Audi A8 Review

There was a time, not all that long ago, when there was only one sensible choice in the luxury saloon market - the Mercedes S-Class. Dubbed by many as ‘the best car in the world’, it was more comfortable, more enjoyable and quieter than rivals like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Jaguar XJ. It was also roomier, better on quality and made more financial sense.

Fast-forward to 2017, though, and out of nowhere, Audi comes up with this, the latest Audi A8. Updated again in 2021, the Audi A8 is big, it is smart, it is packed with technology. Can it finally do the unthinkable and topple the class-leader? Yup. That’s precisely what it does.

You see, there are a few things that a luxury limousine needs to get right above all else. The first of them is comfort. That means having enough cabin space for well-heeled occupants to stretch out, and enough luxury kit to keep them relaxed and entertained. Both boxes checked here. 

It also means isolating your occupants from the vulgarity of the outside world, by not letting bumps in the road, or exterior noises, ruin the calm. And it’s this that the Audi A8 does better than any car of its type. Not only is this the smoothest-riding car in its class, it’s one of the smoothest-riding cars in any class. Okay, it may not handle quite as sharply as it’s rivals, but who cares?

The other thing that a luxury car needs to nail is quality and sophistication. After all, if you’re ferrying around VIPs and captains of industry, they’ll want to feel like they’re travelling first-class. And again, this is an area in which the Audi A8 leads the way. The standard of the materials on show is second-to-none, and the solidity and attention-to-detail with which everything is assembled is absolutely impeccable. That’s why no car in the class makes you feel more spoiled.

It’s not just these areas of extra importance where the A8 nails things, either: it does an exemplary job in pretty much every area. The engines are smooth and powerful, the efficiency figures look good, especially on the clever plug-in hybrid version, while all the other ownership costs stack up well, too. Niggles? The touchscreen infotainment system is a bit distracting when you’re driving and the automatic gearbox is a bit slow to react sometimes, but that’s about it.

Like most Audi models, the A8 is a fabulous all-rounder, which helps solidify its place at the very top of the class. If you find yourself in need of a luxury limousine, there’s now a different ‘only sensible choice’.

We reckon you should go for the A8 L 50 TDI in Sport or S line trim. The diesel’s low-down shove suits the A8’s laid-back character beautifully, and the longer-wheelbase body adds the extra rear-seat space a car like this really deserves.

If your routine suits charging, the TFSI e is the more tax-friendly and more city-friendly answer. It brings a useful electric range and noticeably stronger pace, though you do give away some boot space and some of the diesel’s easy long-distance efficiency.

The S8 is impressive and deserves a mention, but it's best understood as a separate, more performance-led branch of the family rather than the default recommendation.

The current UK A8 range starts at £85,840 for the standard-wheelbase A8 and rises through £89,840 for the A8 L, £94,825 for the standard-wheelbase A8 TFSI e and £98,825 for the A8 L TFSI e. The performance S8 starts at £118,535.

That puts the A8 squarely in the heart of the modern luxury-saloon market, and as ever in this segment, options can shift the final figure quickly. Technology Pack, Technology Pack Pro and rear-seat comfort features all have a meaningful effect on both price and character.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class remains the most obvious rival if rear-seat comfort and outright luxury are your main priorities, while the BMW 7 Series offers a slightly bolder, more extroverted take on the same brief.

The Lexus LS is the left-field alternative if refinement and reliability sit high on your list, while the Range Rover also now steals some buyers who might once have gone straight to a traditional luxury saloon. But if what you want is a limousine that feels beautifully made, understated and deeply accomplished, the A8 remains one of the strongest choices in the class.

The A8 feels vast inside in the way a luxury saloon should. Up front there's loads of room, a relaxed driving position and seats that feel designed for all-day comfort rather than showroom theatrics.

The rear matters more in a car like this, and the A8 delivers. Even in the standard car there's ample space for adults to stretch out, but the A8 L is the one that really feels like a proper limousine. Its wheelbase is stretched by 13cm, and that extra length is felt where it matters most: rear legroom.

That makes the standard A8 easier to justify if you will be driving yourself most of the time, while the A8 L is the one to choose if you expect to spend serious time in the back or want to offer that sort of space to passengers.

Boot space in the standard A8 and A8 L stands at 505 litres, which is healthy for the class and more than enough for a couple of large cases, business luggage or golf clubs. The plug-in hybrid is something of a compromise, because its battery packaging cuts that to 390 litres. If luggage space matters, the diesel is the cleaner answer.

The standard Audi A8 measures 5,190mm long, 2,130mm wide and 1,473mm high, while the A8 L stretches the length by 130mm and sits fractionally higher.

Even so, the A8 never feels especially intimidating from behind the wheel. Visibility is strong for such a large car, and the optional all-wheel steering on upper trims makes a noticeable difference around town and when parking.

The A8’s cabin revolves around its digital layout. There are screens for the main infotainment and climate functions, plus Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital driver display ahead of the driver, and the whole thing still looks impressively modern.

The upside is visual drama and a strong sense of technological sophistication. The downside is that the lower touchscreen climate panel is less intuitive to use than physical controls would be, especially on the move.

That said, the system remains slick, sharp and generally easy enough to learn with time. Wireless smartphone integration, navigation and a wide spread of connected features are all part of the appeal, while the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system remains one of the more worthwhile indulgences in the range.

This is where the A8 really shines. Cabin quality is absolutely top drawer, with dense materials, beautifully finished surfaces and the sort of detail engineering that makes even expensive rivals feel slightly ordinary in places.

It’s not confined to the top trim, either; the whole range feels special, which is why the A8 makes such a strong case for itself even before you start loading on options.

The standard A8 and A8 L both use Audi’s 50 TDI, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 286PS and 600Nm. It's the engine that makes the most sense in the A8 because it delivers exactly the kind of effortless low-rev shove a big luxury saloon needs.

Above that sits the TFSI e, which combines a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with plug-in hybrid assistance for a total of 462PS. It's available in both standard-wheelbase and A8 L form, and it brings a big jump in performance plus a much more convincing electric range than older A8 plug-in hybrids managed.

The S8 sits further off to the side as the performance flagship, with 571PS from its V8 engine. It deserves a mention, but only a light one here, because it's not really the core A8 experience. The main A8 line-up is about refinement first, not outright pace.

This is still one of the most comfortable cars on sale. The standard adaptive air suspension does a scarcely believable job of smoothing out poor surfaces, and the A8 feels at its best when it's being allowed to flow rather than hurried.

That doesn’t mean it's clumsy. There's plenty of grip, reassuring traction from the quattro system and enough steering precision to stop it feeling vague, but the A8 is really about wafting rather than entertaining.

The A8 L does not feel materially less composed than the standard car, which is impressive given the extra length, while the plug-in hybrid remains very hushed at lower speeds when running on electric power alone.

Refinement across the range is excellent. Wind and road noise are kept very well in check, and both the diesel and hybrid suit the car’s easygoing nature.

The Audi A8 hasn’t been crash tested by the experts at Euro NCAP, but it’s mechanically very similar to the Audi A7, which has achieved the highest five-star rating. If there’s a reason that the A8 should behave any differently in a smash, we’re not aware of it.

As well as all the usual airbags and electronic traction and stability aids, all versions have a head-up display, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, LED lighting at both ends of the car, camera-based traffic sign recognition and a semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control system. From S line trim upwards, you also get cleverer Matrix Beam LED headlights, while range-topping Vorsprung cars also get cross traffic assistants. 

The 50 TDI remains the sensible choice for buyers who cover distance. In current Audi UK form, the standard-wheelbase A8 is rated at 37.3 to 40.3mpg, while the A8 L sits at 36.9 to 40.1mpg depending on trim and wheel choice.

The plug-in hybrid looks dramatically more efficient on paper. In standard-wheelbase form, the A8 TFSI e is rated at 148.7 to 156.9mpg, while the A8 L TFSI e has an official electric range of up to 35 miles.

As ever with a plug-in hybrid, those figures only really make sense if you charge regularly and can use the electric running in daily life. If you cannot, the diesel remains the easier and more natural answer.

The S8, unsurprisingly, is much thirstier – even the most efficient version promises only up to 24.6mpg – and is best treated as a separate indulgence rather than the default A8 option.

If you are buying new, the A8 comes with Audi’s standard new-car warranty of up to three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Plug-in hybrid versions also get battery degradation cover for five years or 100,000 miles.

If you are buying used, Audi Approved Used remains the most reassuring route because it currently includes a minimum of 12 months’ Audi Warranty and 12 months’ roadside assistance. Audi is also currently offering up to two years of complimentary servicing on Approved Used cars, which is worth bearing in mind if you are comparing dealer-backed examples.

Servicing will not be cheap, but that's part of the territory in this class. On used examples, condition and history matter more than anything else, particularly on cars with the broader array of rear-seat luxury features and assistance technology.

Insurance sits squarely in luxury-car territory. Most A8s fall between groups 44 and 49, while the S8 reaches group 50 (of 50).

That's entirely in keeping with the class, but it's still worth quoting carefully because the jump between trims and performance levels is not trivial.

The standard annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED or road tax) rate is £200, but because every A8 costs more than £40,000 when new, they’re also liable for the Expensive Car Supplement for five years from the second licence. That takes the annual bill to £640 during that period, regardless of which version you choose.