2012 Audi A8 is Fast, Luxurious, Gets Incredible Mileage and Boasts the Best Interior in its Class

By John Dickerson, Horsepower Auto Reviews

Audi has done it again. They’ve designed my favorite vehicle in its class and one of the best looking, too. Which class would that be? The status symbol stratosphere of $100,000 luxury sedans. Audi’s A8 competes against Mercedes and BMW in this contest, and the three German flagships are unrivaled by anything Japan or America produce.

Audi’s A8 was all-new in 2011. For 2012 it gains some delightful engine upgrades and the option of a longer wheelbase. In all, it remains a standard in world-class, full-size luxury and performance.

Anyone shopping the aisle of $100,000 luxury sedans should know that considering the new A8 is a must. Buyers looking for sheer performance in a car this big may lean towards the Porsche Panamera, but buyers hunting for daily comfort, style and performance will find the A8 undeniably refined and balanced.

I should say that, after years of driving all of these top-level cars back-to-back, the A8 has become my personal favorite, time and again. What most sets it apart? The details, particularly in the cabin. The redesigned A8 retains the luxurious sophistication that sets Audi apart, while introducing a host of remarkable technologies.

To believe it, you’ll have to expericne the A8’s interior for yourself. Here’s a preview. Sitting in your 22-way leather seat, you set your ventilated, cooled and heated seat to the most fitting of the five optional massage modes. Surounded by chrome, aluminum and suede-like Alacantara leather, you press the silver start button near the shifter, and the 372-horsepower V-8 roars silkily to life. About that time, the navigation screen rises up from a slot in the finished walnut dashboard. The front tweeters, two of the 19 speakers in the Bang & Olufsen sound system, also rise up out of the dashboard.

These remarkable featurs are not gimicks. From the speakers to the navigation system, the Audi’s interior is entirely functional and entirely excellent. That refinement in the details sets vehicles apart at this level.

In addition to interior refinement, the Audi also stands out in one other regard. While its humblest powerplant produces a hefty 372 horsepower, this limo-sized luxury cruiser delivers nearly 30 mpg on the highway. That’s significantly higher than any competitor. Also remarkable is that the A8 comes standard with all-wheel-drive (Quattro). The four-wheel powered Audi somehow delivers exceptional gas mileage over the rear-drive Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Jaguar counterparts.

The Audi’s all-wheel-drive isn’t just great in snow and inclimate weather, it also gives German sports car handling to this large sedan. In fact, the A8 is good for a Porsche-like .88g of force in turns. That’s an incredible amount of grip for a vehicle of this size.

Audi fans thirsting for even more power can opt for the 500-horsepower W-12 powerplant, or they can wait for the arrival of the S8, the ultimate performance edition.

Outside, the all-new A8 maintains its image as a status symbol and work of art. Step out of this car, and nobody will wonder if it is expensive or comfortable or fast. As beautiful as the Audi is outside, you’ll be spending most of your time inside it. And that, in my opinion, is where the A8 easily defeats its high-brow competitors.

 

© 2011 John Dickerson, Horsepower Auto Reviews

 

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2012 Audi A8

 

Personality: Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, sporting a Rolex

 

Best Gizmo: Gas mileage: for a car of this magnitude and girth, with all-wheel-drive, Audi has performed a miracle.

 

Most Annoying Feature: The too-electronic shifter

 

MPG (as tested): 18 City, 28 Highway

 

Performance: Incredible.

 

Cars we smoked at stoplights: Any and every sports car that came our way during the one week test

 

0-60: 4.8 seconds

 

How much? Starts at $79k. Lovely options like Long wheelbase, W-12 engine and other available options can increase price to $100k territory.

 

How Fast Is That? Ferrari fast. For a car this size, and with 28 mpg highway, amazing.

 

Serious Contenders? Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-series, Mercedes-Benz S550, Lexus LS 460