant torque of the high-powered electric motors, which make the 2-ton A8 accelerate as if it weighed half as much — with half as much effort as nonhybrid rivals.
This is because electric motors make their torque immediately — while combustion engines have to rev before they make it.
At the Curb
The A8 is the most stately looking of the bunch. It looks expensive but not flashy. And at 208.7 inches, it's also the longest of the bunch.
But it has the smallest trunk of the bunch — and not by a little bit.
The A8's 12.5-cubic-foot trunk is much smaller than the Mercedes S-Class sedan's 18.7-cubic-foot trunk or the BMW 7 Series' 18.2-cubic-foot trunk. The lack of trunk space is, without question, the Audi's biggest deficit.
But the back seats are almost unbelievably spacious and luxurious. Try to imagine fully reclining in a car — as if in your TV room — with a nicer TV than you probably have in your TV room.
In a 22-way adjustable massage "chair."
The Rest
The A8's dual-screen multimedia interface is state of the art — and a little intimidating, if you're not up to date. But it's an almost hands-free system — via voice command — and once you are up to date, it's among the easiest such system to use.
The Bottom Line
High-end cars are defined by their high price as much as their high-end features. The A8 has the features — but for a lower price than its rivals.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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