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Audi A8

1483 messages,  Last post on Jul 23, 2010 at 11:27 AM

You are in the Audi A8 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, Sedan

Messages Page 12 of 149

#108 of 1483 This car should be better by ctf00

Apr 16, 2000 (5:24 pm)

I just bought a 2000 A8 about a month ago a I must tell you I have very mixed emotions about it. The car is fun to drive at first but it is missing something.. I get on the highway and I jam the peddle to the floor, however, my top of the line Audi just does not through my head back as I would expect it to. So I put it in tiptronic and it preforms a little better. This car should screem..The interior is great with the exception of the phone(cheep)and the nav system/radio.. Why,why ,why did audi not put a Command center in this car they put them in all the cars in europe so why not in the USA? The dealer will tell you that the virtual map is a distraction I say bull..Now I still have to carry a map around, and the system audi uses in europe has "the Voice" and the map. If they were so concerned about the driver keeping his eye on the road the would have put the phone on the steering wheel because the way the phone is now to dial you must completly take your head and look down pretty stupid...By the way why can't I get an S8?????? That car would shut me up(with a European nav/radio)

#109 of 1483 I will never.... by cesium

Apr 17, 2000 (1:50 am)

understand why people want to buy this car. The styling is bland and old. And it's an Audi. For this kind of money you should go an get a Lexus or a Benz. What do you guys see in it?

#110 of 1483 I agree by cowboy5111

Apr 17, 2000 (9:01 pm)

My dad has a new S500 and a new A8 and a 2 yr. old LS400, for when he feels like driving (otherwise the driver mainly takes my out in our Arnage) but anyway, i sometime drive the Audi and feel very loose compared to the S500. The Audi isnt very durable compared with the Benz or Lexus either, I've noticed items such as the stereo fading out or dash bulb going out 3 times (jeez old shitty accords dont have this problem)

#111 of 1483 S8 by ctf00

Apr 18, 2000 (10:58 pm)

I now know for a fact that Audi has informed its dealers that the S8 will be for sale in the USA in February 2001 I will be first in line that is for sure, unless I break down and get the S500 but for the money I think the S8 is the car to buy

#112 of 1483 cesium by merc1

Apr 19, 2000 (7:23 am)

The A8 is a different animal from the big Benzes and BMWs of the world. When it originally came here it was a breath of fresh air because of it's then light weight construction compared to the S-Class at the time. It was a technology leader at the time. The new S has passed it most areas, so it may seem old to some now. I don't expect Audi to let the new S go unanswered. Their is a W12 version coming for spring 2001. The A8 is still a techo wonder.


M

#113 of 1483 740,ls400, or a8???? by coolmatt44

Apr 23, 2000 (3:13 pm)

 Hello we are currently in the market for one of those three cars, we like the 740i the best, but isa it worth $70,000? The dealer near us has a great deal on a 2000 that only has 300 miles on it (it wasa demo). It is a fully loaded car! cd,weather package, sport package, navigation, and all that other good stuff. Email me at coolmatt44aol.com, if you have an opinion.

#114 of 1483 RE post 112 by billmillsva

May 07, 2000 (5:25 pm)

I suspect your car drives just the way it did when you test drove it. If you didn't like it then you shouldn't have bought it. This car has two big things working against it that affect it's acceleration, the Quattro system and the automatic transmission which interfaces with your foot through a Bosch drive by wire system. It's a compromise, you want your neck to snap, buy a RWD manual transmission car and live with the trade off in bad weather driving. The A8 is luxury sedan not a sports car. That said, it still out accelerates a BMW 740 from 0-60 mph.
As far as the phone is concerned, if I remember correctly, they are not even allowed to be used when a car is in motion in Europe so this is probably a mentality issue. Where the car is made, using the phone while it's moving is illegal so having the phone where you can't see the keys, in Audis' mind, is a non issue. This becoming more common is the US as well i.e. operating a phone while driving being illegal. Since the dealer installed phone is analog and digital seems to be the wave of the future you may want to consider going to an after market dual band phone with a hands free set. I have this in my car and I have it installed in my center console where the drink holder normally lives. It makes it much easier to see and operate. If you want confirmation of what number you are pushing on a key pad you still need to take your eyes off the road (even if the key pad is on the steering wheel) but you can dial by feel with the phone located where I have it and with a quick glance confirm the number before you hit the call button. Also you eventually memorize how many button pushes it takes to get to scroll to a frequently used number in your handsets phone book as well so calling these numbers does not require taking your eyes off the road. And it is possible to intergrate these after market systems (or I should say I know it is with the Nokia 5100/6100 series phones) into the factory wiring for the dealer installed phone so you maintain the stereo muting function, use of the built in phone speaker and have a clean looking installation.
As far as the S8 goes, you can buy one in the US next year (2001) but it will have an automatic transmission.
Be happy. You have a wonderful limited production car that was a technological breakthrough when it was introduced. Just keep in mind that cars are like computers, there will be a better version coming out soon. When Audi drops that 450 hp W12 in the A8 (guess that would really make it an A12), every other car in the category will be at the back of the pack for a couple of years.

#115 of 1483 Tire Choices for '00 A8 by joegraz

May 08, 2000 (1:35 am)

Wow. Continental tires on an A8? I have the 17" rims, and these tires make them look quite wimpy. Has anybody out there replaced them with a more aggressive looking and performing tire??

#116 of 1483 continental tires on MB S500 by bollinger

May 09, 2000 (11:52 pm)

Pay $100K, get Continental tires. Conti's aren't all bad, it depends on which model they pick.

#117 of 1483 sp9000 and body lean by audiaudiaudia8

May 12, 2000 (6:27 am)

Bill:


After 10,000 miles on my 2000 A8, only 2 complaints. First is the rear seat legroom which I can live with (since I never sit back there), and the A8L which I saw is just too big. Second is a tire question for you. I still have the Eagle LS stock tires on 17" rims for summer driving. It would be nice if there were less body lean on tight curves without a noticeable "setting" of the car after the start of the turn. My dealer says that going to higher performance tires will significantly help this. What do you think?? Are the SP 9000's the way to go? What about snow/wet traction with these tires during the shoulder seasons before my michelin pilots are on?


BTW, not a single mechanical or repair issue so far other than a minor adjustment to calibrate the trip computer and a reaiming of the headlights. I guess my yoga allows me to dial the phone while I'm driving without a problem.

Messages Page 12 of 149

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